0312355645:horrible_book,_horrible.:mark_gospri 0312355645 Running with Scissors: A Memoir: Books: Augusten Burroughs books 4 of 9 1.0 November 14, 2006 Mark Gospri THis book was horrible. If it was possible to rate it lower than one star i would have. I am an avid reader and picked this book up after my mom had gotten it from a friend. I read half of it, suffering from a headache the entire time, and then got to the part about the relationship the 13 year old boy had with a 33 year old man and i lit this book on fire. One less copy in the world...don't waste your money. I wish i had the time spent reading this book back so i could use it for better purposes. THis book wasted my life 1559278676:shallow_self-indulgence:joseph_s._perrott_"avid_reader" 1559278676 Running with Scissors: A Memoir: Books: Augusten Burroughs books 1 of 6 1.0 November 15, 2006 Joseph S. Perrott "avid reader" philadelphia, pa. United States I like to use the Amazon reviews when purchasing books, especially alert for dissenting perceptions about higly rated items, which usually disuades me from a selection. So I offer this review that seriously questions the popularity of this work - I found it smug, self-serving and self-indulgent, written by a person with little or no empathy, especially for the people he castigates. For example, his portrayal of the family therapist seems implausible and reaches for effect and panders to the "shrink" bashers of the world. This "play for effect" tone throughout the book was very distasteful to me 1559278676:horrible_book,_horrible.:mark_gospri 1559278676 Running with Scissors: A Memoir: Books: Augusten Burroughs books 4 of 9 1.0 November 14, 2006 Mark Gospri THis book was horrible. If it was possible to rate it lower than one star i would have. I am an avid reader and picked this book up after my mom had gotten it from a friend. I read half of it, suffering from a headache the entire time, and then got to the part about the relationship the 13 year old boy had with a 33 year old man and i lit this book on fire. One less copy in the world...don't waste your money. I wish i had the time spent reading this book back so i could use it for better purposes. THis book wasted my life 0425193373:disappointment:reader_"reader" 0425193373 Fierce Conversations: Achieving Sucess at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time: Books: Susan Scott books 10 of 13 1.0 March 13, 2006 Reader "Reader" I'm not sure who's writing these reviews, but I read repitition after repitition after repitition, with a lot of confusing fluff. Asking hard questions to solve complex or simple issues. What's "fierce" about that? The writing style and content just didn't flow. Wasn't real. I mean, in one section, she actually uses the term "bucko," as in, "Let me tell you something, bucko." What are we in "Happy Days?" Couldn't take the book seriously after that. Very bad. 0142004030:a_disappointing_mess:a._ross 0142004030 Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next Novels): Books: Jasper Fforde books 6 of 7 2.0 May 17, 2006 A. Ross Washington, DC I picked up the first book in this series (The Eyre Affair) based purely on its premise and was left somewhat underwhelmed. Still, the potential for the series seemed so large that I went ahead and read this second one too, only to be even less enchanted with the franchise. This is a pure sequel, and any newcomers are advised to read the misadventures of Thursday Next is strict order, lest one miss out of allusions to past events. Although... on further consideration, maybe it doesn't matter, since clearly anything can and will happen in this series, and Fforde isn't all that interested in keeping to a linear plotline anyway. The setting is the same as the first book, an alternate mid-1980s England in which literature is the preeminent social preoccupation. Fresh off the events of "The Eyre Affair", Thursday Next (a police officer specializing in literature related crimes, such as first-edition forgeries, valuable manuscript thefts, and the like) is gritting her teeth through a new round of fame as the woman who saved Jane Eyre (and changed the ending for the better), when all she wants to do is cuddle up at home with her new husband Landen. Unfortunately, the evil Goliath Corporation has managed to use a corrupt member of the Chronogaurd (timestream police) to delete Landen from this timeline and are holding his existence hostage. In the first book Thursday imprisoned one of their top men inside Poe's "The Raven", and it seems they want him back. This a potentially interesting plot, but it keeps get lost amidst all the other things Fforde throws into the mix. Most notable are a series of strange coincidences which keep coming close to killing Thursday (and are also linked to events in the first book). Another plotline concerns the discovery of a "lost" Shakespeare play, which looks to be the most important literary event of the century, if Thursday can authenticate it. There's also the small matter of Thursday's pregnancy. And just when one is comfortable with Thursday's role as a "SpecOps Litratech", and that whole milieu, she's thrown into an entirely new one as a member of "Jurisfiction", a kind of police comprised of book characters who move around in different literary works and maintain order... Finally, her father pops up to inform her that something in the timestream has gone wrong and the entire world is going to be turned into a mass of pink sludge in a few days unless he can figure it out, and can she help him. Phew! I've probably missed one or two elements, but you get the idea. Fforde is just brimming with nifty ideas, but the shame of it is that he can't stop and give any of them the attention they deserve. It's impossible to get invested in any of the plotlines when you know he's just going to move on to something else in a few pages, and it's impossible to care about the characters when their existence is utterly malleable, as is time and place. I suppose it's all meant to be puckish good fun, but the overall effect is more an attention deficit disorder Nancy Drew heroine meets a poor-man's Douglas Adams. The book has its occasional moments, but the humor is far too broad and unsubtle, and there's absolutely no narrative tension. All the literary in jokes in the world can't save this shambling wreck, and I don't think I'll be moving on to the next book. 0895261537:save_your_money,_there_are_better_books_out_there:calichrissy 0895261537 What's So Great About America: Books: Dinesh D'Souza books 9 of 41 2.0 August 18, 2005 CaliChrissy Santa Cruz, CA Not only do I disagree with his opinions, but some of his facts are blatently false. On page 106 he refers to violence agains Native Americans by European settlers as "isolated instances" and not planned nor calculated. Had to read it for a class and it was less then enjoyable 0140444394:thank_you,_but_no,_thanks:michael_sympson 0140444394 A Discourse on Inequality (Penguin Classics): Books: Jean-Jacques Rousseau,Maurice Cranston books 7 of 33 1.0 June 13, 2001 Michael Sympson Singapore "I have received your new book against the human race, and thank you for it. Never was such cleverness used in the design of making us all stupid. One longs, in reading your book, to walk on all fours. But as I have lost that habit for more than sixty years, I feel unhappily the impossibility of resuming it. Nor can I embark in search of the savages of Canada, because the maladies to which I am condemned render a European surgeon necessary to me; because war is going on in those regions; and because the example of our actions has made the savages nearly as bad as ourselves." Voltaire (1755 0380725835:unendurable_:w._d._amato_"drumturtle" 0380725835 Endangered Species (Anna Pigeon Mysteries (Paperback)): Books: Nevada Barr books 2 of 7 1.0 March 15, 2005 W. D. Amato "Drumturtle" Japan This book was on somebody's Amazon.com LISTMANIA for Sea Turtles, so I hunted it down. It is only vaguely about sea turtles, in that it is set on an island in Georgia where sea turtles nest. There is a sea turtle biologist introduced at the very beginning of the book, and then he disappears, so it's obvious that he was involved in the crime. There are way too many characters in this book to keep track of and most of them are not believable or likable. I wish this book had at least been fun to read but it was tedious and I ended up skimming the whole thing, looking for any sign of sea turtle interaction. Skip this book and send your $6.99 to a sea turtle hospital instead. 1423306384:the_hard_way:h._d._zabitz 1423306384 Hard Way, The (Jack Reacher): Books: Lee Child,Dick Hill books 0 of 4 1.0 November 9, 2006 H. D. Zabitz Bethlehem, PA I am not sure whatever possessed me to buy this book. Honestly, it was a complete waste of my time. To quote a friend, it was not the best use of my entertainment dollar. If you are a fan of pedestrian writing, lack-luster plots and hackneyed character development, this is your book 0060764686:some_good_info_among_the_political_commercial:neil_bacon_"patriot" 0060764686 Understanding Iraq: The Whole Sweep of Iraqi History from Genghis Khan's Mongols to the Ottoman Turks to the British Mandate to the American Occupation: Books: William R. Polk books 3 of 7 2.0 July 4, 2006 Neil Bacon "Patriot" Williamsburg, VA USA When Professor Polk describes the sweep of history in Iraq, he is at his best, but the book often descends into a political diatribe that is neither appropriate nor grounded in the facts. Much of the political ranting is supposition, marring what would otherwise be an interesting and informative work. The ranting gets especially tedious towards the end. My advice, read the first part and skip the last half 0805076158:interesting_reading,_but_take_it_with_a_grain_of_salt:tennyson_lee 0805076158 Chinese Lessons: Five Classmates and the Story of the New China: Books: John Pomfret books 0 of 1 2.0 November 17, 2006 Tennyson Lee Rocklin, CA This is a story of the lives of 5 people who attended college with the author during the early 1980s in post cultural revolution China. The 5 people live relatively miserable lives, touched by official corruption and incompetence (with the exception of one who benefits handsomely). China is portrayed as a country filled with desperate people lacking any morality, with widespread corruption, and widespread incompetence. This view is difficult to reconcile with the economic development and obvious progress that has occurred there in the past 20 years. This book is an interesting read as gossip often can be, but it is doubtful the 5 people portrayed represent present day China 0842329277:the_half-way_mark:dr._m._a._ramos 0842329277 Assassins: Assignment: Jerusalem, Target: Antichrist (Left Behind No. 6): Books: Tim F. LaHaye,Jerry B. Jenkins books 9 of 9 2.0 September 27, 2005 Dr. M. A. Ramos Melbourne, FL USA This is the sixth book in the Left Behind series. It is also the first one in the series I did not finish in one sitting. It did not flow as well as the others, so as to lend itself to a complete reading in one evening. The book also spends a lot of time re-telling what we read in previous books. I felt this time like I read half a novel. The book starts in the thirty-eighth month into the tribulation. But most of the characters seem a little too self serving in this book. Allowing their own desires to guide their actions. Whether that desire be derived from rage, revenge, self pity, or even guilt. Rayford spends most of his time focusing on Hattie or his desire to kill the Anti-Christ. Though I do like the description of the handgun that Rayford procures. And when the time comes for the assassination, there are a few characters to chose from. The book ends in an old time cliff hanger where you are left guessing who it is that assassinated the Anti-Christ. Stay tuned for the next volume. I have read this far, so I will finish the series. Though most people my find this book suspensful, I did not 0679750541:a_book_intended_to_deflect_attention_from_arab_racism:adel_makhoul 0679750541 Culture and Imperialism: Books: Edward W. Said books 19 of 71 1.0 May 1, 2005 Adel Makhoul Beirut Lebanon This book is essentially about how culture is used to promote the interest of stronger, imperial powers. Said condemns intellectuals in the West who in his eyes are "agents of exploitation". Yet Said himself is an agent of racism. A Pan Arabist, he always supported Arab unity and "Islam" at the expense of non-Arab and non-Moslem peoples. Said directs and manipulates the Western taste for self criticim, and all that does is deflect the world's attention from Arab and Moslem attrocities committed against Christians, Kurds, Jews, Israelis, Coptic Christians, non-Arab Sudanese, etc. Thus, reading Said, you would never realize that Sadam Hussein's poisoning of the Kurds has never been condemned by one Arab intellectual or leader. This is because a racist prevalent attitude in the Arab mind is that the entire Middle East should be Arab. This also explains the attitude towards Israel, a country that is predominantly non-Moslem and speaks a Middle Eastern language other than Arabic. The pity is that Said himself is a Christian, yet he never spoke on behalf of Coptic Christians in Egypt, or the right of Christians to practice their faith in Saudi Arabia and probably other places in the Arab World. He is facilitating the overall aim of PanArab Nationalists by distracting the West from what is happening in the Arab world. For a better understanding of relations between the West and Islam, I recommend books by Bernard Lewis, such as "The Moslem Discovery of Europe" and the "Jews of Islam". I also recommend books by the Egyptian scholar and Jewish refugee Yael Bat Yeor, such as "The Dhimmi". 1585424226:is_this_book_made_of_100%_american_products?_nope!:edmond_gauthier 1585424226 The United States of Wal-Mart: Books: John Dicker books 5 of 38 1.0 December 14, 2005 Edmond Gauthier USA Oh, yes - this is a very fine book... for me to poop on! In other words, it's a JOKE book. It's just another one of a half dozen duds out there, all trying to slam whoever happens to be the #1 retailer at the time - this decade it's Wal-Mart. Foreign countries paying their workers less? Blame Wal-Mart! Worker insurance prices going sky high because the medical industry over-estimates it's fees? Blame Wal-Mart! Crooked unions feeling threatened they'll get their butts kicked by non-union competition? Blame Wal-Mart! Etc., etc. You just have to laugh at how these semi-journalistic schlockmeisters try so desperately to compare themselves to a real activist like Micheal Moore, who actually accomplishes some social good once in awhile. But you know who's REALLY laughing? That's right - Wal-Mart. That's because they've ALREADY built their thousands of stores, and been in business for over 40 years, so it's way too late now for these mealy-mouthed media wannabes to do anything about it! And what do these ersatz authors expect at this very late date, anyway? That millions of consumers, during these roller-coaster economic times, will be instantly brainwashed by these new crackpot books and then suddenly start to "boycott lower prices"? Ha! Ha! Ha! Like I said, this has got to be just another joke book 0876859260:bukowski's_worst_book:bog_trotter 0876859260 Pulp: Books: Charles Bukowski books 2 of 6 1.0 August 11, 2004 Bog Trotter Madison, WI USA Hands down this is Bukowski's single worst book. Bought it when it first came out just before/after his death in 1994. Having read just about everything the man had written, "Pulp" was a hugely disappointing epitaph. If you've never read Bukowski start with "Post Office" or the short story collections, but avoid this like the plague. A bad book. I can't think of a single reason to recommend it 0870203606:average:jason_moser_kenneth_"moser14" 0870203606 Third Down and a War to Go: The All-American 1942 Wisconsin Badgers: Books: Terry Frei books 0 of 11 1.0 January 25, 2005 Jason Moser Kenneth "moser14" Osaka, Osaka Japan Very average book! Frei doesn't go down as one of my favorite sports writers. Loves to sensationlize rather then just tell a great story 0553280414:i_didn't_expect_it_to_be_this_bad....:j._meyers 0553280414 A Separate Peace: Books: John Knowles books 1 of 3 2.0 November 4, 2006 J. Meyers Iowa This book had a good message, and could have had a lasting impact on me. But the plot was obscenely dull, and the middle of the book (Gene and Finny relationship) does not seem to fit in with the rest of the book. Not recommended 9840514679:there_is_hope_for_the_world:ellen_mcnally 9840514679 Banker to the Poor: Books: Muhammad Yunus,Alan Jolis books 6 of 9 1.0 August 31, 2005 Ellen Mcnally Hong Kong Finally there is a solution to the problem of world poverty! Yunnus has proven, by the success of his bank's loans to the desperately poor, that the poor are masters of survival and the best equipped to pull themselves out of poverty given the right tools and support. Founder of the Grameen Bank, he and his collaborators in many coutries throughout the world (including the US and Canada) have shown that lending to the poor, helping them realize their own potential and giving them the support network they need to succeed is having dramatic results wherever it is tried. Yunnus' book is inspiring and an eye-opener. It made me realize that professionals working in large international charity organizations cannot bring about genuine change unless their offices and employees live and work among the people they are trying to help. It's hard to separate the book from the idea. One is as fascinating as the other. Out of 5 points, I give it a six 0312975732:farfetched:tawntawn 0312975732 What The Corpse Revealed: Books: Hugh Miller books 10 of 10 2.0 October 18, 2004 TawnTawn Texas While reading this book I found the details of some cases to be unbelievable. Also, the "photographs" of the murderers and detectives all looked fuzzy and more like drawings. I've read a lot of true crime and never heard of catching a murderer because he breathed his asthma medication on the murder victim's hair. Or because they chemically deduced which cologne he wore. And who leaves their backdoor open when they know a violent Doberman Pinscher has been getting through their backyard fence? Sure, just let that dog on in. And whose place of employment has a record of all employee's blood "groups" (not their TYPES, just their GROUPS), when the employee doesn't even know HIMSELF what group he is? Then I read the introduction, which I always skip, and found out this book is FICTION, not true crime as the cover announced and in which section it was in in the book store. As FICTION, it's okay, (I prefer Agatha Christie), but I don't believe the forensic work in this book is even based on any fact. So read it for entertainment, but don't be so gullible as to believe any of it 1591022460:there_are_better_logic_books_out_there:reviewer 1591022460 Truth, Knowledge, Or Just Plain Bull: How To Tell The Difference : A Handbook of Practical Logic and Clear Thinking: Books: Bernard M. Patten books 103 of 114 2.0 April 5, 2005 Reviewer which are all, weirdly, from Texas, where the author lives I was disappointed in this book--especially after reading the other stellar reviews (which are all, weirdly, from Texas, where the author lives). When it's a book about logic and clear thinking, a reader expects that book to be free of typographical errors, imprecise logic, and muddled thinking. Needless to say, I almost put the book down after reading the introduction because of the missing words and typographical errors. Exampe from page 11: "Because the real is out there, we must effectively with it...." Here's another gem from the same page: "I am sorry to have to tell you that fact, but that is the way things are. That is the nature of nature. That is the reality of reality." Look at page 33. The author states, "Why when one exception is uncovered, multiple other exceptions surface almost right away is not entirely clear.... Probably this has something to do with the way we humans view reality." Very disappointing--hasn't this author studied any cognitive psychology? It's called confirmation bias and it's entirely clear. One more example! On page 60, the author states that Barbara Boxer, a senator from California, "doesn't know the difference between a revolver and a semiautomatic pistol" and is "unlikely to shed intelligent light on the relative safety of either gun." Ouch. How does he know what Barbara Boxer knows or doesn't know? She's actually very well-versed on the difference between the two; has he heard her speak on the subject? It comes across as more of an ad hominem attack than anything. Anyway, save your money on this book and instead buy Jamie Whyte's CRIMES AGAINST LOGIC. Now that's a well-written book! 0060955988:it's_been_said_before,_and_much_better............:david_caplan_"dave_c." 0060955988 My Life in the Middle Ages: A Survivor's Tale: Books: James Atlas books 2 of 4 2.0 July 19, 2005 David Caplan "Dave C." United States He gave it all he had, but there just wasn't much of interest there. He's a self-described, turmoiled loser, and not very interesting one to boot. Kafka, Roth, and Jeremy Leven (Satan, et al), write about similar troubled Jews, and are much funnier and interesting. I like his honesty, but, it's not worth the price of admission 0471413909:closer_to_healthy_than_atkins,_but_not_quite_there.:michael_salmons 0471413909 The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Food You Were Designed to Eat: Books: Loren Cordain books 12 of 17 2.0 August 3, 2006 Michael Salmons out in the garden shed The Paleo Diet is based on an interesting premise- the idea that what we ate before agriculture suited our needs perfectly because our bodies had been bred by evolution in response to our what we could find to eat in our environment. It seems like a giant leap to assume our paleolithic ancestors naturally gravitated towards exactly what we need to eat. Animals in the wild do make sensible choices most of the time, because their decisions are instinctual. Self-awareness creates a problem that doesn't exist for other animal behavior as it does for humans. Sometimes we do things out of curiosity, or laziness, or false beliefs. So, considering the erratic behavior of present-day humans, who is to say our paleolithic ancestors were any more intuitive about their nutritive needs? Even the book suggests humans ate what they did out of trial and error, frequently just trying whatever they encountered in the wild. The fact that wild foods are frequently much richer in nutrients than domestic foods does not mean that you must subscribe to a strict paleolithic diet to take advantage of this fact. Rather, eat more wild-sourced food. Just about anything edible from the wild will be a healthy food, unless the environment from which it comes is polluted- and that is a very real problem. Meat is a very dodgy thing nowadays, not like it was in the pristine wilderness of the paleolithic era. The Paleo diet would be a healthy thing if we were still in that world. Now, we need to worry about heavy metals in fish flesh, and antibiotics and growth hormones in feedlot animals. Beef will have some naturally occuring omega 3 if the animals were allowed to wander in a more or less natural fashion, as they did when the most commonly employed mechanism for animal control was the cowboy. This is no longer true. The average cut of meat in your supermarket is taken from a feedlot animal, fed the wrong food and in conditions unsanitary in the extreme. Basing a diet on meat in this day and age can be dangerous. You must choose your meat sources carefully. Meat made from free-range animals raised on pesticide-free in a caring manner can be very hard to find. I found Loren's rejection of all products of agricultural development a little too simple minded, and in some cases irresponsible. There is nothing at all unhealthy about whole grain foods or legumes consumed in moderation, and significant weight loss could occur for most people if they ingested organic whole grains and legumes but conscientiously avoided only the major evil products of agriculture: high fructose corn syrup, trans-fatty acids, artifical sweeteners, uncleaned foods raised non-organically with pesticides and herbicides, and improperly raised food animals. My main objection to the book is nearly one hundred pages (about half) of the book is dedicated to the spiel- convincing you this thing is real and valid and worth your time. I think the forward to the book or perhaps the first chapter alone would have been sufficient for that purpose. After a while you get the feeling Loren is trying too hard to sell this idea to you, and it really interferes with the flow of the book. Further, a lot (but not all) of the studies cited show only marginal advantages of different aspects of this diet. The claims that you will experience great weight loss and feel better than you ever have are quite nice to imagine, and peppered throughout the book. But it's hard to believe with the less than overwhelming studies cited. One last nitpick. One great way to compensate for the lack of typical food taste enhancers like salt and sugar is the use of herbs and spices. something very much like the paleo diet already exists as part of peasant cuisines around the world. It's a pity the recipes included do not explore those, but instead offer somewhat watered down and uninspired fare instead. Espscially asian cuisines frequently make due with alot of the ingredients that are ok on the paleo diet, and their interesting spices make it all the more entertaining. I found the recipes far too traditional and western-centric. 0393321126:biased,_inaccurate,_and_misleading:jill_malter 0393321126 The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World: Books: Avi Shlaim books 10 of 48 1.0 February 13, 2005 Jill Malter jillmalter@aol.com If you want a biased and misleading account of the Arab war against Israel, this ought to satisfy you. Shlaim tells us that Jabotinsky, in discussing Zionism explained that "if the cause is just, justice must triumph." I think Jabotinsky made a very good point here. You see, human beings will, if given the chance, tend to buy land in the places they wish to live in. The ones who can make best use of the land and wish to do so will be the high bidders for the land. If injustice consists of stealing that land from them and justice consists of letting them buy the land and keep it (which they will wish to do if they are offered only low prices for it), then it is easy to see what the triumph of justice would mean here. In particular, it would mean a prosperous Israel and a triumph for Zionism. Shlaim appears to have missed all this. To him, Zionism is unjust. And to him, the triumph of terror and theft is both forthcoming and desirable. He tells us that a new independent Levantine Arab state "is inevitable." I disagree. It may be likely. But it would serve no purpose. It would not help Jews, Arabs, or others. Its only purpose would be to damage Israel. The people of such a state do not as yet have an independent language, religion, culture, cuisine, or foreign policy. So I think there is still hope that sanity may prevail here. Shlaim also tells us that this new Arab state will be "weak, demilitarized, and territorially divided." Is it just possible that this, if true, provides even more reasons why neither side might want to create it at all? And could that make the appearance of this state even less inevitable? Or at least less desirable? And the author also explains that both sides in the Arab-Israeli conflict will have to make "painful compromises," and that Jerusalem will have to be "the subject of hard bargaining." Really? Is having peace and prosperity with reasonable borders a painful compromise? For either side? Of course not. Shlaim is kidding us if he expects us to believe that war, poverty, and destruction are somehow less painful. Had Shlaim been writing about France and Germany, we'd have seen at once that the whole viewpoint is nonsense. He'd have been telling us that the German National Socialists needed an independent state in France, either to replace all of France or part of it. He would have laughingly dismissed French claims on the basis of the entire idea of France being unjust! He'd have sternly explained that a German National Socialist state in France was both desirable and inevitable. And he would have discussed the necessary "painful compromises" for both sides and the "hard bargaining" about Paris. There are plenty of reasonable books about the Arab war against Israel. This isn't one of them 0836254279:nothing_but_publishing_politics:bruce_st_john 0836254279 Stephen King: America'S Best-Loved Boogeyman: Books: Beahm books 1 of 6 1.0 February 20, 2003 BRUCE ST JOHN Houston, Texas Didn't care for this book at all. If you want to learn about Stephen King you'd be much better off reading or listening to his book "On Writing." 0451412095:stranded_on_an_island:k._m._halbig 0451412095 Murder at Five Finger Light: A Jessie Arnold Mystery: Books: Sue Henry books 5 of 6 2.0 March 12, 2006 K. M. Halbig California USA I have been a fan of Sue Henry since her first Jessie Arnold mystery. I was looking forward to reading her lastest adventure, but was very disappointed in this outing. The characters were one-dimensional. After discovering who the "bad guys" were I needed to reread part of the book for clarification. Sue Henry has a very annoying habit of foreshadowing at the end of many of her chapters. "...they hadn't a notion just how decidedly things could - and would - change in the next few hours." Even the relationship between Alex and Jessie seemed stilted. I realize it is difficult to create plausible mysteries for a civilian like musher Jessie Arnold, but this book tried too hard and accomplished too little 1582341281:i_dont_like_this_book:t._thanatipanonda_"cal136" 1582341281 Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture: A Novel of Mathematical Obsession: Books: Apostolos Doxiadis books 2 of 12 2.0 August 13, 2005 T. Thanatipanonda "cal136" I want to make a short comment here: 1) This book is quite confusing. It mixed up the real story with the make up one. 2) Saying that Ramanujun thought Goldbach Conjecture is wrong was a huge mistake. Everyone believe that Goldbach Conjecture is true. And Ramanujun is a real genius. I cannot stand this make up part 1400131464:no_stars_for_this_book!!:a._barkley_"b._barkley" 1400131464 Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior: Books: Temple Grandin,Catherine Johnson,Shelly Frasier books 8 of 17 1.0 September 4, 2006 A. Barkley "B. Barkley" What a bunch of high school hallway gossip! The author does not know the difference between white and albino! The 'genetics' discussions on color (which includes people, chickens, horses, and dogs - all of it suspect) and mutts vs. purebred dogs are total claptrap! I confess, I couldn't get past page 87 when the author explains that 'one of the reasons wolves turned into dogs was that nursing human mothers probably adopted orphaned wolf cubs and nursed them at their breasts along with their human babies.' WHAT?? A waste of my hard-earned $. Having read those parts I cannot believe anything that went before or that follows, not that I'm reading any further. How is a multi-published author allowed to put such uneducated 'information' into print? And now she's influenced readers -- a terrible situation. Publisher, where are your pre-publication reviews? Shame on you for allowing this ignorant speculation to be published! 1417634391:the_members_of_turning_pages_book_club_suggest....:charlie_lomax,_turning_pages_book_club 1417634391 Million Little Pieces: Books: James Frey books 0 of 2 1.0 November 4, 2006 Charlie Lomax, Turning Pages Book Club San Francisco Bay Area This book could have been written in 200 pages instead of 400 if James Frey did not repeat himself a million times. Although, the book is based on fictional characters the author could have developed the characters more by including more of the occupants from the treatment facility and told their individual stories to make the story flow and make the book more interesting instead of being so repetitive. This book however, did shed some insight on what addicts go through during detox. He could have been less descriptive in the sections where he described getting sick and throwing -up, and the very graphic descriptions he gave when taking his stitches out; even though his tactic was to show how brave he was, the reader could tell that it was all in his addictive mind! This book would be an encouragement for someone who is an addict and need something to pull them into reality to show them that they can kick their addiction and change their life before it is too late, like it almost was for James. It was just an okay book and we hope James Frey's next book will be much more interesting 0671891634:eh...:ken_walsh 0671891634 Beating the Street: Books: Peter Lynch,John Rothchild books 15 of 24 2.0 March 16, 2005 Ken Walsh Tucson, AZ Not all that useful, really. Message is "buy mutual funds!". In general, since the vast majority of mutual funds underperform the market, just buy index funds would be the best advice. Most of the text is entirely useless to someone who might want to trade individual stocks. Passages suggest that if a company seems undervalued you might want to have lunch with the CEO to go over the financials and confirm your valuation. Oh, thanks Peter, what great advice... ("Mr. Gates, your 11 o'clock is here to discuss purchasing 15 shares") 0966915372:drop_the_religion:barbara_miller 0966915372 Knitting for Anarchists: Books: Anna Zilboorg books 1 of 4 1.0 September 29, 2006 Barbara Miller The biblical and creator references in this book are overwhelming. I thought I was buying a book about knitting, but found the references too distracting to be able to focus on her knitting instructions. 0312985347:this_series_is_getting_old_now:belle_du_jour 0312985347 Eleven on Top (A Stephanie Plum Novel): Books: Janet Evanovich books 2.0 November 2, 2006 Belle du Jour Sydney, Australia Just finished reading this novel this morning and I think it is probably the weakest one of the lot. Like a lot of reviewers, I didn't find this one anywhere near as gripping or well-developed plotwise as a number of the earlier ones in the Stephanie Plum series. As well, the supposed sexual tension- love triangle between Stephanie, Joe and Ranger is approaching its use-by date. It is definitely becoming boring and I think Ms Evanovich needs to resolve Stephanie's romantic situation once and for all. I still enjoy characters like Lula and Grandma Mazur but a lot of the situations Stephanie found herself in fell flat with me. There are only so many times she can have her car blown up, handbag destroyed, apartment broken into, etc, before it becomes tiresome and repetitive. I still think there is a spark of life in the Stephanie Plum series, but I hope the next novel is a better effort and not so much by-the-numbers as this one 0345303350:keep_looking:dana_taylor_"september" 0345303350 Play Therapy: Books: Virginia M. Axline books 5 of 9 2.0 September 12, 2005 Dana Taylor "September" Humboldt, Ca There are plenty of excellent Play Therapy books out there, this is not one of them. Maybe it's just me, but a play therapy book should be way more user friendly. I need quick access, color and... ART B00005VIRZ:i'll_pass_on_carb-loading_one_hour_a_day_:"livin'_la_vida_low-carb_man"_jimmy_moore B00005VIRZ The carbohydrate addict's diet : the lifelong solution to yo-yo dieting: Books: Rachael F. Heller,Richard F. Heller books 5 of 7 2.0 May 24, 2006 "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man" Jimmy Moore Spartanburg, SC When you have lost weight, it's a very natural thing for others to be curious about how you lost your weight and kept it off. Whenever they have heard me tell my story, read my blog or book, or found out that I did it on the low-carb lifestyle, one question invariably has come up from time to time: "What do you think about this low-carb diet where you can eat whatever you want for one-hour per day?" My initial reaction to these people was usually something along the lines of this: "That's absolutely crazy! There's no way you could ever lose weight and keep it off using this method." I did the Atkins diet and honestly have not stayed on top of all the bazillion other low-carb diets out there. But there was something very odd about this plan that it made me look around to find out more about it. Little did I know there was an actual book out there about this very diet so many people had been telling me about. It's called The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet and it was written by a husband/wife team Drs. Richard and Rachael Heller. The CAD diet, as it is referred to, makes the claim (and I agree with it) that many people are addicted to carbohydrates and need to be weaned off from depending on them for sustenance. Just like a drug addict gets small concentrated doses of their preferred drug daily so they can eventually get by with less and less, that same concept is what goes into the CAD diet. If people think the Atkins diet is restrictive, then check out what you have to do on the CAD diet: BREAKFAST: ZERO-carb meal consisting of protein and fat. LUNCH: ZERO-carb meal consisting of protein and fat. You are NOT allowed to eat any bread, fruit, milk, juice, and most starchy vegetables. Absolutely NO snacking whatsoever except for black coffee or diet soda. You cannot use artificial sweeteners either. Sound appealing, anyone? Hmmm? I suppose if that's all there was to this diet, then NOBODY would do it. But there is one more key aspect of the CAD diet that you probably will be interested in. DINNER: Eat equal amounts of protein, vegetables and dessert of whatever you want to eat in whatever amount, but it must be eaten in a one-hour time frame. You can even enjoy a beer or glass of wine with your "reward" meal. How's that for incentive? You basically starve all day long just so you can get to those sixty minutes at the end of your day where you can say hello to the buffet line! Who wouldn't enjoy a diet that lets you do THAT?! Well, I'm still very skeptical about any lifestyle change that encourages you to eat the very foods that got you overweight or obese to begin with on a DAILY basis. I caught a lot of flack from my fellow low-carbers about my controversial "planned splurge" meal every 6-8 weeks during my weight loss. However, the Hellers give you a DAILY planned splurge!!! What's up with that? We can blame this on Dr. Rachael, who stumbled upon this way of eating when she weighed 268 pounds after being on diet after diet. She became a psychologist to learn more about why people overeat (ostensibly to help herself in the process, too). She had skipped breakfast and lunch on a particular day she was fasting for a blood test and then, like most of us would, ate to her heart's content whatever she wanted for supper. The next morning she noticed she had dropped 2 pounds. Thinking something must have gone wrong with her scale, she tried it again the next day, skipping breakfast and lunch and then eating a gargantuan dinner and once again, she lost another pound. She played around with what would eventually become The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet and went on to lose 150 pounds which she has kept off to this day. The frequency of eating carbohydrates is the key behind the CAD diet. The Hellers believe that anyone who consumes ANY amount of carbohydrates during the day will set off all the bells and whistles in your body that you are hungry faster than if you avoided them altogether. They say that eating carbs throughout the day is like giving lots of small doses of cocaine to a cocaine addict. It will make them crave their poison even more! That's why you basically avoid eating carbs on the CAD diet until the end of the day. This process of getting over carbohydrate addiction is a tricky one, and the Hellers think they have found a solid plan for making it work for lasting weight loss in people. I still can't get around the fact that you don't change the poor eating habits of the people who have packed on the pounds. Sure, they basically starve themselves throughout the day before they eat their one BIG meal each day, but how is that stimulating the metabolism and preventing the biggest obstacle to weight loss success -- HUNGER! There's no way I could do the CAD diet because I enjoy eating every 2-3 hours to keep my digestive process constantly in motion. I truly believe this is one of the things that has helped me lose the weight and keep it off. Since you cannot snack or use artificial sweeteners on the CAD diet, it would literally drive me insane even if there was that "reward" meal at the end of the day! Wanna take a test to see if you are a carb addict? Click here to take the 10-question Carbohydrate Addict's Test. I scored a 2, which means "You do not appear to be carbohydrate addicted." No kidding, ya think? Dr. Jonny Bowden, author of Living The Low-Carb Life, examined the CAD diet and said the diet uses some fuzzy science to make their points about why their plan works. "While it seems pretty clear that there are both insulin and serotonin abnormalities in the obese, it's not at all clear that high levels of insulin depress levels of serotonin, as the Hellers hypothesize--in fact, the majority of the evidence points to the opposite response." Furthermore, Dr. Bowden said he is concerned about the lack of attention on exercise as part of their weight loss program, stating "it's vital to both maintaining weight and to raising the metabolic rate." While The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet has worked for a lot of people and I always tell people to do what works for them to lose weight and keep it off, I still have my reservations about this program. I think I'll pass on carb-loading my body for one hour a day B00005VIRZ:silly_book_:lusty22_"avid_reader" B00005VIRZ The carbohydrate addict's diet : the lifelong solution to yo-yo dieting: Books: Rachael F. Heller,Richard F. Heller books 1 of 4 1.0 March 8, 2006 lusty22 "avid reader" VT United States This book is just plain stupid. If it works for people and helps them lose weight I realize they will be estatic. However, it is not healthy. Each of our meals should be balanced. These people are promoting unbalanced eating. The reason so many of us are carb sensitive is because we have spent a lifetime over indulging on carbs! If one were to sit down and eat each meal with balanced food groups, including complex carbs in small amounts, we would not only lose weight in a safe manner, but we would heal our bodies from the inside out. This diet won't heal us, it is a fad. If anyone is looking to really heal their metabolism, lose weight and even heal disease, try reading "The Schwarzbein Principle" by Diana Schwarzbein, MD. That is a great book on how to heal diabetes, hypoglycemia, and many other things. It also explains how eating balanced and giving up stimulants will not only help us lose weight, but reverse aging and stop having food cravings in the first place. This book promotes eating unhealthy foods and is only about weight loss, not getting healthy. 0679734031:infamous_bridge-burner_offers_highly_subjective_opinion_on_writing:deepcloud 0679734031 The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers: Books: John Gardner books 5 of 24 2.0 January 18, 2006 deepcloud No wonder John Gardner didn't write more fiction books. He was far too preoccupied with what he believes makes good fiction, rather than actually writing it. "Creative atrophy" I believe John Gardner himself would call it. If there's ever been a better example of the "those who can't do, teach" argument, I haven't encountered it. This is hardly the place a "Young Writer" should start. Instead, how about reading what you like and avoiding "ignoramouses" such as John Gardner? John Gardner is unable to accept the fact that many of the world's finest writers never made it through college, and many more didn't have the luxury of a "rigorous classical education." The most hilarious part is where Gardner mentions that only through a line-by-line university level discussion will anybody ever be able to fully enjoy Shakespeare. It's interesting to note how Gardner, who "taught" creative writing at the university level, fails to exhibit the critical thinking and objectivity he says one can only obtain through a college education 0486299880:the_roots_of_management_science:william_k._klimack 0486299880 The Principles of Scientific Management: Books: Frederick Winslow Taylor books 4 of 9 2.0 May 9, 2002 William K. Klimack West Point, NY USA This was originally published in 1911 and promulgates the author's task management system. This was the beginning of the "scientific management" line of research and so is widely credited as being the first management science book. The essay certainly provides an interesting window into an earlier time. He also illustrates how implementation of management tools requires leadership for success. Still, a reader shouldn't plan on taking away a great many lessons not available from other sources. The book should appeal mainly to those specialists working in the field and to historians rather than most readers 0312952716:a_simple_mind_:roger_angle 0312952716 A Simple Plan: Books: Scott B. Smith books 10 of 21 2.0 September 28, 2005 Roger Angle Culver City, CA United States I know a lot of people liked this book, but it didn't work for me. The main character and his buddies run around like chickens with their heads cut off, acting as if they have committed a huge crime. The problem is, they didn't. There is no crime. I talked to several cops and a prominent defense attorney about this plot, and it makes no sense. It would make sense if someone comes after the McGuffin, early on, but no one does, not until very late in the book. So most of the story has no foundation. 0060544481:who_wrote_this?__surely_not_hillerman:ranch_girl 0060544481 The Sinister Pig CD: Books: Tony Hillerman,Guidall George books 4 of 6 1.0 November 15, 2005 Ranch Girl Colorado, USA If Tony Hillerman wrote this novel (novella actually), I sure can't tell. I have been a Chee/Leaphorn fan for many years, but this novel is not in the same league with Hillerman's other work. It is reminiscent of a 'B' movie. Instead of building suspense, the plot is laid out all too plainly, the characters are unreal, and the Chee/Bernie romance doesn't ring true. I am amazed that it was published 1932994262:this_book_is_only_for_the_apprentice_lover.:c._brooks_"book_lover" 1932994262 Lessons from the Apprentice: Secrets to Success from the Boardroom to the Business World: Books: Michael Robin,Authorized by The Apprentice,Donald Trump books 2.0 July 25, 2006 C. Brooks "Book lover" Michigan I gave this book two stars because the book was a little boring and dragged on in some areas. The best information was in the margins and the quotes not really any of the information in the book. I have read: Carolyn, Bill, and Amy's books and I want to give this one a try. This book is truly for The Apprentice TV lover but if you are looking for business advice this is not the book for you 0394415256:cynosure_scallions_on_the_mountain_look_downwards_(upon?)_the_zebus_&_sevens:coroner_"the_original_dangerous_competitor" 0394415256 The Andromeda Strain: Books: Michael Crichton books 1 of 3 2.0 August 23, 2006 Coroner "The Original Dangerous Competitor" Guam Really tried to like this book. Premise was grand; story bobbed and weaved; conclusion was flimsy. Discursive scientific literalizations distract & disorient. Crichton breaks the rule to never stanch the flow. I dislike the quartet of scientists who investigate the outbreak; they don't come across to the reader as likeable 0553278592:typical,_eurocentric__stereotypes_about_muslims:avid_reader 0553278592 Sweet Revenge: Books: Nora Roberts books 0 of 1 1.0 November 3, 2006 Avid Reader California I couldn't read past the second chapter. Roberts is just perpetuating the same old stereotypes about Muslims. It really steamed me that she used a verse of the Quran out of context for the title page of "The Bitter". "Your wives are your fields, so go to your fields as you like" isn't meant as a justification of sexual abuse and has never been interpreted as so by real scholars of the Quran. I'm not going to finish this book, because I'd rather not be reminded of how much I am viewed as some sort of exotic, oppressed "other" type of woman, thanks. 0471130095:free_money:gegil 0471130095 Free Money from the Federal Government for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs: Books: Laurie Blum books 44 of 46 1.0 December 23, 1999 gegil New York This was one of five books that I brought from Amazon.com and by far the worst of the lot. This man has one idea about how the government really works. Take it from me I have been with the IRS for five years 039915342X:pathetic:robin 039915342X Dark Harbor (Stone Barrington Novels): Books: Stuart Woods books 1 of 1 1.0 October 26, 2006 Robin Hollywood, MD I bought this book while rushing through an airport terminal needing something to read on the plane. Not one of my better decisions. Very wordy, and the dialogue is so clipped and stilted it's totally absurd -- reminds me of the way the cops talked in "Dragnet." We are talking zero development of characters. Perhaps Mr. Woods feels he doesn't need to give any depth to characters that he's been writing about in previous books. Well, he's wrong. You basically just don't care about these people. They aren't real, and they talk weird. Not much action either, unless you count actions like: they got in the car; they got in the boat; they got in the plane. You get the picture. This is another case of a well-known author throwing something together so he can get it on the newsstand and rob you of your money. Don't fall into his trap like I did. There are a lot better books out there. 1594864705:is_lying_a_smart_"business_decision"_like_going_to_prison?:realmartha 1594864705 The Martha Rules: 10 Essentials for Achieving Success as You Start, Grow, or Manage a Business: Books: Martha Stewart books 1 of 16 1.0 January 31, 2006 realmartha Should Martha Rules have included any information regarding her going to prison as a "business decision"? I would have been interested in reading about the pr strategy used in this "criminal spectacle" designed to make the question of Martha/Mdiddy's innocence a moot point. Are honest business practices being pushed to the side? By normalizing, generalizing, and minimalizing Martha/Mdiddy's crimes, are we loosing our morality? How important is integrity to a leader...former CEO of a company? Be "thoughtful 1596008695:disbelief_really_hard_to_suspend!:avid_reader_"tippygeorge" 1596008695 Blue Smoke: Books: Nora Roberts,Joyce Bean books 0 of 1 2.0 September 25, 2006 avid reader "tippygeorge" South Carolina Mine got unsuspended with the second boyfriend's death. I am a great fan of Nora Roberts and really looked forward to this book. Believe me, it is not one of her best. I started off admiring her setting and characterization of the Hale family, but, then, this went on way too long. It also took way too long to get to the real story. The middle of the book bogged down to the point that I had to make myself keep reading, which is very unusual for Nora Roberts. Much of the plot was over the top unbelievable. How many boyfriends of one person can be killed? The 20 year mystic connection with Bo doesn't quite come off, either. I'll certainly remain a great fan of Roberts, but no one's perfect, I guess. 0739333100:what,_another_birthday????:lucille_p._finamore 0739333100 Digging to America: Books: Anne Tyler,Blair Brown books 0 of 3 2.0 November 12, 2006 Lucille P. Finamore I found this book very boring. Tyler does a good job on detailing the charictors but I kept waiting for something to happen. Poor Maryam never developed into a person she was so caught up in trying to be a proper American. I will read another of her books since she is so well thought of B0006E32NC:over_rated:tony_luu B0006E32NC How to master the art of selling: Books: Tom Hopkins books 0 of 8 1.0 June 27, 2006 Tony Luu This book is not as good as i thought it would be. I hope i have better readings with Bryan Tracy's Advance selling 0375758259:this_book_is_suspect.:idiosyncrat_"casillas8" 0375758259 When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management: Books: Roger Lowenstein books 3 of 15 2.0 May 6, 2006 Idiosyncrat "casillas8" California I am by no means an economist, and much less an expert on finance, but this book strikes me as a thinly veiled, unsubtle hatchet job on the efficient markets hypothesis. I've seen much subtler discussions of the Efficient Market Hypothesis written for general audiences, enough of them so I can recognize that Lowenstein doesn't get it; he equates efficient markets with "the price that the market offers is always the intrinsic value," and not with "you can't reliably predict intrinsic value any better than market prices themselves do." This is a crucial difference, because it is only by assuming that market efficiency is the first that his attack holds water. The other thing that makes me very suspicious about this book is the way Lowenstein presents the character of the various people involved in the story, given what his sources are. Reading between the lines, I just have to wonder if his description of the personality and character of the people he describes as the core folks at LTCM is much too informed by interviews with people who've had a falling out with them 1401384056:the_five_people_you_meet_in_heaven_-_review:trish_new_"hopedealer" 1401384056 The Five People You Meet in Heaven: Books: Mitch Albom,Author books 2.0 November 7, 2006 Trish New "hopedealer" Decatur TX Inspired by his uncle, Eddie, who worked at an amusement park, Albom writes a well-coordinated tale of people who connect here and in the afterlife, which is described by him as a very materialistic ambience. The concept is old: a better life beyond and a reason for the people with whom you cross paths. There are concepts to be learned from the five people. The story is delightful and cavalier. Trish New, author of The Thrill of Hope and South State Street Journal 076790849X:spinning_for_dummies:john_u. 076790849X The No Spin Zone: Confrontations with the Powerful and Famous in America: Books: Bill O'Reilly books 31 of 38 1.0 January 22, 2006 John U. San Diego, CA This is a moderately well-spun book about the "No Spin Zone." Should be called the "Know Spin Zone" since really nothing in it is objective. O'Reilly is a case-study in the typesubjective journalism that is prevalent in the media these days and the book shows this. In other words it's a must read for everyone with the ability to see through it. If you can't see through O'Reilly's bias then this book is poison 060980801X:definitely_not_up_there_with_krakauer!:lisa_bahrami 060980801X The Last River: The Tragic Race for Shangri-la: Books: Todd Balf books 2 of 3 2.0 June 6, 2003 Lisa Bahrami orlando, fl USA One of the blurbs I read on the book jacket compared this book to Into Thin Air and The Perfect Storm. No way!. Those two books were edge-of-your-seat reading experiences. This account of a kayaking expedition is just plain boring. The action doesn't start until about halfway or more into the book and even then, the cliched writing and deification of Balf's subjects make this book very hard to get through. Unless you are a serious kayaking fan, I would not recommend this book 0684832399:so_nazism_is_back:s._holliday_"nae'blis" 0684832399 Intercourse: Books: Andrea Dworkin books 19 of 47 1.0 July 2, 2002 S. Holliday "Nae'blis" Hey here's an idea. What if Hitler was right all along, only it is men, not jews, who are to blame for all the woes of the world. We should build a new Auschwitz and exterminate them all. Right Andrea? In my opinion, this is just as bad as any misogynist. It's ridiculous garbage like this that has set the women's liberation movement back for so long 0345427580:not_nearly_as_compelling_as_"rise_to_rebellion.":mike_reilly 0345427580 The Glorious Cause: Books: Jeff Shaara books 2 of 4 2.0 September 20, 2005 Mike Reilly New England "The Glorious Cause" is the sequel to "Rise to Rebellion," and since the first novel was so good I eagerly dove into this one, but was disappointed to find it had nowhere near the same depth and quality of characterization. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it a 4, as compared to the 8 I would give "Rise to Rebellion." The events recounted in "Rise to Rebellion" involving the lead up to the Revolutionary War seemed so much more detailed and interesting, with a vast array of characters that were so colorful; John Adams, Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, Ben Franklin, and others. "The Glorious Cause" was not without its merits, but it seemed so much drier and less appealing, with a more narrow focus. It was far too long in some parts, to the point my attention wandered, and getting through it was a chore in some sections, unlike the preceding novel which seemed to turn its own pages. I listened to this book on audio tape during my commute, and often found myself impatiently trying to keep my focus upon the narrative while controlling my urge to fast forward to a livelier scene. One element I felt truly slighted by was the coverage of Benedict Arnold and his defection to the British cause. I assumed this would be one of the lengthier and more rewarding sections of the book, but it zipped by fairly rapidly with little genuine immersion into the subject material. A mark of a good book is how I feel when I have finished reading it - if I am disappointed I have reached the end of the story, then I know it was time well spent. Getting to the end of "The Glorious Cause" felt more like finishing some particularly grueling outdoor project; it was uncomfortable work, and now that I'm done I feel I can do something a bit more interesting. Because Shaara did such a good job with "Rise to Rebellion" I don't feel my lack of appeal for this book is his responsibility; perhaps the subject matter didn't complement my taste as well. I prefer interesting historial detail over tepid, droning battle descriptions, and I feel the differences between those two categories represent perfectly the differences between "Rise to Rebellion" and "The Glorious Cause. 0380804719:the_plot_itself_could_make_a_movie_on_lifetime_or_oxygen:webwesen 0380804719 Exit Wounds: Books: J. A. Jance books 0 of 3 1.0 October 1, 2004 webwesen do yourself a favor - don't waste your time with this book 0792734335:let_me_save_you_some_time:jon_gerloff 0792734335 Gilead: Books: Marilynne Robinson,Tim Jerome books 2 of 6 1.0 October 12, 2006 Jon Gerloff Los Angeles, CA If you're thinking of reading this book, let me save you some time--don't. I like a good literary read as much as the next guy (really), and make it a point to read all the Pulitzer winners, but this book, in perfectly plain English, sucked. There is no plot, no beginning, middle or end, and is so tedious and boring that I actually started reading it from the back forward. It didn't help, but it didn't make a wit of difference either. Do your self a favor and skip it 0927015250:repetitive_and_disjointed:anne_terry_"chikwik" 0927015250 Fatale : How French Women Do It: Books: Edith F. Kunz,Jennifer Theriau books 18 of 23 2.0 October 8, 2003 Anne Terry "chikwik" Southfield, MI USA Not as good as "Entre Nous" - less fun and more acedemic. But even then it is not a well written essay. The few good salient points are repeated too often, and with not much creativity or development 0743272498:sadly_disappointed:black_griffin_"blackgriffin" 0743272498 The Constant Princess: Books: Philippa Gregory books 0 of 2 2.0 November 6, 2006 Black Griffin "blackgriffin" New York, NY "The Other Boleyn Girl" and "The Queen's Fool" are two of the best books I've ever read--and I've read a LOT of books, especially about this period, which especially fascinates me. They were gripping to the end, and my involvement with the characters was complete--true masterpieces. So whenever a new book by Philippa Gregory comes out, I buy it, hoping to have the same experience, and lately have been sorely disappointed. "The Virgin's Lover" fell flat, and now I am trying to read this book but not finding myself engaged, must give it up. One reviewer suggested the books were being written too quickly--that is always an easy guess, however it depends on the writer. Anthony Trollope, for instance, was able to turn out amazing book after amazing book with incredible speed. That may or may not be the case with Gregory. I know, as a writer myself, that there are times when the work flows out, feeling almost as if it's channeled from another source, and times when it's harder, more mechanical. The more challenging situations are those when I'm not entirely convinced or in love with my subject. So to me, neither of these books feels as if they spring from a natural impulse. They feel forced, constructed. I'm going back to Trollope 0425199568:no_stars_over_yosemite:southern_deb_"southerndeb" 0425199568 High Country (Anna Pigeon Mysteries (Paperback)): Books: Nevada Barr books 1 of 1 1.0 July 12, 2006 Southern Deb "Southerndeb" North Carolina I listened to this as an audiobook. This is the worst book I've ever listened to from Audible. The worst. The narration is just too, too cutesy sweet and the writing is junior high quality at best. Unfortunately, I keep hearing Emperor Franz Josef in Amadeus saying, "It has, well, too many notes." Barr describes everything (including clothes, hair, shoes, etc) with multiple metaphors, a plethora of adjectives, and, well, too many notes. I kept yelling at the author to just shut up and tell the story. I tried three times to listen to it and just wanted to scream after 10 minutes. I've heard this woman read other books and quite liked them, but her voice and this story just don't add up to anything other than ear pain and a case of diabetes. Where's Michael Connelly when you need him 0425199568:missed_the_mark:mavis 0425199568 High Country (Anna Pigeon Mysteries (Paperback)): Books: Nevada Barr books 13 of 14 2.0 July 12, 2005 Mavis Missouri, United States I am a Nevada Barr fan and was unfortunately disappointed with "High Country." The story takes place in a restaurant (boring). The characters were dull and I kept getting them confused. Anna's constant thinking of how old she feels is tiresome. I also missed Anna's sister, Molly, who is only mentioned a few times in the book. Sorry, but I really can't recommend this book as a good read. If you want to get a feel for a real Anna Pigeon adventure, pick up "Track of the Cat" or "Liberty Falling. 1588164535:what_a_waste_of_$$_(unless_you_have_$75,000_to_redo_your_kitchen):kiwanissandy_"go_bucks!" 1588164535 The Complete Clutter Solution: Organize Your Home for Good (Good Housekeeping): Books: C. J. Petersen books 13 of 17 1.0 January 23, 2006 kiwanissandy "Go Bucks!" Heart of Ohio This is the same old tired suggestions for cleaning up your clutter. The suggestions given are to install custom made draws that double and triple pull out. The suggestion for the pantry was to organize cans from little to big (duh) and then group like items together (duh) that's in every single organizing book published so this one is not different than any other. Also the other suggestion was to install a pull out swinging triple door pantry system. Oh is that affordable? If I had $75,000 to redo my kitchen I would install the fancy garbage bin that pulls out of the cabinet and the double drawer pot rack with side lid bins. Come on, don't waste your money on this book or it's suggestions. Very few pictures and all for the rich. I thought Good Housekeeping was for the everyday family. Get it at the library and then return it after you don't read it. 1596001879:this_angel_fell_flat:bergsteigerin 1596001879 Angels Fall: Books: Nora Roberts,Joyce Bean books 1 of 1 1.0 November 5, 2006 Bergsteigerin Austria Hmm, quite a disappointment, especially after splurging on the hardcover edition. Set as a kind of "Rockies Rear Window," this is one slow story. Endless pages of crazy-making when I'd already guessed the outcome about halfway through. Finally skipped ahead to finish the book. I had really looked forward to Angels Fall, too :( If you are a Roberts fan, don't spend the money on the hardcover, wait for the paperback, go to the library, or borrow from a friend. Not worth the price. 006073132x:lies,_damned_lies,_and_statistics:stephen_t._mccarthy 006073132x Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything: Books: Steven D. Levitt,Stephen J. Dubner books 2.0 November 19, 2006 STEPHEN T. McCARTHY a Mensa-donkey in Phoenix, Airheadzona. It was Mark Twain who popularized the aphorism of Benjamin Disraeli that there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. I kept hearing all these marvelous things about FREAKONOMICS, a book by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, so when I ran across it at 25% off, I did a stupid freakin' thing and bought it. I thought, What the freak, I've got a pretty inquisitive mind and I'm open to seeing things differently, to discovering new viewpoints. The doubt started early when I got the book home and I first noticed the glowing comments on the dust jacket from the likes of Time, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times. When all of the liberal news agencies are lining up to tell me how wondrous a certain publication is, I'm immediately going to be freakin' suspicious. Author Malcolm Gladwell tells us on the cover, "Prepare to be dazzled." Well, evidently Ol' Malcolm is dazzled a whole lot easier than I am. (I won't even mention the smug mug of Stephen Dubner that taunted me from the book's dust jacket because I don't want you to get the idea that I judge a book by its cover. Or in this case, a writer by his physiognomy. So I won't mention that.) If you're the kind of person who is amazed to learn that 70% of auto accidents occur within 10 miles of a driver's home, then you just MIGHT be dazzled by FREAKONOMICS. If I tell you that the company that issues its 5-day-a-week employees only 3 uniform shirts, thinking that it is cutting costs, is probably increasing its overhead, and this fact astounds you - if you must ask "But how?" - then yes, buy FREAKONOMICS and be dazzled. Mostly what FREAKONOMICS offers (when its conclusions can be trusted) is just what we used to call "common sense." But since America has been reduced to a bunch of corpulent, brain-dead zombies staring vacuously at that box of SURVIVORS, and AMERICAN IDOLS, and LOST knuckleheads, good old-fashioned common sense now appears to dazzle the dead (when you can sever them from that box and put a real book in their hands, that is). I dove into FREAKONOMICS hoping to find my purchase worthwhile. I got no further than page 13 when my fears were realized: everything would require second-guessing and verifying. On that page, Smug Mug tells us (based on a single report by the Institute Of Medicine) that "drinking eight glasses of water a day has never actually been shown to do a thing for your health." Fortunately, I read YOUR BODY'S MANY CRIES FOR WATER by Doctor F. Batmanghelidj over a decade ago so I already knew what a bunch of bunk that was. In chapter 4, Smug Mug "proves" that legalizing abortion in 1973 with the Roe v. Wade decision was responsible for a national drop in the crime rate. This represents the centerpiece of his book, both literally and ideologically. The first thing the reader must accept is that there really has been a significant drop in crime since the early 1990s. On page 92, the author acknowledges that the police in Atlanta were discovered to be underreporting crime in the early `90s in hopes of landing the 1996 Olympics. Well, would police forces nationally have an incentive to underreport crime generally if it has actually dramatically increased since the `90s as predicted? True, being honest might be means to an increased budget, but it sure would make your department appear inept and unable to maintain control. And surely the Chamber Of Commerce and the big business interests would frown on that public perception. Let me ask, do YOU actually feel you're less likely to be the victim of a crime now than you did in the early 1990s? That's funny, me neither. There's so much crime now that some of what was once reported to the police agencies goes unreported, and recently, an ex-police officer friend told me that cops can no longer engage in some of the micro-policing they were able to do in the `80s and `90s because crime is so out-of-control now. In dismissing other possible factors responsible for the huge drop in crime (if this claim is a verity), Dubner states that increased police personnel accounts for only 10% of the drop. Having a bit more insight into the nature of police work than does the average civilian, it's funny that I find myself even contending with the stats Smug Mug uses that actually WORK AGAINST his theory: I believe the wide-scale hiring of police officers since the early `90s could have impacted the crime rate only minimally - less than the 10% - while actually increasing the municipal coffers via traffic citations significantly. And Dubner concludes that right-to-carry firearm laws "simply don't bring down crime." (Be sure to read the utterly fascinating book, GUNFIGHTERS, HIGHWAYMEN & VIGILANTES by Roger D. McGrath, for a decidedly different and scholarly viewpoint!) In dismissing all explanations for the unexpected drop in crime except legalized abortion, I didn't notice any mention of the tremendous increase in homeschooling and the proliferation of private schools since the early `90s, and I wonder if that might have some statistical bearing. Ya think? Yes, I think Smug Mug is selective. He calls some abortions a "crude and drastic sort of insurance policy." Not "immoral." Not "sinful." But then I didn't expect Smug Mug to call a sin a sin. And even if Levitt and Dubner's hypothesis is correct, that abortions have lowered crime, the fact remains that not every aborted child would have eventually murdered an innocent person, but every aborted child was an innocent person murdered. So why are we even discussing this? I'll tell you why: because the pro-choice folks can feel a slightly shifting consensus, and now they're pulling out all the stops, trying to "statistically" convince the masses that they're safer with all those unborn potential criminals missing. I find this repulsive! (And there are studies indicating that those missing people have, and will continue to have, a negative economic impact on society.) I won't even go into chapter 5, What Makes A Perfect Parent? Suffice to say that as usual (surprise! surprise!) all the statistics Dubner employs nearly always seem to confirm the rightness of the liberal dogma on each issue. Funny how those crunched numbers always crunch conservative beliefs. Just know that if you're a working mother, you haven't cheated your child in the least, but if you're a dad who thinks that an occasional spanking is in order, you are "unenlightened." If your kid is watching lots of TV, it isn't turning the "child's brain to mush." (No word on whether or not it's turning his/her morals to mush though.) And the studies (that we are called to pay attention to) show "that a child's character wasn't much affected whether or not he was sent to day care, whether he had one parent or two, whether his mother worked or didn't, whether he had two mommies or two daddies or one of each." (I've often wondered what might have happened to me if my Mom, who was home most of the time, hadn't been there to hammer the dangers of drugs into my head day after day, year after year, while I was growing up in the `60s and `70s.) I've given FREAKONOMICS two stars because I did find the section on the naming of children very interesting, as well as the story of Stetson Kennedy's fight against the "three Ks." But if you're smarter than I am, you'll borrow this book from your library rather than paying money for it. Economically speaking, that's just "common cents." 1400062438:this_book_is_bedlam!:a._cohen 1400062438 The Dogs of Bedlam Farm: An Adventure with Sixteen Sheep, Three Dogs, Two Donkeys, and Me: Books: Jon Katz books 4 of 14 1.0 January 31, 2006 A. Cohen Maryland The back cover to this book was intriguing, and captured me immediately. The writing, however, was so plodding, so inconsistent, and so non-sequential that it was painful to get through to the end. This is aside from the fact that this man appears to be socially inept and unable to manage his affairs from day to day. I can't believe that this book made it past the editors. In one paragraph Jon Katz tells how Rose is the only dog for the job of helping him capture his runaway herd of sheet, and in the next he says that Rose is too young to herd sheep. In one paragraph he can't live without his wife, she gives his very existence meaning, and throughout the book he describes how he lives apart from her in order to...what was it again? Oh, right, herd sheep! At one point the dog he loves the most is also the one he can't connect to and finally gives away. And then can't stop visiting, even though everyone knows how confusing that would be to a dog. And why is he wondering why the world looks at grown men funny when they hang around too much with teenage boys - there's a reason, Jon! If you care at all about literarure, stay away from this book 1417718544:vastly_over-written_and_vastly_over-praised:paul_cook 1417718544 Independence Day: Books: Richard Ford books 6 of 9 2.0 September 14, 2006 Paul Cook Tempe, Arizona USA From the remarks at this site, people either love this novel or hate it. I hated it. I hated it for the reason that it represents all that is bad about MFA program writing in the last 30 years. The emphasis is entirely on STYLE. Forget story. Forget that your reader needs some reason to be reading the narrative. Just throw out and string together wonderful language and the reader will follow you anywhere. Some of this thinking goes back to Henry James, some of it goes back to Virginia Woolf who was so terrified of books with plots or dominating conceits (like H.G. Wells' THE TIME MACHINE). The first 100 pages of this novel are about a real estate deal and the people to whom Frank Bascombe is trying to sell a property. It's brilliantly written. In fact, it's so brilliantly written that I had a lot of problems seeing a former sportswriter being so introspective and articulate about his life, his loves, and the region of the country he inhabits. This book has no driving plot. In fact, it's an arbitrarily chosen conceit: what happens on July 4th in the life of one guy. It's not James Joyce's ULYSSES nor is it trying to be, but EVERY thought this man has is in this book. And none of it is related to a plot or story or any reason whatever why a person--any perso--should pick up the book. Indeed, that seems to be the crux. I read this book because it was by Richard Ford, a man whom all of my colleagues in the mainstream fiction world revere. You must read this book, they said. So I did. And I consider it an extraordinary waste of my time. To be sure, this is a judgment call, but I'm allowed to make it. EVERY reader is allowed to make that call. But I know I'm in the minority in this. This book is supposed to be one of the greatest American novels of the last 25 years. But will it be so in another 25 years? Are novels now only to be interior monologues (which Virginia Woolf preferred and said so in her essay "Modern Fiction")? Perhaps our values are changing. Perhaps the MFA programs in this country are correct in only cultivating style rather than story. But what it eventually evolves into is a form of narcissism, wherein the author writes at length, putting on the page all of his or her thoughts about whatever and we're supposed to . . . what? Applaud it? I believe that the authors we'll remember will be the natural storytellers. I don't think Richard Ford is one of them. But, man, he sure can write 0743550390:the_anti-mystery_story:anthony_sanchez 0743550390 The Colorado Kid: Books: Stephen King,Jeffrey DeMunn books 2.0 November 1, 2006 Anthony Sanchez Fredericksburg, va United States This was the first Hard Case publication book that I have tried. It won't be the last, but I was hardly impressed with King's story. I don't so much mind having a story with no ending (I got the point even without the author's afterword that was obviously meant to propitiate his regular readers who he correctly feared would be disappointed by this latest work), but couldn't King have given more of a mystery? That is, after all, what is expected of a crime-mystery book. I can't believe that I was asking too much. Instead, I was treated to 178 pages of "Welcome to Maine!" 0060014016:at_least_one_story_told_wrong:brien_louque 0060014016 The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy: Books: Rick Beyer books 21 of 31 1.0 February 26, 2005 Brien Louque Monroe, LA USA I'm an avid reader of history, as well as processing a degree in the subject. So imagine my surprise when, after receiving this book from a friend of mine for Christmas, I read the erroneous account of the Children's Crusade of 1212. I had done research on this topic, so I was horrified to read the completely inaccurate account of what occurred. Had the author not read any historical analysis on the subject from the last 50 years? If he had, he would have realized that there were actually two crusades - one consisting of mainly French people led by Stephen of Cloyes who, when told to turn back by King Philip II, did so. That ended that crusade. The other one, led by a shepherd from Germany named Nicholas, led a group across the Alps into Italy. Some left for home while others continued on to Rome. It's interesting to note that in Rome, many received dispensations from their crusading vows because these "children" were either too old or because they were pregnant. Perhaps until relatively recently, people believed in the Children's Crusade because it represented a morality play or because some historians gave too much credit to chronicles (like Chronica Albrici monachi Trium Fontium) which were written long after the crusade supposedly occurred, rather than relying on more contemporary sources. Nor did they realize that the latin word "pueri" used in the chronicles can have several meanings (such as unmarried men rather than children). In the final analysis, you just can't rely on books like these to really teach you history. The best you can do is read what they tell you and then try to verify it. If only the author had bothered to check the History Channel's own account of the Children's Crusade on their website, or perhaps read the excellent paper done by Peter Raedts in the Journal of Medieval History, or even just checked out the brief but accurate entry online in wikipedia. The book gave two pages to this event, and sadly got it completely wrong. For this gross oversight, I am compelled to give it one star. Readers of history, never just believe what you read - verify 0061243507:brainless_squared!:pragmatist 0061243507 Brainless: The Lies and Lunacy of Ann Coulter: Books: Joe Maguire books 4 of 8 2.0 November 6, 2006 Pragmatist Phoenix, AZ. The "bottom-line" on "Brainless" is that one has to be "brainless" to take time to read Coulter's writings, and even more brainless to waste the time to read an analysis of them. Yes, it is mildly interesting to learn of Coulter contradictions (eg. bashes the elite, then takes on Harriet Miers - partly because she didn't go to an elite law school, and "I believe everything I say," vs. "Most of what I say, I say to amuse myself and amuse my friends." And then there are the infinite number of brainless "Coulterisms" and unsupported assertions - eg. "public schools have more sex scandals per year than Catholic priests - thirty times more," "Liberals lie about the science on stem-cell research because they warm to the idea of destroying human embryos," "I've never seen people enjoying their (9/11) husbands' deaths so much." On the other hand, Maguire really doesn't have that much to say that IS INTERESTING! On the other hand, if you hadn't figured out already that there is someting seriously wrong with Ann Coulter - this book won't help. Save your money and your time 0465043550:mandelbrot_repeatedly_claims_standard_models...:sigfpe_"sigfpe" 0465043550 The Misbehavior of Markets: Books: Benoit Mandelbrot,Richard L. Hudson books 17 of 20 2.0 April 19, 2006 sigfpe "sigfpe" Oakland, CA United States ...are incorrect and that his fractal models are much better. Of course if his models were worth more than the paper they're written on Mandelbrot wouldn't have to write books like this because he'd be cleaning out everyone else's wallets on the stock market. In particular, if it's true that extreme events are more unlikely than most people think then he could easily exploit this with a suitable derivative. But the fact is, Mandelbrot doesn't know anything that countless other traders don't already know. So instead Mandelbrot is forced to resort to telling people how smart he is through his books rather than actually being smart enough to make a killing on Wall Street. But I am glad I read this book. Having seen Mandelbrot 'on tour' a few years ago I developed a strong prejudice against him. But reading this book has convinced me that my prejudice is entirely justified. He can never just state a fact. Instead he always has a to phrase it as "my work shows that..." or "I demonstrated that..." even if he makes the same claim again and again. If he can try to take credit for other people's work he'll do so. He even managed to find someone to write an introduction for the book who was prepared to refer to the Levy distribution as the Mandelbrot-Levy distribution. The most egregious example of self-aggrandisement has to be the caption to a picture of the Brooks-Metelsky-Mandelbrot set where he mentions that two mathematicians only scaled part way up his 'Everest' of this set and received Fields medals for this work - the implication of course being that Mandelbrot has actually seen the view from the summit. Disgustingly he doesn't even deign to mention the names of these mathematicians. One time I criticised Mandelbrot publicly and someone responded by pointing out how many peer reviewed papers he had published so he can't be all bad. But in this book Mandelbrot actually reveals to us how he used his social network to work around the peer review system. Astonishing! I think it's also worth pointing out that there are some interesting ideas in this book and so it's not completely valueless. But I found the discussion of multifractal time methods (which make up a large part of the book) to generate plausible looking but fake price charts to be a bit pointless. I work in computer graphics and use similar methods to generate random surface detail all the time, but it doesn't mean I have a deep understanding of the statistics of random surfaces. It just means I know how to fool the eye 0842316752:can_you_save_someone's_soul_by_insulting_their_intelligence?:s._white_"sue_w" 0842316752 Left Behind (Left Behind #1): Books: Tim F. LaHaye,Jerry B. Jenkins,Frank Muller books 6 of 6 1.0 October 22, 2006 S. White "Sue W" Eastern PA To cover all the problems with continuity, logic, theology, geography and plain common sense in _Left Behind_ would take a whole book. One hardly knows where to start. Perhaps it is too early to assess the damage that will be done to Christian religion by this trashy novel. As such, it isn't even a decent trashy novel; instead of steamy sex scenes, we get sanctimonious sermonizing. Worse than that, what the authors have done is to turn the powerful imagery of the Bible into a cheap comic book, ignoring its spiritual messages in favor of promoting a self-centered preoccupation with getting a ticket to heaven before it's too late. The comic book aspect can not be overemphasized. Even if you suspend disbelief enough to accept the rapture scenario (an idea with virtually no scriptural support), little in the characters' actions, thought processes or dialog rings true. One gets the impression that the book was hastily thrown together by a junior high school student. God ends up looking like the ultimate villain, demanding that you hurry up and get yourself and your friends on his side Or Else. Whatever happened to the inspiring Christian writers of yesteryear? Who is the present-day equivalent of C. S. Lewis, or Catherine Marshall, and why aren't they getting more attention? These were writers who actually made you THINK. LaHaye and Jenkins seem to believe that thinking is the last thing God wants us to be doing; they hardly miss a chance to put down anyone with any hint of intelligence or independent thought. They show no interest in answering the sort of hard questions that surviving non-believers in such a world might ask. One wonders if they have ever met a non-believer at all, or witnessed the aftermath of a disaster for that matter. These days, it seems as if all the media attention is on the likes of Ann Coulter or Pat Robertson, whose mission seems to be to turn Christianity into a twisted, bigoted caricature of what it once was. Perhaps all the great religious thinkers really have been raptured. If _Left Behind_ is an example of the sort of writing that we can expect from Christian writers, then it is the church itself that is in danger of being left behind 0440225639:doesn't_have_it_all:s._vanderhyde 0440225639 The Complete Book of Food Counts- 5th Edition (Complete Book of Food Counts): Books: Corinne T. Netzer books 11 of 13 2.0 February 7, 2006 S. Vanderhyde MI United States While this book contains a ton of data, don't get it if you want calorie counts on anything homemade. If you look up french toast, for example, it only gives information on name brand items. Much of the information in the book is available on the packaging of the products. I suppose that if you wanted to check it before shopping, or use it before eating out, it would be helpful. But if you want to find out the caloric content of any homemade items, you are out of luck with this book 0375502246:a_disappointment:anne_c._bullock 0375502246 Rise and Shine: A Novel: Books: Anna Quindlen books 2.0 November 15, 2006 Anne C. Bullock Atlanta, GA This book was selected by my book club. I had never read Anna Quindlen before. Rise and Shine was a disappointment to me. I kept hoping that Meghan would somehow be redeemed, but that did not happen. She is really not very likeable. I thought there would have been more of a dialog between the sisters concerning Leo's tradgedy. Meghan blamed her sister in one line and then it was never brought up again. The book left me with an empty feeling. It was not a satisfying read 031227260X:a_note_of_dissent:j._michael_reilly 031227260X What Wall Street Doesn't Want You to Know : How You Can Build Real Wealth Investing in Index Funds: Books: Larry E. Swedroe books 10 of 11 1.0 July 18, 2002 J. Michael Reilly Michigan In addition to the fact that I, too, felt that I was enduring a commercial for DFA, I was annoyed by the fact that this book is nothing more than a rehash of The Only Guide to a Winning Investment Strategy You'll Ever Need: Index Mutual Funds and Beyond - The Way Smart Money Invests Today, Swedroe's May, 1998 book. He introduces a small number of new studies and illustrations, but if you've read the first book, there's no reason to look at this one 1590072170:great,_perhaps,_for_english_majors,_but_boring_for_my_bookclub.:j._rockafellow_"busyjr" 1590072170 American Pastoral: Books: Philip Roth,Ron Silver books 1 of 5 2.0 September 24, 2006 J. Rockafellow "busyjr" DOBBS FERRY, NY United States American Pastoral was repetitious to the Nth degree. I read the Human Stain a few years ago, and it was good. But, in Pastoral, the reader is put through a zillion permutations of possible dialogs between the Swede and a psychoanalyst, and between his daughter Merry and a psychoanalyst, but absent the psychoanalyst: Roth is our psychoanalyst. What he misses, however, is that we simply have to realize that interpersonal dynamics are sometimes beyond our control. The Swede never failed as a father; rather, he failed because he couldn't let go of his sense of responsibility for her 053464676X:wrong_item_sent:roselande 053464676X Communication in Our Lives (with CD-ROM and Speech Builder Express/InfoTrac) (Wadsworth Series in Speech Communication): Books: Julia T. Wood books 1 of 8 1.0 August 22, 2003 Roselande Lawrenceville, GA United States I received a book that I didn't even order. The one I ordered is yellow and white ( 3th edition). THis isn't the one I ordered; therefore, I need a refund.I sent the book back and I know the seller received it on 8/19 1400054192:another_not_-so-_helpful_rant:concerned_._._. 1400054192 How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must): The World According to Ann Coulter: Books: Ann Coulter books 6 of 11 1.0 October 8, 2006 Concerned . . . Alaska It is sad that this is what passes for political commentary now. Coulter's work demonstrates exactly the potential danger for degrading society and disdain for thinking that people like Ms. Coulter piously/hypocritically rail against. She will happily take the same formula to the bank time and again. Why must political discussion turn to childish name calling in order to convince self-selected audiences of something they already want to believe. Pitiful rants here. If you are in it for fun or don't care that you are getting a skewed, sensationalist opinion, maybe you should read a few paragraphs of this in the book store. But for something better, why not go for an intelligent book that takes an even handed, analytical approach, rather than buy into the opinions of a new breed of political analyst (on both right and left) that race to produce the most extreme charactures of any political philosophy they do not happen to agree with. 1565115147:crops,_crops_and_more_crops:robert_kraemer_"history_fan" 1565115147 Guns, Germs and Steel: Books: Jared Diamond books 1 of 2 2.0 November 3, 2006 Robert Kraemer "History Fan" Hammond, LA I had to read Jared Diamond's Pulitzer prize winning book because of the rave reviews and acclaim. The thoughts that he introduces in the book are certainly interesting and he presents us with a new way to interpret history which is certainly important. However, there is much overkill in making points about the development of each civilization - crops are the major topic with little discussion on guns, germs (more than the other 2), and steel. Of course the arguement for this focus is that the domestication of crops is how civilizations develop guns, germs and steel. I enjoyed parts of the book considerably, but you would have to have a strong interest in horticulture and botany to truely appreciate the book. I guess I was spoiled by first reading his sequel to GGS, "Collapse" - a terrific read that should be of interest to everyone -it relates our industrialization to every aspect of the environment and show historically how this has shaped history. It has major rammifications for our situation on this earth right now. -RK 0060735651:sean_hannity_should_be_arrested:christian_b._peper 0060735651 Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism: Books: Sean Hannity books 4 of 7 1.0 September 15, 2006 Christian B. Peper When the truth about 911 is known he must not escape justice. He is a criminal and must be treated like one. Christian Peper 1558607013:giants_standing_on_his_shoulders:bryan_o'sullivan 1558607013 Higher-Order Perl: Transforming Programs with Programs: Books: Mark Jason Dominus books 24 of 62 2.0 May 12, 2005 Bryan O'Sullivan CA, United States Hal Abelson is responsible for a famous epigram, "If I haven't seen as far as others, it is because giants were standing on my shoulders." This book is solidly enough written, but it's a cut-down, shallow rehash of a few justly famous functional programming textbooks. The first is Abelson and Sussman's "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs"; the second, Bird and Wadler's "Introduction to Functional Programming". If you want to really learn deep truths about programming, go buy those two books. If they leave you scratching your head about how to transmogrify what you learn into Perl, buy Schwartz's "Perls of Wisdom" 031231633X:biased_genetic_studies?:bill_c. 031231633X War Without End: Israelis, Palestinians, and the Struggle for a Promised Land: Books: Anton LaGuardia books 1 of 8 2.0 June 6, 2005 Bill C. Nevada Author La Guardia mentions how the Lemba of Africa have the Jewish gene. Fine! But when he deals (in several pages mind you)with the Falashas (also of Africa) he never mentions that genetic studies have positively shown these Jews NOT to be descended from the 12 Tribes of Israel despite the Falashas's longtime rep for possibly being a Lost Tribe of Israel which, again, has now been 100% disproven through genetic studies 0060736682:dick_morris-_degenerate:nooneami 0060736682 Rewriting History: Books: Dick Morris books 4 of 39 1.0 September 28, 2005 Nooneami Hannity's Just a reminder that this guy cheated on his wife around the same time Clinton was being pounded for his indiscretions. Sean Hannity, early in his book "Let Freedom Ring" reminded us of how Bill Clinton tainted the office of the presidency and then not two paragraphs later noted how Morris was a good friend of his (Hannity's) and then led into negative opinions on Morris of Clinton. Didn't bother to mention anything about Morris doing the exact same thing- and this little worm woulda lied with his palm on the Ark of the Covenant so don't give me (...) about the lame@ss lying under oath Republican punk. (...) hyprocrite! 1888363541:typical_liberal_rhetoric.:b._anderson_"bander_book" 1888363541 The Zinn Reader: Writings on Disobedience and Democracy: Books: Howard Zinn books 1 of 36 1.0 March 25, 2005 B. Anderson "bander book" Berea, OH USA I first read passages from this book in college. I can now see how liberal professors very much enjoy using this book to influence young minds. Professor Zinn is a far left author. He uses the usual lines: America generally bad, communism generally good. Obviously Mr. Zinn has the right to write whatever he wants, and his writing style is very convincing. However, if the reader investigates the facts, many holes become visible in his theories. Those who agree and disagree with his writings should explore opposite viewpoints. A good example is "Intellectual Morons : How Ideology Makes Smart People Fall for Stupid Ideas by Daniel J. Flynn" which gives the reader a good profile of Mr. Zinn. 0471457329:fischer_black_and_the_revolutionary_idea_of__finacce:anthony_ten_broeck_"math_guy" 0471457329 Fischer Black and the Revolutionary Idea of Finance: Books: Perry Mehrling books 8 of 25 1.0 October 9, 2005 Anthony Ten Broeck "math guy" Redding, CA USA Poorly proof read and obfuscatingly written, this book had the potential to clarify for the many the importance of Black's contributions. It was a frustrating read due to lack of clarity and lack of simple explanations about the significance of Black's work 1570713758:did_anyone_proofread_this?:jeffsdate_"jeffsdate" 1570713758 The World's Best-Kept Diet Secrets: Lose Weight Quickly, Safely and Permanently: Books: Diane Irons books 1 of 1 1.0 August 9, 2006 jeffsdate "jeffsdate" Boxford, MA USA I agree with the reader(s) who said this book totally contradicts itself and seems thrown-together, as if no one proofread it. In one chapter she'll recommend something; then later on she'll tell you it's ineffective and/or dangerous! She gives a long, long list of herbal supplements that are supposed to aid weight loss -- but she just repeats all the advertisers' claims without any comments, recommendations or opinions of her own. Personally I think most natural/ herbal supplements are a ripoff, but if she had given any testimonials by people who've found them to work, I might consider trying them. On the whole, this book is a waste of money 1931498997:save_your_money:kragar 1931498997 Crashing the Gate: Netroots, Grassroots, and the Rise of People-Powered Politics: Books: Jerome Armstrong,Markos Moulitsas Zuniga books 5 of 101 1.0 September 5, 2006 Kragar San Diego, CA United States What a complete and utter waste of time. Its obvious how these guys got dubbed the nutroots 0441218830:almost_turned_me_off_to_heinlein:john_s._ryan_"scott_ryan" 0441218830 Expanded Universe: Books: Robert A. Heinlein books 22 of 34 1.0 September 8, 2003 John S. Ryan "Scott Ryan" Silver Lake, OH I've been a fan of Heinlein's SF for just about as long as I've been an SF fan at all (somewhere around thirty-five years). But when I read this collection some twenty-odd years ago, it nearly turned me off to the old man altogether. The fiction is pretty good (although even that isn't Heinlein's best). But to describe the nonfiction accurately, I'd have to use words that Amazon will remove from the review anyway. For the most part, the pieces collected here represent a side of Heinlein I strongly dislike. Though I respect _Starship Troopers_, it's never going to be my favorite Heinlein novel no matter how many times we quibble over the precise definition of "fascism" -- and I'm not going to have much respect for the nonfiction in this collection. And mind you, it's not because I disagree with Heinlein's opinions; it's because he gave bad arguments for them and called other people nasty names when they differed. Some of the stuff collected here is tendentious to the point of being propagandistic. (At least in his fiction, he was able to create characters with points of view that differed from his and get into their heads well enough to present them sympathetically -- in short, to grok them. Not here, boy.) Heinlein (who bought into the Korzybski/General Semantics fad pretty early on) spent a lot of years dismissing philosophers as tailchasers who derive their premises from their conclusions. But his own attempt at philosophy, as represented here in e.g. "The Pragmatics of Patriotism", is very nearly the worst writing on ethical philosophy I've ever seen. Then, too, people who knew Heinlein report that despite his overall gentlemanly demeanor, he could be pretty churlish toward people who disagreed with him. Well, he's certainly unpleasant here; anybody who doesn't agree with him on the need for massive nuclear buildup is dismissed as a poltroon or a custard-head. Even in the unlikely event that I thought he were _right_, I wouldn't find this a very helpful approach. Perhaps more surprisingly, his popular writings on _science_ aren't very good. Asimov's reputation as the "great explainer" is in no danger here. This volume is second only to _Grumbles from the Grave_ in cementing Heinlein's posthumous reputation as a rather mean-spirited fellow whose fictional characters were generally much better company than he was. When I want Heinleinian company, I'll stick to D.B. Davis, Manuel Garcia O'Kelly Davis, and (maybe) Lazarus Long. And when I want to read some humane nonfiction by an SF master, I'll still turn to Asimov. I credit Heinlein with three magisterial novels, several imperfect-but-great ones, and a good number of brilliant short stories. But the stuff in this book should have stayed in his drawer 0399152830:dreadful_mishmash:decie_girl_"writer" 0399152830 Predator (Kay Scarpetta Mysteries): Books: Patricia Cornwell books 1.0 November 18, 2006 Decie Girl "Writer" Tucson AZ USA I have to say I truly hated this book. The premise sounded interesting so I decided to give it a try. I've read all her other books in the series and found the characters to be quirky. This time I found her usual friends and co-workers to be boring and self involved caricatures. The groundwork was there for an interesting serial killer with complex motivation but it never developed that way. The constant head hopping was annoying and the ending came out of nowhere. Cromwell has obviously gotten bored with her characters and it shows. This is my last Cromwell 0679445013:there's_nothing_new_here:paul_gargan 0679445013 The Warren Buffett Way: Books: Robert Hagstrom books 17 of 18 2.0 December 28, 2005 Paul Gargan London There isn't anything in this book that you won't find in Warren Buffett's annual letters to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway (available for free at the Berkshire Hathaway website). If you've not read those letters then I suggest you get right to it - they clearly lay out Mr Buffett's approach to investing and are written in a very easy to read, humorous and homely style. This book pulls many of the highlights from those letters together in one place and lays out some major tenets and themes that could be said to make an investment "Buffett like". If you're not familiar with Warren Buffett and have not read his letters to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway - then you will likely find this to be a good introduction to Buffett. Anybody else should probably steer clear as there isn't anything new here. 0606223487:a_tragedy_indeed....:richard_j._barry 0606223487 The Last River: The Tragic Race for Shangri-La: Books: Todd Balf books 0 of 1 2.0 April 13, 2005 Richard J. Barry NZ "The Last River - The Tragic Race for Shangri-la".......Tragic. Yes I'd agree that this book is tragic. Tragic that I bothered reading it.....tragic that I paid for it in order to read it.....tragic that Todd wasted his time writing it......tragic that I disliked it so much that I can be bothered writing a review. The warning should have come upon examination of the back of the dust jacket. "Advance praise for The Last River" it reads. In retrospect this means no one is prepared to recommend the book after they have read it. It seems that Todd had a vision of how big a book needs to be, and went to great lengths to flesh out the story to reach his goal. So much of the content has so little relevancy to the story, that you soon tire trawling through it. This was my third Tsango experience. I do recommend the Outside documentary on the Lindgren expedition. "Hell or High Water" is not outstanding, but is worth a read, but on this book, my advise to Todd is please make this the Last River that you drag through the wringer 047116996X:random_thoughts?:patrick_"pats_great_deals" 047116996X Warren Buffett Speaks: Wit and Wisdom from the World's Greatest Investor: Books: Janet Lowe books 0 of 3 1.0 January 1, 2004 Patrick "pats_great_deals" Westland, MI United States This books should be called "The random thoughts of a rich old man." It appears to me someone followed Mr. Buffet around and wrote down what ever he said then thought "how do I present this is a book?, oh how about a random collection of dis-jointed thoughts! yea that's it!! 0300084552:on_democracy?_or_on_over_simplification?:kenneth_j._pierson 0300084552 On Democracy (Yale Nota Bene): Books: Robert A. Dahl books 1 of 9 2.0 April 13, 2000 Kenneth J. Pierson Johnson City, TN This book is great! Assuming you already have a Ph. D. in Political Science. Otherwise this book is best reserved for drop quoting, or light reference. The author shows bias towards the United States' form of Democracy, as is to be expected in such a book. The simplistic nature makes the reader annoyed more than informed. The childish approach is suited for school children, but not as appropriate as other books for real analysis 1878424319:i_wouldn't_recommend_this_book..._lacks_credibility.:jeanette_fedei_"jenny_fedei" 1878424319 The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book): Books: Don Miguel Ruiz books 6 of 12 1.0 November 3, 2006 Jeanette Fedei "Jenny Fedei" Erie, PA United States In his book, The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz, embodies four principles for experiencing personal freedom in life. He says that we should be impeccable with our words, not to take anything personally, don't make assumptions, and to always do our best. The basis for some of the agreements we make with ourselves stem from early childhood training through a series of rewards and punishments from our parents. He calls this process "domestication" (p. 6). Ruiz says that 95% of the beliefs we hold are nothing but lies and that most of our agreements are based upon the fear of rejection. The agreements that he gives are meant to free us from the emotional bonds that get in the way of our personal energy and to transform our lives. While there are various nuggets of truth throughout the book, some of it goes off into the abyss where he takes a thought and carries it to what I would consider to be to be an illogical conclusion. In some instances he uses biblical scripture to support his claims; however, in looking further, he takes some of the passages from the Bible out of context. Some of his ideas are presented as if they were new ideas, but I would think most of us by a young age, should already an understanding of these principles. Although his book has been highly rated, I hold the position that Mr. Ruiz lacks credibility and logic as a writer, therefore, losing good standing with me as a reader. According to Ruiz, as children we are not given the opportunity to choose our own beliefs. When we go against the rules we are punished (or rewarded for compliance). The fear of rejection leads us to agree with, or become something that we are not. In essence, we become a carbon copy of someone else, such as our parents. He says our normal tendencies are lost and we judge other people based upon these agreements. He boldly states, lacking statistical data to back it up, that 95% of our beliefs are based upon a lie (13). The implication is that we are merely nothing more than a society of mindless, "domesticated" individuals, hurting ourselves, judging and victimizing other people along the way. This kind of thinking negates the teachings associated with parenthood and the positive aspects they bring to our lives. By his interpretation, if 95% of what we believe is a lie, then 95% of what our parents taught us is also a lie. I would disagree. There are many people who exist today as viable, productive members of society who I'm sure would point out they too became a copy of someone else's beliefs and values. If these role models are only filling our heads with lies and teaching us how not to be ourselves, by his interpretation, we don't need parents, teachers, or leaders. He undermines our personal paradigms and omits that as adults we do have the ability to choose a different path, which I believe is our right of passage. By his rational we lose the ability to choose our own destiny. Instead, we become victims of it. One of the few things we agree upon is his first agreement, be impeccable with your word; however, he misquotes the bible (John 1:1) when he says "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God, and the word was God." He uses it to epitomize the use of "word" as in what one speaks (26). Looking a little further down in that passage, it also says "The word was made flesh and dwelt among us". This passage is not talking about a form of speech, or speaking, but rather "Jesus Christ". Christ became flesh and dwelt among us. In that same chapter he says that "sin begins with rejection of yourself" (31). However, in Christianity it says that sin is a transgression of the law (1 John 3:4) and that sin is neglecting to do God's will (James 4:7). It's not about self, but about disobeying God's ordinances. While I agree that watching what we say is something we all need to strive for, this is not a new concept. Most children have learned by the age of 6 that if you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all. In his second agreement, don't take anything personally; he says that nothing people do is because of you. While this is true to some degree, he leads the reader down a path of illogical extremes when he says that even if someone took a gun and shot you in the head, it was nothing personal. So in essence, when Mary Jo Buttafuoco was shot by Amy Fisher, her expression of displeasure regarding Amy's behavior was nothing more than a fundamental form of projection because according to Ruiz "you are dealing with yourself, not me" (51). No, realistically, Mary Jo Buttafuoco was shot because Amy Fisher wanted her dead. This kind of logic encourages victims to remain in dysfunctional relationships and perpetrators to continue abusing victims. As an American, I'm glad that someone took 9/11 personally. According to Mr. Ruiz he takes neither destructive nor constructive criticism. It seems arrogant to place myself so far above reproach, that I would turn a deaf ear to all forms of criticism. When my College writing professor, gave me his opinion regarding my work, if I were following the authors line of reasoning, I would believe that my professor was "trying to poison my mind and was feeding me his emotional garbage" as Mr. Ruiz suggests (49). I would rather believe that my instructor has my best interests at heart and is seeking to teach me how to become a better writer. Another agreement is about not making assumptions in life. He says when we make assumptions, in essence, we create unnecessary drama. Unfortunately we live in a world where that is not entirely possible. Assumption is a necessary part of a thought and reason; even within the scientific community a hypothesis (or assumption) is formed in order to test a theory. In order come to school each day I must make assumptions that my instructor has a college degree, and that he or she must be reliable enough in life to make it to work everyday. In his forth agreement, always do your best, he claims it is based upon the actions of the other three agreements, stating they will only work if you do your best. Again, these are fundamental principles that almost any child has learned. While Ruiz does indeed present some viable ideas, his concepts begin to unravel when he doesn't back up his statements with facts, but instead takes a basic concept and follows an illogical line of reasoning to reach his final conclusion. I can't completely discount everything that he says, but he lost credibility with me by some of his assumptions and weak rationalizations. 158322601X:even_3_paragraphs_show_the_inaccuracy:gregory_w._gondek 158322601X The Oh Really? Factor: Unspinning Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly: Books: Peter Hart,Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting books 7 of 74 1.0 October 11, 2004 Gregory W. Gondek Hart disputes O'Reilly's claim that the US "gives far and away more tax money for foreign coutries than anyone else....." by countering that per capita the U.S. is near the bottom of the list. O'Reilly wasn't quoted as saying "more tax money per capita". More goofy reasoning by someone who ought to know better. 0451201361:this_diet_made_me_sick!:j._a.,_church_"keturah_joan" 0451201361 Carbohydrate Addict's Diet (J-Hook Format): Books: Rachael F. Heller books 6 of 23 1.0 June 11, 2004 J. A., Church "Keturah Joan" Ithaca, NY USA After two weeks on this diet plan I could bearly lift my head up. I nearly fell asleep driving home from work nights...not to mention hardly staying awake while at work. I thought it would be a pleasant change from the restrictions of Atkins, but I was never tired on Atkins. I don't know if it had something to do with insulin from the sudden onslaught of carbs...or what the problem was. All I know is I am happily following Atkins and losing much more rapidly than I did on this CAD plan. In two weeks I lost 6 lbs. on CAD...14 on Atkins. You figure it out 0140390154:founding_work_of_modern_statism:will_murphy 0140390154 Rights of Man (Penguin Classics): Books: Thomas Paine,Henry Collins,Eric Foner books 24 of 68 2.0 September 23, 1999 Will Murphy chesterfield, missouri USA This book, above all others, reveals the breakdown of classical (libertarian) liberalism into the statist liberalism of today. Although the first part of the work, being a refutation of Edmund Burke's silly nonsense, is stellar, and is well worth reading. Regardless, the second part, the chapter on "Ways and Means" in particular, is composed of the most despicable, anti-liberty doctrines that one can find. What Paine basically proposed was a late 18th century form of the welfare state, replete with progressive taxation, subsidies for child birth, and other fine statist amenities. Thus, as all of these things are, in his words, to be claimed as rights, the title of this book comes to mean nothing whatsoever. It is indeed sad that Thomas Paine has gained such an enduring legacy as a friend to liberty. In truth, he is actually one of its worst enemies, as he combines a just zeal for resistance to oppression, revolution, and reason, he sabotages his entire political philosophy 0385483767:almost_pornographic:s._hartmann 0385483767 An Underground Education : The Unauthorized and Outrageous Supplement to Everything You Thought You Knew About Art, Sex, Business, Crime, Science, Medicine, and Other Fields of Human: Books: Richard Zacks books 7 of 30 1.0 March 5, 2006 S. Hartmann I enjoy reading books of trivia and fun facts, but I didn't even make it through the first chapter before I put this book down in disgust. Almost every entry had to do with sex or male endowments. As I was flipping through the book, I found x-rated pictures and drawings that I would hate to have to explain to my children if they were to pick up this book. I never would have bought this book if I had seen it in a bookstore, and I regret throwing it in the trash before I could see if I could get my money back 0671638025:great_lesson_in_how_to_dramatize_and_sell_books..:christopher_j._abate_"jpjr" 0671638025 Den of Thieves: Untold Story of Men Who Plundered Wall St & Chase Brought Down: Books: James B. Stewart books 4 of 17 1.0 June 6, 2006 Christopher J. Abate "Jpjr" Detroit Anyone that knows anything about Milken knows that the guy created millions of jobs, and contributed much more to society than people like James Stewart, who often act like parasites at the expense of others. And what about Milken's life after this whole affair? I wonder what Stewart will write about in the sequel, since Milken has taken on a life of philanthropy basically unrivaled, and certainly contributes more to this country than most. Milken's creation of a liquid market for junk bonds allowed credit risk to be redistributed throughout the capital markets, effectively creating more capital, more jobs, and more wealth creation. Anyone up and coming in IB, or looking to inform themselves of the 80's capital movement, please at least check out some other perspectives on the era. Note: These comments don't apply to Boesky or the arbs who were doing nothing but breaking the law. I would argue a strong distinction between Milken and most of the other characters in this book 0684857170:will_be_a_collector's_item_some_day:martin_goldberg 0684857170 The Motley Fools Rule Breakers Rule Makers : The Foolish Guide To Picking Stocks: Books: David Gardner,Tom Gardner books 10 of 17 1.0 June 14, 2003 Martin Goldberg Wayne, PA USA I recently saw this book on the bargain bin. This book was pure garbage, by two arrogant 20-somethings in clown suits. Basically they are saying valuations don't matter. Since they wrote the book, it has been prooven that their philosophy, approached over the long term, produces some great damaging losses. The book may be useful during the next bubble, which if history serves, will occur well after these clowns pass on to the big three-ring circus in the sky. To the dungeon with these two knaves 0393060349:shockingly_overrated!:book_club_facilitator 0393060349 The History of Love: A Novel: Books: Nicole Krauss books 1 of 10 1.0 November 4, 2006 Book Club Facilitator Arizona Our book club read this last month and not a single member had anything good to say about this book. As the facilitator, I was surprise by the consensus since we usually have at least one or two members who love the monthly selection. The writing is disjointed to the point that Ms. Krauss loses her reader. Then when she introduces the potential that many of the chapters might just be imaginary interactions between the characters, the reader is left extremely frustrated. I really cannot imagine how Ms. Krauss' novel has garnered so many stellar reviews 0425211347:just_plain_dumb:l._maynard 0425211347 School Days (Spenser): Books: Robert B. Parker books 2 of 3 1.0 October 1, 2006 L. Maynard Dallas, Tx I am having a hard time understanding why people have raved about this book. I guess everyone is entitled to have loyal fans, but I just don't see what was great, or even good, about this story. Two teenagers enter a school and end up killing seven people. They are caught, they confess, and the Grandmother of one of the killers hires Spenser to prove the boy's innocense. We are given the impression a great mystery, with possible red herrings, is about to entertain us. Alas, it is not to be. The kids did it, plain and simple. Why they did it is so stupid. The story reads as though a sixth grader has written it. The plot is lame, and even as lame as it is, it isn't executed well at all. The characters are boring and 2 dimensional. The banter which takes place between the main character and others, while it seems to be trying to be witty, is just dumb and unbelievable. I just can't say enough about how stupid this story is. There are too many wonderful mystery authors out there writing gripping, intense works of fiction to waste your time on this one. This is the first novel I have read by this author and will most definitely be my last 1400075963:white_males_only:w._bynum 1400075963 Made in Detroit: Books: Paul Clemens books 18 of 29 2.0 December 26, 2005 W. Bynum Detroit, MI USA Before purchasing Made in Detroit I read the reader reviews. The reviews were so mixed that I decided against buying the book and checked it out of the library instead. As it turns out I made the best decision. All I can say is `thank you fellow reviewers'; this book was definitely not worth the purchase price. My statement has nothing to do with the author's writing skills, he is a skilled writer. It has everything to do with his lack of insight. That Paul Clemens could live in a city and have such a skewed view of it is downright scary. I read the book, waiting for Paul to have a revelation that would help him put the pieces of his life together and make peace with them. But after 241 pages he was no more enlightened than he was on page one. Blacks are caricatures whose sole role in life is to make Paul's life hard. Women are peripheral characters who are barely given a voice. He finds a way to put down and demean everyone who is not a white male in his book. If you are a white male who harbors secret racist feelings you will enjoy this book and it will validate your feelings. If you are anyone else your reaction will no doubt range from mild boredom to outrage. As I read this book I felt sadness, a profound sense of dismay and had some of my worse fears confirmed. (There are white folks who actually still think like this.) My hope is that the light comes on for Paul, he is still young. If it does maybe he will share his insights with us. 0739326929:long_on_verbiage,_short_on_plot,_and_ultimately_pointless:d._r._jeanclerc_"reader,_listener_&_obsessive_observer" 0739326929 The Ruins (Random House Large Print): Books: Scott Smith books 2.0 November 16, 2006 D. R. Jeanclerc "Reader, Listener & Obsessive Observer" Brunswick, OH USA The book jacket for "The Ruins" offers a can't-miss premise: a group of post-grad American tourists at play in Mexico jump at the chance for a little adventure among Mayan ruins but find but then find themselves in unimaginable danger. It's the stuff of great Summer thrillers ready to be taken to the beach. But 319 pages later, the reader is left to wonder whether or not the publisher put the wrong book in the jacket. Almost immediately, you'll notice that Smith's writing is as dense as the jungles that make the setting. However, despite the endless stream of words, his descriptions are often threadbare. Plus, there are no chapter breaks, which eventually pushes the pace until it feels like an assignment to continue. Next, the characters themselves begin to fall flat. There are only really two couples to keep track of, and yet it's difficult for the first third of the book to distinguish them. There is little to keep you interested in what they're doing or why they might be doing it. Smith's attempts at developing these four as characters come in fits and spurts. This seems obviously haphazard and hurried - the author is jamming in backstory whenever needed to explain characters' actions as if he were patching leaks in a dam. By the end of the book, the foursome seems to be as disinterested in each other as the reader is in them. And for the readers who are hoping to discover something of interest in the setting such as Mayan mythology or archeological lore, forget it. Aside from language barriers with the locals, there is no reason why this fantastical story couldn't have been set in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains, the Saharan desert, or anywhere else. The danger posed has nothing to do with Mexico, archeology or mythology at all. Ah yes, the danger posed. Well, I can't say much at all because anyone could give away the entire book with one line of explanation - that's how thin the plot is. The numerous other reviews that fault this as a short story masquerading as a novel are exactly right. Suffice it to say that when you do realize what the danger is (and you'll realize it well before any of the well-educated characters do), it's a real eye-roller, as if to say "I read this many pages for THIS?". By the time the story concludes, it's more irritating than suspenseful. The characters take so long to blithely undertake any course of action at all that you'll start rooting against them. Eventually scenes of gore start piling up in an obvious and lazy attempt to interject some action, but even aside from being misdirected, it's too little too late. This book could have been an adventure, a supernatural thriller, a survival tale, or a horror screenplay. It could have even taken the high road as an examination on people's reactions to situations of extreme stress: some take the lead, even enjoying the challenge, while others whither into a shell of hopelessness. But none of the possibilities ever come to fruition in this disappointing effort. B00005WATD:a_major_disservice_to_the_book:fffearlesss B00005WATD The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America: Books: Bill Bryson books 3 of 8 1.0 October 8, 2006 FFFearlesss The book THE LOST CONTINENT is an amazing captivating read. Bryson is truly brilliant in his descriptions. This CD totally KILLS that. First of all the narrator reads at a mile a minute, sometimes to the point where you can't understand him. And second, they abridged the CRAP out of it, cutting some of the most interesting commentary and actually cutting the entire SECOND HALF of the book! While the book is amazing, this particular recording of it should be avoided at all costs 0385662890:what,_another_birthday????:lucille_p._finamore 0385662890 Digging to America: Books: Anne Tyler books 0 of 3 2.0 November 12, 2006 Lucille P. Finamore I found this book very boring. Tyler does a good job on detailing the charictors but I kept waiting for something to happen. Poor Maryam never developed into a person she was so caught up in trying to be a proper American. I will read another of her books since she is so well thought of 0143059076:boring:tommi 0143059076 Tough Choices: A Memoir: Books: Carly Fiorina books 7 of 12 1.0 November 2, 2006 tommi florida What a waste of time. This was like sitting through a very boring business course. I was never interested in turning the page. I would have liked to see more of Carly personal side and maybe some human aspect to this story.Instead I felt like a robot was telling this story.Very much of how great her business style was and very little about anything else. I forced myself to finish this. A huge diaappointment.Don't waste your money 1416524614:bones:_buried_deep:jenny_hellekers_"jenny_hellekers" 1416524614 Bones: Buried Deep (Bones): Books: Kathy Reichs,Max Allan Collins books 7 of 9 1.0 June 5, 2006 Jenny Hellekers "Jenny Hellekers" United States I am a huge fan of Kathy Reichs' novels and of the TV Series, Bones. However, this book was quite a disappointment to me. I did not care for the way the author wrote dialogue -- Brennan's dialog is not that simplimatic on the TV program, and she certainly would never say, "Where at!?" The author way overused the joke where Brennan did not "know what that means." All I could think of was how much better this novel would have been if written by Reichs herself. I started to jot down the holes in the story but quit after a while 0631215557:poorly_written:john_cragg 0631215557 Capital Ideas and Market Realities: Option Replication, Investor Behavior, and Stock Market Crashes: Books: Bruce I. Jacobs,Harry M. Markowitz books 11 of 32 2.0 June 14, 2000 John Cragg Delta(greater Vancouver This is a badly written, repetitive and self-serving account, largely, of the foolishness of "portflio insurance." That things which are "just like" something else may not be so in reality, and that magic fixes in the market (which after all fly in the face of the rational-expectations/efficient-market hypotheses which often are built into the view of the market being relied on) I guess needs to be pointed out regularly, since hope of quick, uninformed, and painless fixes seem to reoccur with each new wave of financial charlatans and the greed they feed on. Jacobs does point out such problems for a particular, rather bizarre episode, and suggests, not too coherently, that such "scams" are still prevalent. However, He does this in a horribly repetitive and self-laudatory way that is not really very clearly argued 0553382160:where_is_the_quality_control:lynne_shaney_"sandrag" 0553382160 The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm All-New Third Edition: Books: Johnny Gruelle,Jack Zipes books 7 of 16 1.0 August 16, 2005 Lynne Shaney "sandrag" Minneapolis MN USA design of book is very poor--pictures totally unclear and print is crowded making it impossible to focus on the story. The translations are not bad but there is no effort to organize the material and put it in contex 0517882124:word_games:worldreels 0517882124 Ageless Body, Timeless Mind: The Quantum Alternative to Growing Old: Books: Deepak Chopra books 1 of 3 2.0 March 15, 2006 Worldreels MANKATO, MN AGELESS BODY is Deepak's attempt to neutralize the word "old" as in old age. The writer has a knack for making common words, like "body, "mind" and "self," into profound concepts. His technique is to overlay his abstract ideas with suggestive experimental studies. But ambiguity in interpreting these studies abound. If you like poetry, Deepak may be your read: "The billions of changes occurring in our cells are only the passing scenery of life; (P. 36)" Or try to interpret this one: "The emptiness at the core of every atom is the womb of the universe; in the flicker of thought when two neurons interact there is an opportunity for a new world to be born. (P.40)" At times he attributes to cells and DNA a creative intelligence to direct their own construction and at other times his designer is invisible. He would make a great spokesman for the current hocus pocus over "intelligent design." He can't accept the growth of any cell, even a plant cell, without an intelligence involved. He mentions and attacks evolution only one time on P. 115, asserting that the growth of a cell could never be a random process. Deepak ends up in the very same thought circle as every other writer who tries to explain life in scientific terms: Intelligence is a self organizing entity and every cell evolved is only intelligence having a conversation with itself. Whether your word game tosses in the word "quantum" or not doesn't change much. What a solipsistic thought; what a solipsistic world. I wonder if his readers who actually experienced the oneness Deepak speaks of wouldn't, after awhile, go insane 0764552740:real_dogs_need_real_care_not_"dummies"_info:cathy_"cathy" 0764552740 Dogs for Dummies: Books: Gina Spadafori,Marty Becker books 3 of 10 1.0 July 23, 2004 Cathy "Cathy" since it is in the "dummies" series This book is so full of misinformation that I shudder to think (since it is in the "dummies" series), that this may be the only information that many people will read before they embark upon a very serious commitment with a dog. It is poorly researched, full of dogma and nonsense. If you have to read a "quick book" find one written by an expert - a veterinarian, or anyone with a track record in animals. Instant info can be found on bulletin discussion boards, magazines etc 0140143459:don't_waste_your_money...:chris_kauza_"chris" 0140143459 Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street: Books: Michael Lewis books 0 of 1 2.0 November 9, 2006 Chris Kauza "Chris" Denver, CO ...you can waste your time and save your money by checking this out of your local library. If you want to get an "inside view" of the inner workings of Wall Street during the excessive gyrations of the '80s, then read Den of Theives - that book is well written and well worth the money! What turned me off about this book was the structure and the writing style. The first half of the book was essentially the author relating fortuitous circumstances that were the product of Serendipity. He was simply in the right place at the right time, had virutally no idea how he got there, felt out of place the whole time (even when he was raking in the Big Bucks in NY and London), and so now he thought he'd wwrite a book about it. I also got the sense that he was trying to assuage some guilt from his association at Salomon Brothers. He was there, he made a lot of money, good for him - get over it! I was also pretty disappointed because the subject matter has A LOT more potential. I might have actually enjoyed it - had I not read Den of Theives 7 years earlier, and already had some idea of how things took place. But, if you can get it for $5 or less (including shipping), and you have little to no knowledge of what an investment banker's life is like (and you haven't also seen the movie Wall Street (which covers the same highlights in this book)), then it's probably worth it. I did like the wrap up he did towards the end of the book, relating where he had heard everyone from the firm ended up...althought that seemed a little rushed.. 0446606812:sophomoric_and_sloppy.:melissa_j._reed_"melissajreed" 0446606812 Message in a Bottle: Books: Nicholas Sparks books 4 of 7 2.0 July 8, 2006 Melissa J. Reed "melissajreed" Benton, KY, USA I'll preface this by saying I'm a cryer. I cry at movie previews when they simply look entertaining. I cried all the way through Superman Returns. I did not, however, shed one tear during Message in a Bottle. In English class, I always learned to "show, not tell" when writing. When that is your rule of thumb, you'll write a moving piece of literature, even if you're not completely skillful. Sparks is the master of telling without showing. I'm honestly baffled by all the good reviews it gets. The story is somewhat engaging, but with no payoff. But the work is filled with passages like (and these are from memory; if I picked up the book to look for verbatim examples I'd have to type the entire thing), "He went to the refrigerator, opened the door, and took a beer. After opening it, he sat down on the back deck." Or, "Though she was overweight, she moved quickly around the table." "She got out of the shower, dried off, and put on khaki shorts and a white cotton shirt." Have you read enough yet? I'm new to the romance genre. My mother-in-law recommended Sparks because -- I think she was trying to imply -- his sex scenes aren't too graphic. They were to me, but then, I'm new to romance, and spoiled by the masterful, unequaled storytelling skill of Stephen King. Please hold your New York Times bestsellers to a higher standard. Let's hold on to whatever quality control we can in music, movies, and literature 1560256141:just_what_we_need..........:r._bartlett 1560256141 The I Hate Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity. . . Reader: The Hideous Truth About America's Ugliest Conservatives: Books: Clint Willis books 6 of 34 1.0 August 23, 2006 R. Bartlett California USA more hate books. How could anyone write anything so wrong 0670033359:definitely_not_alcott's_"little_women":jessica_hinds-bond 0670033359 March: A Novel: Books: Geraldine Brooks books 5 of 7 2.0 October 20, 2006 Jessica Hinds-Bond I started reading this book expecting to like it - it's historical, related to Little Women, won the Pulitzer, doesn't feel like fluff, etc. However I had a really difficult time getting into the book. For one, the language sounded much more pretentious than historically accurate. I've read other works from the time period she's supposed to be writing in, and rather than feeling in keeping with that era, this book felt indicitive of someone who makes full use of her thesaurus. Also, I haven't read her other book so i didn't enter this novel with a trust for the author. Consequentally, I found that as she mentioned connections to Little Women, I became defensive. She had not proven to me that she had the right to use this work. In some of her character choices, such as one of the first encounters between March and Marmee (I'm not going to go into details so as not to spoil the scene), I believe that she made a radical departure from anything that Alcott would have written of her characters, and that Brooks really did not stay true to the original. The first half of the book is also really dry. This could just be my personal taste, but the first half moved so slowly! The book started to pick up about half way through. Overall, the story being told and the Civil War aspects weren't bad, and could be a decent story in their own right if she'd just speed things along at the beginning. However, I think Brooks did the book a major disservice by linking it to Little Women. I bristled every time she mentioned an individual from the book, because she was really changing their characters (other than Aunt March). The choices that Brooks' characters made were not in keeping with choices they may have made in Alcott's book. In the afterward, Brooks discussed her research and how she actually based the March family and particularly Mr. March more on the Alcott family itself than on the characters from Little Women, even commenting how the March Family in Alcott's book isn't very interesting, and how "Nobody in real life is such a goody-goody as that Marmee." If she felt that way, then why use them as the basis for her book? Seen in that context, her earlier *huge* liberties with Marmee's character seem to just be a way to "stick it" to Alcott: "ha ha, look how much more realistic Marmee is now! 0071383832:not_realistic_for_most_people:c._mccullough 0071383832 The Fat Flush Plan: Books: Ann Louise Gittleman,Barry Sears books 3 of 3 2.0 November 2, 2006 C. McCullough Somerville, MA United States While I found the writing style good and the information interesting, the actual diet was unrealistic, too restrictive and lacking fun basics that make other diets tolerable. I found myself longing for spices (how bad could pepper really be?) and questioning the validity of their restriction. I couldn't stand the ground-up flax seeds in my cranberry cocktail - the texture reminded me of trying to drink mud with little bugs in it (or what I imagine that to be). I'm not writing this to disparage anyone from trying the diet - if you can handle the restrictions and you have the self-control required, you might find this diet doable and rewarding. I tried the Fat Flush with a group from work - inspired by one woman who is able to do the flush again and again every year (she always gains the weight back). The rest of us, while successful for varying degrees of short periods, found the diet unrealistic for any long-term results - all of us gained the weight back and spurred by instant weight loss, some even picked up worse habits than they began with. The funny thing is I found much of the health information useful or interesting, but I got rid of the book b/c sitting on my shelf it reminded me of unrealistic goals and failure - not what I want out of a get-healthy plan. I'm writing this review so that others don't get sucked in by all of the positive reviews hoping for lasting results - 3 of us didn't have any 0312276699:biased_genetic_studies?:bill_c. 0312276699 War Without End: Israelis, Palestinians, and the Struggle for a Promised Land: Books: Anton La Guardia books 1 of 8 2.0 June 6, 2005 Bill C. Nevada Author La Guardia mentions how the Lemba of Africa have the Jewish gene. Fine! But when he deals (in several pages mind you)with the Falashas (also of Africa) he never mentions that genetic studies have positively shown these Jews NOT to be descended from the 12 Tribes of Israel despite the Falashas's longtime rep for possibly being a Lost Tribe of Israel which, again, has now been 100% disproven through genetic studies 1565114892:an_odd_mix__but_3_stars:book_worm_"meo" 1565114892 Year of Wonders: Books: Geraldine Brooks books 1 of 3 1.0 August 1, 2006 book worm "MEO" Andover, MA USA As many have stated before me the book starts off with great promise for people who like historical fiction, however midway it turns into a romance novel. I give it 3 stars for holding my attention. A good beach read that can get you thinking (a little) about a time past. The one star is a mistake and I cannot seem to change it. 3 *** stars 0817454276:the_book_is_not_complete_and_at_times_can_be_misleading:vladimir_antimonov 0817454276 Photographic Composition: Books: Tom Grill,Mark Scanlon books 78 of 85 2.0 October 11, 2005 Vladimir Antimonov Moscow, Russian Federation Being a student of photojournalizm in Moscow, Russia, I looked for the most complete book on photographic composition that is available. I had studied one book on the subject by the russian author, but knowing that photography in the US is much more developed and professional I was striving to get a book by a professional photographer. I was disappointed by the book "Photographic Composition" by Tom Grill for a number of reasons: 1. It does not cover all important compositional elements, and those that it covers are not explained in full detail. It does not explain: - how elements with the similar shapes, similar sizes or similar tone interact with each other, - the reverse perspective effect and its uses, - why right and left sides of the photograph differ and why, how it can be used on practice, - how to balance "weight" of different elements of the photograph, it touches it briefly and furthermore provides an incorrect example, - difference between compositional center and the center of interest, how to balance them if they are in different parts of the photo (does not match each other) - all signs of perspective, it does not say anywhere that overlapping of objects is a clear sign of perspective (trivial as it may sound, it still should be marked in any complete work, especially when the author covers other three elements) - and much much more. 2. It does not use photographs of the best masters to illustrate the topic, neither does it show how composition works in art, which I believe is very important. 3. Most examples are in color, while most ideas on composition are best explained using B&W photographs. 4. Last but not least, composition is about meaning, making a message, not just how to balance different elements within a frame. The book makes this statement, but in my opinion fails to provide poverful examples, while you can fully appreciate the power of composition only by studying powerful photos with good explanation why precisely this photo is good. OVERALL: I believe that if you want to study composition you want to know all important considerations, not just a few and briefly explained "how-to-quickly-improve-any-photo-you-take". This books fails to provide complete approach to composition and at times can be misleading. I'd be very grateful if you could recommend me (and other folks that look at our reviews) a more thorough book on composition, I'm sure there must be a good book in english on that subject. Thanks! P.S. For those who can read in russian I advise a book by A. Lapin "Fotografiya kak..", which compared to the book by Tom Grill explains composition in full 0312317441:all_dressed_up,_no_place_to_go:reader_"reader" 0312317441 Dead Soul (Doss, James D): Books: James D. Doss books 2 of 4 1.0 September 11, 2005 Reader "reader" Bath, PA Although Dead Soul begins quite decently and surprisingly for Doss, who has a tin ear for dialogue, dearly loves a cardboard character, and has no sense of plot, it rapidly and unsurprisingly disintegrates into a mangle of missed opportunities. Since most plot reveals take place off scene, you have no idea what's going on until the end where Charlie tells all. Is this supposed to create suspense? Does Doss even realize how ridiculous this is? Does he have an editor? Can the editor read English? Now these are real questions for Charlie to answer 0446577383:pathetic:yanni 0446577383 The Camel Club: Books: David Baldacci books 1 of 4 1.0 November 13, 2006 yanni trumbull, ct United States The Winner and Absolute truth made me continue reading Baldacci books.His last few books Christmas Train and Split Second were awful.Now Baldacci takes his left leaning anti american feelings and tries to shove it down our throats.That was the last money I ever spend on a Baldacci book,I even threw out his good books. Shut up Baldacci and write fiction books. Your ideas do not get through in this non fiction world 0553381059:perfect_cure_for_insomnia:lisa 0553381059 Destructive Emotions: A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama: Books: Daniel Goleman books 4 of 6 2.0 November 10, 2005 Lisa A friend going through the same problems as I am was strongly recommended this book by her therapist and she bought it for me, as well. I was enthusiastic to read it and at least understand these emotions. If I could actually use the information to help myself, all the better. I was warned that the beginning was a bit slow and hard to get through, so I struggled through it, expecting it to get easier to read. It didn't. It's been sitting by my bed for months with the bookmark at page 104 and I'm really sorry because I'm sure that the contents are useful and interesting, but I just can't get past that page 104. I normally refuse to leave a book half unread, but this just has to be an exception because every time I pick it up I fall asleep within 3 or 4 pages. I agree with some of the previous reviewers that there is way too much emphasis on the actual workings of the meetings. I feel like I'm watching a video of it, as every minimal thing is described in incredible detail. But I wanted to read this book to understand the views and conclusions of the group, not to become an expert on the tea breaks they had. Also, I felt lost as the scientific tests they had previously carried out were explained in such detail, I ended up having to skim over some sections. This may be a great resource for those who have great patience and/or a scientific background, but too much for a regular Joe like me 0380973650:a_wallowing,_depressing_and_ugly_book_with_no_redeeming_value_whatsoever:g._brunow_"ignatius_p_riley" 0380973650 American Gods: A Novel: Books: Neil Gaiman books 6 of 24 1.0 October 7, 2006 G. Brunow "ignatius_p_riley" New Orleans This is the worst, most depressing piece of fiction I have ever read. There is no real protoganist and not one singular character worthy of admiration--and after a while, their actions just become inexplicable. The author's soul must truly be an ugly one to have devoted so much time and energy to using his mind to generate so many casual acts of evil throughout the book. It starts out promising but by the time you get to about halfway through the book or so you get a nagging sense that your very own soul might be sucked out of you and permanently stolen by the heart of Neil Gaiman's darkness or one of his minions. Additionally, the characters' motivations change like the shifting sands, nothing they do makes any real sense except some inexplicable movement towards doing greater and more evil en masse like some sort of coagulating bacteria or disease. What is so creepy about this book is the casualness of it all. Unlike some of Stephen King's work (ie: The Stand), there is absolutely no redeeming thread here--no rallying or marshalling the troops to combat the emerging evil. It's evil in evil vs. evil surrounded by evil. All I can say is that this book is ugly, ugly, ugly. At least writers like Joyce Carol Oats and Joseph Conrad's intentions when writing about such things is to effectively demonstrate the ill effects of such darkness, but to make heroes of characters one should avoid is unconscionable. The choices the supposed protoganist makes make no sense--and you do root for him in the very beginning but you find he is just like one of them after all. I suspended my doubt and disbelief as long as I could but finally became so incensed by the audacity of both the literary critics and the author to pass this off as excellence, I literally stopped mid-sentence and chose to never read this author's work again. It's a shame too because he has allied himself in other incarnations with a truly gifted artist, Dave McKean, who maybe hasn't completely gone over to the dark side like Neil has. His association with Dave McKean is the only reason I even opened-up the book--and maybe a little because the title intrigued me. But it's unfortunate that the industry rewards "clever" works such as Mr. Gaiman's with undue praise. I've never so strongly disliked a book. Have you ever found yourself getting angry because you felt robbed or duped by a book? Well, don't believe the hype, this is the one to throw in the trash or disintegrate with X-men eyeball laserbeams before all your humanity is sucked out of you 0739326457:i_really_wanted_to_like_this_book:katherine_briggs 0739326457 The Whole World Over: A Novel: Books: Julia Glass books 9 of 11 2.0 August 30, 2006 Katherine Briggs Encinitas, CA If Julia Glass had not set the bar so high with Three Junes, I would have given the book 3 stars instead of 2. There are sentences, paragraphs, even pages of brilliance in this book, but it is as if winning the National Book Award gave Ms. Glass unconditional confidence in her writing, and character development in particular. She seemed out of touch with the major demographics the narrative slings around. As another reviewer wrote, the writing process seemed transparant. Reading the book, you get the feeling that the characters are what Ms. Glass (a privileged white woman of a certain age) imagines teenagers, or New Mexicans, or black chauffeurs, or Hispanic nannies, or even gay people to be like. She is like a tourist who voyeuristically delights in other cultures without really understanding them. The teenagers and the Santa Fe inhabitants are the most painful examples of caricatures. Greenie might be the most believable, and although I understood why she was falling out of love with her gloomy Alan, I wasn't sucked along with her when she falls in love with "the other Charlie". He was only very mildly interesting and certainly not worth (even temporarily) losing your child over. With Saga, she manages to develop her most sympathetic character, but Saga's life is left floating and unresolved at the end. Even the brief appearance of Fenno, who I loved in Three Junes, lacked intensity and seemed gimmicky. All and all, a very disappointing second novel. You have to wonder, since most reviewers are pointing out all of the same problems with character, what good is her editor? 1593979428:over_rated:san_antonio_girl 1593979428 Running with Scissors: A Memoir: Books: Augusten Burroughs books 1.0 November 17, 2006 san antonio girl I heard all of these great things about this book etc...... So I got a copy and let me tell you it was a huge let down. I can honestly say it had loads of disgusting passages that I did not find at all entertaining. The "bowel movement" chapter was totally repulsive. I found it self indulgent, he had a crappy upbringing, that does not make for a good book 0451527100:hate_litterature:josh_kalish 0451527100 The Communist Manifesto: Books: Karl Marx,Friedrich Engels,Martin Malia books 3 of 23 1.0 September 17, 2006 Josh Kalish nyc When I read this, I was not expecting to become a commie, but at least I was hoping for something more compelling than the pure hatred of people who have more than others and the racist concsipracy theories (especially re Jews) that the authors came up with. I understand that people accord this book some respect because it has influcenced many people. But that is what hate litterature does. This book is especially powerful in its attempt to find sharp class lines to allow the "masses" to hate 0440236851:long_and_drawn_out:"shelleygail76" 0440236851 The Wedding: Books: Danielle Steel books 1 of 1 2.0 December 8, 2002 "shelleygail76" APO, AE United States This seemed too long and too drawn out 0071426809:a_little_bit_more_than_who's_who,_but_definitely_not_how_they_achieved_greatness:knightofgod 0071426809 Business Leaders and Success: 55 Top Business Leaders and How They Achieved Greatness: Books: Investor's Business Daily,William O'Neil books 2.0 November 6, 2005 KnightofGod Simple arithmetic and you know it's stupid to expect much from a 227 content book that attempts to tell the success stories and forumlas of 55 business leaders. Definitely everyone of them deserves its own biography instead of an average 4.13 pages. So I had lowered my standard before I read it. Still I had been quite disappointed. All passages were columns published previously on IBD written by different reporters that not only the writing style but the focus on individual leaders fluctuated much between hard data/history and success formula, primarly on the former. I am sorry that I could gain little knowledge/insight (that I really wanted to learn "how" they succeeded) during the reading. I felt even worse after reading from the previous reviewer that the content had been available on the net. In short, please give this book a pass! 1580421369:wow,_what_a_disappointment!:dennis_littrell 1580421369 Doyle Brunson's Super System II: Books: Doyle Brunson books 17 of 17 2.0 March 23, 2006 Dennis Littrell SoCal "The Most Anticipated Book in the History of Poker!" exclaims a blurb on the cover. Well, if so, I can tell you that a lot of people have been, or are going to be, VERY disappointed. Comparing the classic Super/System from 1978 with this book is, to paraphrase Mark Twain, like comparing lightning to the lightning bug. This book is more of a tribute to Doyle Brunson than it is "A Course in Power Poker." Johnny Chan writes a fairly vacuous Preface in which he lauds Brunson, but doesn't say anything about how to play. Then we have Brunson's Introduction in which he tells us mostly about the contributors to the first Super/System. Next there is an autobiographical sketch by Brunson entitled, "My Story." (If you want a book that gives the real flavor of Brunson's "story," get a copy of According to Doyle (1984). It contains 47 chapters in which Brunson recalls his early days and life on the road.) Following "My Story" is a short history of Texas Hold'em by Crandell Addington which isn't much, and then there is the first chapter that could actually be considered part of a course in power poker. This would be 43 tips from Mike Caro cribbed from his lectures and books. However the tips are hardly "exclusive" for SuperSystem2 as claimed. Beginning with Caro's cute but now very familiar, "In the beginning, everything was even money," most or all of the tips have been recycled. For example, Tip #18, page 146, "WHEN A FREQUENT BETTOR CHECKS TO YOU...don't bluff" is just about the same as Tip #10 "Seldom bluff if frequent bluffers have checked into you" found on page 137 in Caro's Fundamental Secrets of Winning Poker (1996). In fact Caro even recycles his "exclusive" tips in this very book. Tip #31 says that PLAYERS STARING AWAY...are almost always more dangerous than players staring at you," while Tip #40 says in part that "OPPONENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BET OR RAISE IF THEY ARE: ...(3) staring away." Jennifer Harman's chapter on limit hold'em is so ordinary that it's remedial. There's not even a hint of anything new. There are a number of books on the market that cover the same ground much more thoroughly. I especially recommend Small Stakes Hold'em: Winning Big with Expert Play (2004) by Ed Miller, David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth or anything by Sklansky. Also her insistence on referring to hands backwards, "6-7" (e.g., on p. 252) instead of "76" is annoying and contrary to a well-established convention. And the caricatures by Russ Braun! They are so bland and flattering that each may have passed prior inspection by the subject's mother. Comparing these to the witty and sharp work by Stan Hunt in the original is like comparing a cliche to something alive and vital. Brunson doesn't even look like himself. Here he's just a generic, smiling, dough boy kind of guy--except in the small, clever, lifelike drawing gracing page 7 which WAS drawn by Stan Hunt, copied from the first book. Good are the chapters on Omaha and Stud Eight-or-Better. However, although Brunson has Bobby Baldwin billed as his author of the Omaha Eight-or-Better chapter, actually it was written (as acknowledged) by Mark Gregorich. He does a good job of introducing the game and giving some of the strategies, and I'm sure he is a fine player, but what about Bobby Baldwin? Well, as CEO of Mirage Corporation and President of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, Bobby is far, far too busy to write the chapter himself. So he just lent his name and his supervision. Can you spell R-I-P-O-F-F? Perhaps the most embarrassing part of the book is Doyle's chapter on no limit hold'em. It is little more than a reprise of the same chapter in the first book published 28 years ago. Also recycled is the section on "Colorful Names of Various Hold'em Hands" on pages 628 and 629. The dated references to Raquel Welch ("38") and Broderick Crawford ("10-4") seem more than a little out of touch. Indeed, this book is nostalgic tribute to Brunson and the great success he and the original book achieved. And that is a shame, because this book is billed as an exciting event in the history of the publication of books on poker when in fact it is something hastily put together to flatter Brunson and, hopefully, the pocketbook of those involved. One final thing: there is a Glossary, suitable for beginners, which is okay as it defines such things a "Deuce," "Flush," "Four of a Kind," etc., but seems a little basic for "A Course in Power Poker." Worse though is this definition of a "Cold Deck": "A term often used to describe the deck by players who feel they're not getting enough playable or winning hands." Players may indeed remark that "the deck is cold," but the origin of the term comes from the fact that a stacked deck used by cheaters that is switched into the game tends to be "cold" to the touch since it has not been handled since it was stacked. Bottom line: pass 1557835810:disappointing_with_a_capital_"d":richard_thompson 1557835810 Somewhere for Me - A Biography of Richard Rodgers: Books: Meryle Secrest books 3 of 8 2.0 May 13, 2002 Richard Thompson Prince Frederick, Maryland United States I'm in a good mood today, and feeling generous -- hence the two stars. Secrest learned that Rodgers could be a rotten person, that he drank and was a womanizer. She then proceeds to beat us over the head with it at great length. I didn't count the words, but it seemed like she spent more time on that then she did on Rodgers and Hammerstein -- not to mention the post-Hammerstein years. We learn nothing about how these shows came about and what happened to them beyond the most cursory; it's if her research there was limited to the notes on the cast albums. I've kept most of my theater books, except for this one. It went to the used book store 0399152431:sacre_bleu!:johnny_b._good 0399152431 Prince of Fire: Books: Daniel Silva books 3 of 10 1.0 June 9, 2006 Johnny B. Good Seattle, WA Someone reported all my 3 negative reviews of Daniel Silva books and got them removed! Hmm, I wonder who that could be. I am rather annoyed at this because I spent quite a lot of time detailing why I didn't like one of the books, reasonably, I thought. Apparently, someone had decided that they did not follow the review guidelines. I used no profanities. OK, there were some spoilers, but not more than I usually read in other reviews. Not single worded, no phone numbers, no solicitations, etc. Maybe whoever it was just didn't like my negative review. Well, the last time I checked, the 1st amendment still applies in this country. OK, so let me try to post another review of why I didn't like this book without violating any review guidelines, and I'm not going to spend 30 mins on it like last time. I thought the book was very poorly written and very boring. I struggled through 1/3 of the book but the author could not capture my attention and I decided not to continue to the end. I've read a couple of other Daniel Silva books, but neither one of them could change my mind that he is an author that I don't like. I will not be buying any more of his books 0446528056:a_total_disappointment_and_very_depressing:l._myers 0446528056 Dear John: Books: Nicholas Sparks books 2.0 November 16, 2006 L. Myers Arkansas, USA I've always been a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks, and I couldn't wait to read Dear John. Well, there was no reason to rush. It starts out okay, but then just gets more and more depressing. The main girl character is annoying and you hope that John will find someone who deserves him, instead of just pouting over her for most the book. I cannot wait for another Nicholas Sparks book, but only because I want to know that he hasn't lost his touch, and that this novel was just a fluck 0307276902:as_authentic_as_a_daytime_soap_opera:denise_"denise" 0307276902 A Million Little Pieces: Books: James Frey books 4 of 6 1.0 October 6, 2006 Denise "Denise" Anacortes, WA United States I'd heard the buzz (both pro and con) and thought I'd take an independent read. I was dismayed with this book. James Frey has insulted anyone who has gone through a real experience with substance addiction by trivializing the truth of whatever experience he really had. One of the hardest things an addict has to grasp is the TRUTH so that he can take ownership of his actions and take the 12 steps or whatever is necessary to save his life and often the lives of loved ones tangled up in the mess with him. Lies are what enable "slips" and "enabling" and "denial" and those other catch words that describe continued misery and failure. Recovery is nearly impossible without honesty. So, can we look at this man's "memoir" and expect it to offer anything of value? It's poorly constructed, repetitive, and narcisitic. Even if Oprah hadn't exposed him, the writing takes the tone of "whoppers" like Frey's account of the drug house visit in which he "rescues" Lilly. Other reviewers and Smoking Gun have written about the fantastic episodes one by one, and I can't improve on that. Suffice to say this mockery of misery and hope is no more real than a daytime soap opera. Story lines in a soap may look like real life to one who is isolated from real life, the same way A Million Little Pieces might look to someone who has not been touched by real addiction. A real addict with typical delusion could be misdirected from a true course of treatment with tragic result. I was left with the impression he thinks institutions and people who help others with substance recovery are pitifully misdirected or inept. Like a joke of some kind. I'm not laughing. 0783820038:the_best_picoult_so_far:b._mcfall 0783820038 Mercy (G K Hall Large Print Book Series (Cloth)): Books: Jodi Picoult books 0 of 1 1.0 November 3, 2006 B. McFall Sunny California Every book by Jodi Picoult grabs you by the heart and doesn't let go. Mercy stands out from all the rest. You will not forget this book or the people in it for a long time B00005VM8T:just_so-so:max_funkhammer B00005VM8T The Client: Books: John Grisham books 1 of 1 2.0 May 29, 2006 Max Funkhammer California Of the 7 or so Grisham novels Ive read this one is my least favorite. It's not a bad story at all but it's just way too long, about 150 pages longer than it needed to be. It also just lacked credibility in many spots. Grisham is normally quite good at presenting characters and situations that are at least plausible, if not really interesting. Most of his books give the layman some insight into the workings of the law that Ive always thought were fascinating. This book, however, plods along and doesnt bring anything new to his body of work. The other thing that really got me was the dialogue he wrote for Mark Sway, the 11year old protagonist. He sounds more like a street-wise 30year old, using words like "wonderful" and phrases that have been out of use since the 70's. I think Grisham forgot he was writing the words for a young boy and not one of his more typically older characters. This isnt a bad book if you just want to escape for a few hours a day but most of his other ones are far more enjoyable 1559270837:terrible:anna_balyasnaya 1559270837 What to Expect When You're Expecting: Books: Arlene Eisenberg,Heidi Eisenberg Murkoff,Sandee E. Hathaway books 1.0 November 17, 2006 Anna Balyasnaya Brooklyn, New York United States If you want to be scared and paranoid through your first pregnancy, then this is the book for you. This book has no insight on anything. It is vague. It doesnt explain anything in detail. It talks about every possible thing that could go wrong but probably wont. Each chapter lists all the symptoms you might be expeiriencing, but that is as far as that goes. Its not a very good book to turn to you if you have concerns because it will just make you have more! You might as well ask your doctor because this book constantly refers you to your doctor. It has no insight or answer for anything unless you have a high-risk pregnancy 159887005x:why_the_music?:bai_ying_ni 159887005x The Year of Magical Thinking: Books: Joan Didion,Barbara Caruso books 2.0 June 21, 2006 Bai_ying_ni Bozeman, MT I find some parts of Didion's book very relatable, at least when she's exploring her feelings of shock, the superstitious feelings, and the obsessive re-living of her husband's last few days and death. But these sections become less and less frequent as the book continues, and it all seems to devolve. But pertaining to the audiobook: What is with the music they insist on playing in the "background" at the end of sections? The first time it came on, I took out my earphones to see if someone in my office was inexplicably blaring piano solos. It's weird and invasive and distracts from the reading 0938935046:everyman's_library_edition_is_also_abridged!!!!:anonymous 0938935046 The Wealth of Nations (Part 2)(Audio Classics): Books: Adam Smith books 15 of 15 1.0 June 23, 2005 Anonymous New York Beware of the Everyman's Library edition of this book (green hardcover, ribbon marker, isbn # 0-679-40564-X). Book V dealing with the revenue of the sovereign has been completely ommitted. According to the introduction, this was to limit the book to one volume and keep the price low. I wish I had known this BEFORE I ordered the book since now I have to buy a different edition in order to read Book V. What a ripoff 0975599518:quack_quack:richard_w._buchaniec_"roadglider" 0975599518 Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You To Know About: Books: Kevin Trudeau books 5 of 13 1.0 October 30, 2006 Richard W. Buchaniec "roadglider" Saint Anne, IL USA This guy's box is missing a few tools.Most of the stuff he quotes as fact is not supported in real life. He's full of crap. Everybody knows walking is good for you, but kevin T. starts his chapter on walking by saying that 'when you take your dog for a walk, he (or she) poops............well la-de-f_____ing-da....isn't that WHY you take your dog for a walk....because you don't want him (or her) to poop in the house. Then there's his statement that if you put your teflon pan on high heat and have a parakeet on your shoulder, the bird will keel over dead because of the poisonous gasses.......and another thing, who ever heard of an acidic body??? I think I know what planet Trudeau came from....URANU 0553225367:dawn:skell 0553225367 Dawn: Books: Elie Wiesel books 2 of 16 1.0 April 18, 2005 skell Dawn written by Elie Wiesel is a story about two men who are meant to be killed at the same time, at dawn. David Ben Moshe is Jewish and will be killed by the English at the same time as Elisha; a Jewish man will kill an English man John Dawson.Elisha and his friends wait all night for dawn, the book takes place with them in one room, thinking about what they have to do, they have little conversation between each other. I did not find the book Dawn very interesting,I found it to move very slow, because Elisha and his friends stayed in one room during the whole story, and while one man was thinking about what he should do or how he felt, the reader did not know how the other people where feeling at that time. The part I found the most interesting was when there would be conversation between Elisha and his friends, especially when they talked about their pasts, which was one of my favorite parts of the book, it was interesting because there was more action happening when they when explaining their past. Although I found this book boring for the most part it was very descriptive and therefore I would recommend it to anyone who likes very descriptive books. 0307237249:disappointed:applebaum8 0307237249 Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones: Books: Suzanne Somers books 12 of 30 1.0 October 27, 2006 applebaum8 I really liked Suzanne Summers. I've read all her other books and have her tai chi exercise video. When I saw her on the Today show advertising this book I couldn't wait to get it. She promotes the Schwarzbein Principle which states that being a vegetarian is unhealthy. Suzanne has an entire chapter dedicated to someone named Wendy who after 10 years of being a vegetarian was convinced to start eating meat again! Just because Wendy's particular diet was unhealthy, that doesn't mean that all vegetarians are unhealthy. There are meat eaters that have unhealthy diets. Look at all the Hindus in India, they're lifetime vegetarians and are healthy. I know that soy has been a controversial subject recently, but it's the pill form of soy that is questionable, soy it it's natural form is healthy for you. How can you say that soy is bad for you when millions of East Asians eat soy as part of their daily diet? I've read countless books and research that supports the benefits of soy. I eat a balanced vegetarian diet and get all the nutrients my body needs. Just because one doctor doesn't believe that a vegetarian diet is healthy, doesn't make it a fact. Suzanne you've really gone too far to tell everyone to stop being a vegetarian. With that misinformation in your book, I have a hard time believing that anything else is true and fact. 0393061310:crops,_crops_and_more_crops:robert_kraemer_"history_fan" 0393061310 Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, New Edition: Books: Jared Diamond books 1 of 2 2.0 November 3, 2006 Robert Kraemer "History Fan" Hammond, LA I had to read Jared Diamond's Pulitzer prize winning book because of the rave reviews and acclaim. The thoughts that he introduces in the book are certainly interesting and he presents us with a new way to interpret history which is certainly important. However, there is much overkill in making points about the development of each civilization - crops are the major topic with little discussion on guns, germs (more than the other 2), and steel. Of course the arguement for this focus is that the domestication of crops is how civilizations develop guns, germs and steel. I enjoyed parts of the book considerably, but you would have to have a strong interest in horticulture and botany to truely appreciate the book. I guess I was spoiled by first reading his sequel to GGS, "Collapse" - a terrific read that should be of interest to everyone -it relates our industrialization to every aspect of the environment and show historically how this has shaped history. It has major rammifications for our situation on this earth right now. -RK 0670034169:a_long,_depressing_journey:l._garr 0670034169 The Memory Keeper's Daughter: Books: Kim Edwards books 5 of 5 2.0 November 12, 2006 L. Garr When our book club selected this novel, I was enthusiastic ~ the premise appeared to leave so much room for the development of great characters and a great story. However, after the first chapter or so, I kept waiting for the big "wow" factor...and it never came. I found most of the characters unsympathetic and not very well-developed. Like other readers, I finished it out of obligation, but never gleaned any enjoyment from reading it. 0425211894:thanks_but_no_thanks:snowyafternoon_"snowy" 0425211894 Skeleton Coast: A Novel of the Oregon Files: Books: Clive Cussler,Jack Du Brul books 0 of 1 2.0 November 13, 2006 snowyafternoon "snowy" phoenix, az While I enjoy adventure stories for the casual reading they are and have read all of Cussler's, I was disturbed by a lot of the assumptions in this and other of his recent books. This is transparently hawkish; an ultra-conservative defense of the questionable actions of the very furthest right of the political spectrum. (One could even suspect it was commissioned or at least underwritten by these elements.) It reflects the current culture that decrees all means justify the end - as long it benefits the right people. Cussler's recent books portray that it's OKAY for Americans to go into other countries - with which we are not at war - and kill its citizens for some secret government agenda. That it's OKAY for our US government to hire out "black ops" in secret because it's against our laws to do so openly. Through the years, I've tolerated Cussler's blatant sexism, juvenile writing style, improbable exploits of cartoonish heroes. However, he has veered into political territory that offends me but even more, terrifies me that it may be the truest part of his stories 0596100965:had_trouble_downloading_the_customized_settings:martha_w._bonney_"bonney_blue" 0596100965 Adobe Photoshop CS2 One-On-One: Books: Deke McClelland books 1 of 2 2.0 November 2, 2006 Martha W. Bonney "Bonney_Blue" Syracuse, New York USA Using this book and CD-ROM depends upon being able to download the customized settings, so that the reader's PhotoShop, for example, behaves the same way as the author's PhotoShop. However, my system repeatedly hung up on that section of the download from the CD-ROM. Furthermore, this author doesn't start at a "dummies" level by defining the terms that he uses throughout the lessons, so I had trouble following along. Overall, this wasn't much help for me in my quest to learn PhotoShop from a baseline of complete ignorance 0747232717:author_just_uses_a_book_to_take_shots_at_christianity:dan_seidman 0747232717 The Philosophy Gym: Books: Stephen Law books 7 of 59 1.0 July 21, 2005 Dan Seidman SalesAutopsy.com Horribly disappointing. These manufactured dialogues are evidently Stephen Law's way of dealing with his personal problems with religion. For example, in one chapter Law manipulates his "teaching" by having God contradict the Bible (the assumption being God's the author) in a dialogue with a conservative religious person. Law even sarcastically concludes the chapter by saying this dialogue is only a dream, the real God would probably respond differently. Good idea for a book, ruined by the authors distorted logic. There are numerous ad hominen and circular reasoning errors. The title and premise fooled me into reading it. Mr. Law, how will you pay back the readers for wasting the time they invested in your philosphical rant against religion 0143058274:the_worst_of_them_all:m._sordo_"disappointed_scarpetta's_fan" 0143058274 Predator (Kay Scarpetta Mysteries (Audio)): Books: Patricia Cornwell books 4 of 4 1.0 October 25, 2006 M. Sordo "disappointed Scarpetta's fan" Boston, Massachusetts United States Huge disappointment. Trace wasn't that good either. Having read all Scarpetta's previous storiesbut I was hoping Trace would be only bad one. However, the downhill trend seems to continue. These two books are not the usual intelligent plots Cornwell is capable of writing. Save your money, don't buy it. I completely agree with all the reviews posted so far, so I won't go into the plot -or rather lack of a real plot -details 0312321198:poor_content:luvpugs 0312321198 Something Borrowed: Books: Emily Giffin books 1.0 November 19, 2006 luvpugs USA The book is manipulative and unrealistic. I felt the author was blatantly trying to persuade the reader to believe that infieldey, betrayal and lack of morals is acceptable if you have a self absorbed best friend. Definitely one of the shallowest books I have ever read. I bought the book as it was rated as a "best seller" , and I was stuck in an airport for hours on end. The entire plot is hideous as the "burned best friend" makes up reasons why it's accept able to betray her best friend. If I was not completely bored, I would have given up on the book after the first 20 pages. 0553225855:is_it_true?_:justine 0553225855 Minds of Billy Milligan: Books: Daniel Keyes books 17 of 22 1.0 August 19, 2004 Justine and she has a doctorate in psychology My mother in-law was actually responsible for Billy Milligan while he was in the Athens State hospital in Ohio. I've had a chance to read this book, and although very good, what my mother-in-law tells me is much, much different. She cared for him during his entire stay there. She said that he had more psychology and parapsychology books in his room than she could have ever imagined. She also said that his IQ was off the charts. She believes (and she has a doctorate in psychology) he only has FOUR distinct personalities. Raven being one of them. Billy had the abilitiy and knowledge to manipulate his condition, making it appear much more severe. Of course, she can't write anything about this, because Billy's publicist made everyone caring for him sign a waiver saying they wouldn't. Yes... Billy Milligan has a publicist. He also was a millionaire (because he exploited his disease) and drove a corvette on the weekends they let him go home.... yep... they let Billy Milligan have weekends. This book is a very good interpretaion on what could possibly been going on in Billy's head. However, after talking with someone who was actually there, and knew him well.... makes me second guess the validity of it 0684848155:k-man's_book_reviews:k-man's_book_reviews 0684848155 Underworld: A Novel: Books: Don DeLillo books 1 of 5 1.0 August 24, 2006 K-Man's Book Reviews NY,NY A very disappointing book, and again, makes me very wary of any item on a "New York Times Best Seller List" or any other list, and really any big name reviewer recommendation. This book has one 50 page chapter which is excellent - the recap of the Thompson "Shot heard around the world" homerun. If you are a baseball fan as I am, that (barely) made the book worthwhile. The other 700 pages are disjoint, incomprehensible, and really trivial. You come away thinking "I really don't care bout this stuff" - I don't care about the dynamics of trash, about J Edgar Hoover's bathroom habits, Klara Sax's artistic depression and annoying infatuations about roof tops, about characters that just don't have much depth to really care about. At the end, even potentially interesting characters like Albert (the one on the baseball quest) become hard to bear. The whole book in fact had the feel of going to a senior citizen home. I read this book, as perhaps others did, expecting a book about the mafia or about other figures in the underworld. What I got was a book with a good first chapter, some interesting tidbits here and there about how life used to be in the 50's (fear of nuclear weapons, duck and cover classroom exercies), and a lot of knowledge about the trash business. The "masterful" epilogue, as other reviewers call it, really does no justice to a reader who has spent so much time toiling over Delillo's ragtag story telling. I am ok with stream of consciousness writing, or nonchronological chapters, or even random chapters, but the methods used in thsi book served no purpose other than to further make the reading difficult. Was this book about how mundane our lives are versus the bigger things that occur around us? Or how each of us is on an individual quest? Or that the 50's-60's-70's-80's were just years of fear, and the 90's are years of greed? I am still unsure, I still don't think any of these themes came across well. Please - not pretending to be a sophisticate, intellectual, or professional critic - but this book is really not worth the time or effort. You can be staisfied by a number of other books, including the "The Corrections" by Franzen or "The Cold Six Thousand" by Ellroy which cover a similar period or similar themes and do not make you so frustrated or disappointed at the end. Read the first chapter, then put the book down or you will be sorely disappointed and have wasted an awful lot of time. 0553110330:bias_was_off-putting:monica_g._"monica_g." 0553110330 Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing: Books: Christiane Md Northrup books 7 of 12 2.0 August 4, 2006 Monica G. "Monica G." Wilmington, DE 19808 Dr. Northrup provides women with practical information about their bodies, stages of life and medical procedures. However, I was appalled by her bias against Western cultural heritage and Christianity. Her views on those topics were extremely unbalanced, with no acknowledgement of their positive contributions to culture and women. As a Catholic whose best teachers were strong-minded, compassionate religious sisters, I felt offended by her slur against nuns. I am aware that not everyone feels the same way about their religious upbringing, but I would expect an academic to strive for some balance in their research. 0743269357:disappointing:karla_kaudel_"poloele" 0743269357 Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping: Books: Judith Levine books 4 of 6 1.0 October 31, 2006 Karla Kaudel "Poloele" Coos Bay, OR USA The whole concept of this book as well as the honesty of the undertaking: I'm not buying it. The author's effort is half-a**ed at best. Besides the musings and excessive self-praise, it is downright preachy. Their effort might pass as non-consumerism for New Yorkers, but would never pass in the rest of America. Don't buy it 044991190X:i_didn't_like_it.:judith_c._kinney 044991190X Couples: Books: John Updike books 2 of 9 1.0 May 10, 2002 Judith C. Kinney Westerville, OH USA This book is the reason I've read only one John Updike novel. I was so disgusted by the people, the plot, and the very boring and unrelated technical passages that I never read another Updike. I thought the characters were completely unrealistic 0451184963:sluggish,_uneventful,_corny_and_borrrrring:filmbuff-reads_stuff 0451184963 Insomnia: Books: Stephen King books 1 of 1 2.0 October 22, 2006 Filmbuff-reads stuff Brooklyn, NY I usually read Stephen King for his interesting ideas and imagery and expect his books to read fast and well. I've read three previous King books that have had the occasional long passages with overstated depictions of horror, doom, and grotesquery in order to immerse his readers into the tone of his story. This one takes the cake because what is meant to read as terror and horror is really ridiculous and unimaginative. And this is exactly what "Insomnia" is. This isn't a spoiler, just the author's note: at the end of the book we read Sep. 10, 1990- Nov 10, 1993- three years in which King took to write this book. Three years which were evidently wasted. The other King books I've read were engrossing for their characterizations and character identification. "Insomnia's" Ralph Roberts is certainly a character the reader could identify with. He is strong, kind, has traditional gentlemanly views on aiding women in distress and regards them as beautiful and respectable. His counterpart Lois Chasse doesn't come across as identifiable. Instead she serves as a secondary character who has no real flair or identity other than being in love with Ralph. King doesn't usually do that with his secondary characters. Other characters with much smaller roles in this book come across as real and identifiable, like Ed and Helen Deepenau, the three bald doctors, and Ralph's numerous confidantes. Then there's the whole abortion mess. This central political issue crumbles midway thru and seems to serve no purpose at all in the story. Though King does provide an interesting and seemingly objective commentary on the issue via Detective Leydecker (albeit with a tranparently pro-choice slant), it serves no relevance to the theme of the story but just hangs there on display used for no more than a story device. I gave the book two stars because I am an inspiring writer and reading this provided me with some of the devices that are important to utilize as part of a writer's arsenal. The devices were obvious and all thru the reading I asked myself, 'How is King going to get through this?' His weapon of choice was most often Ralph Robert's narration (via third person) that analyzed the events of the story and interpreted its meaning and significance. It seemed whenever King was in trouble in the story, he would use Ralph as his solution and let him think it out and guide it for him. This is a useful tool for a beginning writer, but King used it as a crutch to tell a story that had no pulse from the beginning. One last thing, the villians just don't work. They are not frightening, they are not demonic, they are not vicious or malign. Three little bald doctors with scalpels and scissors? Their defining characteristics are being small and bald- does that really frighten anyone? The real villian among them dances around and jump ropes to reveal his evil madness. Then there's the Crimson King, the evil supernatural mastermind we read about from page 100 who finally enters the story on page 550 as a Catfish in one of the most terrible, anti-climactic scenes ever rendered. I rest my case. 0764596837:slightly_disappointed_-_review_edited:donald_schoengold_"don" 0764596837 Adobe Camera Raw for Digital Photographers Only: Books: Rob Sheppard books 6 of 13 2.0 February 24, 2006 Donald Schoengold "DON" Las Vegas, NV USA I bought the book on the basis of the reviews and on a quick read of a copy a friend owned. It looks really good on the surface and does have a lot of useful information. One problem I found is that many of the example photos seem to be inserted only to increase the photo count. Also, because of printing limitations, I find it very difficult to see the differences between before and after examples. I have edited this review to fix an error. However, I can not figure out how to change my rating from 2 stars to 4 stars. Consider this a 4 star review. 1560258152:a_let_down:kickboxer 1560258152 True Confessions: A Novel: Books: John Gregory Dunne,George P. Pelecanos books 2 of 15 2.0 July 28, 2004 Kickboxer Washington This novel is set in the 40's, when Elizabeth Short (the Black Dahlia) was found murdered, her body cut in two. The characters revolve around the investigation of this incident, altnough her name is changed. The chapters go back and forth between the views of two brothers: one, an amoral cop, the other, a Catholic priest, Monsignor, businessman, whatever you want to call him. Neither one is likable, the 40's cop jargon is incomprehensible, and the Catholic politics/building programs are boring. However, the murder is solved and the end is neatly tied up with a bow. If old cop stories appeal to you, you might like this, but I'm sure you could find better. Double Indemnity, for instance, is superior 0385516711:agree_with_"lost_in_translation":linda_b. 0385516711 When Madeline Was Young: A Novel: Books: Jane Hamilton books 1.0 November 16, 2006 Linda B. Washington, DC I have loved each and every one of Jane Hamilton's other novels and highly recommend them: The Book of Ruth, A Map of the World, Short History of a Prince and Disobedience. This book, sadly, does not rank among them. It feels forced and uninteresting, with outlandish and unrecognizable characters and scenarios. I've already paid for it, so I'll probably try to finish it, but don't waste your time or money. Read another Hamilton instead 0205325238:this_is_a_great_book...:kelly_"kitten0601" 0205325238 Abnormal Psychology and Modern Life: Books: Robert C. Carson books 3 of 3 2.0 February 3, 2003 Kelly "kitten0601" Huntersville, North Carolina United States This is a great book if you have the right teacher. The book is very informative yet if you have no back ground in abnormal psych you might want to make sure the teacher for your course is capable of explaining it to you. I also recomend that you make sure your copy has a CD rom. The study guide and website are great tools too. They help a lot 052594947X:not_as_good_as_her_1st_2_books:kimberly 052594947X Life Laughs: The Naked Truth about Motherhood, Marriage, and Moving On: Books: Jenny McCarthy books 2 of 3 2.0 September 1, 2006 Kimberly this book was very disappointing. i LOVED her 1st two books. so when this book came out i was very excited. after reading it, i found it was rather dull and not very funny. there were very few parts that actually made me laugh, unlike her 1st two books 0736675574:don't_waste_your_money:reader 0736675574 Year of Wonders: Books: Geraldine Brooks,Josephine Bailey books 2 of 13 1.0 September 1, 2006 Reader Seattle I read exactly half the book and stopped. Based on all the criticisms of the unlikely ending, that was a good decision. As it is there went hours of my life I won't get back! The book is silly and laughable. The premise sounded great - but the book is bad. Really bad 0446530867:condescending,_redundant,_repetitive:joseph_pen 0446530867 Rich Dad's Prophecy: Why the Biggest Stock Market Crash in History Is Still Coming... and How You Can Prepare Yourself and Profit from It!: Books: Robert T. Kiyosaki,Sharon L. Lechter books 9 of 18 1.0 July 1, 2005 Joseph Pen Robert Kiyosaki's books are all the same thing re-packaged over and over again. This book could have been condensed into a couple of paragraphs and saved it's readers a lot of time. He writes in an arrogant, condescending manner that is hard to stomach. I would hate to have been his real dad. It's obvious that he despises him and worships at the alter of "Rich Dad." It's offensive and disturbing. Read the first review of this book and you'll have the essence of the whole thing. Don't give this guy any more money for putting out this drivel 0471230545:not_realistic:p._stock_"stogie41" 0471230545 Managing Business Ethics: Straight Talk About How To Do It Right: Books: Linda K. Treviño,Katherine A. Nelson books 3 of 7 1.0 May 17, 2002 P. Stock "stogie41" Dallas, TX the author lives in a dream world and is not in touch with the business work environment of today. Her advice is old-fashioned and out-of-date. Many better textbooks on Ethics available 0399152512:i_love_stone_barrington_books_-_but_not_this_one.:va_gator 0399152512 Two-Dollar Bill (Stone Barrington Novels): Books: Stuart Woods books 1 of 4 2.0 March 29, 2006 VA Gator Alexandria, VA I had this one figured out by the second chapter. Too predictable and shallow. Hopefully, the next Stone book will actually be worth reading 159125602X:a_disappointing_book_about_a_fabulous_story:simon_withers 159125602X iCon Steve Jobs, the Greatest Second Act in the History of Business: Books: Jeffrey S. Young,Barton Biggs books 4 of 7 1.0 May 30, 2006 Simon Withers Perth, Western Australia A disappointing book about a fabulous story. The book reads as if it was pasted together from press cuttings and, if you look at the chapter notes, this appears to be how it was researched. There are little irritants, such as referring to Steve Jobs as "Steve" as if he's a close friend, but the big problem is that it recounts a number of interesting incidents in Steve Jobs' career while missing the main story. And what a fantastic story that is. I hope that someone has written a decent account of Steve Jobs' life because I would like to read it. One thing is certain: "iCon" sure ain't it. 1594481954:bad_second_act_for_frey.:lucy_levant 1594481954 My Friend Leonard: Books: James Frey books 1.0 November 13, 2006 Lucy Levant Boston MA Even with the questionable veracity, I enjoyed Frey's first book, A Million Little Pieces, since it stayed true to an addict's experience. Leonard, on the other hand, came off as pure fantasy, with very little substance. Even the description of Frey's struggle was too contrived to be believable. It was not even interesting as fiction. 0226320847:hayek--orwell's_mentor:jerryhorse_"jerryhorse" 0226320847 The Constitution of Liberty: Books: F. A. Hayek books 13 of 25 1.0 January 1, 2006 Jerryhorse "Jerryhorse" Boston, Ma At the height of socialist popularism in England, cir. 1944, George Orwell, a leading proponent of socialism, believing in its promises as did many,if not most of Eurpose's leading intellectuals and politicians, wrote a review of Hayek's famous book, "The Road to Serfdom." Orwell wrote the review in the "Observer," London April 9,1944. Hayek, mentions this fact as a footnote in chapter 17 of his classic book, "The Constitution of Liberty" published in 1960, as evidence of the disillusionment of socialist intellectuals, when they were confronted with the observation that individualism and socialism were mutually exclusive. Those same intellectuals had not accepted the proposition when advanced by Karl Mannheim in his book, "Man and Society in an Age of Reconstrucion" (1940). Mannheim had been a long opponent of socialism, but Orwell had only been converted after being exposed to "The Road to Serfdom." By 1960, when Orwell had become a world renowned author and staunch opponent of Big Brother doublespeak, Hayek recognized that the political proponents of socialsm which was dying as a political ideal, were now introducing the concept of the welfare state. While virtually everyone alive today have been effected by Orwell's works and his prescient warnings about Big Brother, how many of us are aware of Hayek's infulence on him? "The Constitution of Liberty" provides its readers with an enormous wealth of knowledge, of which this one footnote is only a small example. Each reader is bound to be effected in one way or another by the knowledge imparted to them, and this is one of the main lessons to be learned about "liberty" which requires the "rule of Law" to exist in today's society, but that Rule of Law must be understood. The failure of today's inteligencia is to fail to fully comprehend the meaning of liberty and its necessity in a world full of confusion from the confrontation of competing civilizations. Unfortunately, Hayek is no longer alive to help guide us through the new millenium. Fortunately, he has left us a large volume of work, perhaps more relevant today than it was when written years ago. While "The Constitution of Liberty" is voluminous in itself, it should be kept as a reference book. Hayek's other works, "The Road to Serfdom" and his last published volume, "Fatal Conceit-the Evils of Socialism" published in 1980 is a magnificent continuation of Hayek's life long discertation on the evolution of mankind's growth from a tribal, familial society which did not require man to understand or protect Liberty, to a group of city-states that prospered because of the Liberties protected in Athens, but only moderately understood, so that such a great and wise philosopher as Aristotle would believe that freedom could only exist as far as a man could yell. Hayek's understanding that Western Civilization has prospered from individualism, that it has grown and prospered from the freedom to travel, to trade, to exchnge property, material, real and intellectual. He explains why man must be humble, that humans progress from trial and error, not from conceited belief that one way or another way is correct. That to be free and liberated is to be free to make mistakes and government should exist to protect individuals'rights to make mistakes while they attempt to profit in their own ideals and beliefs. 0140286780:awful:n._ward 0140286780 Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence: Books: Joe Dominguez,Vicki Robin books 3 of 41 1.0 August 21, 2006 N. Ward Norman, OK United States This has to be one of the most ridiculous books I have ever read. At one point the authors ask: if money equals security, wouldn't you feel safe walking through a major American city at midnight with a suitcase full of cash handcuffed to your wrist? If money really did equal security, you would! I stopped reading after that. I will say, however, that this book cured me of all of my bad financial habits. I never want to be so bad off as to look to a book like this for advice again. 0385338260:don't_--_just_don't.:misha 0385338260 Impossible: Books: Danielle Steel books 4 of 4 1.0 March 19, 2006 misha ottawa, canada if you have fond memories of ms steele, or no memory at all because you're new to her, please... don't read this book. liam looks like a child with his long blond hair; he acts up because no one can control him since that's what his parents tried to do to him; he sees any "no" as a slap in the face because once again, that's what his parents did to him. sasha looks like a cold woman with her pale skin and dark hair always pulled back; she is totally concerned about her reputation: "but what will they think of me?" and can't stand up for her needs; she refuses to lower her standards, but when liam leaves, she falls into a "morbid depression" and goes back to him. repeat for 300 pages... "careless," "self-indulgent," "filler" are three words i'd use to describe it 0802133347:surviving_on_the_rumors_of_its_sordid_reputation:absinthe_please 0802133347 Lady Chatterley's Lover: Books: D. H. Lawrence books 5 of 16 2.0 September 26, 2005 Absinthe Please a middle-aged adult I heard about this book growing up but didn't read it until just recently (a middle-aged adult) and I have to agree with so many other reviewers who feel its popularity largely stems from the time period in which it was written, i.e., it was SO SHOCKING AND DISGUSTING! Such filth! I mean, that's why I heard about the book when I was growing up. But as so many others have already pointed out, it is tame by today's standards. I also have to agree with another reviewer who wrote that the "female protagonist is completely a male fantasy. The book's message is simply that men like women who are able to climax at the same time as their partners without any need for foreplay or other effort on the man's part..." Now, you see, what struck me about Sir Clifford's situation, and Lady Chatterley's, for that matter, is if they really loved each other, his paralysis from the waist down wouldn't have had to put a stop to his supplying her with orgasms; there ARE other things that can be done, yes? In fact, quite possibly Connie would have had an orgasm for the first time! (Ahem, women readers will know what I mean.) But Clifford treated Connie poorly. With or without the lack of sex issue, I think she would have been emotionally open to an affair anyway. Which to me, just goes to show that a man wrote the book...a man totally out of touch with what really makes a woman tick. 0060554142:oops!:p._starche 0060554142 Shutter Island: A Novel: Books: Dennis Lehane,Strathairn David books 1.0 November 9, 2006 P. Starche I bought this book on a friend's recommendation. If I had been in a book store and could have read a page or two I would have known immediately it was not the type of book I would read. I'm sure it's wonderful for those who like it. I passed it on to a friend 0684848031:this_one_let_me_down:j._l._rogers_"jersey_gurl" 0684848031 A Do Right Man: Books: Omar Tyree books 2.0 March 7, 2005 J. L. Rogers "Jersey Gurl" IL This story was about a young brother trying to make it in life. I have to admit that I was excited to read this book, and it let me down. I didn't like how Bobby let Pearl walk all over him. I don't think Bobby Dallas was portrayed as a "Do Right Man" at all, but rather a wimp. During the first half of the book, I waited for him to get a back bone, which he never did. From there on the whole story was slow. I was bored about continually reading about him and his radio job. This was a slow read for me, I skipped a few chapters just so I could find out what finally happened in the end 0802131786:sex_belongs_in_the_bedroom_not_in_the_library!!!!!!!:jon_deepcreek 0802131786 Tropic of Cancer: Books: Henry Miller books 2 of 28 1.0 May 24, 2006 Jon Deepcreek This book is filthy. I had to take a shower after I read it. Why doesn't he get a job? Why does he have to live in France? Why doesn't he save his money instead of investing it in alcohol and hookers? So many questions. People just think this book deserves a place on the same shelf as say James Michenier because it was banned. It was banned because it's a bad book 1594831122:this_serie_is_getting_worse_each_book...:a._garnier_"murder_mystery_fan" 1594831122 The 5th Horseman: Books: James Patterson,Maxine Paetro,Carolyn McCormick books 1 of 1 2.0 September 18, 2006 A. Garnier "murder mystery fan" Elk City, OK United States I enjoyed the first 3 books of the Women's Murder Club. Didn't like too much the 4th (of July), but the 5th is just BAD ! What's the plot ? There is no plot ! 2 serial-killer stories try to share the pages of this not-such-a-page-turner, the 1st mystery (Car Girls) get solved mid-way throught the book and I bet plenty of readers won't remember it by the end of this painfull read... By trying to develop 2 stories, Patterson gets our interest for none. The most sad thing of all is that I used to like to Women's Murder Club members, but now they all seem so unreal, remote from anything actually likeable. And it's been the case since one of them died and another one joined the club, in the most stupid, artificial way really. Not much to save this book, it's even badly written. Don't know if Patterson thinks about writting a 6th, but don't count on me next time 0762415568:the_nypl_should_be_ashamed_of_putting_this_product_out:kimberly_s._stanley 0762415568 Your Home Library: The Complete System for Organizing, Locating, Referencing, and Maintaining Your Book Collection: Books: Kathie Coblentz books 14 of 14 1.0 January 7, 2006 Kimberly S. Stanley Brooklyn, NY United States I bought this off of the New York Public Library website. What an utter waste of $40. The book that comes with the software is somewhat helpful, but honestly there is no new information to anyone who has been collecting books for a while. The worst part is the "software" that you are supposed to use to catalog your books. First of all, it is difficult to install--this is always a sign of a inferior product: no product that was properly QA'd would be released in such condition. Second of all, the product is just a fancy version of a spreadsheet. I could literally use Excel or MS Access to catalog my books just as well as this software. You actually have to input EVERY piece of data associated with a book. There is no excuse for anyone with an Internet connection to have to manually input book data. I state again: it is very surprising that the New York Public Library would include this product in their stores. It is a major, major rip off and there are far superior cataloging products out there. The product I finaly ended up using is one called Readerware (http://www.readerware.com/). Readerware, for the same amount of money ($40), allows you to scan in the barcodes of your books--the software comes with its own CueCat scanner. Then the software looks up the barcodes you entered, (using the Internet), and updates each barcode with all the available info on the book. I scanned 800+ books in about 4-5 hours. BTW, you can also use Readerware to scan in all of your DVDs and CDs, (you have to pay more to get the full version of Readware that supports books, DVDs, and CDs). Of course, you don't have to take my recommendation to buy "Readerware", but please don't waste your money on "Your Home Library. 0739320408:good_idea_didn't_translate_into_a_book:a_book_lover 0739320408 Coach: Lessons on the Game of Life: Books: Michael Lewis books 2 of 6 1.0 September 17, 2005 A book lover and others I like the idea that Michael Lewis wrote this book/article to defend a man whose coaching techniques are clearly out of style in todays world of my child this and my child that. Having said that I did not like this book: 1) the writing was chopping and hard to follow at times. i had to re-read many sentences to understand lewis' point. 2) the story lacked the depth of lewis' other wonderful books - where's the who/why/what that lewis used to moneyball (and others) educational - i wanted the story behind the story. 3) who were all the pictures of? i found them distracting... i'll continue to read lewis' books bu thope the next one is bette 0618374086:less_than_expected...:a._guilmain_"designerr" 0618374086 The Gourmet Cookbook: More Than 1000 Recipes: Books: Ruth Reichl,John Willoughby,Zanne Early Stewart books 4 of 5 2.0 March 16, 2006 A. Guilmain "designerr" virginia beach, va I bought this book with big aspirations of another "Joy of Cooking" with a little upscale to it. While I must say the design of the book is fabulous (I am a graphic designer and truly love the cookbook's design), the recipes leave much to pine for. I don't like that most of the ingredients are nothing I normally keep in the house and I am not likely to use often enough to warrant purchasing them. I have yet to actually cook a meal from it for this reason and I have owned the book for over a year. I will stick to "Joy of Cooking" for it is much more of a tool in the kitchen. 0380792486:one_of_the_worst_novels_i_have_finished_this_year:todd_shampoe 0380792486 Outlaw Mountain: A Joanna Brady Mystery: Books: J.A. Jance books 1 of 9 1.0 October 25, 2001 todd shampoe HOUSTON, TX United States Maybe it is me but this novel was about as exciting as watching the grass grow. It is the first mystery novel that I have read by a female author and I hope that it is not representative of the gender. But, by the reviews here, all by women, I can see that Jance writes to that crowd. Her readers seem to like being taken down the aimless boring pass of relationship drible. If you want to spend 10 pages with the main character sitting and talking about nothing in her mothers house or on her friends porch talking about their health than this book is for you. It is amazing that Jance can start great with the murder scene and then 200 pages later start uncovering her first clue, the insulin bottle. Jance gives no indication that Oak Vista or the stranded stranger are even remotely related to the story. Do not start this book it is absolutely a total waste of time. If you want a good mystery read Coben, Crais, Patterson or Michael Connely 1594865671:i_will_rate_this_1_star_and_5_stars-read_more...:adrian_geana_"adrian" 1594865671 An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It: Books: Al Gore books 0 of 20 1.0 November 5, 2006 Adrian Geana "Adrian" Colorado , USA Al Gore is making a good road to tell us the facts on Global Warming , but he is missing the fact that in 3-4 years we will have the New Ice Age coming and Billion of people on Earth will die and he is missing 40-60 % of the cause of the Global Warming. The book is good and bad. We can stop this Global Warming in one month. But we cant' do it untill we will expose the real cause of it. Think about: in one month we can stop it. Each month ( in the next 2 years )we will postpone the truth is just bad. The movie is good and bad. Is bad in 90% and good in 10%. He put enormous work in it , so many government agencies he is using for this ( mostly) But he is missing the main point. He will need to change that in the next movie and this is the main point. As a government employee he will never be able to tell the truth. is going to be all the time wixh wash.... We will need to get this work from this stage and do it under an independent ( no government involvement) study. Adria 1580621163:the_25_habits_of_highly_successful_salespeople_has_a_bad_habi:greg_hill 1580621163 The 25 Sales Strategies That Will Boost Your Sales Today!: Books: Stephan Schiffman books 2 of 7 1.0 March 12, 2006 Greg Hill Niceville, FL This book has a bad habit of being weak and juvenille. Very weak and ordinary. G 1844153177:none_of_the_better_ww2_memoirs:fenix 1844153177 Sniper on the Eastern Front: The Memoirs of Sepp Allerberger, Knight's Cross: Books: Geoffrey Brooks books 2 of 14 2.0 September 5, 2006 Fenix I have read some memoirs of the 2nd WW from a German standpoint and this was not one of the better. Although very fascinating at times it was also oddly detached and some of the stories about his sniping seemed "made up". It sometimes read as a fiction novel where he was alittle too much superman to be belivable. I also found it very strange that he very seldomly refered to other members in the squad, i do recognise that sniping surely is lonesome work but still, it was like nobody left an impression or if he held back with intent. Another thing that is getting tiresome is that is always the russians that are the bad guys doing grizzly things, but he didnt stand for a minute to think what his own country had got himself involved in. Still a good read but these factors didnt allowed me to be gripped by the story as other memoirs have. 0747566526:the_first_hundred_pages_really_work,_but_then...:joe 0747566526 The Kite Runner: Books: Khaled Hosseini books 2 of 4 2.0 November 12, 2006 Joe San Francisco, CA United States The Kite Runner gets off to such a good start, with its blend of history, observations about daily life in Kaboul, and a compelling story of two boys growing up together. The second half goes badly astray, as the novel becomes more and more manipulative and sentimental. By the end of the book, the author is willing to put his characters through all sorts of hell just so he can follow up with a teary reconciliation. I wish an editor had convinced him to tighten it up, stay focused, and resist the urge to tug at the heartstrings with such a heavy hand 030724332X:maybe_i'm_justing_getting_older:whatever 030724332X The Opal Deception (Artemis Fowl, Book 4): Books: Eoin Colfer,Nathaniel Parker books 2 of 2 2.0 October 8, 2006 Whatever as I did after reading the fourth and being very disillusioned with the whole seris I have read all of the Artimis Fowl Books and loved them until now I was disapointed with this one, and not found Artmis unusaly irritating, but felt the whole book was the lacking the charm and wit that had made the other three so good. Truth be told I was younger when I read the first three, but still I can reread them and enjoy them (as I did after reading the fourth and being very disillusioned with the whole seris) so if you want my advice then I suggst you don't buy this book and let the magic of the first three live in peace 1931282196:hate_to_burst_the_bubble....:*bookworm* 1931282196 Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Second Edition: Books: Stephen M. Shore,Temple Grandin books 3 of 3 1.0 August 20, 2006 *Bookworm* This is understandable as the author is terrified of life outside of college, & music is all he knows. I purchased this book to gain a better insight about Aspergers. Instead, it left me with many unanswered questions. The book is the equivalent to a boring, monotonous `Dear Diary' that gets stuck in one era: His college years and his interest in music. (This is understandable as the author is terrified of life outside of college, & music is all he knows.) Yet I craved more details, I wanted to know more about Mr. Shores' childhood, his parents, the stims, and the chaos...DETAILS! It felt as if the author was trying to prove how intelligent he is, boasting of his accomplishments and how he's almost neurotypical. His failures were blamed on other people out to get him for unknown reasons. Lets say it for what it is: A man who looks kind of disheveled and a bit `odd' (Unabomber) gets a job in a financial institution, he rides his bike in, hangs out in the shadows getting dressed, doesn't socialize - and no one wants him around. It's BECAUSE HE'S WEIRD! Yet the author blames his co-workers. I'm sorry but the reality is, the author probably can't see and understand that he IS different because he has Aspergers! I mean, most typical people can spot someone that is odd/weird/different a mile away. They avoid them not because they're being hurtful, they just can't relate to that person. I wished he had focused in much greater detail about his feelings, emotions and behaviors when he was younger-to gain a better understanding of what shaped him into the person he is now. The book was written as if he fast-forwarded through his entire youth and got stuck on `pause' when he got to college. While this is obsessively interesting to him, it was tiring reading page after page of redundant accounts of his college days. There is no depth to the book, it was shallowly written and there is not enough elaboration to make me understand, (or want to for that part) what makes Stephen Shore the person he is. While this may be due in part to his disorder, it left so much to be desired. I'm sorry to anyone who takes offense to this review, as this is not my intention. I applaud Mr. Shores accomplishments and the hurtles he's overcome. He must be MUCH more dimensional than the book conveys. I wanted to know more about HIM and not what he's done in his life. I'd suggest a better read would be one of Temple Grandin's books. I got a true feeling of who she is and an understanding of how she got there and how autism fits in. She goes into details about what she was thinking as a girl, teenager and adult. Her pranks, her temper, the metaphors and their importance..everything. I bought this book based on reviews, and I felt it necessary to give mine. 1596871164:an_average_story...cliche_ending.:dr._benjamin_"intelligent_choice" 1596871164 Category Five: The Hurricane-Force Novel: Books: Philip S. Donlay books 2.0 October 25, 2004 Dr. Benjamin "Intelligent Choice" San Diego, CA USA The story opens well and hooks the reader. However, the ending is a disappointment and comes across as cliche and predictable. I gave it two stars because there was not a category for a 1 and a half 0684858495:trite:k._mclaren_"mr.music" 0684858495 Living the Seven Habits: Books: Stephen R. Covey books 1 of 5 1.0 March 9, 2006 K. McLaren "Mr.Music" USA The audio is delivered in a monotone that almost puts you to sleep. Not a good thing while drivin 089480698X:huge_waste_of_time_and_money:nancy_o'connell 089480698X New York Cookbook: From Pelham Bay to Park Avenue, Firehouses to Four-Star Restaurants: Books: Molly O'Neill books 1 of 18 1.0 November 28, 2002 Nancy O'Connell Concord, MA USA If you want to spend 4 times as much money, 8 times as much time, and 12 times as much frustration trying to serve something that your guests will ultimately "politely refuse"--THEN BUY THIS BOOK! The author clearly has NO CLUE that "less is often more. 1563893304:a_landmark_in_comic_history!_5_stars:c._cable 1563893304 Kingdom Come: Books: Mark Waid books 5 of 9 2.0 April 14, 2006 C. Cable Madison, IN I originally bought this title when it came out as a four-part mini series in 1997 and it is still one of the favorites in my collection. Kingdome Come is an Elseworlds (what if) story set approximately ten years after the retirement of Superman and subsequently nearly every other super hero. As the story unfolds, the reason Superman quit is revealed. A rival hero named Magog killed the Joker and was put on trial for murder. When the public cried out for his aquittal and it was granted, Superman quit in disgust. The results of the public choosing a hero that would kill are very apparent in the future. The children of the super heroes we know are everywhere. They hold society in a state of terror as they enforce justice and fight each other in the way they see fit, destroying property and causing chaos. Wonder Woman approaches Superman in his self-imposed exile in the nuclear wastleland that is Kansas and asks him to return and lead the former heroes in returning order. When Superman returns to the public eye in issue #2, it sets into motion an Apocalypse as described in the Bible, but with Superheroes being the catalyst. The new Justice League rounds up every violent super human and puts them into a prison designed by Mister Miracle(The world's greatest escape artist) called the Gulag. All this is shown from the viewpoint of Norman McCray, a disillusioned pastor and friend of the Golden Age Sandman. He is led on his journey by the Spectre (DC's Angel of Death) I absolutely love this story by Mark Waid, the way he wraps comic characters and events into a Biblical epic is brilliant. The painted art by Alex Ross is jaw-dropping in it's realism. The re-imagined characters are god-like in their depiction, especially the Flash- a red blur wrapped in lightning wearing a winged Greek helmet. Issue #3 ends in a cliff-hanger with all the villains rioting and breaking out of the Gulag. As Superman races to the scene, he is thrown to the ground by the only person that could, Captain Marvel. I still remember waiting for issue #4 to come out. The fight scene between Captain Marvel and Superman was voted #1 all-time by Wizard magazine and is worth the price of this trade alone. Even without this fight scene, I would rate this as one of the ten greatest mini-series ever, but with it Kingdom Come is #1. The only possible negative to this series is that you have to already know something about comics to fully appreciate all the subtleties Waid and Ross weave into this story. Nearly every DC character is pictured at least once.(A geek's paradise I guess) After reading this I actually liked Captain Marvel, who I had always seen as an even cheesier version of Superman. The fear the other heroes have of him and his power level make him hard to laugh at, despite Jerry Ordway's Power of Shazam monthly series to the contrary. I hope my description of the story has led any undecided mind to pick this up. Fabulous art and incredible writing. (This should be 5 stars, but I can't seem to edit my rating 076152181X:did_not_like:k._patterson 076152181X Positive Discipline for Teenagers (Positive Discipline): Books: Jane Ed.D. Nelsen,Lynn Lott books 5 of 7 2.0 March 21, 2006 K. Patterson I did not like the book. It did have some interesting points to consider, but it did not seem like discipline to me. I am more of a Love and Logic fan. I think kids cannot always see the natural consequences of their own behavior (or don't care) until far into the future and must sometimes have consequences imposed upon them, which this book says not to do. I just don't agree with it 1400080401:myths?__more_like_facts_to_me:t._neumayer_"karmanotdogma" 1400080401 Why the Left Hates America: Exposing the Lies That Have Obscured Our Nation's Greatness: Books: Daniel J. Flynn books 16 of 74 1.0 September 30, 2005 T. Neumayer "karmanotdogma" Cape Coral, FL USA Myth #1: American women live under patriarchy Myth # 2: America's the World's leading threat to the environment Myth # 3: America is a racist nation Myth # 4: The Untied States is an imperial power. Myth # 5: The rich get richer, the poor get poorer ALL FACTS. Plus, The higher the IQ the more liberal someone is. Ben Franklin, Einstein, our founding forefathers like Thomas Jefferson...all liberals. The lower the IQ the more conservative because it is easier to not think for yourself. I love America, but changes need to be made. Rome fell too eventually from bad politics 0446603589:oh_please:ann_baker_"author_of_no_coincidence:" 0446603589 Absolute Power: Books: David Baldacci books 2 of 4 1.0 January 31, 2006 Ann Baker "Author of No Coincidence:" Florida I just finished listening to as much of the book on CD as I could stomach. The minutia and lack of knowledge of police terminology and tactics was nauseating. The words forhead, perp, peruse, crim, and finger were repeated over and over and over. What might have been a good story in half the words was ruined by descriptions of everyone's clothing, spouses, children, and thinking 0312209045:buyer_beware:jiang_kaimo 0312209045 Get Anyone To Do Anything And Never Feel Powerless Again : Psychological secrets to predict, control, and influence every situation: Books: David J. Lieberman books 0 of 3 1.0 November 2, 2006 Jiang Kaimo This book is so outdated. All the techniques listed in this book are from the 1980's and earlier, which means that most of the things you can learn from this book are already learned by you from the past. There are much more recent interesting researches and discoveries of human nature you can find in other books 1591841070:ok:a._chakravarty 1591841070 Dealing with Darwin: How Great Companies Innovate at Every Phase of Their Evolution: Books: Geoffrey A. Moore books 2 of 8 2.0 March 16, 2006 A. chakravarty Its a good book to draw examples of idustries in different stages of technology evolution. However it is lacking in theoretical content, 0743466632:series_writing_can_be_a_terrible_trap_for_a_writer_...:t.f. 0743466632 Last Car to Elysian Fields: A Dave Robicheaux Novel: Books: James Lee Burke books 1 of 2 1.0 January 14, 2006 T.F. hey, Mr. Burke? Twelve stringed guitars have always been strung that way, Leadbelly didn't invent that tuning, okay? and I suspect this is what has happened to James Lee Burke. The Dave Robicheaux series has been floundering sadly for several books now - and that is tragic, considering the promise of the early books, which peaked in the hauntingly beautiful In The Electric Mist With Confederate Dead. I grew up in southern Louisiana, and Burke captures a culture that many people have no experience of. But the series is becoming repetitive and stale, culminating in this book, which is just awful. Burke's characters, with the exception of the always funny and touching Cletus Purcell, are wearing thin and becoming less and less sympathetic. Dave Robicheaux becomes more priceless and preachy in each novel. His anti-alcohol tirades would make any Prohibition era preacher proud. Burke has fallen into a trap of using the same imagery and phrasing again and again, and it makes the reader wonder if he isn't cutting and pasting entire paragraphs repeatedly. If I read one more time in a Burke book that Leadbelly strung his twelve stringed guitar in octaves, I will be sick (hey, Mr. Burke? Twelve stringed guitars have always been strung that way, Leadbelly didn't invent that tuning, okay?) If I read the word "phallus" in a sex scene in one of Burke's books one more time, I think I will just give up. The phrases are getting old - really old. The preaching about political corruption and alcohol got old many books ago. One thing to be thankful about in this abysmal wreckage of what was once a great series - Bootsie, Dave Robicheaux's wife, is dead, though that doesn't keep her out of the story. But at least the reader is spared another element that has been repeated to death - the moment in every book with Bootsie in it where she gets up in the night, angry with Dave, and goes to sleep on the couch. I've had bets with other readers as to what page Bootsie will do this inevitable stunt (which then opens up the opportunity for another sex scene with the "phallus" when they kiss and make up) in each Burke novel where she is a character. Thankfully, also, Alafair, Dave's adopted daughter, is far away at college, and we are spared her teenaged brattiness which became tedious in the earlier books and yet another repetition of the story of how Dave came to adopt her, which is included in every book since the introduction of the Alafair character. It's time for Mr. Burke to let the series go. It's a travesty of its former self. Reading this book is like visiting a relative who has lost their mind to dementia - you see a hollow, nearly unrecognizable shell of a formerly vital and beloved person. It's painful 0761121323:ha_ha_ha!!_i'm_not_nausious!_:hahaha_i'm_not_nausious!!! 0761121323 What to Expect When You're Expecting, Third Edition: Books: Heidi Murkoff,Arlene Eisenberg,Sandee Hathaway books 1.0 November 17, 2006 HaHaHa I'm NOT NAUSIOUS!!! Implied: OR Ever! I am newly preg too. I went out and got this book without reading any reviews. I sum it up this way: a pompous composition of contradiction and condescension. I can't stand the tone and the constant jabs seemingly mocking you and having a GREAT OLD TIME enjoying those pains you will be feeling! IE ..And all those trips to the bathroom to hug the toilet. Ha ha ha... Last night, I'm reading her stupid book and I get some good advice on what to do with your friends who are smokers. I would just not be near them while they smoke. Period. She says to threaten them with the law that protects non-smokers. Good idea...If that doesn't work, Ask them ALL TO QUIT because YOU are pregnant. And if that doesn't work try being nice. I don't know many smokers but I don't know even one who would smoke in a house or one who would smoke outside and blow the smoke in my face. Another comment that really got me..Take a good look at your slim waistline because won't see it for a LONG TIME! (Implied: OR Ever!) I take pride in keeping myself fit. I am a little freaked about the weight issue. I find that comment insensitive to a point of being twisted. What about the first-timers who are also former eating disorders --like me. Even the woman on the cover of this book looks like a Stepford Wife. 0708981925:read_"blindness"_and_pass_on_the_plague...:dmk 0708981925 The Plague (Charnwood Library): Books: Albert Camus books 0 of 1 2.0 August 3, 2006 dmk Darien, CT Dr. Rieux, the main character of the novel, moves throughout the book in a detached surreal hopeless manner. He goes thru the motions of "doing his job" while death surrounds him from a wide spread and accelerating plague. I find Jose Saramago's "Blindess" to be a far superior book to The Plague. Similar theme and concept but more descriptive and moving. The Plague was clinical in its approach - almost bloodless. I found this highly acclaimed book to be very difficult to re-read, often having to re-read many pages over and over. I would pass on this book 0743449010:painful:scott_burman_"sburmann2" 0743449010 The Good House: A Novel: Books: Tananarive Due books 0 of 5 1.0 November 10, 2005 Scott Burman "sburmann2" Rochester Hills, MI United States Not very scary, too long, and poor character development. There are a lot of good reviews about the book. Maybe I missed something 006016848X:women_are_from_vaginas_and_men_are_too:s._comstock 006016848X Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: A Practical Guide for Improving Communication and Getting What You Want in Your Relationships: Books: John Gray books 2 of 7 1.0 October 30, 2006 S. Comstock Connecticut, USA F this self-help industry crap. Quasi-astrological poppycock at its worst. I can tell this book clamps on to the mind and squeezes it to death merely by reading the cliched title. Humans are far more complex than the hack Man-Warrior/Female-Maiden title what's-his-name gives them. And remember, this "doctor," is quietly making mucho mucho bucks off your poor purchase. Your goddamned ancestors never needed a book to run their lives, so why do you? Let's push all the life coaches off cliffs and put the self-help industry to the torch. That's a great start to a sane life 0446697524:rich_dad_is_fake!:t._sunken 0446697524 Rich Dad's Guide to Becoming Rich...Without Cutting Up Your Credit Cards: Books: Robert T. Kiyosaki,Sharon L. Lechter books 11 of 60 1.0 August 25, 2004 T. Sunken This book shows how Robert has been lying all along. He talks about how he bought his dream car while being homeless. Ok then, how did Robert make the monthly payment? Why would he be stupid enough to sleep in a Porsch as a bum? This guy is such a liar and is trying to con the masses. He is a conman and a good one. Thats why hes a motivational speaker. It takes a good speaker to con you out of your hard earned money. Don't fall for this conman! This book contradicts what Robert has been preaching in previous books. Robert says pay off your debt while he says he bought his dream car while being homeless. That would be odd but it isn't odd because Robert is a professional liar 037572821X:not_worth_the_read.:nicole_m._walters 037572821X Sunset in St. Tropez (Danielle Steel): Books: Danielle Steel books 1 of 1 1.0 December 27, 2005 Nicole M. Walters New York This was the first book by Danielle Steele that I have read and it will be the last I read by her. I was truly disappointed and believe she is a highly over-rated author. The story was VERY drawn out and I caught myself dozing off a few times because the book was so boring. If you want to fall asleep quick then this is the book for yo 1590074599:sappho_and_sex...._and_magic??:vivian_moongirl 1590074599 Sappho's Leap: Books: Erica Jong books 8 of 21 2.0 January 27, 2005 Vivian Moongirl Boston, MA I have very mixed feelings about this book and can't say I enjoyed it all that much. I love the story of Sappho, what little is known of it, and so I picked up this book expecting to see a historical fiction novel cut with realism, research, and certainly the unavoidable necessary lewdness of the celebrity of Lesbos. But monsters? Centaurs? I mean, the story of Sappho's life is not the story of The Odyssey and for the life of me I don't understand why author Erica Jong decided to give her readers a combination of Greek heroine and Clash of the Titans. Once I was able to get past the fantasy elements, I realized that I was not being pulled into the story on its own merits. There wasn't enough emotional dimension -- for all her travels, we're shown pretty landscapes and scary oceans but we don't see enough of a real character. I read Sappho's poems in college and the talented mind behind those words is NOT present in this book. I'm not saying the book is without its good points. Jong has certainly done a lot of research and her enthusiasm is many times contagious. But I found the whole bit a little odd... like picking up a book about Cleopatra and seeing her encounter dragons, unicorns, and the goddess Isis. If Jong had written about Ariadne, this all might have worked. The blend of fantasy just didn't add up to a palatable meal for me 0892968109:muddled:hydro 0892968109 Winter's Child: Books: Margaret Maron books 0 of 2 2.0 October 5, 2006 hydro who is a very poorly developed child character I usually enjoy Ms. Maron's Deborah Knott books very much. The characters are well drawn and give deep insight into Southern life. This one, however, is very flat and the characters are poorly drawn and one dimensional. The first murder doesn't seem to contribut anything to the storyline and is just "there". The second one involving Dwight's son (who is a very poorly developed child character) and his ex wife is not very interesting. I devoutly hope this was the nadir of the series and it will improve after this. Probably not, though-I foresee several storylines involving husband/stepmother/stepchild conflicts. Glad I checked it out from the library and didn't purchase it outright..do the same and don't waste your money 0694520519:good,_but_weak_for_hillerman:h._m._gonzalez 0694520519 The First Eagle: Books: Tony Hillerman books 0 of 1 2.0 July 15, 2005 H. M. Gonzalez I've read a lot of the books in the series, and Hillerman is one of my favorite mystery writers, but I have to say this one fell way short of his other mysteries. My main complaint is the presence of several plot gaps and inconsistencies not characteristic of the author--his well-crafted mysteries almost always hold water, but not this one. I whole-heartedly recommend most of Hillerman's other Jim Chee/Joe Leaphorn novels, but if you want a good entrance into his captivating style and skill, this is not the book to pick up. 0515139408:red_lily:j._berg_"red_ink" 0515139408 Red Lily: In the Garden Trilogy (In the Garden (Paperback)): Books: Nora Roberts books 2 of 4 2.0 August 8, 2006 J. Berg "Red Ink" The story was slow, predictable and boring. I am still amazed I hung in there and finished reading it. It's a dud in my opinion 0743517814:scrooged!:james_stephen_garrett_"teep" 0743517814 The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets Of Americas Wealthy: Books: Thomas J. Stanley,William D. Danko,Cotter Smith books 6 of 13 1.0 November 5, 2006 James Stephen Garrett "Teep" Arkham Asylum The sub-header to this book could very well be: "All Work & no Play makes Jack a Dull Boy". Basically, Tom Stanley's scholarly treatise on American wealth comes down to this mind-ripping, continent-blasting conclusion: Millionaires, you see: 1) Save more than they spend; 2) Don't spend anything. That's it. Page after page, chart after chart, graph after graph, anecdote piling up on anecdote, all of it boiling down to the same conclusion: don't spend more than you save. Clip coupons. Hang on to your wife `til Death you do Part. Buy a rambler for 80 grand, and cling to it like a rat clutching a Big Mac in a hurricane. To wit: if you're a good little Bob Cratchit, and burrow down in your suburban Dacha, drive the Civic, eat Top Ramen, and take your vacations at the State Museum of Knitting & the Fine Arts, you'll die loaded!Sound like fun? Didn't think so. Look: you've got one life, and after death all bets are off. Sure, you could be hauled up by the angels to Paradise, or it could just be one plate of linguini too many, a nasty flatline and one vast inky void of non-consciousness. Either way, you're looking at one single trip on this not-so-flat Earth, so you might as well live large. It's true, now: you can haul in major bank in whatever profession you choose: eremetic horror-writer, Wall Street tycoon, Railroad baron, small-town librarian, legal eagle defender of the Criminally Insane, whatever. And you can always outspend it. That is the source of endless tragedy and Dickensian woe throughout the ages, without a doubt. But there pitfalls at the other extreme. Listen: I live next door to one of these McMillionaires. The guy is this enfeebled little wizened gnome of a critter, used to be a bank Vice President and got bought out because he was a dingus. Total skinflint. Miser. Goes on his own hunting trips and brings back venison, deer meat, which he forces his family of---jesus, I think 12---to eat for months. Lives in a shacky little rambler, buys used Crown Vics from the local police department and bargain basement prices. The guy, no doubt, is high net worth. But he's also a loser. This is a guy who didn't want to cough up a few hundred bucks to help build a joint fence between our properties---so there's a fence, even a fence that abuts his property---but beyond my house and demesne, he elected not to build a fence. Instead, he got a plastic Jersey Barricade (orange and white) and went with that. Is that any way to live? Is that really what it means to be a `millionaire'? I think not. Half the glory of the Age of Great American Consumption is buying stuff you don't need, but want. Desire. Demand. What else is work for? Find a way to creative bliss, work at something you're good at, that you have a real passion for, and the money will follow. But for the Love of God, it's only Money: spend it! What is money for, if not to indulge yourself? Sure, get a pace---plan to the end---set a budget. But how many of you want to be that newspaper column on page A3, the 95 year old dowager pauper who begged for alms on the streetcorner, ate catfood out of a tin, and scrounged for quarters by the bus stop, then was found rigid and cold in the urine-stiff sheets of her dirty bed, sprawled atop a fortune estimated at 20 million bucks? Sound like a plan? I think not. Money may not buy happiness, but it sure as hell can get you a Rolls-Royce Phantom. "Millionaire Next Door" might have it right in its sociology---and for what it is, Stanley's thesis is meticulously researched, mustered like a well-trained army, and capable of marshalling its teeming forest of facts like a well-drilled martinet---but it's off the map when it comes down to the point of the whole thing: if you've got it, flaunt it. "Millionaire Next Door" isn't a bad book: it's scholarly, and plods along its own hand-me-down lodestar towards its prophesied conclusion (be cheap! Die loaded!), and perhaps some folks will be astounded to discover there are some real richies down the block who in another day would have been called skinflints. But as a map to your stars, this one is a little cramped, cribbed, dank, and stinks of mothballs. I think I'll take first class---scratch that, how much did you say that Learjet was going for, again? JS 0743530403:watered_down_rehashing_of_flow:paul_sas_"the_tapeworm" 0743530403 Good Business: Leadership, Flow and the Making of Meaning: Books: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi books 3 of 8 2.0 November 27, 2005 Paul Sas "The tapeworm" Berkeley One can't be sure that this book isn't deliberately exploiting a cynical belief that most business books are so bad, that if this weren't crappy, it wouldn't sell. Even for someone who believes in Csik's theory of flow, this book is a no-win blow-out. Instead of making clear statements backed by evidence, the book's tone and presentation are mere editorializing assertions. There is no reason to read this, when his original popularization, Flow, more carefully and clearly summarizes Csikszentmihalyi's interesting research. 0321269063:serious_flaw:jim_chamberlain 0321269063 The Photoshop Channels Book: Books: Scott Kelby books 15 of 24 1.0 June 1, 2006 Jim Chamberlain I was expecting a substitute for the classic "Photoshop Channel Chops" by Monroy and friends. It trivializes the subject with "How to unlock the hidden power of channels ... blah blah. If you want a better understanding of channels be prepared to wade through a lot of fluff with this one. Infomercial. 0471265748:this_is_the_thinnest_book_on_enron_that_i_read;_it_covers_the_whole_affair_very_superficially.:mswoon 0471265748 What Went Wrong at Enron: Everyone's Guide to the Largest Bankruptcy in U.S. History: Books: Peter C. Fusaro,Ross M. Miller books 2.0 May 19, 2006 mswoon I don't get the impression from reading the book that the authors have even tried to analyzed the financial holdings that was set up. It is the thinnest book on Enron that I read, for very good reason. B000HWY5J8:poor:the_painless B000HWY5J8 Sacred Stone (Oregon Files (Paperback)): Books: Clive Cussler,Craig Dirgo books 2.0 June 25, 2006 The Painless Netherlands The storyline is way over-the-top, the plot is very poor, the red-neck-America-knows-best attitude of the writer is funny and sometimes annoying. Still, I've red worse books. But not many. B000HWY5J8:absolutely_biased_and_poor_political/religious_sensitivity:ronmattoo B000HWY5J8 Sacred Stone (Oregon Files (Paperback)): Books: Clive Cussler,Craig Dirgo books 1 of 8 1.0 November 29, 2005 Ronmattoo Having read Clive Cussler adventures for over 10 years, i was totally disgusted with the redneck and narrow minded attitudes expressed in the book. The father, who does not stay with his son, decides to revenge his son fighting a war trying to kill people in someone else's country. That is perfectly justified! The book mentions Hindu mercenaries who have not been seen anywhere in the world in any century much less this one. This is a direct insult to all Hindus as being one I am astonished at the insensitivity of the author. How come "Hickman" is not a "Christian" mercenary or for that matter the Corporation as they seem to be in this for the money. The justifications are ridiculous. India and Hindus of India have been terrorized, jailed, colonized and robbed by Christian and Muslims alike over the last 1000 plus years. You don't find us calling people by religion and we have all major religions in our secular country. We have grown spiritually to accept everyone, and I would like the authors to read more than a 2 page synopsis on religions before writing books. The book smacks of jingoism and is a pathetic display of the authors minimal knowledge of religions and global affairs 0844661465:if_you_like_books_about_unicorns,_read_this:robert_s._newman_"bob_newman" 0844661465 Italians: Books: Luigi Barzini books 13 of 30 2.0 January 19, 2000 Robert S. Newman "Bob Newman" Marblehead, Massachusetts USA I'll put my opinion first, so there won't be any doubt in your mind. I don't believe that you can write useful books about national character. Is there really such a thing as "national character"? People are just too different, too unpredictable. How well can you predict the behavior of the people closest to you ? How well can you predict what people in your own country will do ? Would every Italian, if they could write well, have written the same book as Mr. Barzini ? I seriously doubt it. So what we have in THE ITALIANS is one man's views on the conglomerate nature of 50 million Italians. After reading it, I felt even more strongly that such books, though possibly entertaining, are a waste of time. An informative book about unicorns--but do they exist ? Anthropologists have been concerned, for many years, in getting the "inside view"--the view of a culture as seen by the person within it. While Barzini is indisputable Italian, he tries to visualize Italians as seen by foreign visitors, then explain to those of us not lucky enough to travel there, why they are as visitors see them, or why they are not as foreigners may think. This is not a successful gambit. Cultures are based on many general factors--like history, socio-economic patterns, religion, family, etc.---but the specific results are just that, specific. Barzini covers many topics--the importance of spectacle and giving an illusion of something rather than actually having that quality; the family vs. the state; Italian modes of achieving success; the north-south split; Sicily and the Mafia; and last, the tragedy of Italy's long domination by foreigners. But nothing really connects. There are only superficial, scattered impressions, nothing very concrete to grasp. The reader is left with a handful of stereotypes. Barzini is at his best when describing the lives and modus operandi of particular characters in Italian history. These sections were well-written and interesting. But his portrayal of Italian "character" is fuzzy, contradictory, and ultimately, unconvincing. Finally, if you are a lover of lists, you will thrill to this book, because there is a list on nearly every single page. Myself, I got pretty tired of those lists. If you want to know something useful about Italy, read another book. If you just want entertainment, which might support any stereotypes you have about Italians, then this book could be for you 0385319053:thin_characterization:scarface 0385319053 The Firm: Books: John Grisham books 1 of 1 2.0 July 28, 2006 Scarface Japan I agree with one the comments posted below. The main problem with this book is Mitch is a totally one-dimensional character and it's impossible to find any depth in him. Over the course of the book he doesn't change, he's unsympathetic, and by the time we've reached page 500, we don't know anything more about him than we did on page 10. I found myself dying to get to the end of this book, just so I could start another book with some substance and some well-drawn characters. Another major problem is that most of the characters in this book use the same wise-cracking speaking style so there is no sense of the characters being different from each other in any way. Overall, I thought this was mediocre and a bit of a waste of time 0744008379:the_guide_sucks:n._williams 0744008379 Final Fantasy XII Signature Series Guide: Books: BradyGames books 2 of 3 2.0 November 10, 2006 N. Williams You'd be better off using the internet to figure the game out. The guide feels super cluttered, it's almost hard to read and it doesn't tell you everything at the right time. I think it feels cluttered because there's too many pictures in it. Every page has at least 7 or 8 images on it. The best thing about the guide is the production value but I didn't buy for that 0517548232:not_for_a_modern_economist:jeffrey_t._monroe 0517548232 Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics: Books: Henry Hazlitt books 10 of 38 2.0 March 23, 2006 Jeffrey T. Monroe Book is out of date with modern economic thought. Essentially restates classical economics and provides little in the way of acceptance of the need for balance between government and the markets. 1400097711:not_many_new_ideas_or_examples:r._camp 1400097711 Sam Saboura's Real Style: Style Secrets for Real Women with Real Bodies: Books: Sam Saboura books 6 of 18 1.0 January 1, 2006 R. Camp Vancouver, WA USA Really not sure why this book received such good reviews, because it had nothing new. Expected from the cover some reviews of outfits worn by different individuals pictured. Very disappointed ... and any (and all) of the "what not to wear" books are so much better. Oh, Sam, did mention it's better to hand wash cashmere, oh yeah, I already know that. 0471410144:unrealistic_and_unoriginal:chan_joon_yee_"dr_chan" 0471410144 Multiple Streams of Internet Income: Books: Robert G. Allen books 4 of 4 2.0 August 25, 2005 Chan Joon Yee "Dr Chan" Singapore If you haven't read anything on e-commerce at all, or if you're a total newbie, the latter half of this book may offer some useful advice on how to start an online business. For someone who is already in the business or has already done some research, this book merely repeats a lot of well-known tips. Even then, some of the tips, like in section on affiliate programs, are just theoretical assumptions and projections with very little practical information on how to actually attract sales and traffic. As for the first part of the book where Allen demonstrates how he could earn $24k in one day, I find it totally unrealistic and it certainly won't happen to anyone reading the book unless he has Robert Allen's background to begin with. Even then, this sort of strategy won't cut it with today's wise and cynical netizens anymore. 0785218920:buy_a_book_on_probability_instead:milo_jones_"mhljones" 0785218920 When God Winks at You: How God Speaks Directly to You Through the Power of Coincidence: Books: SQuire Rushnell books 6 of 24 1.0 October 15, 2006 Milo Jones "MHLJones" New York This book is built around the idea "I wish it were true = it is true". While this book has innate appeal to those looking for meaning in their lives, if you're looking for a firm foundation for understanding coincidences in your life (i.e. intellectual integrity), you'd be better off buying an introduction to probability 019512121X:disapointing:marc_s._whitney_"eichhoernchen" 019512121X The Great Wave: Price Revolutions and the Rhythm of History: Books: David Hackett Fischer books 11 of 24 1.0 November 16, 2004 Marc S. Whitney "eichhoernchen" Mountain View, CA USA Compared to his other superb books, this is one is tedious and boring. The overall thesis is a stretch - trying to find equivalences between pre-industrial (and pre-printing press) 13th century price paterns and those of the industrialized and post-industrial 20th century requires ignoring far to many factors. At a minimum comparing a world in which 90% of the population are attached to agricultural production and illiterate to world where almost precicly the reverse holds is just too big a leap to swallow. Sadly, one suspects more than a little political axe-grinding is involved. Enjoy Fischer's other books where he excells, but you won't miss much if you neglect to read The Great Wave. Besides, the subject has been better treated elsewhere by authors not so obviously out of their depth 0060765410:bill,_a_sad_ending_to_a_good_show:coole 0060765410 You're Hired: How to Succeed in Business and Life from the Winner of The Apprentice: Books: Bill Rancic books 5 of 20 1.0 January 7, 2005 Coole Bill is very boring typically talks about business tips you already know. The show was much better, you should buy that. Kwame is much smater and deserved the job. I can tell that this book is another promotional tool. Don't waste even a cent on this book 0141183845:the_translation_is_a_problem_-_the_stories_are_not:cocojosie 0141183845 Fictions (Penguin Modern Classics): Books: Jorge Luis Borges,Andrew Hurley books 0 of 4 2.0 May 1, 2006 cocojosie My introduction to Borges was through the collection Labyrinths. I immediately fell in love with the stories, the prose, the poetry, and so went on to buy this complete volume. While it is nice to have all Borges's stories in one place, and at a reasonable price, the language doesn't really hold up for me. The translation is... well, not sloppy, but too simple, like those childrens' versions of classic novels they pressed on you in 5th grade. I have nothing against Andrew Hurley, but his translation of Borges leaves me cold. I'd give Borges 5 stars out of 5, but Hurley? No more than 2. 0452279151:has_been:ludwig_p._schulze_"lpdds" 0452279151 The Joy of Cooking: Revised and Expanded Edition: Books: Irma S. Rombauer,Marion Rombauer Becker books 1 of 28 1.0 January 16, 2006 Ludwig P. Schulze "lpdds" new york city, ny United States Found recipes dated, layout makes it difficult to use and although some of the how-to is useful, its generally from another era. Bought Gourmet cook book instead 1427201382:a_little_too_disjointed:no_free_lunch 1427201382 Longitudes and Attitudes: Exploring the World After September 11: Books: Thomas L. Friedman books 2 of 3 2.0 December 15, 2005 No free lunch Augusta, GA When I bought this book, I didn't realize it was mostly just a consolidated writing of Friedman's collumns in the Times. I think Friedman is a great author with lots of great insights, but he isn't able to go into his ideas in depth as much as I would have liked in a bunch of detached 750-1000 word segments. Since the sections are arranged chronologically, there also isn't the opportunity to tie the themes together. If you really like Friedman, then it's worth a read, but if you are in it for just one, I'd read The Lexus and the Olive Tree first. It is by far his best 0471787841:the_ugliest_chronicle_of_a_true_legend_of_our_time.:skanoza_"ska" 0471787841 iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business: Books: Jeffrey S. Young,William L. Simon books 3 of 3 1.0 June 10, 2006 Skanoza "Ska" India The very title for the book - "I Con" - despite its cleverness, should reveal the lack of any objectivity, or class for that matter, from the authors, Jeffrey S. Young & William L. Simon. I could best describe this book as a shoddy pastiche of ambiguous-sounding facts, poor research, colored by a palpable disdain for [arguably the most interesting legend of our time] Steve Jobs. What is really distasteful is that this antipathy of the authors towards Steve Jobs, seems 'personal'; which, in a democratic sense, may be alright i guess, [but only] UNTIL facts begin to wear thin, and the research seems doctored, leaving the rants sounding hollow, unsavory and shrill. And the facts aren't well-strung together either! From the very opening description in the book, which overdramatizes and harps on about the return of a "reformed" Steve Jobs, to Apple in 1997 (as though the most unfathomably impossible phenomenon in the history of humankind had occurred), to the careful selection of maliciously undertoned quotations, and quite often blatant slanders about Jobs, the book appears to be a collation of 'hate diaries' maintained by two wannabe authors, whose sole purpose in writing this book seems to be to fuel an anti-Steve sentiment among its readers! If you happen to be one of those people, who finds some twisted pleasure in those idle conversations that involve scandalmongering [especially Steve Jobs], then this book should provide ample fuel for your negative energy 1560256230:some_intereting_facts,_but_often_twisted_to_suit_author's_aims:j._a_magill 1560256230 The Truth About Camp David: The Untold Story About the Collapse of the Middle East Peace Process: Books: Clayton E. Swisher books 27 of 68 2.0 August 30, 2005 J. A Magill Sacramento, CA USA Like most great diplomatic moments, successes and failures alike, decades will pass before anything approaching a full history of the Camp David debacle can appear. Even then, disagreements on the apportionment of blame will likely continue on for decades after. Given the wide interest in the Israeli-Arab conflict and the complex nature of the negotiations, new works exploring the crucial climax at Camp David remain welcome. Some dismiss Mr. Swisher's work because he was not in fact part of the negotiating team, but instead was responsible at Camp David only for negotiations. That seems to me unfair. Clayton Swisher clearly did considerable "leg work" to prepare this text; sadly both his rather obvious bias and almost juvenile desire to settle scores renders what could have been an important work at best suspect. Mr. Swisher's book follows on the heels of Dennis Ross's interesting "The Missing Peace" and, given Mr. Ross's direct involvement in the negotiations; no one could be blamed for looking at other works as well. However, Mr. Swisher spends much of his time looking to lay the blame at Mr. Ross's feet, even when he makes claims that others at Camp David, many more central then Mr. Swisher directly contradict his statements. Much for example is made in this work of Mr. Ross's change of "municipal Jerusalem" to "greater Jerusalem" in a draft as if this caused the breakdown of the agreement. Unfortunately, Ross's change in fact was a return to an earlier draft after being changed by Robert Malley, a member of the US team and now often a talking head representing the Palestinian point of view, who made the alteration without consulting any of the parties. Malley has never denied this. Moreover, days would pass before the negotiations actually broke down. Swisher's target, perhaps seeking to sell books by putting forward a contradictory point of view, shifts the blame wherever he can to Israel and the US negotiating team. While such an effort might well be reasonable, Mr. Swisher often twists facts, making excuses for Palestinian gaffs while blowing minor facts out of all proportion. For example, Mr. Swisher brushes aside the days lost when Mr. Arafat and the Palestinian team insisted that Jews had no historic link to Jerusalem or the Temple Mound -- a position farcical on its face -- as mere posturing. However, he never mentions that such ideas, undermining the Jewish people very claim to the Land, serve only to inflame the parties and make agreement almost impossible. Nor does Swisher ever consider the Palestinians failure to negotiate in good faith, treating every Israeli offer simply as a new base line, rather than offering any proposals of their own. Again, even Robert Malley concedes that this disingenuous strategy by the Palestinians likely doomed Camp David from the start. Swisher's dismissal of all Israeli concerns reaches a crescendo when he simply casts aside as silly Israel's interest and the Palestinian's refusal of any compromise for the so-called "right of return," or the claim that all Palestinian who left the area of modern Israel and all their descendants must have a right immigrate to Israel, a right held by no other people. As to the simple fact that this would lead to the destruction of the Jewish State and that the Palestinians are thus expecting Israel to commit national suicide, on this problem Mr. Swisher remains silent. Lastly, one cannot help but marvel at Mr. Swisher's odd coverage of the events after Camp David. That Yasser Arafat led a bloody war against Israel rather than offering an alternative proposal for peace is dismissed. Mr. Swisher combs through events searching for, magnifying, and twisting any event that will make Israel look bad, while at the same time minimizing or even ignoring the waves of suicide terrorists who have murdered hundreds of Israeli civilians in cold blood. Mr. Swisher even parrots points of Palestinian propaganda so thoroughly disproved that even Palestinian leaders no longer mention them, such as the claim of massacres during Israeli operations in Jenin, which exhaustive study long ago proved to be nothing more than a fabrication. Curiosity will cause readers to ask why Mr. Swisher takes this extremely biased view. Fortunately, he lays out his rather simplistic point of view at the very beginning of the book by writing the following, "The primary reason for Arab and Muslim anger against America has been and remains unbridled support for Israel's oppression of the Palestinians." Again, one can only muse as to why Mr. Swisher does not take Osama bin Laden at his word when he spoke shortly after 9/11 that his hatred manifests from the presence of American Christian soldiers in the heart of Islamic holy lands like Saudi Arabia and later Iraq. Surely neither the bombings in Madrid or more recently in London had anything to do with Israel, but it seems for Mr. Swisher's simplistic world view, it is at the door step of the Jewish state where all blame is to be laid. 1583224890:oh_boy,_more_"lets_understand_the_terrorist"_garbage:marshill 1583224890 9-11: Books: Noam Chomsky books 16 of 72 1.0 September 22, 2006 Marshill Port Orchard, wa United States The religion of peace is at it again! In response to the popes words, muslims all over the world respond with violence, destruction, rage, hatred, burning down buildings, burning papal effigies, issuing fatwas against the pope, and even shooting a 70 year old nun in the back. Wow, such peace from a religion of "peace". If Islam is a religion of peace, then all the guns in the world are pink flowers, and every nuclear bomb, a soft feathery pillow. Violence for words. Destruction for speech. PLEASE! This is a religion of war, and bereft mindless 70 year old bags like Noam have begun to lose a lot of mental function with age. This old bag of a man gives Muslims free passes and blames America. Question: When will the world start holding to account the actions of Muslims, and stop blaming others, such as Bush, America, the Pope, or God knows who else? How many more innocent people will die at the hand of Muslims before the western world finally, and for the first time, holds the Muslims accountable for their own actions, rather than someone else? Well Im sick of the left defending this vile cesspool of Islamofacism. Im tired of the leftist media beating up on Israel and coming to the side of middle-eastern tyrants who shoot 70 year old nuns in the back in response to spoken words. And then these radical leftists have the audacity blame the pope! Can you believe it?!! Yes, idiots all over the western world actually blame the pope for the mindless violence and destruction that followed from a spoken word. Its unreal! A grown man got a gun, deliberately aimed it at a 70 year old woman's backside, and deliberately pulled the trigger, purposefully killing her in cold blood....and yet according to socialist America-hating leftists, he couldn't help it. Its not his fault...its the Pope's fault guys! Respond to words with violence, and then blame the speaker, absolving the person who actually commits the violence of responsibility. As absurd as that sounds, I'm sad to say there are actually people all over the world who think that. And they are idiots (like Noam) 1890885193:what's_the_point?:james_c._pickens_"retired_physician" 1890885193 No Country for Old Men: Books: Cormac McCarthy books 1 of 9 1.0 October 24, 2006 James C. Pickens "Retired Physician" Toccoa, Georgia USA Very little plot, which is boring. The reader should be paid by the page, if not by the word, to read this book! B00071G2S6:this_book_isn't_for_everyone:kerrie_fitzgerald_"lonewolfe" B00071G2S6 The runaway bunny: Books: Margaret Wise Brown books 3 of 13 2.0 May 1, 2006 Kerrie Fitzgerald "lonewolfe" southwest usa I bought this book this weekend as we're doing the pre-five in a Row w/our preschooler and I don't much like it. I've got a mother w/borderline personality disorder and who doesn't observe personal boundaries of other's what-so-ever (if I need a break away, she hunts down my poor husband, all my relatives and friends- ugh) and so this book just kind of made my stomach turn as I could see her reading this to me and justifying her 'stalker mom' mentality. In the end, I think if a person is from a semi-normal household w/proper respect for a child's boundaries and need for space away from their parents, then this book is okay. I just find some moms are too smoothering- even ones w/o personality disorders- and this book doesn't send a message about love as much as 'I own you'. I like 'Mama Do You Love Me?' better for explaining to a child a parent's unconditional love. 'Good-Night Moon' by Margaret Wise Brown, however, is by far my children's all time favorite book. I was reading that one to them ineutero and still every night before they go to bed. They love it and so do we as parents. But this one even creeped my hubby out and he's from a fairly 'normal' family. Take it w/a grain of salt 1400081394:a_book_full_of_gaps:lewis_noogie 1400081394 Johnny U: The Life and Times of John Unitas: Books: Tom Callahan books 12 of 16 2.0 September 26, 2006 Lewis Noogie New York, NY USA Aside from the 1958 Championship Game and the 1968 Super Bowl, the actual football games got very short shrift. The 1964 Championship Game didn't even get a MENTION! Whole years are virtually ignored. Very, very little discussion of Unitas' career and his impact on the game: mostly just anecdotes about family, friends, and teammates, and way too much space devoted to post-mortem comments from same. I think I learned way more about Johnny Sample and Gino Marchetti and Jim Parker from this book than I learned about Unitas. And that's not saying much. There's a lot of padding in this book but precious little information. And a lot of the anecdotes will be familiar if you're a football fan. Wait for the paperback if you're a Unitas devotee; otherwise don't bother. 0345461355:boring_and_poorly_written:l._sidhu 0345461355 To the Last Man: A Novel of the First World War: Books: Jeff Shaara books 4 of 19 2.0 May 31, 2006 L. Sidhu This is the first book by Shaara I have read. And, if his other works are like this, it is also the last. On the cover, J. Persico is quoted as saying Shaara makes "literature read like history and history read like literature." He goes on to claim that Shaara brings the war to "pulsating life." I have even read a review that claimed this book was better than Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front. I must have been reading a different book. The first chapter, The Replacement, is a great short story. After reading it, I had hight expectations for the book. Unfortunately, it falls apart after that great beginning and it is a dull affair that completely lacks any sense of a coherent narrative from a literary point of view. And, the history reads like an 8th grade textbook. His narrative style is unable to give life to people that actually lived. They are flatly presented and there is no sense of really caring about what happens to them. After the dislocated short story of the first chapter, the book delves into a long-winded story of the flying aces, interspersed with summaries of historic events that do little more than ruin the flow of the story. It frequently feels like the book is written for people who are unwilling to read a real history book. Shaara doesn't even begin dealing with the trench warfare of the war until the 1918's, when the Americans arrive, focusing, as I noted before, primarily on the air war that occurred in the first years of the war. I should point out that the air war would be interesting reading in a book of its own. Here, however, it seems more to reflect that the author did not deem the ground warfare fought by non-Americans worthy of a story. Or was too lazy to research the events enough to write about the ground war from the British or French perspective. And, I have no particularly problem with him focusing on the American perspective on the war, but then why bother with writing anything prior to our entry? I suppose a smaller book doesn't sell as well. For those interested in historical fiction, I would recommend Bernard Cornwall's work. And, perhaps, Shaara can learn a bit from him 0415926203:great_for_philosophy,_but_doesn't_inspire!:angel 0415926203 Hispanics/Latinos in the United States : Ethnicity, Race, and Rights: Books: Jorge J. E. Gracia,Pablo De Greiff,Pablo De Greiff,Jorge J.E. Gracia books 1 of 2 2.0 April 3, 2005 Angel Austin, Texas This book is an nice collection of differing points of views about latinos/hispanics. However it's primarily philisophical. It's more confusing than inspiring. It's great for those studying for a phD, but will not inspire average latinos to action. This book tilts slightly more towards the assimilationist point of view, although a few writers do express some pan-latino thoughts. 0439784549:too_popular_to_bother_trying_anymore.:fantasyfan 0439784549 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6): Books: J.K. Rowling,Mary GrandPr books 1 of 1 1.0 November 11, 2006 FantasyFan USA J.K. Rowling successfully put me off this book series within the first two chapters of this book. The characters personalities were wavering in book 5, in this they completely vanished or mutated. I'll only be getting the 7th one because it's the last one and I've read this far so I might as well go the whole way. In books one through four the trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione were loveable characters tenaciously and cleverly seeking out the answers to the mysteries that came up each year and saving the day. Book 5 had them doing more angsting and screaming than mystery solving, and more whining than day saving. Book 6 made them stand in paper doll doing a bad job miming the motions the real characters would have done. This book Harry seemed to care more about romance. A very poorly done romance littered with cheezy phrases and romantic moments on par with the worst of bad fanfiction; which had no background or build up from previous books. A female character from the background, whom Harry barely even notices all through the past five books, is suddenly the most perfect and beautiful girl in the school in mary-sue fashion. Several other characters in both the foreground and background were also unfortunately treated to Rowlings amature attempts at romance, none of which bore any revelance to plot or story. Harry also had a significant decline in morality and intelligence. The clever boy who put clues together with his friends now cheats in one of his classes and makes one stupid mistake after another. The image of Harry that stuck with me and seemed to glare off the pages every time he spoke or did anything was of him lying, frozen in a curled position on the floor of the train with blood coming out of his broken nose, under his invisibility cloak and rolling around with the trains motion after a particularly stupid episode with Malfoy. As to the general plot of the book. Poorly done. Continually backstaged by sickeningly done romance and angst it barely made an impression on me. Most of the 'revealations' in the book revealed nothing not already known or obvious from old information, and the culmination of what Harry was not-quite-solving didn't amount to anything. My final opinion: Don't bother to read past book 4 if you're just starting the series and care anything at all about characterization. A very disappointing book 0449911020:reading_this_is_akin_to_banging_your_head_against_a_wall:c._elgin_"akitonmyers" 0449911020 The First Horseman: Books: John Case books 0 of 1 1.0 April 9, 2005 C. Elgin "akitonmyers" Palo Alto CA The premise of this story started off smartly. I was drawn in as a reader as Case set up an unusaul plot where the protagonist is in Russia to cover a minor story only to be pushed aside while his sources of information are taken away. But from this point onwards the story becomes painfully predictable as time after time Case takes the predictable rout. Finally the story completely falls apart and it was like when you watch one of those really bad action flicks where the hero saves the day time after time and its so stupid that you get a bad headache. I have read one other Case book I think, his "Kingdome Come" that was written under a psudo name, or maybe Case is the psudo name, I'm not sure. But what I am trying to say here is that 'Kingdome Come' was much better than 'First Horseman.' Its still a little corny, but it reads like a more contemporary Ludlum 0156347113:worthless_and_disproven:r._setliff 0156347113 The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money: Books: John Maynard Keynes books 21 of 58 1.0 October 8, 2003 R. Setliff Keynes was no doubt an influential economist. His theories and 'expertise' on economics influenced the post-New Deal economic policies of the United States and the internationalist wealth redistribution schemes like IMF. However, his ideas on economics failed miserably and it was application of Keynesian ideas that wrecked so much havoc on the U.S. particularly in the 1970s with the stagflation (an inflationary recession with unemployment which was theoretically impossible accordingly to Keynesism.) We have Keynes to thank for budget deficits and the nebulous idea that we can spend ourselves into prosperity through the largesse of the federal government. Read Planning for Freedom or Socialism by Ludwig von Mises instead 1413766714:very_average:cw 1413766714 John's Vegan Vegetarian Cookbook: A 90-day Meal and Excercise Plan: Books: John Price books 0 of 1 2.0 July 14, 2006 CW Australia I was really disappointed with this book. A lot of the recipes are identical to one another, with just one ingredient - eg a different type of vegetable - substituted. With no pictures and not much more content, I really regret buying it. 0613215540:nothing_special_here:roger_long_"longrush" 0613215540 For Love of the Game: Books: Michael Shaara books 0 of 1 2.0 August 25, 2006 Roger Long "longrush" Port Clinton, OH USA I read this short novel because I greatly admired Shaara's Pulitzer Prize winning "Killer Angels," and because I'm a baseball fan. The novel feels more like an outline or first draft than a completed work about an aging pitcher. It's a bit shallow and predictable in its plot. The characters are what one expects in all too many sports novels and short stories. The feel or atmosphere just isn't quite there. Any baseball fan will see flaws in the book right away, flaws that distract and damage the work. Shaara sets most of the novel in Yankee Stadium with the Hawks playing the Yankees. Why the author chose to have one real team against a fictional team is unclear. The Hawks apparently are from Atlanta, but an Atlanta team, Braves or Hawks, whichever, would not be playing the Yankees interleague on the next to last day of the season. Finally, when a visiting pitcher goes out to warm up before the game, he does so in the semi-hidden bull pen down the left field line in Yankee Stadium--not on the mound on the field. This book was published posthumously and Mr. Shaara perhaps never had a chance to polish his prose--prose that was excellent in "Killer Angels." It's unfortunate. There are glimmers of interest in the book, but not enough to recommend it to baseball fans or fans of the author's other book 1401302548:what_do_stossel,_o'reilly_and_tbn_have_in_common?:robert_penn 1401302548 Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity: Get Out the Shovel--Why Everything You Know is Wrong: Books: John Stossel books 0 of 10 1.0 November 1, 2006 Robert Penn Lies, half truths, spin and glitz. Of course there is some truth sprinkled in. Self promoting TV stars are more interested in being self promoting TV stars than truth. Theres just not enough time for both. At best it's entertainment, at worst it misleads the children. And finally they are all biblically illiterate. So be careful...especially with TBN. 0521549388:why_is_waiting_for_godot_like_waiting_for_a_bus?:michael_jr_jose 0521549388 Beckett: Waiting for Godot (Landmarks of World Literature (New)): Books: Lawrence Graver books 8 of 18 1.0 June 28, 2001 Michael JR Jose the UK Because you wait and wait, and then three don't turn up at once 0446386367:over_rated:tony_luu 0446386367 How to Master the Art of Selling: Books: Tom Hopkins books 0 of 8 1.0 June 27, 2006 Tony Luu This book is not as good as i thought it would be. I hope i have better readings with Bryan Tracy's Advance selling 037541486x:nothing_new:phil_gordon 037541486x The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11: Books: Lawrence Wright books 2.0 November 19, 2006 Phil Gordon Texas, USA Wright presents no new information about Al-Qaeda, leaves out plenty of information about Al-Qaeda and neglects the USA side of "the road to 9/11." Understanding Qutb's radicalization of Islam is important to understanding why Ayman al-Zawahiri and Usama exist and also why they failed at creating theocracies and were lame ducks until the USA found a use for them as an enemy. What cannot be neglected is the myths spread about the United States by the Neoconservatives and followers of Leo Strauss. The United States is not a unique and beautiful snowflake. The liberal idea of individual freedom was decried by Strauss as destructive of the society of the USA and he told his followers to keep the public in line with grand myths about US exceptionalism. After the the Soviet Union was kicked out of Afghanistan, both Qutb and Strauss' followers believed they were the cause of it. Since the Cold War the US has been working off of the "friend and enemy" model of policy formulated by Carl Schmitt and 9/11 presented the US with what Schmitt called a "state of exemption." If you think jihad was the cause of 9/11, ask yourself why Richard Clarke found Bush and his advisors saying find a way to tie this to Iraq hours after 9/11. See the BBC documentary, "The Power of Nightmares" or "From Secularism to Jihad: Sayyid Qutb and the Foundations of Radical Islamism" by Adnan A. Musallam or the Political Ideas of Leo Strauss by Shadia Drury for a better analysis of Qutb and Strauss than Wright has in his book. If you prefer to stick with fiction about "the road to 9/11," check out Patrick S. Johnston's novel "Mission Accomplished. 0451210506:recycling_personified:gail_cassidy_"the_seminar_source" 0451210506 Gary Null's Power Aging: Books: Ph.D., Gary Null,Gary Null books 1.0 October 15, 2006 Gail Cassidy "The Seminar Source" Westfield, NJ If you've read one Gary Null book, you've read them all. He is no doubt highly knowledgeable and dedicated to his subject, but when I buy two books with different titles by Gary Null and find they are the same, I'm pretty annoyed. His early books were taken directly from Herbert Sheldon's Natural Hygience material, which I assume must not have been copyrighted, and I felt ripped off then, in the 70's as I did recently when Amazon was good enough to give me a refund for one of the books. 0684874377:partisan_politics_provide_poor_analysis:jonathan_evans 0684874377 Property Matters: How Property Rights Are Under Assault and Why You Should Care: Books: James V. DeLong books 0 of 4 1.0 September 21, 2005 Jonathan Evans Oregon, USA Unfortunately, instead of an thorough analysis of the genesis, justifications, and problems with overarching property rights, DeLong acts as a mouthpiece for other property rights activists. DeLong covers some of the same ground as Congressman Richard Pombo in his 1996 This Land Is Our Land, simply emphasizing anomalous examples instead of practicable solutions. DeLong's denial of the externalities resulting from uninhibited development leave his analysis unbalanced and ill-founded. DeLong's politics overcome his analysis. This book is similar to his condemnation of industry for their recognition to the denial of carbon dioxide emissions. (...) His political agenda overwhelm his rational 0786285605:it_is_ok:margaret_a._mead 0786285605 At Risk: Books: Patricia Daniels Cornwell books 2.0 November 9, 2006 Margaret A. Mead this was certainly not one of Cornwell's best works. IT was almost like a couple of possible novels rolled into one. It read like a draft for a novel rather tahn a complete novel 0767910052:reluctantly_dragged_along_with_frances_mayes:reading_mom 0767910052 A Year in the World: Journeys of A Passionate Traveller: Books: Frances Mayes books 11 of 11 1.0 August 14, 2006 Reading Mom San Jose, California This book really irritated me. I loved Mayes's previous books and was really looking forward to reading this one. The concept, a year of traveling to different locations, seemed like it would be really interesting combined with Mayes' fresh perspectives, enthusiasm for discovery, feisty opinions and poetic descriptions. But somehow it didn't work. I get the sense that her heart wasn't really in this book. Maybe because the trips were taken over a span of five years, and cobbled together? Or because there's so much `padding' - endless quotes from her own or other people's writing. When she liked the place, her descriptions feel artificially enthusiastic, almost as if the book was paid for by the chamber of commerce. I got tired of reading that she could live there, or could imagine taking her grandson there, or wishes she was born there, or that it's SO much better than San Francisco. Where she doesn't live anymore, and hasn't for years. There are also too many stories about refreshing local characters who think Frances Mayes is the nicest, most tasteful, most interesting person they've ever met. Especially since these people tend to be waiters, cab drivers, rug salesmen or others whose business depends on charming the tourists. Most of the book consists of sneering at her fellow Americans, or talking about people's personal appearance. This is boring and clich d - and if you like that kind of thing, Bill Bryson does it better. There's also way too much name dropping (she's always mentioning "my friend so-and-so, the famous ____"). What happened to the ordinary, financially stretched, middle-aged college professor? She seems to be taking on the persona of a celebrity. She doesn't want to be crowded in with a group, doesn't want to associate with ordinary tourist types - now she deserves the VIP treatment. This is definitely a change from her previous books. I think when it comes right down to it, there's too much Frances Mayes in this book. I thought I liked her, but what I really like is her writing style. It can still be magical - when she gets her ego out of the way. But when she puts herself front and center, she becomes more tedious and pretentious than interesting. Now I'm sorry I read this book, because I'm afraid it will spoil my enjoyment of the earlier ones. 0553582763:could_win_any_poor_writing_award:frogman 0553582763 By the Light of the Moon: Books: Dean Koontz books 2 of 15 1.0 March 20, 2006 Frogman Cupertino, CA The work of a 12 year-old without talent. Phrases are tediously cobbled with clumsy, inappropriate similies. Story line is absurd. If this were Koontz's first novel, no publisher would touch it 006098726X:hate_parade_mixed_with_racism.:steve 006098726X Stupid White Men: ...And Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation!: Books: Michael Moore books 11 of 34 1.0 May 6, 2006 steve Eastern Washington State Hateful liberals once again undermine their so-called ideology by promoting the hatred of over half the US population. They claim to be tolerant and open-minded toward all lifestyles,religions, races etc... but that open-mindedness obviously shouldn't apply to people who disagree with them. Throughout the "book," Moore also demonstrates his racism towards caucasians and thin people. If you like this book, I also recommend Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler. Both "books" are jam-packed full of hate. 9562911268:bad,_bad,_bad:owlnight_"piano_man" 9562911268 The Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales: Books: Brothers Grimm books 22 of 22 1.0 October 29, 2005 owlnight "piano man" Des Moines Who published these weak translations? Yup, they are on newsprint and get smudged immediately. How about using real paper? B&N needs to stop thinking opportunistically and start thinking about quality 0739324608:please...don't_waste_your_time:john_fontana 0739324608 Blue Screen (Sunny Randall Novels): Books: Robert B. Parker,Kate Burton books 2 of 6 1.0 September 15, 2006 john fontana author I bought this book because of the 4 star rating by readers. Let me be candid....what the hell were they reading? This book is simply insipid, implausible and a waste of time. Get this for a premise....rich, geeky guy buys a major league baseball team called the "Connecticut Nutmegs"! Nutmegs for a major league team??!! Yeah, right. It gets better....he has an incredibly sexy girl friend who stars in the C-list movies he produces....ok hold on to your seats, here comes the good part....she is going to be his star player on this MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL team!! Why, because in college she was an excellent athlete. So some buxom starlet who ran track in college is going to play major league baseball!! Am I the only one who thinks this is plain stupid. Oh, yeah there's a murder along the way. Parker (author) must have pictures of the publisher having sex with a goat otherwise I can't think of a reason why it got published. 0740703579:i_couldn't__wake_up:carmen_matthews_"love_books" 0740703579 The Millionaire Mind: Books: Thomas J. Stanley books 4 of 10 1.0 August 29, 2006 Carmen Matthews "Love Books" San Diego, California Having read "The Millionaire Next Door," as well as most if not all of the classics in this category, I expected life-altering experiences with this book. There were too many statistics, and statistics that contradicted one another, not to mention generalizations about various subgroups that, try as I did, I had to put my copy down and use it at first for a door stop, then because the cover art is great, I decided leaving it on the coffee table makes a great conversation piece. 0195150392:a_doctrinaire_view_of_biology:a._j._cornish-bowden 0195150392 Lifelines: Life beyond the Gene: Books: Steven Rose books 3 of 3 2.0 January 7, 2005 A. J. CORNISH-BOWDEN Marseilles, France Most books that set out to explain why organisms behave as they do describe observations of behaviour on almost every page. The books of Richard Dawkins, whom Rose selects as his special target, illustrate this well: readers can reject all of his interpretations while remaining fascinated by the purely factual information that they contain. How one can hope to convince anyone of the truth of a theory without supporting it with abundant facts? Yet hard biological information is extremely sparse in Rose's book. There is a great deal about what he thinks of other biologists' opinions, but almost no observations from behavioural biology. Nonetheless, in his preface he aligns himself with the practising biologists "who spend a significant part of every working day thinking about and designing experiments", dismissing Dawkins and Daniel Dennett as "people who either no longer do science or never did it." What a pity, therefore, that he chose to include so little of the experimental basis of his ideas in his book. There are a few vague remarks about how chicks behave, and that's about it. 1419326740:not_quite_what_i_expected...:a._collier_"pastime_reader" 1419326740 Hard Truth (Anna Pigeon Mysteries (Audio)): Books: Nevada Barr,Barbara Rosenblat books 0 of 1 2.0 August 7, 2006 A. Collier "Pastime Reader" Sunny Florida The first twenty pages of the book quickly sparks your interest but soon after that, the story drags until it picks back up again toward the last third of the book. I think the story would have been more credible if Barr would have thoroughly explored the inner workings of her fictional religious sect and offered more details about it. Without those details, the book seemed "unfinished". It was like watching a movie and only viewing the actions of the good guy without being exposed to villain. Boring in my opinion. 0684825007:if_you_like_books_about_unicorns,_read_this:robert_s._newman_"bob_newman" 0684825007 The Italians: Books: Luigi Barzini books 13 of 30 2.0 January 19, 2000 Robert S. Newman "Bob Newman" Marblehead, Massachusetts USA I'll put my opinion first, so there won't be any doubt in your mind. I don't believe that you can write useful books about national character. Is there really such a thing as "national character"? People are just too different, too unpredictable. How well can you predict the behavior of the people closest to you ? How well can you predict what people in your own country will do ? Would every Italian, if they could write well, have written the same book as Mr. Barzini ? I seriously doubt it. So what we have in THE ITALIANS is one man's views on the conglomerate nature of 50 million Italians. After reading it, I felt even more strongly that such books, though possibly entertaining, are a waste of time. An informative book about unicorns--but do they exist ? Anthropologists have been concerned, for many years, in getting the "inside view"--the view of a culture as seen by the person within it. While Barzini is indisputable Italian, he tries to visualize Italians as seen by foreign visitors, then explain to those of us not lucky enough to travel there, why they are as visitors see them, or why they are not as foreigners may think. This is not a successful gambit. Cultures are based on many general factors--like history, socio-economic patterns, religion, family, etc.---but the specific results are just that, specific. Barzini covers many topics--the importance of spectacle and giving an illusion of something rather than actually having that quality; the family vs. the state; Italian modes of achieving success; the north-south split; Sicily and the Mafia; and last, the tragedy of Italy's long domination by foreigners. But nothing really connects. There are only superficial, scattered impressions, nothing very concrete to grasp. The reader is left with a handful of stereotypes. Barzini is at his best when describing the lives and modus operandi of particular characters in Italian history. These sections were well-written and interesting. But his portrayal of Italian "character" is fuzzy, contradictory, and ultimately, unconvincing. Finally, if you are a lover of lists, you will thrill to this book, because there is a list on nearly every single page. Myself, I got pretty tired of those lists. If you want to know something useful about Italy, read another book. If you just want entertainment, which might support any stereotypes you have about Italians, then this book could be for you 0789461307:good,_but_has_a_few_errors:alaskankristen 0789461307 The New Encyclopedia of The Dog: Books: Bruce Fogle books 6 of 7 2.0 March 27, 2005 AlaskanKristen Talkeetna, AK It has the potential to be a great book if the author had taken some time to actually look into each breed. The "Canadian Eskimo Dog" is now referred to as the Canadian Inuit Dog out of respect for the Inuit people. He has the dog's height wrong, and the weight range is much too high. This leads me to conclude that if there were that many errors on one dog breed, who's to say that it's not wrong on other breeds too? I was quite disgusted and mad to see the "designer dogs" put as purebred dogs. Labradoodles, Bichon/Yorkies, Cockerpoos, and Bull Boxers are NOT purebred dogs. They are mixes given a fancy name and sold for staggering amounts of money. The first few chapters on the history of the dog is quite fascinating though, and the pictures are nice. If you need an all-in-one book and don't mind many errors, this is a great book for you. If you're like me, go down the road of buying a better dog encyclopedia and different books on different subjects rather than this faulty all-in-one 0764525166:expert_obedience_training_for_dogs:j._p._cory_"book_inquirer" 0764525166 Expert Obedience Training for Dogs, Fourth Edition: Books: Winifred Gibson Strickland,Winifred G. Strickland books 1 of 2 2.0 August 21, 2006 J. P. Cory "book inquirer" Sarasota, FL USA Two main comments. Firstly, the book is mistitled or I misread the meaning of the title and I would be delighted to return it. This is a book devoted primarily on how to make your dog perform "tricks" with much on showmanship. I have no interest in that but I do have an acute interest in dog obedience relative to the master's care of their puppy and mature dog. Problems handlers encounter in "greeting" of your dog with other dogs and people. Secondly, the book, as written, talks down to the reader and unless you have had some professional experience with dogs, you feel very unqualified to read on. I felt intimidated by it. 0060563443:a_bone_to_pick_with_'skeleton_man'!:brian_j._oneill 0060563443 Skeleton Man (Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Novels): Books: Tony Hillerman books 0 of 1 2.0 November 5, 2006 Brian J. Oneill I've read only a few of Hillerman's previous Leaphorn/Chee novels. I've enjoyed what I've rtead, though they are an acquired taste, and I don't indulge in them very often. I tend to enjoy the earlier, more active years of Joe Leaphorn more interesting than his ' semi-retired unofficial advisor to Jim Chee' phase. From what I gather, 'Skeleton Man' continues a recent trend of disappointment with Hillerman's last few novels. Even without having read the books immediately prior to this one, I can understand that sentiment. 'Skeleton Man' starts off with a rather risky premise, tying the story in with the real life collision over the Grand Canyon in 1956. While an author can occasionally pull off a good story with a strong connection to 'real life'(See Nelson De Mille's 'Night Fall'), Hillerman fails here. The story is bogged down with bland and unlikable supporting characters, flimsy motivation, and very little that could really be called 'action'. Chee ends up joining Leaphorn in the background for much of the story. The spiritual and ritualistic aspects of Hillerman's earlier books are, for the most part, glossed over here. Even what should have been a major plot development (Chee's wedding) is overshadowed by Chee have to rescue Manuelito, in the manner of far too many contrived 'Superman rescues Lois' situations. Better to stick with Hillerman's earlier novels. The 'aging athlete past his prime' analogy suits Hillerman, I'm afraid 1580174485:for_the_plain_and_simple:m._stark_"jnm6" 1580174485 Organizing Plain and Simple: A Ready Reference Guide with Hundreds of Solutions to Your Everyday Clutter Challenges: Books: Donna Smallin books 3 of 8 2.0 August 24, 2006 M. Stark "jnm6" Northwest USA This book is 'oragnized' into sections - Getting Started, Organizing Room by Room, Organizing Finances, Organizing Time, Organizing Home Life, and Organizing Transitions. Who needs an entire section telling you the benefits of being organized - isn't that why I bought the book? The author takes 'plain and simple' to new heights...for example - "To organize your refrigerator, start by uncluttering it." I was hoping for something with more substance. There was nothing in this book that I didn't already know. If you're looking for something very basic as far as what to do in your home...you will like this book 1568984782:not_what_i_expected:d._j._reed_"duthie" 1568984782 Love Letters, Lost: Books: Babbette Hines books 8 of 11 2.0 July 11, 2005 D. J. Reed "Duthie" Louisiana I like looking at old pictures and old letters, but I thought when I bought the book that I would actually be looking in the history of someone's life with pictures to go with it but that was not the case. It is just a random bunch of pictures and a random bunch of letters put together in a book. The pictures aren't necessarily the pictures of the people who wrote the letters, so you know nothing of the authors, no explanation of the times they lived in or the place they lived in or anything. In other words, no story behind it whatsoever. Just a disappointing collection 0140071075:spooky_and_delightful:enola_"the_book_critic" 0140071075 We Have Always Lived in the Castle: Books: Shirley Jackson books 2 of 7 2.0 October 7, 2005 Enola "The Book Critic" In my usual perusal of the thrift shops for 25 cent novels, i came across this interesting find summer of 2005. from the very first page, the book had me hooked. merricat blackwood is a girl i could relate to on first degree. in her family, she's a bit of a misfit, and as a consequence, finds herself and her older sister constance locked away in their large old house as the town freaks after the *mysterious* death of their entire family at dinner on night. everyone hates them and wants them gone. merricat braves walking to town to buy groceries for her sister with cash from the vast amount of wealth they keep hidden in the house. the towns people sneer at merricat and ask her to leave and she, head lifted, tries bravely to remain unafraid. it is an all together marvelous book for anyone who enjoys the cryptic events that go on behind the scenes of creepy old houses. 0140145346:'it_is_obvious_that_heavier-than-air_flight_is_impossible.':maru 0140145346 The Emperor's New Mind: Books: Roger Penrose books 12 of 31 1.0 September 6, 2004 Maru LI! I will be brief: Penroses writing is mediocre, his drawings obfuscate more than clarify. The vast majority of the book is devoted to completely and utterly extraneous topics, and seems to largely be a platform for Penroses new quantum theories. His arguments are unclear, weak and largely dependent on philosphers like Lucas and Searle, while his idea of quantum effects is improbable and surely in the end irrelevant (cannot computers tap into quantum effects?) and his knowledge of computer science deeply, deeply suspect. For example, I quote here from the final sections which actually have something to do with his ostensible reason for writing the book: "Neverthless, one still might imagine some kind of natural selection process being effective for producing approximately valid algorithms. Personally, I find this very hard to believe, however." The entire flourishing, commercially succesful field of evolutionary computing begs to differ here, Mr. Penrose. SUch bonehead errors compells me to point out that this mathematician has no clothes 0060092572:dreadful:paul_skinner 0060092572 The Terminal Man: Books: Michael Crichton books 1 of 4 2.0 May 20, 2006 Paul Skinner Manassas, Virginia United States Perhaps this book appeared to be a futuristic medical thriller when it first came out, but now it seems like a bad 1950s horror movie. The story involves brain surgery gone bad, with a mix of artificial intelligence and mind control. The end of the story was very predictable and played out exactly as I suspected from the very beginning of the book. 031027771X:p_l_e_a_s_e_._._._buy_something_else:novel_reader_"just_a_review_._._." 031027771X Late Great Planet Earth, The: Books: Mr. Hal Lindsey,Carole C. Carlson,Hal Lindsey books 12 of 28 1.0 November 3, 2005 Novel Reader "just a review . . ." Earth Many reviewers on this site read TLGPE in the 70's, when we were young and impressionable. (I happened to be 13 when I read it.) If one could be sued for intellectual forgery, Lindsey would certainly be found at fault. Most of us, thankfully, have gotten past our fears that plagued our teenage years. After all, when we read TLGPE, we were young. We were searching and seeking. We didn't have all of the facts. There were wolves who knew this, and they preyed upon us. Many people who were older, yet still intellectually undeveloped, read this book and were moved to 'believing'. For most of us, our minds matured. We began to see the vast chinks in Lindsey's pompous Christian armor. We began to realize that fear is a weapon brandished by madmen, by people who use a subtle, gentle cloth of manipulation to control others. This is beyond dangerous. It is beyond extreme, as most of us have now found out. I love a good horror novel. I love a good 'true crime' thriller. But the fact that people read Lindsey's books and take them at face value is, perhaps, one of the scariest notions I have ever imagined. That, dear reader, is beyond horrific . . . and far more terrifying than anything you'll find in the bible or any of Lindeys 'books'. The only thing scarier is that Mr. Lindsey is still receiving royalties from an outdated, silly, contradictory and completely barbaric book penned over thirty years ago. Please don't be the next sucker. Please don't add this one to your cart. 0312203764:the_language_of_threads:_a_novel:c._miller 0312203764 The Language of Threads: Books: Gail Tsukiyama books 2 of 4 2.0 July 7, 2005 C. Miller Houston TX This was a less than stellar sequal to The Women of the Silk but it did finish the story of Pei to some extent. I found the historical aspect of the novel the most interesting and the story of the women the least believabl 0786269391:red_lily:j._berg_"red_ink" 0786269391 Thorndike Core - Large Print - Red Lily (Thorndike Core - Large Print): Books: Nora Roberts books 2 of 4 2.0 August 8, 2006 J. Berg "Red Ink" The story was slow, predictable and boring. I am still amazed I hung in there and finished reading it. It's a dud in my opinion 014305905X:same_old_same_old:brian_seel 014305905X The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina: Books: Frank Rich books 6 of 27 1.0 November 1, 2006 Brian Seel The title grabbed me because I have been noticing for, oh about 14 years now, the decline of the truth in this country. Unfortunately, this book is written precisely by the kind of person who has lost touch with reality and what truth is (definition of irony I believe). The reason it is #1 on the bestseller list is because there is a ready audience out there, of similarly detached people, who want anything (and I mean anything - a website with a good conspiracy story and a glass of warm milk before bed everynight is their ideal) that backs up their point of view. It is precisely why the truth is so out of fashion. New media streams like the internet, blogs, etc. offer up "news" without accountability. They allow this segment of society to avoid confronting the truth and instead construct their own alternative realities. It makes people like Frank Rich, rich, with very little effort. Why bother checking facts, his core readership doesn't care whether it is true or not, just tell them Bush is evil 1400053552:a_new_"worst"_book_in_my_libray:howard_jones 1400053552 Intellectual Morons: How Ideology Makes Smart People Fall for Stupid Ideas: Books: Daniel J. Flynn books 10 of 30 1.0 January 3, 2006 Howard Jones Show Low, AZ United States Who better to write a book about morons than Flynn? An abyssmally miserable book with so little substance I was surprised it didn't float out of my hands. It's a great resource for those looking for a plethora of examples of pitifully poor logic; Two wrongs don't make a right, non-sequiturs galore, red herrings - they're all there. It seems apparent the goal was to scoop up the easy money from the thin thinkers in our world. It certainly wasn't to write a scholarly treatise where the reader came away enlightened in the slightest way. I guess I have fallen into the category of "moron" by spending money on it and worse yet, reading it to completion. I'm embarrassed. Flynn should be too 0972517405:not_all_great_quotes...:baz 0972517405 1001 Motivational Quotes for Success: Great Quotes from Great Minds: Books: Thomas J. Vilord books 9 of 9 2.0 April 25, 2006 Baz Manchester, England I wanted to like this book. It's a great size for carrying around to dip into. However, I'd say about a third, or maybe more, I haven't counted, are anonymous. Here's an example: "Life is filled with possibilities" p31. Now I don't know about you, but I'd hardly class that as great stuff from great minds. Then I read "Decide what is worthwhile and follow through with it" and I'm beginning to yawn. When I came to "Above all, life should be fun" and "Always keep a window open in your mind for new ideas" and I'm just about ready to throw the book into the garbage. Also, the format of the book is terrible. Someone decided to put every quote into a little frame, so you get four quotes on a page. Still, for the price, it's not that bad. No, on second thoughts it's pretty dire. There's just too many pathetic jingles in here for me, which only motivate me to demand a refund! If I were you, I'd save my money and put it towards something else - "The Book of Positive Quotations" has 7000 quotes and I wouldn't be without my copy 0743530241:the_first_hundred_pages_really_work,_but_then...:joe 0743530241 The Kite Runner: Books: Khaled Hosseini books 2 of 4 2.0 November 12, 2006 Joe San Francisco, CA United States The Kite Runner gets off to such a good start, with its blend of history, observations about daily life in Kaboul, and a compelling story of two boys growing up together. The second half goes badly astray, as the novel becomes more and more manipulative and sentimental. By the end of the book, the author is willing to put his characters through all sorts of hell just so he can follow up with a teary reconciliation. I wish an editor had convinced him to tighten it up, stay focused, and resist the urge to tug at the heartstrings with such a heavy hand 0785721681:doesnt_look_like_grisham_at_his_best:reader_"reader" 0785721681 The Client: Books: John Grisham books 2.0 January 29, 2006 Reader "Reader" India I remember reading "The Chamber" distinctly. Somehow, this book doesnt even near that standard. The story line is vague with unnecessary twists and turns. The characters have been strongly depicted but none of them turns out to be standing out 1400046890:skip_it...content_of_zero_value...:r._taylor_"raytayz" 1400046890 The Next Big Thing Is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business: Books: Jack Uldrich,Deb Newberry books 1.0 August 30, 2006 R. Taylor "raytayz" louisville, ky USA ...Uldrich makes big bucks on the public speaking circuit discussing nanotechnology...I suspect this book was published for no other reason than to provide some "credentials" to support the speaking engagements...his most recent books published since this one have been one about George Marshall and another about Lewis and Clark -- real cutting edge technology there!...nope, don't buy it 1427200181:a_poor_imitation.:s._whiteside 1427200181 The Bancroft Strategy: Books: Robert Ludlum,Scott Sowers books 2.0 November 9, 2006 S. Whiteside LaLa Land The ghost writer was probably afraid to put his own name on the book. It was totally predictable without any of the depth found in real Ludlum books 0739326260:silly,silly,silly:mark_goldstein_"bookworm" 0739326260 Nature Girl (Random House Large Print): Books: Carl Hiaasen books 2.0 November 18, 2006 mark goldstein "bookworm" scottsdale, az USA I have been a devoted Hiaasen fan from the beginning and awaited all his novels which are few and far between with much excited anticipation. Although his writing remains flawless and some of his lines are hysterical, the story is just so silly I found it hard to keep my attention focused. I compare reading this book with watching a sponge bob cartoon which I do with my children on occasion. Sorry, I just couldn't finish it 0451151712:great_company_and_leader_-_outdated_and_dubious_book:badger 0451151712 Made in Japan: Akio Morita and Sony: Books: Akio Morita books 2 of 5 2.0 September 4, 2004 Badger Fukuoka, Japan I wavered awhile between three stars and two stars, because a company and entrepreneur as brilliant as Sony and Akio Morita seem to deserve at least three. However, in the end, the book's errors just piled too high. It opens well, with the story of Sony's founding and rise from leaking offices in a half-wrecked department store just after World War II, to becoming one of the world's great companies. This is a fascinating and inspiring story, and Morita tells it with flair. Then, unfortunately, the downward spiral begins. Morita consistently takes his experience at Sony and assumes that every other Japanese company operates the same way, which is a fantastically wrong assertion (as the last thirteen years of Japan's seemingly endless recession have shown). He also frequently takes good basic management techniques, like trusting employees and giving them creative leeway, and tries to brand them as somehow uniquely "Japanese". Then there are all the claims which are simply out-and-out false, such as Japan supposedly having the world's best construction technology. (It actually has perhaps the worst in the industrial world, as the Kobe earthquake unfortunately demonstrated.) Or how Japan is supposedly a nation fanatically devoted to not wasting anything. (Yet it only recently discovered the concept of "second-hand goods", instead of throwing nearly-new furniture and clothing away. Plus, Japanese garbage trucks groan under the weight of the world's worst overpackaging.) Reading between the lines, a person can see the roots of so many of the problems that Japan faces today. For example, Morita spends a good deal of words attacking the excess of lawyers in the United States. While this can, of course, sometimes be a serious problem, it also gives U.S. consumers a way to protect themselves. Japan's consumers, on the other hand, without an accessible court system, are almost completely at the mercy of bureaucrats and executives. Complaints about dangerous products or chemicals in drinking water are simply ignored, because they lack any threat of legal action. In another example, Morita praises the "trust" and agreements without contracts that exist among Japanese corporations. In reality, this "trust" is a death pact, as bankrupt inefficient companies are propped up by their buddies, instead of letting them fall and create openings for fresh and innovative entrepreneurs. Other than the glimpses into Sony's history and corporate culture, this book is only interesting as a museum piece - yet another in the flood of "Japan is going to take over" books that came out in the Eighties. Although, of course, considering all the "Internet companies are going to take over" books that came out in the Nineties, not even this is a uniquely "Japanese" phenomenon. PS: Anyone wanting a healthy reality check about the current state of Japan should read "Dogs and Demons" by Alex Kerr. 1893554589:bible_comparison:tom_sato_"tom" 1893554589 Islam Unveiled: Disturbing Questions About the World's Fastest Growing Faith: Books: Robert Spencer,David Pryce-Jones books 8 of 48 1.0 May 25, 2006 Tom Sato "Tom" Florida, USA [Joshua 6:23,21]Joshua said to the people of Israel, "The Lord has given you the city of the all silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: They shall come into the treasury of the Lord. The people utterly DESTROYED ALL THAT WAS IN THE CITY, BOTH MAN AND WOMAN,YOUNG AND OLD, AND OX AND SHEEP, AND ASS, WITH THE EDGE OF THE SWORD. Deuteronomy 17:3-5 "And he should go and worship other gods and bow down to them or to the sun or the moon or all the army of the heavens, .....and you must stone such one with stones and such one must die." Romans 1:20-32 ....32. "Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." Numbers 31: And the Lord said unto Moses, "Avenge the children of the Mid'-an'ites.. They warred against the Mid'-i-an'ites, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they slay all the males. And they took all women as captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods. And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire. Moses said, "HAVE YOU SAVED ALL THE WOMEN ALIVE? NOW KILL EVERY MALE AMONG THE LITTLE ONES, AND KILL EVERY WOMAN that has known a man by lying with him, but all the young girls who have not known a man by lying with him keep alive for yourselves." [Quran-60:8-9] GOD does not enjoin you from befriending those who do not fight you because of religion, and do not evict you from your homes. You may befriend them and be equitable towards them. GOD loves the equitable. GOD enjoins you only from befriending those who fight you because of religion, evict you from your homes, and band together with others to banish you. You shall not befriend them. Those who befriend them are the transgressors. 0439139600:one_point_story._._._:kimberly_wolfinger_"twighlight" 0439139600 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4): Books: J. K. Rowling,Mary GrandPr books 0 of 1 2.0 October 28, 2006 Kimberly Wolfinger "Twighlight" I was more upset with this book than anyother. I've loved every book in the series , but this one was more dissapointing. I pictured EVERYTHING the sasme as in the movie though... thatrs just telling you how welll it's written and described. But, it was more about the Triwizard tournament the whole entire time. Still, i am addicted to the series . Either way you should read the story just to understand whats going on. I just wish it would have been more exciting and less predictable 0395859980:interesting_ideas_poorly_communicated:"kstoltz3" 0395859980 The Good Society: The Humane Agenda: Books: John Kenneth Galbraith books 2 of 13 2.0 December 31, 2003 "kstoltz3" Leesburg, VA Galbraith's insight on society unfortunately gets lost in a maze of double negatives and confusing sentence structure. His ideas are sound, though he has a very off-putting pompous delivery. In fact, his verbosity and poor structure is so bad, that it turns what should be a slim read into a fairly mind-numbing experience. The book really needs to go back to an editor 0395859980:a_book_that_will_make_you_laugh_and_frighten_you:zecon 0395859980 The Good Society: The Humane Agenda: Books: John Kenneth Galbraith books 10 of 40 2.0 October 21, 1999 Zecon who has a life that is deemed too rewarding Mr. Galbraith is smart, accomplished, and learned man who knows what is best for all us. His view of a good society differs from past visions of societal utopia. Rather than a completely coercive state directing the actions of its citizens to some hirer calling, Mr. Galbraith aims to be `practical' and just further defines the third way. Nonetheless, his proposal of what makes a good society is not the classical liberal view and it is more attuned to the European model of society. Many of his proposals are so silly you won't take them seriously. But sadly, he is quite serious. For example, Mr. Galbraith states that in a good society everyone should have a rewarding life. Of course, he never defines the standard by which society should judge whether or not a life is rewarding. Neither does he address what one should do if their life is un-rewarding and what the obligation is of society to fulfill that vision of a rewarding life. And, of course, who is the `rewarding life judge' and does this judge have the authority of the state to take something from someone (who has a life that is deemed too rewarding) for someone who has life that is too un-rewarding. Mr. Galbraith fails to convince the reader of the practicality of his proposals and ends up straddling a line between socialism and capitalism, and saying nothing new 0842329129:christian_fundamentalism_dramatized:thomas_j._hickey 0842329129 Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days (Left Behind No. 1): Books: Tim F. LaHaye,Jerry B. Jenkins books 3 of 5 2.0 October 13, 2006 Thomas J. Hickey River Forest, IL USA Even the avid "trekie" reader of the Star Trek science fiction novels, movies and television series must suspend disbelief, when he finds Captain Kirk saying "Beam me up, Scotty." But the biblical literalist reading this book need make no such effort, when he reads in this book that Jesus will effectively beam millions of true Christians up to heaven in the world-wide "Rapture." Though the characters and their roles are fictitious, the book specifically references the relevant biblical passages for the believer. The story line opens with the chaotic moment of discovery after the historic mass Rapture event, and the remainder is a moral melodrama concluding with emotional born-again conversions. In the September/October 2006 issue of Foreign Affairs Walt Mead writes that fundamentalists are not hospitable to the idea of gradual progress toward a secular utopia driven by technological advances and the cooperation of intelligent people of all religious traditions. Instead fundamentalists separate themselves from the world and have a premillennial pessimism about prospects for social reform. Billy Graham's biography by Strober notes that they criticized Graham's "new evangelism" for its inclusiveness and for its involvement in addressing social problems. Yet their separatism does not preclude proselytizing as portrayed in these novels by the "Tribulation Force" or as exemplified by Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority. They are also committed to an apocalyptic vision of the end of the world and are hostile to international institutions such as the United Nations. Mead notes that it is no coincidence that the Left Behind novels show the Antichrist rising to power as the secretary-general of the United Nations. The U.S. Statistical Abstract reports that the per capita numbers of fundamentalists are growing exponentially, while evangelicals and liberals - e.g. Southern Baptists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists - and Catholics are continuing their per capita declines. Such data and the reported popularity of these Left Behind novels indicate fundamentalism's growing appeal in reaction to contemporary American society. I see the readers who seriously respond to this book as the "left behind" in the backwash of the tidal flows of cultural change in modern American society, and as conservative Christians who believe it is better to stay behind. And in not just a few respects, they may be wise to do so. Thomas J. Hickey 0439887453:check_all_books_carefully:sugar_pie 0439887453 Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-6): Books: J. K. Rowling books 1 of 1 2.0 November 5, 2006 Sugar Pie Deep South, United States My problem was that these books were missing chunks of pages! We didn't notice it until book 4 of 6, but 80+ pages were gone! Now, Amazon was great about replacing the set adn paying for me to return the messed-up set. This is just a warning to check your boxed set when it gets in for missing chunks of pages! Of course, the Harry Potter series is great, adn we love having them in paperback 0743412583:hard_to_read,_misses_the_mark:j.j._flintz 0743412583 E Writing: 21st Century Tools for Effective Communication: Books: Dianna Booher books 1 of 1 1.0 March 29, 2005 J.J. Flintz While the author rehashes some basic business writing theory, she consistently fails to follow her own rules: - The text is full of fluff - The style is flippant instead of useful - The lecture style puts you to sleep There are much better books on the subject. A textbook approach is necessary for this subject. Not this dopey-run-on-crap. 0764565168:don't_waste_your_money...:kindnessiscontagious 0764565168 The Mother of All Pregnancy Books: The Ultimate Guide to Conception, Birth, and Everything In Between (U.S. Edition): Books: Ann Douglas books 1 of 5 1.0 November 7, 2006 KindnessIsContagious Sunny Socal If you walk into B&N and flip through (not even buy!) the other "well known/recommended" pregnancy books you'll get much more information than what Douglas offers. If you're lazy/want a quick read, this book is for you. If you're looking for a comprehensive tell-all (which the title and reviews lead you to believe), this is *not* the book for you. This was a total waste of money! If I had know it was this bad I would have just used my money to buy diapers instead. 1596001917:this_angel_fell_flat:bergsteigerin 1596001917 Angels Fall: Books: Nora Roberts,Joyce Bean books 1 of 1 1.0 November 5, 2006 Bergsteigerin Austria Hmm, quite a disappointment, especially after splurging on the hardcover edition. Set as a kind of "Rockies Rear Window," this is one slow story. Endless pages of crazy-making when I'd already guessed the outcome about halfway through. Finally skipped ahead to finish the book. I had really looked forward to Angels Fall, too :( If you are a Roberts fan, don't spend the money on the hardcover, wait for the paperback, go to the library, or borrow from a friend. Not worth the price. 0743497554:abolutely_boring:l._miller_"lysis" 0743497554 Constantine: Books: John Shirley books 0 of 3 1.0 November 1, 2005 L. Miller "Lysis" Salem, OR There were several good scenes, but they didn't make up for the rest of the book. Not worth reading. 0345468694:not_one_of_quindlen's_best:kathy_a._powers_"kat" 0345468694 Blessings: Books: Anna Quindlen books 2.0 November 5, 2006 Kathy A. Powers "Kat" Littleton, CO This book was easy enough to read, it just wasn't what I expected from Quindlen. I usually find her writing style and her way of thinking about things so captivating, in this book I really did not find either of those traits to stand out. The back-and-forth from current day to the past was somewhat confusing, and sometimes I was in the middle of a paragraph before I realized this paragraph was a jump to the past, whereas the previous paragraph was present time. Although I got used to that writing style, I always found it annoying. The storyline itself never sold me either: a typical, young "sew-your-wild-oats" boy finds a baby and decides to keep it and is the "perfect" father. I just did not find such an occurrence likely. And, as a mother myself, all the times he either left the newborn alone or took it with him while he labored on the land just made me squirm. Anyway the whole story seemed far-fetched and disjointed to me, and a disappointment especially since I have been a Quindlen fan for many, many years 089381296X:just_awful:david_brown 089381296X At Twelve: Portraits of Young Women: Books: Sally Mann,Ann Beattie books 7 of 76 1.0 February 25, 2005 David Brown just awful save your money, this book is not worth it. The pictures are dull and lifeless, boring composition. Mann hasn't captured anything here but a bunch of worthless photos. Any 10th rate amateur photographer could have done better. 0670849707:and_yet_more_elitist_filth_in_print:songbird 0670849707 Collected Fictions: Books: Jorge Luis Borges books 18 of 126 2.0 July 9, 2004 Songbird when I should have been writing my dissertation I was recommended Borges' works by one of his innumerable over-educated sycophants and I will never forget the tremendous time I wasted attempting to grasp the supposed value of his life's work (when I should have been writing my dissertation). Each time I read one of his pedantic, mediocre peices of short fiction, I was convinced by these elite book review troglodytes that I would like other examples of his work if I continued reading since "all of his stories are so unique." I found the exact opposite to be true. One story after another about mazes, mirrors, mystical mathematical formulas and books, books, books. The ideas were transperant, the language boring in the extreme. His poetry is trite. Who needs this? Borges reads like a petulant graduate student at University of Chicago who failed repeatedly to get his/her short fiction published in _The Atlantic Monthly_. Particularly among academics, literary elites and like people, many seem to cite Borges and worship his genius more than read him--and certaintly _no one_ reads him critically. I read most of his work, and I can tell you, outside of a few interesting turns of phrase, you'd be better off reading a Yale dissertation on the semiotics of self-superiority. People incessantly talk about how imaginative Borges is. The vast majority of popular SF and fantasy writers are more imaginative. Even many of the despicable magical realist "geniuses" make Borges look rather plain. Borges merely litters his works with elite literary references and a kind of faculty cocktail party wit to make it more palatable to the kind of people who never step foot out of Manhattan or Cambridge. If you're this kind of pompous fellow, you'll want to sleep every night with a portrait of Luis by your side and a series of mirrors, as it were, slowly attempting to seek some kind of trans-substantiation with this benighted old librarian. If you're the kind of person who prefers reading about interesting characters, enjoying nuanced use of language, and grasping subtle, daring ideas that transcend purile academic banter, run far, far away from Jorge Luis Borges. Even top authors from all over the world and every historical period get bad reviews. The adulation of Borges merely underlines the fact that this is more about a cult of personality among (those who think themselves) intellectual elites than a serious attempt to evaluate his fiction. I think his fiction is better considered a kind of academic experiment, relegated to quirky local fiction publications and coffee house poetry slams, and not an example of literary genius. In that sense, 30min spent on one of his short stories gets you the drift of his entire body of work, and that's about as much attention as he deserves 184115458X:don't_waste_your_money:reader 184115458X Year of Wonders: Books: Geraldine Brooks books 2 of 13 1.0 September 1, 2006 Reader Seattle I read exactly half the book and stopped. Based on all the criticisms of the unlikely ending, that was a good decision. As it is there went hours of my life I won't get back! The book is silly and laughable. The premise sounded great - but the book is bad. Really bad 0060005726:nothing_new_here:miller_b._arbutine 0060005726 Play Poker Like the Pros: Books: Phil Hellmuth books 1 of 1 2.0 July 19, 2006 Miller B. Arbutine Tampa Bay Florida I have read a bunch of poker books and play regularly. There are a lot of good books out there, Dan Harrington's the very best, but this isnt one of them. Too much ego here and not enough helpful information 1570429669:not_bad:bergsteigerin 1570429669 The Rescue: Books: Nicholas Sparks,Mary Beth Hurt,John Bedford Lloyd books 2.0 September 28, 2006 Bergsteigerin Austria I use "The Notebook" and "A Walk to Remember" as optional films in my upper division sociology courses. After hearing many positive student responses, I was curious about Sparks as an author--one of the few males writing commercially successful romance novels. After a slow start with "True Believer," I was more satisfied with "The Rescue." Taylor's friendship with Mitch and his emotional growth add dimension to an otherwise standard tale of boy meets girl, etc., etc., 0739326333:neocon_babble:r._balfour 0739326333 Godless: The Church of Liberalism (Random House Large Print): Books: Ann Coulter books 6 of 12 1.0 November 10, 2006 R. Balfour southern California Ann Coulter is unbelievable in her unrelenting hatred of anyone not in aggreement with her warped sense of reality. To her there is no middle ground. I am an educated, well travelled adult who while born in the United States, spent a good portion of my childhood living overseas and consider myself to be fairly open minded. To be called a communist, a traitor, and an enemy of America just because I don't buy into the ultra conservative mind think is an insult to the freedom that this country was founded on. I have never in my life considered buring or destroying a book because of it's evil, until I read this one. Be afraid, be very afraid of these people 1417697695:200_pages_of_total_immersion_italian:ronald_d._stock 1417697695 Broker: Books: John Grisham books 3 of 4 1.0 October 2, 2006 Ronald D. Stock Chicago, IL United States The is by far the weakest Grisham novel I've ever read. The first two hundred pages creep along at a glacial pace as the protagonist (Joel Backman; more about him later) wanders Italy for nearly 200 pages, learning to speak the language and spending way too much time sipping espresso in quaint trattorias with Italian carictatures that would make Chico Marx cringe. When Grisham finally rachets up the action and suspense, it's all for naught, as the story eventually limps and staggers to a completely listless and anticlimactic ending. As for Joel Backman, I can't think of a more unlikeable and unsympathetic protagonist in recent memory. A disgraced lawyer, lobbyist and traitor that plowed through life in a meaningless quest for wealth and power, all the while causing numerous deaths, and alienating numerous wives and children is supposed to be someone we care about? Does this character redeem himself in any meaningful fashion? You read the book and decide.. 044669651X:too_predictable:jeannine_cool_pepper_"cool_girl" 044669651X True Believer: Books: Nicholas Sparks books 1 of 3 2.0 August 29, 2006 Jeannine Cool Pepper "Cool Girl" Potomac Falls, va United States Not a bad beach read but nothing in this story is unexpected. I didn't really connect with the main characters. I was interested by the description in the supernatural aspects (the lights) it seemed like a mystery/love story that may have been unique but instead was a way too predictable love story. 0385508417:not_funny.__waste_of_time.__distasteful.__boring.__awful.:first_lady_of_long_beach_"lady" 0385508417 Skipping Christmas: Books: John Grisham books 2 of 4 1.0 August 4, 2006 First Lady of Long Beach "Lady" Long Beach, CA If the Kranks really did what they set out to do and skip Christmas, that would have been a good story. The end. Instead, they end up having to scramble to try & make Christmas "happen" for their daughter unexpectedly coming home. In other words - a typical stressful material holiday, instead of a celebration of friends, family, or even, gasp! Christ's birth. I agree - if you don't want to celebrate Christ's birth, if you don't want presents and holiday decorations and family time - skip it. Why torture yourself? It would have been a good story if they did this. Instead, the plot deteriorated into a very stupid, ridiculous and unrealistic dash to the finish line of "making Christmas happen." A completely unsatisfying and unfunny read. Threw it away so others wouldn't have the displeasure of reading it 0393027503:don't_waste_your_money...:chris_kauza_"chris" 0393027503 Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage of Wall Street: Books: Michael Lewis books 0 of 1 2.0 November 9, 2006 Chris Kauza "Chris" Denver, CO ...you can waste your time and save your money by checking this out of your local library. If you want to get an "inside view" of the inner workings of Wall Street during the excessive gyrations of the '80s, then read Den of Theives - that book is well written and well worth the money! What turned me off about this book was the structure and the writing style. The first half of the book was essentially the author relating fortuitous circumstances that were the product of Serendipity. He was simply in the right place at the right time, had virutally no idea how he got there, felt out of place the whole time (even when he was raking in the Big Bucks in NY and London), and so now he thought he'd wwrite a book about it. I also got the sense that he was trying to assuage some guilt from his association at Salomon Brothers. He was there, he made a lot of money, good for him - get over it! I was also pretty disappointed because the subject matter has A LOT more potential. I might have actually enjoyed it - had I not read Den of Theives 7 years earlier, and already had some idea of how things took place. But, if you can get it for $5 or less (including shipping), and you have little to no knowledge of what an investment banker's life is like (and you haven't also seen the movie Wall Street (which covers the same highlights in this book)), then it's probably worth it. I did like the wrap up he did towards the end of the book, relating where he had heard everyone from the firm ended up...althought that seemed a little rushed.. 1593976690:the_world_is_flat:joseph_w._crespo_"joe_c" 1593976690 The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century: Books: Thomas L. Friedman,Oliver Wyman books 2 of 7 1.0 November 10, 2006 Joseph W. Crespo "joe c" usa it is juust a copy of the frist book. if you read the frist the world is flat, then don't waste your time. jo 0375505490:fluff_and_poor_philosophy:chris 0375505490 Being Perfect: Books: Anna Quindlen books 4 of 6 1.0 June 25, 2005 Chris Cerritos, CA USA What a disappointment! Based on reviews, I couldn't wait to get this book. Don't let the 48 pages fool you...half of the pages are pictures, and the half with writing on them are double-spaced with wide margins. Took me all of 20 minutes to read (and only that long because of all the page turning). Nothing wrong with being concise....except that the philosophy here is overly simplified. Quindlen goes to great lengths to equate "Pefection" with "Conformity" and condemning it as inauthentic. I do believe that women tend to set unrealistic expectations for themselves (i.e., wanting to be the perfect mother, perfect daughter, perfect wife, perfect businesswoman); therefore, it creates warm, fuzzy feelings to hear someone criticize perfection as being "boring". Unfortunately, to claim that "[well-behaved women] don't make good lawyers....or businesswomen" just doesn't follow. This is not deep reading. 20 minutes? Don't waste your time. 0199241538:really_bad_sociology:varmint 0199241538 The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society: Books: Manuel Castells books 3 of 6 2.0 October 14, 2004 varmint Boston, MA, USA My understanding is that this book is an accessible summary of the ideas Catsells presents in his three volume magnum opus, the Information Age (which starts with the Network Society). If this is so, I am definitely not missing much by not having read the trilogy. This is a really bad piece of sociology, characterized by a technologically deterministic analysis. Why did I give it two stars instead of one then? Well, it does have some OK parts. Catsell's analysis of the origins of the internet is an interesting bit of the sociology of technology and what saves the book from pure technological determinism. He also presents some convincing data (gathered by other people) that use of the internet for socializing does not suck people into an on-line world, alienating them from the world of face-to-face interaction; this happens in the case of a few troubled people, but most people use the internet to enhance their already existing off-line relationships. The rest of the book basically argues that the network format of the internet is reshaping the rest of society in its image, with everything from big business to governments to social movements adopting a network form in response to the rise of this new technology. This is, frankly, ludicrous reductionism. It doesn't even stand up to a simple test of chronology--a lot of the developments that Castells argues are driven by the internet predate the explosion of ist usage in the mid-1990s. As Castells himself admits, businesses were already taking on more of a network form before the internet appeared big time on the scene, and social movement scholars have shown the same is true of transnational social movements. On top of this, Castells shows an effusive enthusiasm for all things networked, whether they be transnational corporations or the transnational social movements that oppose these same corporations. I'm really at a loss to understand how one can enthuse about both of these opposed phenomena. Castells does see some of the problems with the new network society--loss of job security and the digital divide, for instance--but he tends to downplay these. And his solution to these problems tends to come down to more of the same--more internet access, more network social organization. Talk about a narrow vision 1575666618:drama,_constant_climax_&_hysteria_do_not_make_a_novel:george_lake 1575666618 The World of Normal Boys: Books: K. M. Soehnlein books 1 of 12 1.0 June 17, 2006 George Lake New Jersey This "novel" would be better suited for the stage. It reads like a play, often. It's not realistic as the author goes overboard in depicting "high drama" within a family. They suffer a tragedy that would certainly affect a family but to the extent the author has them changing is not realistic at all. There are far too many scenes of shouting, histrionics. The father goes from being Ward Cleaver to a verbally abusive monster. If I had to see the mother one more time with her calling "Robin!" I was going to scream. The author needs to understand that high drama and a climax will be inferred by the reader after seeing the conflict. This author forces the climax onto us in every scene. He's desperate for this end result of angst, high drama and shock. It's overkill. I don't believe that a 14 year old would become this promiscuous. Sure it happens but this was the Leave it to Beaver family at first. It just doesn't make sense that because of ONE incident, all members of the family devolve into sordid disasters. In short, the author needs to be focused more on telling a story, allowing the reader to infer. Instead, he thrusts high drama and climax onto us at every turn. It's ironic, actually, as he's trying to make us feel drama but he did it so much that I just felt tedium. Very, very contrived and forced novel. Not believable. I do not recommend 0618526412:make_sure_you_read_some_of_the_reviews_before_you_read:r._toney 0618526412 The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (Oprah's Book Club): Books: Carson McCullers books 1.0 November 9, 2006 R. Toney Indianapolis Please take the time to consider what kind of reader you are. I hated this book. It took me at least 6 months to read this because I could not force myself to read it. But that being said I also hate stream of consciousness and now wished that I had looked at some reviews and realized that was what I was getting myself into. I read 'As I Lay Dying' in High School and hated it too. There is no plot, and no point. I hated it. 0393314251:fabulously_biased_"research":brian_bagnall 0393314251 The Mismeasure of Man: Books: Stephen Jay Gould books 13 of 47 2.0 November 27, 2005 Brian Bagnall Canada It still amazes me that anyone takes Gould seriously. He is an admitted Marxist, and he allows his social beliefs to influence science. That is not science. Science is a dispasionate search for the truth. I get the feeling reading this book that Gould doesn't like what the truth is, so he wants to shape the way we see the truth. They used to do that in the middle ages when it started to look like the earth revolved around the sun. Gould tries to claim that Samuel George Morton fudged his data on measuring skull sizes. This is not true. Morton conducted his tests with integrity, and only one error was found which actually benefited the measurements of a non-Caucasian group (Kevin McDonald, "Culture of Critique", 36). General intelligence is not a "statistical artifact" as Gould wants to promote. Gould or any other scientist who wants to take Darwin out of biological sciences should be viewed with extreme skepticism 0307283658:too_popular_to_bother_trying_anymore.:fantasyfan 0307283658 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6): Books: J.K. Rowling,Jim Dale books 1 of 1 1.0 November 11, 2006 FantasyFan USA J.K. Rowling successfully put me off this book series within the first two chapters of this book. The characters personalities were wavering in book 5, in this they completely vanished or mutated. I'll only be getting the 7th one because it's the last one and I've read this far so I might as well go the whole way. In books one through four the trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione were loveable characters tenaciously and cleverly seeking out the answers to the mysteries that came up each year and saving the day. Book 5 had them doing more angsting and screaming than mystery solving, and more whining than day saving. Book 6 made them stand in paper doll doing a bad job miming the motions the real characters would have done. This book Harry seemed to care more about romance. A very poorly done romance littered with cheezy phrases and romantic moments on par with the worst of bad fanfiction; which had no background or build up from previous books. A female character from the background, whom Harry barely even notices all through the past five books, is suddenly the most perfect and beautiful girl in the school in mary-sue fashion. Several other characters in both the foreground and background were also unfortunately treated to Rowlings amature attempts at romance, none of which bore any revelance to plot or story. Harry also had a significant decline in morality and intelligence. The clever boy who put clues together with his friends now cheats in one of his classes and makes one stupid mistake after another. The image of Harry that stuck with me and seemed to glare off the pages every time he spoke or did anything was of him lying, frozen in a curled position on the floor of the train with blood coming out of his broken nose, under his invisibility cloak and rolling around with the trains motion after a particularly stupid episode with Malfoy. As to the general plot of the book. Poorly done. Continually backstaged by sickeningly done romance and angst it barely made an impression on me. Most of the 'revealations' in the book revealed nothing not already known or obvious from old information, and the culmination of what Harry was not-quite-solving didn't amount to anything. My final opinion: Don't bother to read past book 4 if you're just starting the series and care anything at all about characterization. A very disappointing book 0385332963:not_worth_it:reader_"reader" 0385332963 Leap of Faith: Books: Danielle Steel books 1 of 1 1.0 October 18, 2005 Reader "Reader" India This was the first book by Daniel Steel that I laid my hands on....Really could not make out how she strikes the chord with the readers. There are so many open ends in the story...chartacters are not distinctly outlined...Tremendous scope of improvement on the story is there 0156907399:confusing_on_audio:d._k._snider 0156907399 To the Lighthouse: Books: Virginia Woolf,Eudora Welty (Introduction) books 5 of 5 2.0 March 18, 2006 D. K. Snider Spring Hill, FL USA Woolf's style of writing (changing between several characters' thoughts) causes difficulty for one to follow this novel on audio. The paperback proved to be easier for me. 0029066824:sad_sorry_snoozer:jason_ard 0029066824 The Left-Hander Syndrome : The Causes & Consequences of Left Handedness: Books: Stanley Coren books 2 of 6 1.0 February 10, 2000 Jason Ard Narnia This book is not what I thought I bought. I was expecting information useful to left handers. Instead I found out why society belives left-handers are evil and research on how left handers are formed. I enjoyed reading the encylopedia more than this book. By the way, it was written by a right-handed person 0316728284:borrrrrrrrrring:bergsteigerin 0316728284 True Believer: Books: Nicholas Sparks books 1 of 3 1.0 September 25, 2006 Bergsteigerin Austria When I picked up True Believer, I was anticipating a good mystery as well as the chance to empathize with sensitively drawn characters. Neither panned out. This book is boring. The characters are one-dimensional and there is no mystery. Too much detail and not enough substance. Not sure what the point of the story was as I didn't get it 0316728284:ouch!__worse_than_most_paperback_romances:j._gardner_"just_a_guy" 0316728284 True Believer: Books: Nicholas Sparks books 2 of 3 1.0 July 7, 2006 J. Gardner "Just a Guy" Maryland This book proves once again, that you don't necessarily have to be a good writer to make lots of cash and sell huge quantities of books to the mass market. "True Believer" is an all-star team of cheap, shallow cliches. There is no plot. No one really believes anything, and everything is a contrived, superficial mish-mash. The dialoge has no depth, and when you've had too much dialoge, there's paragraph after paragraph of the main characters, "thinking" to themselves. Wow, is this bad. "Message in a Bottle" was a great plot idea, but its been a slow, steady descent since then. You might have a good laugh at it like I did, but otherwise I was very disappointed. 0316728284:where's_the_spark?:book_lover 0316728284 True Believer: Books: Nicholas Sparks books 4 of 5 1.0 July 1, 2006 book lover Litchfield Park, Az USA I have 50 pages to go and I can't wait to finish this boring waste of time. Very predictable, sappy, sweet and quite meaningless. I give it a minus 1 0743270312:there_is_no_number,_only_a_lot_of_assumptions_and_risks:peter_lorenzi 0743270312 The Number : A Completely Different Way to Think About the Rest of Your Life: Books: Lee Eisenberg books 3 of 5 2.0 August 20, 2006 Peter Lorenzi Maryland, USA "The number" poses an interesting question but provides no helpful answers. A four percent draw on invested assets is as much an old wives' tale as a piece of scientific wisdom, even if it is a number. Eisenberg's number is the inverse of that draw down, or twenty-five times.... well, there's the rub, twenty-five times what? income? expenses? income less savings? projected discretionary spending? Post-mortgage payoff and college tuition expenses? The proverbial bottom line is clouded by conversations with an eclectic collection of consultants, experts, philosophers, and casual acquaintances. Eisenberg, a former Esquire editor and short-timer with Lands End, ruminates about a simple question: How much money do you need to feel secure? The problem is that security comes in multiple forms: happiness, comfort, excess consumption, ego. And the accuracy and stability of those measures and outcomes is compounded by key assumptions about how long you will live and how healthy those years will be. Constructing a one-year budget is hard enough. Constructing a thirty-year budget is nearly impossible. Eisenberg doesn't help his case by the offbeat and idiosyncratic examples and profiles he chooses. Doctors, divorcees, `downshifters', and very little real data shed little light on the real issues. Maybe I knew too much going in. Maybe I expected too much from a few positive references from other sources. In the middle I was confused. By the end I was simply disappointed. And I have my own number, and it changes every day 0743270312:worst_advice_book_in_history:john_w._pigott_"jpig98" 0743270312 The Number : A Completely Different Way to Think About the Rest of Your Life: Books: Lee Eisenberg books 6 of 9 1.0 July 29, 2006 John W. Pigott "jpig98" atlanta, ga This is, without question, the WORST book ever written on one's financial life. To begin with, it's useless: ZERO information, ZERO new analysis of old information, ZERO advice, ZERO interesting anecdotes. Additionally, it's rambling--meandering from summaries of old data, to poorly written schmaltzy 'new age' feel-good blathering. What exactly is this guy's point? No way to tell. Seriously, this book is SO BAD that all the people who allowed their names to be associated with blurbs on the cover have, in my opinion, lost all remaining credibility. What a waste of my $16 and 4 hours. I want my money and time back. 1402204981:disappointing:sarrah 1402204981 50,001 Best Baby Names: Books: Diane Stafford books 10 of 12 2.0 March 28, 2006 Sarrah Michigan This book has a lot of names. I'll give it that. But, there are some relatively common names that are missing. And so many invented names. My favorite of the invented names are Schmoopie and Poogie. As if these names will show up on a birth certificate!! The definitions/origins of the names are poorly researched and confusing. For the name "Cowboy" the book tells you it means "country" for the name "Country" it tells you it means "western". Not that either of those is a standard name, but, for "words as names" aren't you going to pick it because it has meaning to you? Also, the lists are totally false, something the author (if you can call her that) made up while sitting around drinking with her buddies. And some of the names on these lists aren't even found later in the book. (ex. Lynus on the "Party animals" list) I wish I had held out for a trip to the bookstore instead of just picking up the first book I saw at Walmart. I figured with so many names I would find one I liked, but I am just so distracted by all the junk that I will never find a good name here. 1405500069:not_good:barb 1405500069 The Five People You Meet in Heaven: Books: Mitch Albom,Erik Singer books 1 of 3 1.0 November 12, 2006 Barb Michigan I thought the title was interesting so I bought this book. Wow, what a disappointment. This is sappy and poorly written. How does Mitch Albom keep getting on the best sellers list 2843237297:decent/lofty_ideas..._but_lacking...:ant_man 2843237297 Video Game Art: Books: Nic Kelman books 4 of 4 2.0 April 2, 2006 ant_man New York City, USA The trouble starts early. There is an apologetic preamble which states that the author(s) would not dedicate precious space to titles that are well known and well documented beyond the gaming community. This is an enormous assumption about the general public's knowledge - both of video games and more-so it's history of design. Many people that have heard of these games or seen their children watch the TV-spinoffs, most likely would not be able to identify what the games actually look(ed) like or anything about their play dynamics in a gaming environment. Even though Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Donkey Kong, Defender, Asteroids, Missile Command, Frogger, etc. are mentioned briefly there are no images of reference for these classic games for us to (a) review and recognize, and (b) learn from. If this is supposed to be a sort of retrospective of the graphic art of game design (this is not about studies of techniques for rendering) then why not show some of these all-time classics as well as the 'new-time' classics? The latter are better represented throughout the book but some of the choices are omissions are questionable. The brief smattering of 'classics' that are shown tend to be more human-looking figurative than 'iconic' which seems lacking to me in breadth and style of representation. Beyond this much of the work - but not all - feels and looks rather 'same-y' to me. Lots of brooding dark scene-scapes and characters clearly inspired by countless horror/goth/fantasy masters such as Boris Vallejo or much of the work seen in Heavy Metal. When there is mention of games that are actually considered modern art on display at world-famous museums, such as "Rez," -- we are not shown any images of it because space was taken up by two nearly identical renderings of Lara Croft(!) in the same spread. One has to ask oneself: what was the author/picture editor thinking? The fact of the matter is that for all the long-winded talk in the intro there is little to graphically show us where the industry came from verses where we are now. And from what I can tell, there is absolutely no mention of the explosion of games and utterly unique designs being done in FLASH. Arguably one of the largest and least expensive/complicated environments for making a unique game. Furthermore, all the games covered and talked about (that I can tell) are from very large corporations and as such tend to be slanted and biased in a number of regards. My biggest problem with this book was the editing - particularly with regard to choices of art. Far too many examples if things that look the same versus examples of unique design concepts and forms as well as proper representations for an historical analysis. Very nice printing, some nice layouts, and some interesting topics are raised with relation to character conception versus form, versus environment - but I would not recommend this for critical graphic design analysis or critical anything 0804106304:300_pages_of_misandry:nicholas_ruberto 0804106304 The Joy Luck Club: Books: Amy Tan books 7 of 33 1.0 May 8, 2006 Nicholas Ruberto Oklahoma City If you are a man, you will not like this collection of feminist essays. This book is worse than bad. It is an abomination 0440136482:holy_moly_:the_apostate 0440136482 Holy Blood, Holy Grail: Books: Michael Baigent,Richard Leigh,Henry Lincoln books 2 of 3 1.0 October 19, 2006 The Apostate Stockholm, Sweden This is the book Dan Brown's bestseller "The Da Vinci Code" is based on. Indeed, Michael Baigent et.al. have even sued Brown in court, charging him with plagiarizing their book. The ideas behind "The Da Vinci Code" have been exposed as completely bogus by many real historians. Obviously, this exposure affects "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" as well. This book is methodologically flawed. It claims that Jesus survived the crucifixion and sired children with Mary Magdalene. But if this happened, there should be ancient documents telling us about it. There are essentialy only three ancient views of Jesus: the Christian, the Judeo-Christian and the Gnostic. None of them includes the notion that Jesus married and had children with Mary Magdalene. It simply isn't serious to reject the ancient documents in favor of modern texts of questionable value, as Michael Baigent does. Of course, a conspiracy theorist might claim that the ancient documentation is lacking due to a massive cover-up. But such an argument, compelling as it may sound, is worthless to the historian, who must work with the real evidence, meager as it may be. A claim that can neither be proven or disproven is of little help. Besides, how many sects or cults have managed to keep their esoteric secrets? Very few indeed. There is always a defector or infiltrator somewhere. The idea that the biggest secret of all times was revealed by a confused French right-wing extremist only 40 years ago is very hard to take seriously. Indeed, the fact that not even heretical groups like the Gnostiscs claimed that Jesus had sired children, is good evidence against the claim. The Gnostics, after all, made all kinds of peculiar statements. But not this one. Why? Why are books like "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" and "The Da Vinci Code" so popular? Perhaps they say what many people want to hear. That in itself is somewhat damning, I think. For how many people want to hear the truth? B000GCG97A:sucks:mr._right_"i'm_right,_you're_wrong" B000GCG97A Memory in Death (In Death): Books: J. D. Robb books 2.0 October 22, 2006 Mr. Right "I'm right, you're wrong" top of the mountain Eve Dallas is a cop in the future, chasing drug dealers, killer and being a badge heavy bitch in general. Her foster mother shows up and tries to get money out of Eve's rich husband and ends up dead.I hated this book, the characters are all unlikeable and the story drags 0060832851:big_book_of_minimal_value:c._j._stern 0060832851 The Collins Big Book of Art: From Cave Art to Pop Art: Books: David G. Wilkins books 1 of 4 2.0 March 22, 2006 C. J. Stern Much repetition and too little of artists neither western nor white...or male for that matter. Though the sections are a lovely idea the same art is used in each. A not terribly risky venture, this 0971144702:beauty_bites_off_too_much:ted_w._moss 0971144702 Beauty Bites Beast: Awakening the Warrior Within Women and Girls: Books: Ellen B. Snortland books 7 of 9 1.0 January 24, 2005 Ted W. Moss Buy a Girls Gotta Do What a Girls Gotta Do instead. Snortland's book is more of a feminist's political treastise on how males and females are raised and nurtured versus a pragmatic approach on skills to identify potential threats and strategies to deal with them. She does hype Impact training which sounds like a beneficial program. I bought it for my daughter, but read it first. Actually, I tried to read it; halfway through the book I decided to toss it. 0446363251:margaret_mitchell_is_rolling_over_in_her_grave:between_the_lines 0446363251 Scarlett: The Sequel to Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind": Books: Alexandria Ripley books 3 of 6 2.0 July 11, 2006 Between the Lines South Although I really do like Ripley's writing and her stories, this one was shameful what she did to the memory of GWTW. I have to blame this on the editors. Scarlett was not the colorful character as in GWTW in this so called sequel. Publishers and editors should know there is no sequel worthy of the original great classic 0140135715:sociology,_more_of_the_same:comie_zapr 0140135715 The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life: Books: Erving Goffman books 6 of 20 2.0 February 28, 2006 Comie Zapr again, the language is unecessicarily thick and this may be it's bane as an introduction This is a revolutionary book. It introduces the stage metaphor into sociology; all of social interaction is a performance on a stage. It's questionable how novel this metaphor is, but this is certianly its first explicit statement. The language used to present the ideas of the author is, like most sociological writing, unecessarily complicated. There are some problems with clarity and structure; the book just doesnt have a holistic feel for me. No sociological background is presupposed, there is extensive quoting from other sociological sources, many footnotes, and various other ways to enter sociological literature throught the book. So if you are interested in reading sociology, this is probably a good place to start (again, the language is unecessicarily thick and this may be it's bane as an introduction). However, the book is misguided. The idea of viewing social interaction as a performance on a stage is unecessary. The authors motives for saying this will make my position clearer. (The following is a charicature of the author's argument). There is certianly a large amount of social behavior which is directed towards other people (the audience) in order for the audience to build an impression of the actor. Well, if it can happen here we can draw a parallel with other situations, infact all situations and therfore all of social interaction is like a performance on a stage, "All the world is not, of course, a stage, but the crucial ways in which it isnt are hard to specify" (p 72). The performances can either be with individuals, or groups of people, and they can be performing conciously or unconciously. (end of charicature) There are other arguments, obviously, and the statement "we can draw a parallel with other situations" is most of the content of the book, which i dont like to gloss over with a sentence. But the real question here is, is the view worthwhile? My answer: No. Social interaction is a complex phenomena that cant possibly be summed up with a signle metaphor. Yes, some social interaction is like a performance, where indivudals are intentionally making impressions on one another. Yes, some social behavior can arise from unconcious beliefs. However, most social interaction is exactly the way we see it, conciously controlled, meaningful, purposeful interaction with individuals; it is not some kind of performance with the purpose of creating a "reality". I hope my view of the book is clear so that the biases on the final part of my review can be sorted out: the book is a waste of time. Where the author is right, the statement is little more than common sense. Where the author goes outside of common sense, he's wrong, sometimes plainly so. This book is part of the tradition in sociology of thinking that society pulls the wool over each individuals eyes, that reality is a social construct with no purpose other than social control (here the wool is the performance, and the control has to do with impressions ... but this quickly degenerates into an obscure mess of assertions). There is no real empirical support given for most of the claims. Where "evidence" is given, the evididence is so heavily intepreted that it fails to correspond to facts in the world but rather to facts about the views of the reporter. Where there is no correspondence to the world there is no truth. Various sources of sociology are cited, but this is more like intellectual bullying. Saying that some author, which also didnt have any empirical support for his claims, agrees with you is just to bully your reader into acepting your claims. The claims in the book have no practical application in the world, but only serve to intepret situations differently, and in personal opinion, less correctly. Nothing said here will lead to better predictions about social behavior or a better understanding of psychology. In short, this isnt a scientific study at all. My final qualm with the book deserves its own paragraph, the use of language. The best example is the definitions given at the end of the introduction "A performance may be defined as all of the activity of a given participant on a given occasion which serves to influence in any way any of the other participants" (15). This is a curios definition. Me breathing while i work is a performance, it changes the percentages of O2 and CO2 in the atmosphere near my co-workers. Me staring into space is a performance, other people see me stare into space and are therefore influenced. Infact, me simply existing is a performance, since my existance causes a gravitational effect on the other participants, as well as influencing them to create beliefs about me existing. Its as if Goffman created a definition for performance which included all possible actions taken by any person, and then wrote a book about how all possible actions taken by any person fall under the category of performance. He didnt. He used a word that we associate with controlled behavior (performance) and defined it in a way no one is used to. Then he used alot of word play to show that behavior has no substance, its all for the purpose of maintaining social reality. I hope this very limited example shows the terrible use of language that is endemic to Goffman and sociology more generally. So an ode to sociology is in order ... actually no it isnt. Why wont this subject go away? This book is an integral part of sociology, and it espouses the methods and style of sociological researchers and writers by being an archetypical work within the tradition. The methods are questionable; the style is obscure. Like it or hate it, sociology is a part of modern thought. Read the book to be an educated person and keep in mind its intellectual failings 0071425454:extremely_boring_and_devoid_of_stories_or_examples:k._wessell_"avid_business_book_reader" 0071425454 CustomerCentric Selling: Books: Michael Bosworth,John Holland books 1 of 5 1.0 April 2, 2006 K. Wessell "Avid Business Book Reader" Los Angeles, CA United States I'm surprised that someone so seemingly intelligent does not know that stories and specific examples are what make a book interesting. This book was totally devoid of them, but instead used vague generalizations from beginning to end. I read the whole book and was waiting for it to get good. It never did. Don't waste your time or your money. Any positive review must have been written by the author's friends. I would rather eat cardboard that read this book again. 0140449205:hassan's_review_-_get_another_translation:hassan 0140449205 The Koran (Penguin Classics): Books: Anonymous,N. J. Dawood books 14 of 31 1.0 January 25, 2006 Hassan Toledo, OH I do not think the man who "translated" the Koran here is a true Muslim. One cannot shuffle and reorder the Suras to suit one's own taste. This man does not have the right to mess up our Holy Book in this way. Plue the style of writing is not nearly as engaging as the Ali version. I have not been in a Mosque yet that had this version of the Koran on its shelves. You can go into any Mosque in this country and pick up a copy of the Ali Tranlation for free. Why waste your money on this Infidel sham version? 0060797525:false_advertizing.:michael_harmeyer_"m" 0060797525 Love Me, Hate Me: Barry Bonds and the Making of an Antihero: Books: Jeff Pearlman books 8 of 23 1.0 May 8, 2006 Michael Harmeyer "m" CR I would love to read a neutral book on Barry Bonds, I hate cheerleader type books about players but I also hate one-sided ones as well. The only good things he really has to say about Bonds are about his baseball brain and his relationship with the famous Marge (whom he then sarcastically remarks that Bonds was only her second favorite player). The book covers a wide variety of topics, some are puzzeling. While most of the book bashes Barry Bonds is also bashes his ex-wife for being an exotic dancer. I was pretty upset to read that, I was a fan of Pearlman but I thought he had more class then that. This book came out right after (or because of) Game of Shadows. This book here actually praises Game of Shadows while bashing Bonds for illegal activities when 3 weeks after the book came out the writers of Book of Shadows are being subpeoned for illegally optaining information, guess that backfired Pearlman. In fact Game of Shadows may be taken off the shelves soon as well. The book uses many annoymous sources (there is a reference sheet in the back, most of those articles all include quotes from many unidentified sources), so its really hard to take alot of the harsh quotes that Bonds says seriously because it is heresay. The book pretty much discredits itself at the end when Pearlman proclaims that sports writers do not actually try or want to dig up dirt on people, they like to find good stories. That quote alone will have any Bonds hater rolling thier eyes at the sheer stupidity of it. Sports writing has became essectially a tabliod now. Even Skip Bayless publically admitted that most writers do that. So once again, the biggest problem is that it fails to stay on neutral ground. This would be like writing a book about Babe Ruth and only mentioning that he beat up umpires, ran into the stands to attack people, slept with hookers, drank all the time, was mean to Lou Gherig, etc. While that may be true it would also only tell one part of the story and would be a waste, just like this 0060933852:no_substance_to_'substance':j._bruck 0060933852 The Substance of Style: How the Rise of Aesthetic Value Is Remaking Commerce, Culture, and Consciousness (P.S.): Books: Virginia Postrel books 2 of 15 1.0 September 2, 2005 J. Bruck Washington, DC I was disappointed with this purchase. If you read the book jacket, you have gotten about all of the information out of it that's coming. 0385499825:surprised_by_animal_cruelty_and_mishaps_throughout_book!:m._van_raalte_"mikavr" 0385499825 A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland Indiana: Books: Haven Kimmel books 7 of 17 1.0 May 2, 2006 M. Van Raalte "Mikavr" New Jersey Wow, I was expecting a fun, light read, and in the first chapter already had to skim over a couple of paragraphs relating to "mishaps" that happen to animals in Zippy's life. Well, I thought, next chapter will be better. NOT. The next chapter included a graphic scene of chickens being slaughtered by shovels! Every chapter so far has had something very disturbing about animals in it! If you are sensitive to these things, I would not recommend the book. I'm not sure I'm going to finish it at this rate. Granted, I AM super-sensitive to any animal suffering, but this is really overload. I'm halfway through and so far this is the list: The aforementioned chicken slaughter, a neighbor stealing her cat and starving it in the basement, another neighbor looking to poison her cat, dog-sitting for friends and losing the dog and not worrying about it that much and finding him dead days later, her father going out with a shotgun to kill the dogs who massacred Zippy's pet chicken, joking about a neighbor enjoying "puppy stew", keeping her two dogs penned up, torturing a raccoon by holding in front of 30 braying hounds.... I mean, does that seem like a lot to you??? For a light-hearted "tender" memoir???? Jeez louise! I can't sleep at night from this book 0786851945:not_impressed...:r._kelley_"sound_seeker" 0786851945 Buried Fire: Books: Jonathan Stroud books 30 of 48 1.0 July 1, 2005 R. Kelley "Sound Seeker" Ohio I picked this book up after reading both Books in the Bartimeus Trilogy and was excited to see what else Jonathan Stroud could conjure up. This book was a let down. I just couldn't get into the plot. I even found the story somewhat disturbing and eerie, especially for young children to read. There are very evil characters in this book who would be much better suited for an adult sci-fi novel, rather than a book marketed for children and young teens. The characters were unlikeable, and the plot just never seemed to grab my attention. I was very dissapointed that this is from the same author who wrote the amazing Bartimeus trilogy books! Well, I figured I would add my two cents in and let people know I just didn't like this book 0609809814:love_the_restaurant,_the_cookbook...._not_so_much:harleycheesebutt 0609809814 The Candle Cafe Cookbook: More Than 150 Enlightened Recipes from New York's Renowned Vegan Restaurant: Books: Joy Pierson,Bart Potenza,Barbara Scott-Goodman books 25 of 25 2.0 April 15, 2006 harleycheesebutt nyc I have to preface this by saying that I absolutely love eating at the candle. So delicious. before we moved from NYC, I thought we HAVE to get this book. We've tried several of the recipies, following them to the letter, and have been really dissapointed everytime - with the exception of the hummus. I think that they must be leaving out some key ingredients in a lot of these recipies, because all of the ones we have attempted have been either completely flavorless, or tasted like salt. Don't even bother with the soups unless you are a gourmet cook and can figure out how to punch them up somehow after following these directions, because they all end up runny and bland. so sad 0072946733:minimally_helpful_text:t._love_"~t" 0072946733 Essentials of Corporate Finance (Mcgraw-Hill/Irwin Series in Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate): Books: Stephen A. Ross,Randolph W Westerfield,Bradford D Jordan books 1 of 1 2.0 May 16, 2006 T. Love "~T" Massachusetts Don't be excited about this book's small size and light weight, the text needs more examples to support you while doing homework. Breif chapter explantions caused me to nearly fail my class. Was NOT a gret book, in fact many students complained to the Dean regarding this book. Good luck 044024076X:danielle_give__me_a_break:d._l._kamp_"dlk_-librarian" 044024076X Ransom: Books: Danielle Steel books 4 of 4 1.0 September 21, 2004 D. L. Kamp "DLK -librarian" Philadelphia My husband has a theory that Danielle Steel has a dart board and each circle surrounding the center is labeled either, falls in love, loses family member, has death of loved-one,fights for life of herself or loved one, loses partner,business or spouse. He feels when she is at a loss she justs throws off a dart and whatever she hits becomes the outline for her next book. I have been a loyal fan for many many years and take his kidding with a smile and secretly pray he's not right. This book proved me wrong and he was right all these years. It was so obvious from the first few pages what was happening that I was certain I had read this story before somewhere. After having waited long time to get this book from my local library I was so disappointed that it was so poorly written and so badly not thought through I couldn't even read it completely, but skipped sections to finish it, knowing what was going to happen before I got to it. 0785267433:christiane_l._aubry_"wants_to_know_more"_pennsylvania:christiane_l._aubry_"christiane_l._aubry_wants_to_know_more" 0785267433 Deadly Emotions: Understand the Mind-Body-Spirit Connection That Can Heal or Destroy You: Books: Don Colbert books 1 of 12 1.0 July 25, 2006 Christiane L. Aubry "Christiane L. Aubry wants to know more" Pennsylvania All over the place. Confusing. Poorly organized. I was unable to read this book and would love to return it. Bad very bad. 0195174062:articles_=_great,_definitions_=_very_poor:david_heininger 0195174062 Eating Your Words: 2000 Words To Tease Your Taste Buds: Books: William Grimes books 4 of 4 2.0 February 8, 2005 David Heininger You have to ask yourself, "Why did William Grimes think there was the need for another culinary dictionary?". As you read the book, the answer comes quickly, before you're even very far into the "A's"... apparently he didn't. I was repeatedly disappointed by the cursory, often puerile definitions which accompany most of the 2000 culinary terms Grimes presents. The simplistic line or two of text each are accompanied by are often incomplete and sometimes down right misleading. The introduction builds up the book as a necessary tool to help we little folk through the growing complexities of modern food buying and eating. In a world no longer dominated by a few French terms we are led to believe that this book will bridge the gap between old-school cooking books (say, from before 1990) and the current state of culinaria. Why then are so many of the terms defined in an out-dated, even archaic mind-set? Take the term "brown sugar". This book says it is "unrefined or partially refined sugar", a definition all well and good perhaps 200 years ago. Today brown sugar is almost always made from refined sugar with a special molasses syrup and colorings added back to it - a very different thing indeed, and Grimes should know the difference. The are innumerable other examples available in the same vein. Additionally, Grimes give us "food lists" scattered periodically throughout the book but provides only sporadic support for the words used in them. For example, there is a list of Varieties of Apples. 48 varieties are listed but when one wants more information on them it is often lacking. Sure "Red Delicious" apples have an insipid definition in the "R" section but what about the more interesting varieties like "Sundowner", or "Lodi" apples? No further mention of them can be found in the book. There is also a huge list of "Fish and Seafood" but if you are intrigued by what the "Geoduck" or "Sprat" listed might be, you're out of luck (without running to a REAL culinary dictionary). The bright (if limited) spots in the book are the articles on food etymology and history. There are 7 of them (reprints from other publications and various authors) that are each informative and interesting. Grimes would have done much better to have put together a collection of these little insightful gems and left the definitions to those more inspired by the subject. My guess is that the brevity of the definitions (leading to rampant deficiencies) was, perhaps, an attempt at simplicity but the effective "dumbing-down" of the book is insulting to anything but the most elementary reader. I know that Grimes, a former restaurant reviewer for the New York Times, must know a lot more about food than this book makes him sound. Grimes is listed as the "editor" of this work (along with a number of others) and it defies logic why he would allow his name used as the primary. Unfortunately, my copy of this book is destined for "re-gifting" or a permanent place on a dusty shelf somewhere while my venerable, dog-eared Larousse Gastronomic retains it's place of honor near my desk. Bon appetite, ex libris, and caveat emptor. DH 0743257499:a_waste_of_perfectly_good_paper.:charles_r._polk 0743257499 Civilization and Its Enemies: The Next Stage of History: Books: Lee Harris books 8 of 45 1.0 July 11, 2006 Charles R. Polk I had expected an insightful analysis of the motivations behind modern terrorism. Instead I got a diatribe against western liberalism. Lee Harris is the poster child for the modern John Birchers, people who believe our way is not only the best way, its the only way. In an increasingly global economic and political system, his view of the world can be said to be outmoded, at best quaint, at worst pathological for if we are truely to address the problems facing humanity over the next 100 years, we will need tolerance and inclusivness. 014028060X:where's_the_beef?:brad_klaus_"klaushaus" 014028060X New Rules for the New Economy: Books: Kevin Kelly books 3 of 5 2.0 February 19, 2001 Brad Klaus "klaushaus" Forest Gove, OR USA I enjoy this work, lots of fresh observations and connections.... but having read it in the light of recent trends in the e-biz world, it sounds thin and delusional...a lot like Tom Peters after way too much espresso. There ARE consequences from CONTINUALLY embracing change...and, in my experience ALL of them are BAD. I wonder on what real-world EXPERIENCE Mr. Kelly bases his thinking. My advice, embrace chaos and change, but do it VERY CAREFULLY...because it will definitely have consequences. Truth & Beauty! -Bv 0316009571:patterson_readers_beware_of_this_dog:j._norburn 0316009571 London Bridges: Books: James Patterson books 3 of 3 1.0 September 1, 2006 J. Norburn Quesnel, BC, Canada The only explanation is that James Paterson churned this dog out to make a buck. I've read a number of James Patterson books and while I'm not a hard core fan, I've enjoyed most of them. I know this will outrage some Patterson readers but I'm not much of a fan of Alex Cross who frankly I find boring as hell. As mediocre as Patterson often is as an author, readers should beware, London Bridges is especially bad. The novel reads like an abridgement, moving at a frantic pace without ever generating any suspense. The premise is ridiculous - super criminals with silly names join forces to blackmail world leaders (sounds like the plot for an Austin Powers movie - without any of the humour). Patterson is not remotely qualified to enter the international terrorist thriller market. An author who churns out 3 or 4 novels a year doesn't have time to do the kind of research that is needed to produce a plausible terrorist thriller. The twists at the end - "he's the wolf - no, he's the wolf - no, she's the wolf - no...." by the end, I just didn't care. James Patterson has written some decent crime novels but his fans should beware. Quantity, not quality seems to be Patterson's priority these days. London Bridges is a mess from beginning to end. 0486277909:self_reliance:_can_we_really_rely_on_waldo!:shagadelic 0486277909 Self-Reliance and Other Essays (Dover Thrift Editions): Books: Ralph Waldo Emerson books 3 of 60 2.0 April 23, 2000 shagadelic Harvard University, Boston Mass Not his best book,I Thought Waldo Lost in New York is more authoritive. I mean who honestly belives that someone who is always lost can be trusted to help other people become self reliant, when he can't even rely on himself 1576461084:a_different_definition_of_a_classic:michael_schein_"gentleman_and_scholar" 1576461084 A Tale of Two Cities: Books: Charles Dickens books 4 of 6 2.0 July 4, 2006 Michael Schein "gentleman and scholar" Hollywood, FL Mark Twain once said that (and I paraphrase)the definition of a classic is something that everyone wants to have read and no one wants to read. That is my experience with this book. For some reason, A Tale of Two Cities never made it onto any of my high school reading lists, and I figured it was one of those books I should have under my belt. So I picked it up. What a slog! A book that might have been fascinating due to its French Revolution subject matter was a mass of rambling descriptions and melodrama. We were supposed to shed tears for Sidney Carton, a character who you barely get to know, and root for Lucie Manette...the highly unrealistic paragon of unspoiled goodness. The only thing I liked about this book was how Madame Defarge knitted a list of people on which she planned to take revenge. An admittedly cool concept. Maybe this book speaks to another era, maybe it's past its prime, maybe I don't have the required literary sensibilities, or maybe I couldn't relate, but A Tale of Two Cities bored me to tears. 1559718005:chased_by_the_light:_a_90-day_journey:_2001:catherine_m._kelley_"catherine399" 1559718005 Chased By The Light: Books: Jim Brandenburg books 4 of 31 1.0 January 8, 2001 catherine m. kelley "catherine399" Bellevue, WA United States While it is true that Brandenburg is a tremendous photographer and the majority of photos are simply breathtaking. I returned my copy because the datebook also contained disturbing photos of dead wildlife. I'm very tender when it comes to wildlife, and while I know that death is a natural part of the life cycle, I am disturbed by dead wildlife and would never chose a book or datebook containing such pictures. For anyone who is animal sensitive and dislikes any death photos, then this IS NOT the book for them. Otherwise, I would recommend it 0671618407:confusing_snore-fest:s._allen 0671618407 Object of Affection: Books: Stephen McCauley books 2 of 19 2.0 January 28, 2003 S. Allen San Diego, CA USA I saw this book at a friend's shortly after seeing the movie. I asked her if I could borrow it. She said I wouldn't want to. She'd been trying to read it for awhile, and didn't like it. I decided to try anyway. Unfortunately, my friend was right. This is a definite case of a movie being much better than a book. I really liked the movie. However, the book is too long and boring. There are so many tangents in it that have nothing to do with the central story. I can't believe I even finished it. Rent the movie-don't waste your time on the book 0609607995:interesting,_but....:d._galle_"duane_galle" 0609607995 IBM and the Holocaust: The Strategic Alliance between Nazi Germany and America's Most Powerful Corporation: Books: Edwin Black books 9 of 14 2.0 June 8, 2005 D. Galle "Duane Galle" Tweed Heads, NSW Australia While this is a well researched and thought-provoking piece of literature, I do have some critical comments to make. Firstly, it is apparent that the author's own holocaust experiences (or more specifically, those of his family) have left him with a vested interest in how the material in this book is presented. Secondly, there is a LOT of content to trawl through to get, in my opinion, a few pieces of interesting material. Finally, the underlying theme or accusation that without IBM the holocaust may not have happened, or would not have been so sever, is (again in my opinion) flawed. As the book shows, IBM certainly made it much easier for the Nazis to locate and identify Jews, it would not have been impossible without IBM. Having said all this - it was an interesting read and although overly wordy is certainly worth reading 0060099682:i'm_sorry_but_this_is_mostly_amusing_to_me_personally:james_h._mcduffie 0060099682 Ahead of the Market: The Zacks Method for Spotting Stocks Early -- In Any Economy: Books: Mitch Zacks,Mitchel Zacks books 8 of 9 2.0 December 29, 2003 James H. McDuffie Huntsville, Alabama United States There are two things which tickle me about this book. One is the sample Zack's report at the back which has a strong buy #1 rating on a -.3% return on equity stock. The other is the section on practical use of the system. It, of course, is for any type of investor including long term investors even though the effects that the system measures lasts only for 1 - 3 months. And don't forget about growth investors and value investors either. This section is so short as to be laughable. Also notice that in the 2002 A list there were 216 stocks. Most are going to have to buy a subset. But what subset? No info is provided on the performance of typical subsets for each investor class. Perhaps an MVO addict or a Monte Carlo hack would have the answer 0765305283:great_concepts_that_go_nowhere.:k._butler 0765305283 The Ordinary: Books: Jim Grimsley books 2 of 2 2.0 August 1, 2005 K. Butler escondido, ca United States I zipped through the first 100 pages of this book unable to put it down. Unfortuneately the author seems to run out of gas after that. The main character just goes on a big, boring sight seeing tour. It reminded me of that show on the Travel Channel where that girl visits hotel after hotel fawning over the interior design. There is not a hint of conflict until the final pages and then it's very short-lived and quickly followed by one of the worst non endings I've ever read. The book just stops. Not a hint of resolution or even a cliff hanger pointing to a sequel. It's a shame because Grimsley had some great concepts to work with. In my experience novels that mix technology with magic usually fail at both, but Grimsley had a workable foundation he could have developed into something unique if he had focused on the SF concepts instead of minutiae. Once in a while the characters stop admiring the drapes long enough to notice the GIANT FREAKIN' PORTAL BETWEEN TWO WORLDS--but enough about that. Gee, what a lovely sofa.. 0470870907:what_crash?:b._lovian_"blovian" 0470870907 Conquer the Crash: You Can Survive and Prosper in a Deflationary Depression, Expanded and Updated Edition: Books: Robert R. Prechter books 46 of 55 2.0 March 13, 2005 B. Lovian "blovian" United States This book contains some useful historical information and some insights into the mass psychology of booms, bubbles, and busts. Prechter should have left it at that. Instead, he offers up predictions. Big mistake. This guy bases his forecasts on Fibonacci numbers and so-called Elliott "wave counts." He labels all market patterns so that they fit the preordained Elliott Wave 5-up, 3-down pattern. If you see more or fewer waves than he does in any given market move, you just don't understand that there can only be 5 waves to the top of a bull market. He's imposing his theory on the market, but surprisingly enough, the market doesn't care. It does whatever it wants, in however many waves it wants, and Bob has been very frustrated at the market's aberrant behavior lately. He got lucky early in his career, but it seems he's been fairly consistently getting the market wrong since missing the '87 crash. Any superstitution can "seem" to work if you only look at its happenstance apparent accuracies and disregard its abundant failures. Keep looking for certain numbers of waves and Fibonacci ratios and you'll find what you're looking for. Pick any set of numbers or patterns or wave counts, and you'll find those too. The market doesn't care about any of those things, though. It's nothing more than an aggregation of billlions of individual choices, which are influenced by an infinite number of factors none of us can ever understand fully. University studies of various investing methods have found that Elliott Wave, like most, is no better than random stock selection. If Prechter had chosen the random method, he and his followers would at least have a good chance of keeping pace with the market. Unfortunately, he has been getting everything from the Dow, to oil (he thought it was going to $10), to gold (he didn't think it could break $400), to deflation (the "deflation" scare ended shortly after this book came out) WRONG in the past couple of years. He apparently STILL believes that the Dow will go to 400 (not 4,000 but FOUR HUNDRED) because his charts tell him it should (they've been telling him that since about 1990, actually). Prechter doesn't understand demographics or economics or markets or the monetary system, all of which render "Dow 400" among the goofiest of forecasting absurdities -- unless you believe a giant asteroid will hit and wipe out two thirds of the population (I don't think Prechter is counting on that). Our debt-heavy economy may have a significant crisis soon, perhaps by the end of the decade. It will most likely be spurred on by inflation and rising interest rates. But it's not happening now and it's not happening in the way this author has been prematurely forecasting for over a decade. This book came out near the bottom of the 2000-2002 stock bear market, just in time for a reader to short stocks as they began a new bull market. How typical. While promoting the book, Prechter said it was "definite" that stocks would "crash" in 2003. He said that 2003 would be "the best year yet" for bears (short sellers). Late into 2003, when it was clear that the market had proven him wrong, Prechter declared on a radio show that by the end of 2004, the Dow would "certainly" fall below 5,000. Wrong again! Since his Fibonacci turn dates and Elliott wave counts fail to portend the future, maybe next he'll tell us he's found the secret code to the stock market from the text count of Nostradamus' writings. Bob Prechter couldn't call the market if it was listed in the Yellow Pages. This guy couldn't time the market if you gave him a stopwatch. He's throwing out guesses and misleading people by describing them as "definite" and "certain." He's either a liar or a true believer in his own irrational superstitions. In either case, he's not credible. Here's all you really need to know: Buy dividend stocks. Buy short-term bonds. Buy gold. Hang on to them. Do that and you'll do better than you will trying to follow the prognostications of market gurus. Plus, you'll have a lot more time to devote to family, fun, and productive activities 0786238941:one_of_koontz's_worst:jennifer 0786238941 One Door Away from Heaven: Books: Dean R. Koontz books 1.0 November 17, 2006 Jennifer Durham, NC This is truly a disappointing book. It starts incredibly slowly and I found it very hard to become interested in the plot. Another disappointment is Koontz's recycling of elements from other novels: (1) plucky, highly intelligent disabled girl (the young female protagonist in "The Hideaway" had almost identical deformities and personality), (2) devoted, super-powered canine companions, (3) bad guys driving around in ultra pimped-out RVs, and (4) evil bioethicists. The Leilani character is patently ridiculous. She conveniently has a genius IQ, but that does not make the absurdly adult manner in which she speaks any more believable. I found it so disconcerting as to detract from the plot. Koontz clearly has trouble writing for children, and this book is no exception. Almost all the children featured in his books are either autistic/MR or genius wunderkinds; the latter, however, does not justify his habit of making smart children talk like genius adults. Dean heaps the hardships on poor Leilani, with all the subtlety of an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger. In case you miss the anvils, you are supposed to really, really like her and fear for her safety. I don't know how or where Dean Koontz learned about bioethics, but he has a terribly misguided view of the field, taking an extreme sect of it to represent the main viewpoint of the field. Further, he states multiple times that these eugenic bioethics principles are being taught to medical students at major universities (who will have to pay for their involvement with evil bioethics) -- as a medical student, I can assure you that this is patently untrue. That Koontz could be so off-base on a topic that directly relates to the central motive is disconcerting and makes an already weak book even harder to swallow. The final issue is Koontz's near-deification of dogs, particularly Golden Retrievers, which is a common motif in his more recent works. It is ridiculous and unintentionally funny to an almost painful degree. His obsession with dogs and their mystical powers borders on the psychotic (and I like dogs). This novel probably features the most egregious example of Koontz's tendency to create overly sappy, sugary-sweet endings. Dean Koontz has written many books better than this one. Spend your money on one of his stronger efforts 0465091253:the_careless_characterization_of_helping_professionals:el_xalapeno 0465091253 The Careless Society: Community and Its Counterfeits: Books: John McKnight books 1 of 3 2.0 June 14, 2006 El Xalapeno McKnight's concerns about communities' dependency on professional assistance are legitimate, but disturbingly overstated in this book. In the end I felt McKnight's trashing of the already well-trodden government provision of social services may not be altogether helpful to distressed communities. He sidesteps concerns of capital mobility and exploitation and the pernicious effects wrought by years of discrimination. Any debate over when and where and how social programs can be effective is cast aside as well, since in McKnight's picture, social programs and the professional service providers are, in fact, the vilains and culprits for most of what ails society. One of the damaging fallacies that seems to be perpetuated in this book is that service professionals are not able to be both professional and caring - the two are deemed mutually incompatible. Mcknights views resonate with employers' caring rhetoric - conveniently invoked every time a healthcare worker tries to claim she does care about patients but is still entitled to a living wage or, perhaps, health insurance. What is further implied is that communities will readily and ably take up the reign of providing for themselves and their members when denied more institutionalized professional services. It seems implied that communities had no problems before the social programs to solve them came into being. In this, I think I see McKnight is invokeing an idealized notion of an society at an earlier time; maybe his argument would have seemed more reasoble in a time when families were less geographically mobile and may have constituted an economic unit, when the elderly lived shorter lives and were less numerous themselves with more children to care for them, and the local economic activities were more functionally interdependent. But McKnight's model for today's cure doesn't seem to fit today's conditions. On the other hand, McKnights solutions may be the only ones available in a society where budget cuts and elimination of social services seem the prevailing trend. 0739313401:somebody_stop_me........:lori_"loripink" 0739313401 Toxic Bachelors (Danielle Steel): Books: Danielle Steel,Kyf Brewer books 1 of 1 1.0 March 30, 2006 Lori "loripink" Sharon Hill, PA United States ........from reading Danielle Steel. Here's the book: three bachelors meet three women. They all break up, they all end up happily ever after. BORING, not one single exciting thing about this book. I was happy when my lunch break ended so I could go back to work and stop reading. Yes - we keep reading her because we feel obligated and hope for a better book someday, but I think I'm at the end of my rope with Danielle Steel. My librarian told me last night they aren't even going to carry any new books of hers. THAT'S sad 1567312136:doesn't_have_it_all:s._vanderhyde 1567312136 The Complete Book of Food Counts: Books: Corinne T. Netzer books 11 of 13 2.0 February 7, 2006 S. Vanderhyde MI United States While this book contains a ton of data, don't get it if you want calorie counts on anything homemade. If you look up french toast, for example, it only gives information on name brand items. Much of the information in the book is available on the packaging of the products. I suppose that if you wanted to check it before shopping, or use it before eating out, it would be helpful. But if you want to find out the caloric content of any homemade items, you are out of luck with this book 0061120006:the_wrong_hostage:book_a_day 0061120006 The Wrong Hostage: Books: Elizabeth Lowell books 1 of 1 1.0 November 10, 2006 Book a Day St. Louis, MO USA While entertaining, I found several times that the story slowed down and got a little preachy about the politics of drug money. While probably true it distracted from the story by being repeated and heavy handed. I also found the timeline hard to believe. Maybe because I have lived in the area and understand the distances (and traffic) travelled in short periods of time. I am a big Elizabeth Lowell fan (as well as Ann Maxwell) but this was not one of her better books 0517708612:eat_great,_lose_weight_(miniature_edition):j._roebuck_"a_grandmother" 0517708612 Suzanne Somers' Eat Great, Lose Weight: Books: Suzanne Somers books 0 of 2 1.0 August 15, 2006 J. Roebuck "a grandmother" Tangent, Oregon, USA I was very disappointed in this book even though it was a miniature. Some of the pages were blank, having not even been printed. I figure the book was a total loss of money spent 0688034020:voodoo_physics:b._chandler_"xyzzy" 0688034020 The dancing wu li masters: An overview of the new physics: Books: Gary Zukav books 7 of 28 1.0 July 6, 2005 B. Chandler "xyzzy" Arlington, Texas Gary Zukav states in his introduction "I had never studied physics. In fact I didn't like science and I had no mathematical aptitude. On Opra (TV) he admitted that he does not have a TV which may explain his lack of contemporary physics let alone any depth. I noticed that some reviewers refer to the "New Physics" is that like "New Age" or voodoo physics? 90% of the matter must be missing from this book. Or else how can he take physics out of context and make such fantastic leaps to religions parallels that he knows little of. He even twists the religion around to serve some unknown purpose. Many people say they did not understand physics until this book; Surprises, you still do not. You now know what Zukav wished physics was. Take anti-mater for instants that does not mean the opposite of mater. And the relationship between particles has no correlation with the relationship of dogs and cats. At least get it straight before mixing it up. Try reading some of these: "The Ascent of Man by Jacob Bronowski". The book available everywhere the DVD's available from the UK. "The Upanishads" by Eknath Easwaran (Editor), Michael N. Nagler (Photographer) Or just about any mainstream material on physics and religion. Then if you still want to mix worlds into one read someone saner: "The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism" by Fritjof Capra. Also on the fringe but not as radical as Zukav is a series called "What the Bleep." (both in books and on video) 0385470150:highly_implausible_plot_lines:t._reise 0385470150 The Client (Limited Edition): Books: John Grisham books 1 of 2 2.0 June 2, 2006 T. Reise Nashville, TN My first Grisham novel, and it reminded me of why I seldom read fiction. The plot has numerous barely-believable twists, the most ridiculous of which is the protagonist's attorney assisting him in eluding authorities after escaping a juvenile detention facility. Said lawyer then drives from Memphis to New Orleans with the little delinquent in her car basically at the kid's mere suggestion. Absurd! No attorney in his/her right mind would do such a thing! The "storybook ending"just prior to the boarding of the FBI Director's private jet is implausible as well as gratuitously sappy. Also, I highly doubt that the FBI Director gets personally involved in many -- if any -- such cases. Thankfully, I paid only 25 cents for this book in paperback form at a garage sale 2 weeks ago. Given that it's written at about a 4th-grade reading level (and I have no children), it'll make good fireplace kindling next fall. First Grisham = LAST Grisham 1598004573:a_light_weight_novel_with_little_plot_or_character_development:t._f._meyer 1598004573 Odd Man Out: Books: Vince Lawson books 2.0 November 18, 2006 T. F. Meyer Chicago, Il USA I was disappointed with this novel which is set in my hometown of Chicago. I had hoped that the author would have taken advantage of this setting, but it really seemed as if he had just read one of our gay newspapers and pulled out a few names to function as place names. The plot is trite as are most of the characters. Characters change their "stripes" at the drop of a hat. The book has a certain fairy tale, and they lived happily ever after quality that I found really disconcerting. I would have been more "satisfied" if Dean (the main character) had turned out to be an ax murderer! Just kidding of course or am I? If you can pick this book up used for a couple of bucks, okay but don't you pay a penny more 0756400813:little_by_little_!:david_fry 0756400813 Familiars: Books: Kristine Kathryn Rusch,Jody Lyn Nye,P.N. Elrod,Von Jocks,Andre Norton,Laura Anne Gilman,Josepha Sherman,Michelle West,Denise Little books 0 of 2 1.0 July 5, 2006 David Fry I ordered this book and read most of it in the hope that I would learn something about Familiars . In the interval between ordering and receiving my sixth sense made me begin to have doubts about Ms Little . Had she flown about the battlements of an old castle in the form of an Owl? Had she entertained A Hyrax or a Feral Cat as a house guest ? Had she ever had a pet Bat living behind a picture in the living room ? Was she acquainted with the properties of Henbane and twylight sleep and did she number Hecate among her close friends? The kindest thing , I thought was to suggest that Ms Little Knew as much about Familiars as I know about Conveyancing or Futures Trading , and let it go at that 0060582529:nambla_members_line_up_for_blocks_to_get_this!:jim_carey_"stabbyappleton" 0060582529 Deliver Us from Evil: Books: Sean Hannity books 6 of 16 1.0 October 5, 2006 Jim Carey "stabbyappleton" Royal Oak, MI Now that Hannity has gone on the record as a pedofilia apologist and defender of child molestation. "Thank God for Hannity!" -Lee Krock, founder of NAMBL 1400052440:kozol_frustrates_me_._._.:lucas_jay 1400052440 The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America: Books: Jonathan Kozol books 5 of 5 2.0 October 25, 2006 Lucas Jay St. Louis, MO I am a teacher at an inner-city school that struggles with the same issues presented by Kozol. That said, this is the fourth of Kozol's works that I have read, and I came away just as disappointed with "The Shame of the Nation" as I did with the rest of them. I am so incredibly sick of him shouting from the mountaintops that there is a problem with public education. He acts like we don't already know. He acts like there is some unseen solution out there that should be obvious to everybody. Instead of pointing fingers and and complaining about it, why doesn't he use his experience and know-it-all knowledge to offer real, concrete and practical solutions? Kozol is a classic Monday-morning quarterback pointing out the flaws in what everybody else is doing - but he doesn't get his hands dirty anymore. If he is really as educationally omnipresent as he thinks he is, the least he could do is offer some solutions. I've made four mistakes. I will not make a fifth. I have 150 underpriveleged kids to teach, and I can't afford to waste my time on another volume of complaints while he points out the obvious 0375706429:they_killed_trees_for_this?:ribreader 0375706429 Otherwise Engaged: A Novel: Books: Suzanne Finnamore books 0 of 1 1.0 October 26, 2006 Ribreader What a disastrously bad and unfunny novel. The self-involved main character is pathetic and whiny, the "plot" is see-through and cliched, and the writing style is far below what can be found on any mediocre blog. When people criticize chick lit, this is exactly the kind of book they're talking about. It's shallow to such a shocking degree than when it tries to take itself seriously, or stretches for a literary flourish, it's absolutely cringe-worthy. I find it hard to believe the people who've praised it here actually read the same book. This was given to me by an acquaintance shortly after my engagement. She said she didn't really like it but thought it would be "more my kind of thing." Obviously not a person who knows me well. Thankfully, it doesn't appear the author is terribly prolific, so readers don't need to worry about trying to stumble through page after page of show-offy navel-gazing. I wouldn't say it's one of the worst books I've read, but it's certainly one of the most useless 0684843242:a_disciplined_mind_without_the_"disciplines":e._j._ludwig 0684843242 Disciplined Mind: What All Students Should Understand: Books: Howard Gardner books 4 of 5 1.0 May 10, 2005 E. J. Ludwig Brooklyn, NY, USA Prof. Gardner's book is disappointing. He tries to be all things to all people saying both that he believes in basic competencies but wants to put inquiry first. Also, his language is inflated, and lacking in philosopical specificity. For example, he believes in building up the inner world of "mental representations" [unexplained term] yet insists on "performances of understanding" [another unexplained term]. Also, he has respect for the individual learner and individual differences, yet he is concerned about the "position" or "situation" or social class dynamics in which the learning takes place. Thus, he fails to do justice either to the individual or to class, race, or gender. The role of leadership in learning is wholly ignored; and responsibility is not explored. In short, it is extremely difficult to pin down Prof. Gardner. It would be kind to say he is eclectic. I hope it's just not fuzzy thinking. However, we can discern that he has a romantic obsession with beauty, truth, and goodness. Imagine -- the Holocaust is reduced to being an illustration of what goodness is or is not! His treatment of these ideas is superficial and banal. I don't like to be so judgmental, but his writing about them does not deserve a detailed analysis. When attacking E.D. Hirsch whom he calls the main speaker for "cultural literacy," he sets up a straw man. He says that Hirsch's school of thought has an underlying belief in the Lockeian "tabula rasa." Yet, I find nothing in Hirsch's writings to indicate that he believes in a tabula rasa. Further, is Prof. Gardner really less elitist than Hirsch as some have claimed? I have found that the Harvard elite spend their entire lives trying to achieve and learn everything, and be on top. Their lives are marked by ambition to the Nth degree; yet, he debunks time-honored and experience-honored content areas that traditionally have defined literacy at its best. Thus, I find a certain inherent dishonesty in Gardner's presentation. Believe me, friends, I have taught students who have many ideals, Greek ideals and other ideals, but know very little, nor do they aspire to learn. If they have those ideals, and if they are facile and glib, will they be the leaders of tomorrow who are embraced by Prof. Gardner? I find a tendency on Prof. Gardner's part to oversimplify certain issues like the Holocaust, and to overcomplicate certain others like the nature of intelligence. The world is not waiting for the concept of intelligence to be re-written. Am I oversimplifying when I think that there is something very awkward about saying that there is no fundamental difference in intelligence between Einstein and the custodian of my school? Is this awkwardness because I am an elitist putting down the custodian? Is it because of lack of intelligence that I am still in the grip of a univocal definition of intelligence? I don't think so. Rather, we all know we are dependent on each other, and that everybody has some unique aptitudes or gifts they can express and be respected for, but trying to elevate this understanding to a higher level of truth or intellectual significance seems to me to be illegitimate. Lastly, his writing style is a bit too fond of adjectives, and the book reads as a whole like It Takes A Village by Mrs. Clinton. The Disciplined Mind has a mellifluous style that presents itself as being highly sophisticated and, at the same time, as down-to-earth, with balanced common sense. Yet, ultimately, the book is boring. As one Amazon reviewer states, Prof. Gardner is full of himself. In this book, there is no straightforward discussion or emphasis placed on knowledge, justice, Judeo-Christian values, persistence, responsibility, or character development...words which I find essential for a true philosophy of education. 047136178X:becoming_a_master_manager:__a_book_review:ellen_mcgraw 047136178X Becoming A Master Manager: A Competency Framework: Books: Robert E. Quinn,Sue R. Faerman,Michael P. Thompson,Michael McGrath books 1 of 3 2.0 March 28, 2001 ellen mcgraw Grantham, England BECOMING A MASTER MANAGER, the textbook currently used in my Introduction to Management class, does not effectively convey the important fundamentals of business management. The book is structured around eight 'roles' of an effective manager, and each role is further broken down into a number of competencies that are functions of that particular role. While I appreciate the effort to organize a relatively broad subject, I do not feel that the book is necessarily easy to follow. The reading is constantly being interrupted by assessments and applications for each competency, and while meant well, they are usually skipped over in an attempted to finish the reading and they seem to me to be a large waste of paper. Furthermore, BECOMING A MASTER MANAGER stresses models and theories of management that I find useless without the necessary fundamentals of management, which are not adequately presented in the textbook. Some of the models and theories have merit and should be discussed more in depth, but in a more advanced level of business management. And while BECOMING A MASTER MANAGER is the official textbook for my management class, I have relied heavily on a different textbook for my information, and only the eve of a test do I bother to look over BECOMING A MASTER MANAGER, I do not recommend this textbook for an introductory class at all 0743544331:not_the_best:donna_delaune_"donnaread" 0743544331 The Twelfth Card (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel): Books: Jeffery Deaver,Dennis Boutsikaris books 1.0 July 11, 2006 Donna Delaune "donnaread" Jeanerette, LA, USA I'm not a fan of mysteries to begin with. However, my public library has a limited selection of audio books, so I take what I can get. I am a voracious reader, and I listen to audios to get more "reading" in, as you can listen and do other things. I much prefer the Lillian Jackson Braun "cat" books, at least there is some humor, and I like the "mystery" part of these books better than Deaver's. Sorry to all the Deaver fan's out there...I HAVE enjoyed a few of his books, but I get tired of the "same ole-same ole" 0316355569:yawn._more_stereotypical_female_masochists.:femme4femme 0316355569 Swimming Sweet Arrow : A Novel: Books: Maureen Gibbon books 4 of 6 1.0 December 1, 2005 femme4femme I bought this book because it was listed with Ellen Miller's Like Being Killed, a brilliant and complex book about a woman's love affair with heroin, her best friend Susie, and her best friend's duplicitous HIV positive boyfriend. The protagonist herself was brilliant and complex. So naturally, I expected the same thing out of Swimming Sweet Arrow. Man, was I disappointed. This was yet another trashy tale about a pathetic woman's masochistic sex life, pathetic obsession with brutal men, and pathetic quest for attention. Her entire life is a meta-existence: rather than desiring, she desires to be desired. Rather than enjoying, she enjoys being enjoyed. The male characters and the female characters are written by someone who has never met a male or female who didn't exhibit the most common stereotypes; in her world, all men are sensation-craving brutes, and all women are attention-craving doormats. The men want drugs, fun, and sex, and the women whine and cry and enjoy nothing--not the drugs, not the sex, just being a victim due to the attention it provides. This book made me really miserable to be perceived as part of this gender. 0684196395:a_plus:teddy 0684196395 ONE FOR THE MONEY : A Stephanie Plum Novel: Books: Janet Evanovich books 0 of 5 1.0 September 12, 2006 teddy misissippi I have read all twelve of these books and hoping there will be more. The language is pretty graphic but they are so funny you can usually ignore those words. These books can cause you embaesment, since I read where ever I have to sit and wait and you burst out laughing people do stare and wonder if you are losing it. Please we would all like to see more of these 0062514776:interesting_but_not_helpful:juliana_volcheck 0062514776 The Healer Within: Using Traditional Chinese Techniques To Release Your Body's Own Medicine *Movement *Massage *Meditation *Breathing: Books: Roger Jahnke books 4 of 9 2.0 August 15, 2004 Juliana Volcheck PA, USA On the plus side, this book is fairly easy to understand and contains sufficient pictures of the exercises. I was very excited at first, but unfortunately none of the exercises, massages, meditations, etc I tried seemed to help any of my health problems, even after a month. The book contains inspiring stories of people who have quickly recovered from serious illness or injury, yet leaves me crying in disappointment. I will probably keep trying a few of the exercises and methods for awhile, but I don't hold any hope of them suddenly starting to work at this point 0679890483:not_the_book_you_know_and_love!:tiffany_holley_"christian_mom" 0679890483 Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb (Bright & Early Board Books(TM)): Books: Al Perkins,Eric Gurney books 7 of 8 1.0 September 14, 2005 Tiffany Holley "Christian mom" AZ United States This is a nice enough board book, but be advised that it is NOT the full version of Dr. Seuss' book! They've left out several (charming!) pages of text and illustrations for the Board Book... What a disappointment to loyal fans, and how unfair to the newest generation of fans-to-be 0822319187:nauseating:another_reader_"another_reader" 0822319187 Feminist Accused of Sexual Harassment (Public Planet Books): Books: Jane Gallop books 1 of 4 1.0 January 25, 2006 another reader "another reader" Texas For decades, many male professors have made the same excuses for sexual exploitation of their students--to the fury of feminists. To read a feminist using the same rationalizations is both nauseating and infuriating 1878424483:disappointing:jay_furman 1878424483 The Four Agreements Companion Book : Using the Four Agreements to Master the Dream of Your Life: Books: Miguel Ruiz,Janet Mills books 5 of 34 1.0 November 20, 2001 Jay Furman Bernalillo, NM This book was suggested reading as if " THE GREAT SECRET to PERSONAL FREEDOM" was going to be revealed. It spoke of a self-centered mindset that seemed to suggest that I was to live my life how I wanted and not consider how my actions would affect others around me. A very simplistic and selfish point of view 0007153589:a_lame_blog_in_hardback:jimmy 0007153589 How to Be Alone: Books: Jonathan Franzen books 5 of 24 1.0 December 20, 2004 Jimmy Chapel Hill, NC I read a good short story by Franzen in The New Yorker a couple years ago, but this book is lame, lame, lame. The essays contain little to no humor or insight- they are just lengthy, boring opinions on various subjects. Imagine if you can a duller, less-relavant Andy Rooney. If I wanted to read some loser's uninspired musings, I would get on the internet and start reading weblogs. I hereby declare this book Unreadable 1576737586:this_book_lacks:kevin_subers_"kevin" 1576737586 Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Courtship: Books: Joshua Harris books 4 of 5 2.0 February 21, 2006 Kevin Subers "Kevin" Doylestown, PA Sorry for the sarcastic title. I've read most of this book. I'm still reading the last chapter which is actually the most hopeful chapter. I'll start with what I liked. Harris lays out some good suggestions on handling the pyhsical aspects of a dating relationship (or courtship if you get caught up in semantics) However, Harris offers nothing else except a rudimentary courtship model that involves physical boundaries and guarding against things moving too quickly. I think this is good wisdom, but the book completely lacks in many other apects of pursuing a relationship. He talks very little about communication skills. Also you won't find much on personality traits or compatibility. When I began a relationship with my girlfriend I read this book. I don't regret reading it, but it lacks in a lot of areas. Part of this is due to the fact that I don't know what credentials Joshua Harris has to make his claims. He is not a Phd, or a relationship or family counselor. He had two substantial romantic relationships in his life. One with the girl who inspired him to write his first book, and the other with his current wife. When it comes to relationships, I would hardly call Joshua Harris and authority on the subject. He has no more experience or wisdom that the average person who would pick his book up off the shelf. I support the crux of what Harris talks about. I respect the fact that him and his wife Shannon waited to their wedding day for their first kiss. The book is chivalrous and romantic. It is a hopeful book. But it paints only a partial picture of how to persue a relationship. If you are into reading relationship books, just be sure this isn't your only resource. 0312986319:fully_developed_characters_are_in_danger_of_extinction...:naomi_johnson_"beauvallet" 0312986319 The Last Temptation (A Dr. Tony Hill & Carol Jordan Mystery): Books: Val McDermid books 2 of 3 2.0 March 29, 2005 Naomi Johnson "beauvallet" Columbus, Ohio USA This is my 3rd McDermid novel, I previously read 'Mermaids Singing' and 'Wire in the Blood.' McDermid writes good prose but in this 3rd novel I see dangerous repetitions in character types which, if repeated in the next Tony Hill/Carol Jordan book will make that one my last purchase. Generally McDermid paints female police officers as brighter, more diligent and more intuitive than their male counterparts, as well as more often homosexual. The men, with the exception of leading man Tony Hill, are mostly all egotistical, back-stabbing, power-hungry morons of the lowest order, while Hill is rendered impotent -- a redundant bit of emasculation since all the other males are castrated of their moral fiber. The slow mating dance between Hill and Jordan gets a lot of buildup and little payoff. And in this book, the serial killer and the surrounding hunt for him are as limply portrayed as Dr. Hill. The emotional connection between Hill and the killers in the two previous books is missing here, making the entire killer plot read like an afterthought. And the real villain -- not the serial killer but a drug-pushing / illegal-immigrant smuggler loses character focus as the reader is given reason to sympathize with him as well as with the killer. The climactic scenes involving the capture of one villain and the death of another are without any sense of thrill or danger. I was extremely disappointed with this book 014018998X:souls_of_black_folk:mario_tabares_"tacoman" 014018998X The Souls of Black Folk (Penguin Classics): Books: W. E. B. Du Bois,Donald B. Gibson,Monica M. Elbert books 0 of 31 1.0 February 27, 2006 Mario Tabares "tacoman" tacoman was worthless...was not the correct match for my class book requirement. Never used it...if someone wants it you can have it for free 1592330231:not_much_better_than_astrology:m._cromwell 1592330231 The Birth Order Effect for Couples: How Birth Order Affects Your Relationships - and What You Can Do About It: Books: Cliff Isaacson,Meg Schneider books 1 of 7 2.0 June 18, 2005 M. Cromwell California While this book may give some basic ideas that are useful to keep in mind while you are trying to understand your relationships with others, in the end it is just another attempt to give people answers they want even though such answers don't exist. I'll admit that being a first or second born might have a general effect on your personality, but just how far can we take this kind of analysis? The author of this book goes so far to offer that by knowing your own birth order and that of your same-sex parent, he can determine the birth order of your ideal match. My father was 3rd and I was 2nd, thus I should pair with a 4th born. Anyone who thinks about that for five seconds should realize that it is totally bogus pseudo-science. There are too many factors involved to be able to make such predictions. Not every Nth born is the same, and no relationship between Nth and Mth borns can be analysed this way. As with astrology, the only thing this book can do is unnecessarily deter you from pursuing relationships with people just because they are the wrong "sign". Who's to say I won't get along with a 2nd born? Rather than relying on voodoo like this, we are better off just paying attention to how we actually get along with other individuals 0316779032:disappointing_-_still_searching_for_answers:jsantellana 0316779032 The Discipline Book: How to Have a Better-Behaved Child From Birth to Age Ten: Books: Martha Sears,William Sears books 10 of 12 2.0 July 25, 2006 JSantellana Wichita Falls, Texas United States I was looking for a book with practical advice on how to handle real-life situations. I felt most of the book talked about how to parent, i.e. cosleeping, wearing baby, etc, but did not give advice on how to handle a specific situation. What do i do when my child runs away from me toward the street and then hits and bites me when I pick him up? I don't want to spank, but a 24-month old just doesn't take to "a talk" or timeout like Dr. Sears says he should. The Sears Birth Book was amazing, I recommend it to anyone, but this book did not help me answer my questions 0570037921:breathtakingly_bad:gregory_d._baker_"meganerd" 0570037921 The Discovery of Genesis: How the Truths of Genesis Were Found Hidden in the Chinese Language: Books: C.H. Kang,Ethel R. Nelson books 5 of 19 1.0 January 11, 2005 Gregory D. Baker "meganerd" Marsfield, NSW, Australia I'm usually a sucker for just about any kooky theories backed up by barely-there evidence. Even trying very hard to be generous (hey, I'm a Christian and I think it would be fabulous if the stuff in this book were true), I think I could poke a hole in every page. And that's after perhaps 12 months of formal Mandarin study and a similar amount of Cantonese. Don't buy it. It's embarrassing to Christians that this sort of thing gets passed around as scholarship. If they'd wrapped it up with a plot around it, it'd make a great work of fiction 1400034183:a_formal_analytical_review:wadood_murshedkar 1400034183 Of Paradise and Power: America and Europe in the New World Order: Books: Robert Kagan books 17 of 41 1.0 November 10, 2005 Wadood Murshedkar Columbus, OH "OF PARADISE AND POWER" - BY ROBERT KAGAN "Americans are from Mars and Europeans are from Venus" - apart from simply raising a few eyebrows, this line by Robert Kagan author of "Of Paradise And Power", has not only caught the attention of many but managed to stir up a wave of discussions among the politicians and elites concerned with cross-Atlantic relations. Kagan's thought provoking book became extremely popular and received international acclaim for its analysis of the deteriorating US-Europe relationship, not to mention its catchy and striking phrases systematically introduced throughout the slender yet captivating book. Kagan introduces multiple chapters in his book, in order to deconstruct the key underlying issues which he claims are causes of the ever widening divide between US and Europe. In the chapter "The Power Gap", Kagan starts from World War I to understand the aversiveness Europe displays towards military and wars. He argues that while both the World Wars weakened Europe tremendously; they helped the US emerge as a super power. He further elaborates on the might of the US in the chapter that follows - "Psychologies of Power and Weakness". Kagan explains how lack of power can not only affect psychologies and ideologies, but change perspectives as well. He claims Europe's paucity of military power compels it to not only tolerate threats but ignore them all together and at the same time try and counterbalance the US force by constructing a world which is governed by economic and soft non-violent methods. This chapter culminates into "Hyperpussiance", a chapter in which Kagan discusses intricate details of Kosovo and Bosnia, highlighting Europe's failure and America's effectiveness in handling the situation. He finally presents his central argument in the chapters "The Post Modern Paradise" and "The World America Made" where Kagan states, "Europe's evolution into its present state occurred under the mantle of the U.S. security guarantee and could not have occurred without it." Casting doubts on Europe's intentions, Kagan centers his argument on the growing self-centered policies of Europe and questions the validity of cohesive terms such as `west' in his chapter "Is It Still `The West'"? Finally, it seems Kagan provides a solution to this insolvable problem of the US- Europe divide in his concluding chapter, "Adjusting to Hegemony", by simply stating one line - "the task for both Europeans and Americans is to readjust to the new reality of American hegemony". This extremely small book, as compared to the issue it addresses needs further analysis and some close examining. There are many issues to be addressed in Kagan's brief analysis and one might not be completely satisfied with certain claims, reasonings or the manner in which such a grave and sensitive topic is handled. While there is a tone of underlying bias (in contrast to the general opinion of a well-balanced view that the author holds), Kagan manages to miss out some crucial facts and figures, not to mention present stark paradoxes, and the essay lacks sufficient citings. To start with, let me point out the contradictions in Kagan's arguments, the presence of which highly undermines his claims, leaving the reader in a dilemma unconvinced of either argument. Kagan claims, "Europe's relative weakness has understandably produced a powerful European interest in building a world where military strength and hard power matter less than economic and soft power...rules of behavior" (pg.37). He goes on to say, - "Since Europeans lack the capacity to undertake unilateral military actions, either individually or collectively as `Europe,' it is natural that they should oppose allowing others to do that they cannot do themselves."(pg.38) in contrast to "...Europe today has the wealth and technological capability to make itself more of a world power in military terms if Europe wanted to become that kind of world power" (pg.53-54). Kagan contradicts his own views, stating many times that Europe is militarily weak, nor does it have the capacity to build up its forces yet at the same time, puts forth an argument of Europe's capabilities of increasing its defense spending and military might to match the US. In the chapter, Psychologies of Power and Weakness, Kagan's one claim contradicts another which is made in the next chapter as the reasoning for both his claims seem to be absolutely tangential. He first explains Europe's greater tolerance for threats is due to its weakness and the fearful past, which it has suffered from. He then metaphorically explains it by giving the example of a man with a knife and the same one with a rifle having different interpretations of the word `threat' when confronting a bear (pg.31). But again Kagan himself feels Europe can become a military power as and when it wishes to, when he says "They could easily spend twice as much as they are currently spending on defense if they believed it necessary to do so" (pg.54). So this forces me to ask a question, would one be mauled by a bear if one could produce a rifle to prevent this misfortune? So isn't it quite possible that Europeans feel safe, not because they "...enjoy the `free ride' they have gotten under the American security umbrella over the past six decades" (pg.54), but rather because there was and is no real threat at all? With the use of phrases such as "The Axis of Evil" and "Rouge States" (pg.30), which Kagan uses to describe Iraq and Iran, not to mention his references to `Weapons of Mass Destruction' (which he uses as a pretext to the war in Iraq), which still seem to be elusive for some reason, he seems to perplex me by blatantly ignoring his own creation. While Kagan maintains that Iraq was a threat and the US perceived it as one while Europe did not, he might want to explain as to why, in 1997, he (Kagan was the Director of the Project for the New American Century) signed a document which justifies American occupation of the Middle-East, irrespective of threats from Iraq or Iran. "The United States has for decades sought to play a more permanent role in Gulf regional security. While the unresolved conflict with Iraq provides the immediate justification, the need for a substantial American force presence in the Gulf transcends the issue of the regime of Saddam Hussein... From an American perspective, the value of such bases would endure even should Saddam pass from the scene. Over the long term, Iran may well prove as large a threat to U.S. interests in the Gulf as Iraq has. And even should U.S.-Iranian relations improve; retaining forward-based forces in the region would still be an essential element in U.S. security strategy given the longstanding American interests in the region."(pg.17 - Rebuilding America's Defenses - *1) This forces me to conclude that either the author has resorted to `cherry picking' of evidence or he suffers from selective amnesia. Some of his reasoning, analysis and analogies seem to be too nave. When explaining military action, one cannot justify it by saying, "When you have a hammer, all problems start to look like nails". The author speaks about the nation's (US's) willingness to go to war simply because it has the ability and the capacity to do so. Without discussing a need or providing concrete reasons for the use of aggression, the author seems to be content in justifying use of force, simply because one has it. One important aspect Kagan leaves out in his analysis are the political and economical aspects of the ongoing US-Europe feud. While I have discussed some economical aspects later in the review, one must note that Kagan does not mention the Kyoto Protocol (apart from Clinton's negotiation of it (pg.45)). The US withdrawal from the Protocol had created serious problems and divisions between the two giants (www.climnet.org - *2). While there were many other issues that further fanned the growing fire, disagreements over the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty for example, which Kagan conveniently sweeps under the carpet, needed to be addressed if one is discussing transatlantic relations (www.bbcnews.com - *3, 4) For a book which covers issues from the pre World War II decade (occasionally going back to ancient philosophy) to the present issues, 72 citations, from which many are simply extended explanations (for examples, see supra notes- 19, 20, 22), seem to be alarmingly low, especially with the absence of some important ones and not to mention, certain citations which wrongly allude to historical facts. Kagan mentions, "As `some' Europeans put it, the real division of labor consisted of the United States making the dinner and the Europeans doing the dishes" (pg.23), yet he does not refer to any source for this cynical statement. He says, "The vast majority of Europeans always believed that the threat (if any) posed by Saddam was more tolerable than the risk of removing him" along with other alleging statements like, "The rehabilitation and reintegration of Saddam Hussein's Iraq is precisely what they(Europe) sought" (pg.44) , and again gives no source for the origin of these beliefs. Strangely, he supports one of his claims by stating in his supra note.20, pg.30, "for that matter, this is also the view commonly found in American textbooks". One might not generally expect to see such puerile purporting evidence in a scholarly analysis of transatlantic relations. Kagan at times jumps back to Athenian times and has injected strong philosophies in his essay. He mentions a number of times how Americans see the world from a Hobbesian perspective while Europeans are followers of Kantinian policies. Kagan seems to have overlooked the fact, that though Hobbes had described the state of nature as that of "all against all", the only reason Hobbes justifies a sovereignty is to ensure peace on earth. Kagan conveniently cites Hobbes (Hobbes theory itself was flawed as later philosophers termed it as `Hobbes Dilemma') to justify American aggression, but no where in Hobbes' theory is aggression justified by the sovereign (Leviathan - Ch.17). There are some conclusions Kagan draws which seem to be beliefs of an American idealist living in a world where politics is as pure as religion. He concludes that while the US was providing "free security" to Europe after the Cold War, "...America's great power and willingness to assume responsibility for protecting other nations..." (pg.34) has given Europe the opportunity to build up economically. Kagan further asserts his point when he says, "Given America's willingness to spend so much money protecting them, Europeans would rather spend their own money on social welfare programs, long vacations and shorter workweeks" (pg.54). These are inaccurate presentations of facts, which are more of subjective, bias ideologies. I would like to put forth two points in order to accentuate the conspicuous fallacy of these two statements. First, America's interest in Europe was not to provide it with security whether before or after the Cold War. One must not confuse the fact that measures taken to restrict the Soviet advance was purely for selfish motives, rather than for the benefit of nations which were under the watchful eye of the communist empire (Kagan himself acknowledges the fact when he says, "With the check of the Soviet power removed, the United States was free to intervene practically whenever and wherever it chose..."(pg26)). Second, when Kagan acknowledges that Europe which has a "$9 trillion " economy is in a comfortable position to support its welfare programs along with increased military spending; attributing the fact that Europe spends more on welfare, as he calls them "free-riders", results in a faulty analysis. When I had mentioned earlier that Kagan chose to omit and ignore certain facts, the example of the Balkans, which the author has cited many times in his book would seem most relevant. Kosovo is one of the primary issues he discusses to bring forth US benevolence and European incapacity. "American involvement in Kosovo or Bosnia was not based on calculations of a narrow American `national interest'...While Americans had a compelling moral interest in stopping genocide and ethnic cleansing,... the US had no `national interest' at stake in the Balkans"(pg.50), this is how Kagan sees it. Indeed stopping genocide was a concern, but was it the only concern? While Milosevic had very much agreed to station NATO troops in Kosovo to stop the conflicts, none seem to have been interested in his offer; they rather wanted complete access and control to all of Yugoslavia. The Rambouillet Accord, to which the Contact Group added an Appendix B on the last day of the conference held at Paris, one must note was the primary reason for rejecting NATO troops, as it demanded Yugoslavia to surrender its autonomy and sovereignty. Yet, he does not mention of Milosevic agreeing to station NATO troops in Kosovo (http://wsws.org *5). Some thing missing from Kagan's entire book are the words "Latin America" and "Africa". As seen above, Kagan believes America was spending its money protecting Europe and Europe alone from all the threats around the world, before and after the Cold War. But what baffles me to quite an extent is that not once does Kagan mention about any American intervention in Latin America (official or not), Africa or the Far East for that matter. Those who are well aware of the world around them, will be aware of America's support for dictators and other corrupt regimes throughout Latin America and the far East, Indonesia for example, which were for self serving purposes alone or is it that the author is implying that the Latin American and African countries were a threat to Europe, hence the interventions and no mention of them? (A complete timeline by Steven Kangas can be found on multiple sites *6, 7, 8) There is one severe `defect', as I put it, which undermines the entire argument of this book. Kagan's tunneled vision approach, which refers to the word `power' only in terms of military strength and capabilities, ultimately results in a false dichotomy, which is the stumbling stone for his thesis. Kagan believes the world and in particular, Europe, is left with two options, that either they follow the US or be a tacit audience. The reason he reaches this conclusion as I previously put it, is due to his convergent view. "Rather than viewing the US as a Gulliver tied down by Lilliputian threads", says Kagan, "American leaders should realize that they are hardly constrained at all, that Europe is not really capable of constraining the US". He reinforces this claim throughout his book (see pg- 33, 37-40, 59, 62, etc). The author's abysmal ignorance about hard-hitting, highly valid and relevant facts has rendered severe blows to the validity of his claims. Kagan has committed serious errors here, by ignoring Europe's strength, not military but political and economical indeed. With a population of 456,953,258 (the CIA Fact Book *9) and still growing, the EU, leave aside Europe, cannot be simply overlooked or brushed aside as a dead competitor or a bygone culture. Europe is economically strong enough to trouble the US as and when it wants to, the recent problems over the genetically altered meat, banana dispute, steel industry debacle, Airbus-Boeing clash and many more, have all proved that Europe's economic strength is much of a concern for the US. While I must point out a rank deletion, I believe this is `the' single factor which is capable for arguing against all of Kagan's thesis and arguments, and that is the American Economy. Not once has he mentioned the deteriorating state of American economy (2001), even though problems did exist when he wrote this book. He seems to be blissfully ignorant and persists that America can sustain its exorbitant defense spending, "...the US can sustain its current military spending levels and its current global dominance far into the future". Strangely, the growing inflation rate, rising unemployment, stagflation, trends the economy was showing of heading towards a recession, were I believe dismissed as myths by the author (for statistics see - www.bbcnews.com; http://wsws.org *10, 11). Also, Kagan's final solution suggest that, "The obvious answer is that Europe should.... and build up its military, even if only marginally", leaves me with a conundrum. Is Kagan implicating that Europe has no military at all or is it that he wants to begin a new arms race, this time Cold War II? Kagan must understand he is writing this book for international publics and not simply those, whose ideologies are in tandem with his. Hence, I doubt most would disagree that the world should get into an arms race here, as we all know, there is no stopping to this evil if it once starts. While I have already discussed the effects of trade and economics (which Kagan ignores) on the US-Europe relation, there is something I must point out before I end this review. Kagan, rather conveniently digresses of the topic, which is transatlantic relationships, to justifying US hegemony in a neo-conservative fashion. While most Americans themselves would probably not agree with Kagan's ideology (as the public opinion and faith plummets - see polls from various news sources *12), leave aside Europeans or rest of the world, Kagan writes almost 15 pages to justify it. This was a rather disappointing conclusion to his book, where he thinks the only solution to the ever widening divide is "Adjusting to Hegemony". When Kagan says how many (statistics seem to abandon him) Americans believe that by advancing their interest, they advance the interest of humanity, he sounds exuberantly jingoistic and to drive the point home, he quotes Benjamin Franklin as saying - "America's cause is the cause of all mankind" and again I must bring to the author's notice, the recipient of these remarks is an international audience, which is diverse, has its own culture and heritage, religious beliefs and ideologies and has no reason to believe why their culture or beliefs are inferior to any other. An author of his stature must realize that it is transatlantic relationships and not a primary grade bully that is being discussed. While he seems to take pride in saying that America has a "go it alone" attitude (pg.39, 99), it does not abide by the UN Security Council (pg.40, 99), takes action unilaterally irrespective of international laws (pg.45, 61, 99), is justified in adopting `double standards' (pg.62, 99), he fails to fathom the gravity of the current day (or rather the day when he wrote this book) situation and the growing unpopularity of American foreign policy around the world. While he sees Europe as an obstacle in the path of America's imperialistic goals, a neutral observer would be more than justified in pointing out that may be it is the US that hinders progress and efforts of the EU to establish a world which respects international laws, human rights, collective public opinion and most of all - peace. He fails to give an impartial, if not a complete solution to rid the world of this wedge as he weakly concludes his essay by saying, "...a little common understanding can still go a long way". While many have nothing but words of praise, as a one line summary by Francis Fukuyama calls it - "Brilliant" (a co-architect and signatory of the Rebuilding America's Defense Project) and according to Dr. Henry Kissinger, [against whom innumerable charges of human right violations have been levied, who ironically, Kagan terms as a "quintessential realist". See - http://en.wikipedia.org(for cases) *13; http://www.thenation.com(for list of crimes) *14] the book is a "seminal treatise" which would "shape the (US-Europe relation) discussion for years to come"; I do not particularly endorse it it. As I have already put forth immense supportive data to show why the book lacks a concrete argument, sane reasoning or supportive evidence, though its lucid prose, easy comprehension and its articulate linking makes it a good read, it barely digs deep into the problem or the solution, apart from scratching the surface, `the military surface'. Indeed the book did create waves in the political arena, which was probably due to its impeccable timing, but I cast serious doubts on the claims that it would be "discussed for years to come". *1 - http://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf *2 - http://www.climnet.org/news/march2001.html *3 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1383385.stm *4 - http://212.58.226.30/1/hi/business/2052405.stm *5 - http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/apr1999/yugo-a14.shtml *6 - http://www.atrocities.net/ *7 - home.att.net/~Resurgence/CIAtimeline.html *8 - www.serendipity.li/cia/cia_time.htm *9 - http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ee.html *10 - http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/dec2000/us-d30.shtml *11 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1263211.stm *12 - http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php *13 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Kissinger *14 - http://www.thenation.com/blogs/capitalgames?bid=3&pid=17 0761526463:fast_and_loose:keith_e._diller 0761526463 The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War: Books: Thomas Dilorenzo books 5 of 18 1.0 September 28, 2006 Keith E. Diller Ft. Wayne, IN I suppose every author in this genre comes to the table with an agenda. That being said, in this book, Mr. DiLorenzo seems to play fast and loose with the facts (or at least with his conclusions). The flyleaf of this book promises "extensive research and meticulous documentation" but at least one other reviewer has already pointed out some problems with this author's historical research. That should raise a red flag to anyone reading this book. Consider this: The author claims Lincoln was more interested in building an American "empire" by centralizing Federal power than ending slavery. This implies Lincoln was premeditated in what he would do as President. I challenge anyone who believes that to read Lincoln's actual words and, more importantly, examine his actions. This we know: Abraham Lincoln was a complicated man and, as a thoughtful person, his views on slavery changed during his many years in public life. He came to believe that slavery would not die out on its own. I do recommend purchasing and reading this book since it is so different from the mythical view we have of Lincoln today. However, when it comes to some of the "facts" and conclusions expounded in this book be very careful what you believe 0385509480:haunted:t._brady 0385509480 Haunted: Books: Chuck Palahniuk books 0 of 7 1.0 September 25, 2006 T. Brady Midwest, America Yuk!!! Worst Book I've ever read - I read alot and with alot of variety. This book stinks (too farfetched, retched, disgusting and plain weird). 0688147259:great_stories,_good_humor,_bad_narration_voice:neujack_design 0688147259 Notes from a Small Island : Books: Bill Bryson books 1 of 2 1.0 July 30, 2006 Neujack Design as I did, and almost got into an accident The book is brilliant, no question about it. His stories are great, his humor dry and culturally insightful. The problem is that, like all audio books, the voice of the narrator can make or break the experience. And in this case, unfortunately, the voice of the author fails the material. Sorry, Bill, but your voice is just too droning and monotonous for an audio book. It's hard to get past the first few discs as his voice tends to lull you to sleep. I wouldn't recommend this audio book for listening while driving or in traffic (as I did, and almost got into an accident). If you want this book, get the paperback 1559948833:well_intentioned_advice_for_men;_women_not_included.:myra_"myra" 1559948833 Mars and Venus in the Bedroom: Books: John Gray,Gray John books 2 of 2 2.0 August 18, 2006 Myra "Myra" North Brookfield, MA USA Dr. Gray must be a wonderful lover. As a woman I read his hints and suggestions for a man's love making technique and marvel at his insight. I truly could not have imagined a man so aware of what a woman really wants in the bedroom. However there are no corresponding ideas for a woman geared to improviing her skills as a lover. By maintaining a position of gallant "ladies first" mentality he, in truth, is demeaning the power of women's sexuality. There is much to be gained by men reading this book. Attitudes can improve, skill levels can rise and even the articulation of loving feelings can be created and/or grow with the help of this book's suggestions. Women are unfortunately reduced to being receipients of, not participants in, in bedroom activity 1558539409:mystified:laurie_c._kellogg_"flounder" 1558539409 How To Raise A Gentleman A Civilized Guide To Helping Your Son Through His Uncivilized Childhood: Books: Kay West books 3 of 6 1.0 June 20, 2006 Laurie C. Kellogg "Flounder" Stoughton, Ma. United States My 60s something father gave me this book. I am a 45-year-old middle-class man with a 6-year-old son using my wife's account. I don't understand for whom this book is written. It is full of painfully obvious advice such as "Don't play with your food" or "Do not throw golf clubs... in anger." Anyone raised in America (presuming that is the author's intended audience) who doesn't already understand these things and take them to heart isn't going to be interested in reading about them in a book, if they can even read. Chapter 15 deals with Staring and differences where the author admonishes: "Do not repeat racist, sexist or ethnic jokes or tolerate them in your presence." If you were not a racist you would obviously already understand and agree with this. If you are, this book isn't going to change your attitude and you would probably want to burn it. I found this book useless for any reasonably sophisticated person unless you happen to be from a third world country or another planet. If the book was intended to teach good manners to the unsophisticated, dream on! I think the author has a Professor Henry Higgins Jones. I am also concerned about my father's opinion of me, I mean "Do not expect a child to endure a lengthy shopping trip unless it is to a toy or candy store." Duh 0471442992:it's_a_crime_that_this_book_is_still_for_sale.:andrew_p._kasch_"winning_financial_strategies_dot_com" 0471442992 Day Trade Online: Books: Christopher A. Farrell books 4 of 5 1.0 March 18, 2006 Andrew P. Kasch "winning financial strategies dot com" California USA The publishers should be sued. Maybe we should get a class-action together. Imagine taking an instruction manual for the very first Apple computer and putting a new title on it "How to use your new home computer" and selling it in bookstores today. This book is doing EXACTLY that! Also, it is highly doubtful that the tactic ever worked in the first place. The author's website vanished years ago. In a thinly traded NYSE stock if you try to repeatedly front the specialist with 2000 share orders he will simply move the price 50 cents against you immediately following your next purchase. Game over. [... 0826418279:mariology_it_ain't:p._burdick_"pataburd2" 0826418279 Truly Our Sister: A Theology of Mary in the Communion of Saints: Books: Elizabeth A. Johnson books 7 of 23 1.0 August 23, 2005 P. Burdick "pataburd2" Oneonta, NY United States I concur with another reviewer: get Luigi Gambero's "Mary and the Fathers of the Church," and, I might add, his follow-up work, "Mary in the Middle Ages." Read these two books alongside "Truly Our Sister. . .," then decide whether 15 or 16 centuries of organic, historically contiguous development of the Church's Marian doctrine by some of the finest minds and hearts the Church has ever produced--including Bridget of Sweden, or Johnson's glib, 21st century, feminist revisionism provides the better spiritual nourishment. The Blessed Virgin Mary stirs us to properly love her divine Son, bringing us into the intimate recesses of the Trinitarian love itself! Anything shy of that simply misses the point and leaves one painfully short-changed. 0679404023:ego_visible:el_lagarto 0679404023 Darkness Visible (Random House Large Print): Books: William Styron books 14 of 26 1.0 December 30, 2005 El Lagarto Ambler, PA I had high hopes when I picked up this book because Styron is a terrific writer and I was interested in the subject. By the time I was done I nearly threw it across the room. Admittedly, Depression makes for a tough topic, but that's not good enough. There's more to Depression than staring at an empty page, unable to muster the courage to write one single word. The dark places of the soul also have their fires, their drama, even if they are played out in secret. I will grant that the writing is spare and elegant, as you would expect. But I would have traded all the insider literati name-dropping for one paragraph that gave me a visceral sense of how he felt, something that put me there with him. I have read instruction manuals for appliances with more passion and conviction. Styron is candid about his descent into alcoholism, but the self-destruction inherent in alcoholism does not imply the elimination of ego, frequently it heralds the triumph of ego. In Darkness Visible, Styron maintains egomaniacal control of his subject through aloof detachment, showcasing a carefully polished veneer, never inviting the reader in. 0609809318:horrible,_horrible_book.:steven_gallo 0609809318 Invisible Frontier: Exploring the Tunnels, Ruins, and Rooftops of Hidden New York: Books: L.B. Deyo,David Leibowitz books 1.0 September 27, 2006 Steven Gallo New York City As someone very interested in urban exploration (especially in the subways) I wanted to check this book out upon hearing of it. After reading many of these Amazon reviews though, I opted out of a purchase, and took it out of my Bronx library instead. Thank goodness as I only wasted valuable time, and not any money. This book is a sham. It is obviously mostly fiction. And it's boring fiction at that. The book is divided into chapters, each chapter a new "adventure." I read the subway one first, where the "explorers" take the 6 train around the loop at the end of the line, to see the City Hall Station, which opened in 1904 (NYC's first station) and closed in 1948. The station is located on the loop of the 6 train, that makes the southbound trains go back up north after the last stop, Brooklyn Bridge. First of all, anyone can go on this "adventure." Just stay on the train at the last stop, Brooklyn Bridge, and that's it. Despite the author's attempt to make this sound risky, no conductors walk through the train to see if anyone is on (like they really care), just sit down. The author created some "European tourists" that inadvertantly stayed on the 6 after the last stop, and the author even tries to create some mystery by saying "are we on the wrong train?" Well, unless all those huge "6" signs that are lit all over the train are difficult to read, then you probably got on the correct train. The author also fails to mention that the MTA used to give public tours all the time through this station (and others like the 18th street on the 6 and more) but stopped after 9-11. This chapter was a joke. I started reading the other chapters, and saw they were no better. I then started to breeze through the book. One thing that is very obvious - no photographs of the adventures are in the book at all. This, despite the fact that on page 67 the author states, "Josh takes out his camera and snaps away at every pipe and puddle..." But no photos of their "adventures" are in the book. Why? Because it's fiction. There are photos of what they are supposed to be exploring, sure, that's easy. There's even one pic of one of these clowns hopping some fence somewhere, ooo. Buit no pics of the actual "adventures." I guess "Josh" lost all those pictures when he went to CVS to have them developed. The funny thing is, you can save yourself a lot of time by just going online and viewing pictures of these things for yourself. Especially the City Hall station, there are tons of pictures of it available from the people that were in there during the tours. Just stay away from this sham of a book, it's really a huge waste of time 0449457664:really_not_much_here.:sean_l. 0449457664 I is for Innocent (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries (Paperback)): Books: Sue Grafton books 2.0 August 5, 2002 Sean L. Twin Peaks, USA Sue Grafton has written many good books but this one is weak, weak, weak. Try 'A is for Alibi' or 'J is for Judgement'. They show off Grafton's writing talents much better 0743477111:gimmie_a_break!:l._wright_"musette_wright" 0743477111 Romeo and Juliet (Folger Shakespeare Library): Books: William Shakespeare books 4 of 22 1.0 July 29, 2005 L. Wright "Musette Wright" Crown Point, IN USA Not that I don't like Shakespeare's works, but his tragedies are terrible, especially this one. I can't understand the language real well, so I have to grab one with the contemporary language so that it'll be easier to understand. I just can't understand this love tragedy at all! Here are some things that confuse me: *How did this feud really begin? *Why can't this story end in happily ever after? *Why does Lady Capulet have to be so stuck up on everybody? *Why couldn't Shakespeare have written in a language we could all understand? *Why does everybody have to jump to conclusions? I simply can't understand why people love this play so much. It's ridiculous! If you want a true love story, try reading "A Midsummer Night's Dream". This one absolutely SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!! 0375435409:more_than_a_disappointment!:a._watson_"romance_enthusiast" 0375435409 Toxic Bachelors (Danielle Steel): Books: Danielle Steel books 3 of 3 1.0 March 19, 2006 A. Watson "Romance Enthusiast" Rock Hill, SC USA I wanted to cry when I put this book down because I miss the Danielle Steele that wrote 'Thurston House', 'Family Circle' and others. For years now I have felt that she is simply putting out books because she is contractually obligated to by her publishers. I really feel like her heart just isn't in it anymore. She has become very idiosyncratic and predictable. Every book has her main character 'being honest.' I keep reading because I am a loyal Danielle Steele fan and I write this in hopes she'll read it and either decide she is writing because she loves it (like she once did) or decide to retire and let us love her through her earlier works. This book was just awful. 0761516042:self-laudatory_nonsense,_and_insulting_to_anyone_with_half_a_brain.:david_demaggio 0761516042 Triumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church: Books: H. W. Crocker III books 4 of 27 1.0 March 6, 2006 David DeMaggio I received this book as a gift. I was skeptical upon reading the praise for the book on the back cover from such political wonks as Bob Novak and Sean Hannity. Haven't any well respected catholic theologians or scholars approved of this book? No. And with good reason. It's not a history book, it's a poorly researched piece of garbage designed to bilk "the faithful" out of their hard-earned dollars. I did read several chapters of the book to be fair. When Crocker describes the Papal forces during the Albigensian crusade as "soldiers of God, overcoming all the odds to destroy the wicked oppression challenging the authority of the church." I wanted to puke. And how about the Inquisition, where Church authorities sanctioned physical torture against "heretics?" Well, Crocker concedes that torturing someone might stray a little bit from Christ's original message of tolerance... but hey, they threatened the authority of the righteous Catholic church, so they got what they deserved. Uh, yeah, amen brother. These considerations aside, the book isn't even well researched, which immediately destroys its credibility with me. For example from the Albigensian crusade, Crocker states that the armies of the heretics numbered over 100,000, yet with only a few thousand men, the Pope was able to defeat them, as they were filled with the "glory of god" or something like that. Curiously, in his footnotes he cites nothing to back this claim up. Maybe because it isn't true. And any cites to books that have been critical of church policy, like, say, endorsing Mussolini, are derided as "unresearched," "politically motivated" and "shameful" Ironically, that's exactly what "Triumph" is to me 0425183378:more_branded_product_masking_as_substance:ron_d 0425183378 Cape Light: Books: Thomas Kinkade,Katherine Spencer books 4 of 6 1.0 September 15, 2005 Ron D Southern California Yet another offering from the Kinkade art product assembly line. Pass on this -- Read real books and buy real art instead 0851103405:highly_literate_sophomorism:r._winn_"life_is_short,_but_wide!" 0851103405 Escape from reason: Books: Francis A Schaeffer books 3 of 14 2.0 January 15, 2005 R. WINN "Life Is Short, but Wide!" Seattle, WA USA This is a well written but ultimately sophomoric disquisition on the concept that if you don't have faith in the supernatural, you have no reason for hope. According to this book, the rational world is such an unpleasant place that, if you are not religious as Schaeffer defines religious, "[t]he only way of escape lies in a nonrational fantasy world of experience, drugs, absurdity, pornography, an elusive "final experience," madness... ." Piffle! Throughout history, a great many people found life to be good without resorting to either madness or Schaeffer's brand of religion. And indeed, religion and rationality need not be foes, as frequently demonstrated by scientists and science writers, such as Isaac Asimov and Stephen Jay Gould. Reduces our choices to "religion or madness" is just silly. Schaeffer in this book champions not religion or spirituality, but authoritarianism with a clerical face. His fans won't like that characterization, but my job as a reviewer is to tell you what's in the book; if you seek comfort in authoritarian religion, this book's skillful wordcraft makes it is a good place to start 0849399882:is_there_a_lower_rating_available?:phil_mckrackin_"phil" 0849399882 Information Security Architecture: An Integrated Approach to Security in the Organization: Books: Jan Killmeyer Tudor books 4 of 5 1.0 October 26, 2004 Phil McKrackin "Phil" Tampa, FL As a Certified Information Systems Security Professional, I can definitively state that this book does not cover everything that needs to be covered or in any depth whatsoever. I got this book based on the glowing reviews I found here, and I'm at a loss as to why these reviews would have recommended it. The most aggrevating part about this book is the subtitle "An Integrated Approach to Security in the Organization." The book not only lacks effective security integration techniques, it doesn't seem to address the entire organization where it tries its half-hearted integration. 0375701613:pamuk's_first_novel_is_a_disappointment:a._ross 0375701613 The White Castle: A Novel: Books: Orhan Pamuk books 18 of 30 1.0 May 3, 2005 A. Ross Washington, DC Like many others in my book group, I had been looking forward to finally reading something by Pamuk. And like most of my book group, I was fairly disappointed by this short early novel from him. Originally published in Turkey in 1985, the story is prefaced by an introduction in which one Faruk Darvinoglu purports to have discovered the manuscript in a dusty archive. He then goes on to explain that parts of the story can be historically corroborated, but much of it can't. This should immediately alert the reader not to take everything in the book as it comes. Even more so if the reader knows that Darvinoglu is the protagonist of Pamuk's earlier book The House of Silence. Such intertextual tricks immediately bring to mind the works of Calvino, Borges, and their ilk. The basic plot is very straightforward: in the mid 17th-century, a young Venetian gentleman is captured by Turkish raiders and sold into slavery to an aspiring Turkish scholar who happens to look just like him. The two men then spend the next few decades cloistered together, engaged in various psuedo-intellectual investigations of astronomy, biology, engineering, and so on. These bring them to the attention of the Sultan (based on Mehmet IV), whose patronage waxes and wanes, culminating in a lengthy attempt to construct a powerful war machine. Along the way, their claustrophobic relationship swings back and forth, and is interrupted by an outbreak of the plague, whose outcome they are tasked with predicting. The book concludes with a brief section which will challenge the reader's assumptions and calls into question everything that comes before it. Namely, are there two characters or are they just manifestations of two aspects of a single person? This all unfolds at a glacial pace, and the two "characters" are mere ciphers. Their clashing of wills and ideas take up page after page, but the reader is always told about the conflict rather than shown it, and this makes for disengaging reading. Pamuk seems much less interested in storytelling or characters than in grand themes such as the nature of identity, the collision of cultures, and the very nature of reality. But none of these are addressed in a way that is particularly fresh or interesting. The tension between East and West is handled in a fairly superficial manner, as the Turkish master is obsessed with Western advances in science and technology, while the Sultan has a credulous appetite for tall tales and soothsayers. This all comes across as a rather ambivalent satire of the fluidity of Turkish national character. In the end, this is not a particularly good introduction to major modern writer whom many have compared to Eco, Calvino, Borges, Kafka, and Kundera. However, readers who enjoy highly ambiguous works about self-identity with unreliable narrators may find this a satisfying read 0140246495:waste_of_time:l._k._elmore 0140246495 Ladder of Years: Books: Anne Tyler books 0 of 2 2.0 February 22, 2006 L. K. Elmore Sorry, but I found this book a total waste of time. I never did like the main character - I found HER boring! I laughed out loud when I read another reviewer say that "this person escaped her life to be a secretary?" - good point! It was just so unbelievable a woman would leave her children without any thought really - and to continue this "new" life without really taking time to search her soul. Instead she befriends even more boring people than herself.As far as the ending of the book goes - I couldn't have cared less what happened to her anyway! After reading it (book on tape) I felt I had totally wasted my time. What a disappointment 0310238587:from_christianity...to_'churchianity':bill_turner 0310238587 Liberation of the Worldwide Church of God, The: Books: J. Michael Feazell books 7 of 14 1.0 May 23, 2005 Bill Turner Old Bridge, New Jersey United States The author comes off as a whining, unhappy camper about having to grow up in what he considers a 'stifling' church environment; further apalled by the Church Founder's belief, in that it (the Worlwide Church Of God) was God's True Church through the ages, right on up to the present 'end time'. Feazell spends a good amount of time giving his negative opinions on Herbert W. Armstrong,the Church's actual teachings, and a general trashing and somewhat of a misreprentation of the general denomination as a whole, labeling it a 'cult'...and further damning its Pastor General as a "heretic", despite the Church's humanitarian works, publishing, Colleges and international outreach for world peace over the past seven decades under the leadership of H.W. Armstrong. Since Armstrong's death in 1986, Feazell and his cohort Joseph Tkach Jr. seem to be having a field day jumping up and down on his remains, and writing books on how great it feels to be loosed from having to keep the apostolic Holy Days, sabbaths, ten commandments (which, in his estimation are now the 'ten suggestions') and general lifestyle of this 7th Day Church Of God denomination. Mr. Feazell apparently does not speak for all the Church membership, as over 100,000 members left and formed various smaller independent Church Of God conferences throughout the United States...and continuing the legacy and apostolic, traditional Christian system of worship restored by Herbert W. Armstrong in 1927. Recommended reading: "Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong"; "Mystery Of The Ages"; "The Incredible Human Potential" 0943685362:its_complete_crap:sparky121 0943685362 Raindrop Technique: Books: D. Gary Young books 6 of 36 1.0 September 15, 2005 Sparky121 This is yet another book where anyone who passed a high school bio class will know is crap. [...] he seems to have found a devoted crew of morons who believe that he really can cure all. If you ever go to one of their conventions, you'll know that its AMWAY for stupid soccer moms with allergic kids. 0345386302:too_long,_boring,_badly_written,_not_exciting,_etc...:w._b_garrison 0345386302 Shadow Man: Books: John Katzenbach books 3 of 3 1.0 July 26, 2005 W. B Garrison Oklahoma City, OK USA John Katzenbach is an accomplished author and I had previously read and enjoyed another of his novels (The Analyst), so I was surprised at how bad The Shadow Man was. The premise of the plot is that four very old Jewish people, survivors of the Holecaust, believe they have seen the "Shadow Man". The Shadow Man was a Jew who joined forces with the Nazis to find Jews that were hiding to avoid certain doom in concentration camps. These four old people feared the Shadow Man more than anything. When one of them is killed, a retired police detective named Simon Winter looks into who the Shadow Man is. Meanwhile, the Miami police are also investigating the death of the elderly Jewish woman and have young gangster as a suspect. Eventually, Winter and the police and the District Attourney join to hunt the Shadow Man, a man of pure evil. As the book villian, it was hard to fear a villian who was a killer 50 years ago but was now in his 70s. Also, this book barely touches on WWII, yet purports at times to be a novel about WWII. I've read a lot of great WWII novels, and this book would have been great if it had been set in the 60s. But setting it present day with senior citizens and the main characters wasn't too exciting. It wasn't exciting primarily because I wondered where had the Shadow Man been all these years? Why was he starting to kill now? The Shadow Man had no motivation to kill. Finally, I realized I didn't like this book when I was skipping paragraphs at a time during the last 20 pages. The entire book was like this with each character prone to long rambling inner thoughts that really added nothing to the story. If you take away the WWII angle, this novel is bad. The WWII angle adds some excitement, but there are probably thousands of books out there that relate the horror of WWII better than this one does. The review from Publishers Weekly printed above summarizes my thoughts and deserves to be repeated..."Katzenbach (Just Cause) has some good Holocaust and WWII vignettes and pretty good cop-talk here, but the book is burdened by flat characterization, a slow pace, an odd, unsatisfying ending and a serious need for editing. 1560159634:is_it_ethical_to_sell_this_book:robert_chagal 1560159634 Day Trade Online (Wiley Audio): Books: Christopher A. Farrell,Jeff Woodman books 0 of 2 1.0 October 17, 2005 Robert Chagal NYC This book was written in 2000 from events occuring in 1998!!! Totally out of date! Useless!! Wondering why it is still for sale. The author, contacted by email responded but did not address the questions asked, simply giving excuses and mentioning that he wrote another book much better than this one... Outrageaous! Spread the word and if you own the book, get your money back 1596004398:incredibily_unpleasant_read:molly_o'halloran 1596004398 Hard Truth (Anna Pigeon): Books: Nevada Barr,Joyce Bean books 5 of 5 1.0 August 23, 2006 Molly O'Halloran Seattle I have been a huge fan of the Anna Pigeon mysteries. The hard truth about Hard Truth is skip it. It is a very unpleasant experience. The graphic representation of child abuse and cruelty in this book still makes me ill. What I've loved about the Anna Pigeon series is that I felt like I got a good sense of the national park where the story took place with an appreciation for the natural beauty of the area. I doubt Anna spent more than a night in Rocky Mountain National Park. Not only does she completely miss the unique character of the park but the park has no necessary link to the story. The whole thing could have taken place in urban Chicago. I have been picking up Nevada Barr books as fast as I could find them. This book, however, was truely repulsive. I'll be much more cautious about investing a part of my life in her next book 0874779642:dr._narby's_wild_ride:jason_hurd_"kitsula" 0874779642 The Cosmic Serpent: Books: Jeremy Narby books 2 of 3 2.0 October 16, 2006 Jason Hurd "Kitsula" Ohio, United States Jeremy Narby's The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge, started out decently enough with Narby reminiscing about his days doing field work in the Amazon Basin and from there he goes over some interesting ideas regarding DNA and Serpent Myths but then all goes down hill as he suddenly becomes a follower of Intelligent Design and makes an all out attack on Darwinian Evolution and Science itself. A number of Narby's ideas regarding DNA and Shamanism are intriguing enough but he has apparently decided that all Shamanism is based on Molecular Biology, while he freely admits that he is being very reductionist on this point, I still see many problems with his view that Shamanism is based on Molecular Biology at heart. His argument mostly surrounds the symbol of the Serpent/Dragon which is present in many different mythologies often with connections to water and associations with twins. He decides that this is in actually a representation of DNA as viewed by Shamans and believes that all serpents in mythology and shamanic visions are actually DNA. Since DNA emits photons and this has been shown to possibly play a part in cell communication (along with the traditional chemical communication) Narby believes that in shamanic trances the shaman becomes able to see the light emitted by DNA (which often show up as snakes) and the shaman communicates with the individual bits of DNA (which is conscious) and the entire linked network of DNA based life. As justification for this argument he points out that some groups hold that spirits are beings of pure light, to him this is almost literally correct as the spirits are actually DNA and communicate through light as "spirits". From there he goes on to say that all ladders, staircases, and ropes in shamanic quests are representations of DNA and when the shaman uses them he is travelling along DNA and similarly when the shaman goes to the underworld he is sinking down to the world of Molecular Biology (although since one can apparently work with and see DNA in the middle world one must ask why one would need to shrink down). While these views might make for some interesting theological discussion about some shamanic practices, Narby seems to have ignored the psychological aspects of visions and quests and any elements other than snakes or other things that just happen to be long and thin. Given Narby's view of spirits as DNA one must ask what spiritual helpers/allies are? Is someone's spiritual guides DNA in some bacteria on my hand? Will I kill Yahweh by washing my hands with anti-bacterial soap (hey maybe that's why Jesus decided that washing one's hands was bad!)? A lot of his proof is like the proof of Erich von D niken except that where D niken saw aliens and spacecraft, Narby sees DNA and Molecules. Take for example this D niken-esque proof from the book: "The second was a rock painting of the Rainbow Snake. I looked at it more closely and saw two things: All around the serpent there were sorts of chromosomes, in their upside-down "U" shape, and underneath it there was a kind of ladder!" (p. 79) By Chapter 10, entitled Biology's Blind Spot, Narby has decided that Evolution is Wrong and all of Science must be toppled. This bit seems to have come out of nowhere like someone spliced a Pro-Intelligent Design rant into a book where it didn't belong and as with all Pro-ID and Creationist literature we get the same old faulty attacks again and again. Attacks such as Evolution being based on a Circular argument because the most fit species survive to spread their genes and therefore are more fit. Yes, that is the definition of fitness, and sometimes the basis of things start as tautologies such as the Theory of Gravity but like Gravity Natural Selection and evolution is justified and testable by looking at it's predictive power. Population genetics and mathematics shows clearly that natural selection is very predictive and has so far not been falsified. Similarly, we can also look at the fossil record in geological strata for evidence of evolutionary change over time. After that attack Narby then attacks the Central Dogma (Which is how transcription of DNA to proteins works) by misinterpreting what Francis Crick meant. Crick never meant the word Dogma in Central Dogma to be taken in the sense it is used in religion instead he meant it as a joke name for a grand hypothesis that he had at the time little actual experimental evidence for. Narby misinterprets Crick's joke to argue that evolution is apparently Faith based, since this argument has no basis in reality it falls flat immediately. He then argues that ants and other animals are fully conscious because they do amazing things that seem to require forethought and they tap into DNA like shamans to do things. Higher animals are smart and may have consciousness but ants are pretty dumb. One is reminded of Edward Selous and others' ideas about thought-transference to explain how flocks of birds move and how ants and termites build hives, as it turns out birds flocking behaviour operates on simple instinctual rules (clustering, maintaining speed, and appropriate distance) and so are Ant Nesting behaviours. One proof of this is to put food just out of the reach of ants, and some dirt underneath, while they understand how to move earth and tunnel they will never purposely move earth to build ramps, bridges, or tunnels to reach a goal. The birds who flew in flocks and the ancestors of ants who had developed nesting behaviour managed to survive better and so these behaviours somehow became instincts and persisted. Now Narby makes the extremely tired argument that life is too complicated to be determined by chance alone, and he is correct on this matter. Too bad there is more than chance guiding evolution, we also have Natural Selection guiding the process, to quote Richard Dawkins: "Life results from the non-random survival of randomly varying replicators." The combinations which work survive and prosper and are kept in the population. Narby argues "How can a small telephone directory of information emerge from random processes?" (P. 142) to answer this I wish to quote a bit of Michael Shermer's 25 Creationists' Arguments and 25 Evolutionists' Answers which nicely illustrates how natural selection can produce Shakespeare's Hamlet quickly from random letters: "Natural selection is not "random" nor does it operate by "chance." Natural selection preserves the gains and eradicates the mistakes. The eye evolved from a single, light-sensitive cell into the complex eye of today through hundreds if not thousands of intermediate steps, many of which still exist in nature. In order for the monkey to type the first 13 letters of Hamlet's soliloquy by chance, it would take 26 to the power of 13 number of trials for success. This is 16 times as great as the total number of seconds that have elapsed in the lifetime of the solar system. But if each correct letter is preserved and each incorrect letter eradicated, the process operates much faster. How much faster? Richard Hardison constructed a computer program in which letters were "selected" for or against, and it took an average of only 335.2 trials to produce the sequence of letters TOBEORNOTTOBE. This takes the computer less than 90 seconds. The entire play can be done in about 4.5 days!" Narby also tries to argue that gaps in the fossil record such as in whale evolution and other places where there are few or no intermediate forms indicate that evolution has not occurred. This however just means that in this instance there are gaps in the fossil record because the fossils have not been found yet. Narby also points to the seemingly rapid appearance of species in the fossil record as an argument against evolution. Apparently Narby has never heard of Punctuated Equilibrium. Narby stunningly also tries to argue that because large portions of DNA is identical over many different species that this somehow indicates design, unfortunately for Narby a lot of these identical sequences of DNA code for the basic processes of life. A human who couldn't cope with oxygen or a fox which could not metabolize energy would not last long in this world. The fact that these sequences are identical is actually a point for evolution because the same processes have been preserved and we even see similar basic skeletal structures in animals even when it is not efficient or useful such as digits in the fins of dolphins or the appendix in humans. Finally, we come back full circle to his argument about Natural Selection being a form of circular logic and he ties to paint Evolution as unfalsifiable (No, we can test it's predictions in such fields as Genetics and Palaeontology) and being denounce by an increasing number of scientists (not at all true). All in all while Narby has some interesting nuggets of information and ideas in The Cosmic Serpent he ultimately seems to squander these ideas by jumping around in random directions and to strange conclusions based on very little evidence 0805076069:too_out_of_touch_herself:f._castle 0805076069 Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream: Books: Barbara Ehrenreich books 3 of 6 2.0 October 4, 2006 F. Castle She wastes the first chapters, and my time, going to extremes with kooky consultants that only someone who doesn't deserve to be hired would use. It adds to the drama and despair I suppose, but it comes off as contrived, and as an attempt to pander to her extremist/pessimist reading coterie. I don't think Babs could have possibly put more words in quotations. Her OCD with quotated words and terms is a distraction that ultimately drove me nuts. I can't believe she's an accomplished writer. Her writing style can best be described as unsmooth and read-stoppage inducing. Oh well, her intentions were good B0007EDPEW:pseudo-feminist_tripe:andrew_ginsberg B0007EDPEW Against interpretation, and other essays: Books: Susan Sontag books 13 of 42 2.0 April 24, 2000 andrew ginsberg Chicago, IL I fail to understand all of the hoopla about Susan Sontag. While I have only read a limited selection of her work, in these essays, "Against Interpretation" being the ultimate example, Sontag emerges as a simple-minded, arrogant ignoramus. In her utterly unreasoned invective, Sontag ignores (or is just unable to understand) two critical facts. First, some works of art and theory are difficult to understand (in varying degrees) without the help of interpretation. Sontag's flawed analysis of the supposed ruination of the works of Kafka by interpretation demonstrates that not only is she among this crowd, she has clearly reached new and unheard of misguided heights. Second, Sontag ignores the fact that works of art in other languages cannot be understood in translation without the help of interpretation and criticism that demonstrates the extent to which aspects of a certain culture are imbedded in the original language. This couldn't possibly be clearer than in poetry. Weinberger's excellent "Nineteen Ways of Looking at Wang Wei", which adroitly considers the subject, hadn't been released when Sontag published this essay but it probably wouldn't have made a difference. What was she thinking? The only good aspect of the essay (and why I give it 2 stars instead of 1 or zero) is the fact that it has given me ample opportunity to win arguments against individuals who are flawed in their thinking enough to enjoy Sontag's writing 0060172126:better_off_reading_his_column_in_women's_magazines:dragana_djordjevic-laky 0060172126 Mars and Venus in the Bedroom: Guide to Lasting Romance and Passion, A: Books: John Gray books 3 of 3 2.0 May 25, 2006 Dragana Djordjevic-Laky California to Germany I stumbled across this book by accident at my library and decided what the heck, all those millions reading Gray's franchise can't be wrong. Plus, I've seen Gray on Larry King once, and he seemed like a nice and reasonable enough guy. This book, though, promising in its intro to be "sexy", touched more of my comical than my sensual nerves. Now, I am not above accepting bedroom advice where it's warranted (for instance, it is thanks to Dr. Gray that I finally made sense of that night years ago when my husband slept on the couch after a huge fight caused by my criticizing a movie we'd just went to see). But Gray's generalizations, dumbing down of most issues and sharing his own sex life with his wife Bonnie were mostly unhelpful, and I suspect that the passages I found funny were involuntarily so. Although I'm the first to admit that women love compliments, Gray's suggestions, as displayed in several top 10-lists of things to say (and, occasionally, what not to say) were a tidbit too repetitive (ever wonder how many combinations you can play with the phrase "your breasts are wonderful"? Read the book!). Almost as enlightening was the hot tip on how, while getting to the undressing part, the man should pull the woman's panties "up her crack" (a.k.a. give her a plain old wedgie--no joke). And, don't miss the one where the Mongolian woman pulls a flag at full mast when she's in the mood and at half when she's not (or maybe it was different colors, I couldn't read clearly through my tears--no offense to the Mongolian people!). More annoying were the recurring (and very stereotypical) assumptions that a woman always needs 10 or more times more cajoling into sex than a man (in various ways, be it foreplay, flowers or the favored seduction line hit lists), that a man always comes (and too quickly, of course), and that you need constantly innovative acrobatics in the bedroom, or your (otherwise mutually comfortable and sure-fire, I wonder?) approach will become a "turn-off". Bottom line (no pun intended): if you want some light and basic (!) guidance, the book is not too terrible, but if it is "advanced bedroom skills" (Gray said that!) that you're after, you're better off digging out that old Erica Jong or even any pulp. 0743267524:yea_you_guys_rule:cherry_bomb 0743267524 Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season: Books: Stewart O'Nan,Stephen King books 1 of 5 1.0 May 18, 2006 cherry bomb congrats on your first victory in eight and a half decades 0786288485:didn't_like_the_writing_style_at_all:pamela_a._johnson_"pam" 0786288485 An Unexpected Song: Books: Iris Johansen books 1 of 1 2.0 October 14, 2006 Pamela A. Johnson "Pam" Tacoma, WA I have never read one of Johansen's books and after reading this one, I'm not likely to read another. I usually enjoy reading pretty much any type of mystery and am not a literary critic by any means, but I just couldn't get into the story here because of the flowery and cliche-filled writing. Exclamations such as "dear heaven" and "lord" were repeated over and over again by all characters throughout the book, which doesn't seem to fit with the rest of their conversational tone (it would suit my southern grandma, however). As another reviewer said, the big mystery of why Daisy wouldn't leave Geneva wasn't particularly mysterious - if she really wanted Jason to leave she could have just told him. Character development was lacking and I just didn't care that much about them. I would have liked to hear more about Cynthia and her antics. I did finish the book because I was curious to know what happened, but I couldn't wait for it to be over. Sorry, but this was not my cup of tea 0060922583:read_the_first__2_chapters...:dh_heun 0060922583 The Holographic Universe: Books: Michael Talbot books 4 of 12 2.0 July 19, 2006 Dh Heun Doncaster, South Yorkshire - United Kingdom ...and dump it...great advice given in a previous review. I think the "shame" about this book is that it glosses over some very interesting ideas with (in my opinion) some wholly unsupported and mostly un-related crap. Talbot is to the theory of the Holographic Universe what Mark Furman was to the guilt of OJ Simpson. Whatever truth there is to it will be hidden by his presentation of "false evidence" 0618133097:utterly_silly-gwtw's_legacy_is_safe.:words_and_music 0618133097 The Wind Done Gone: Books: Alice Randall books 7 of 10 1.0 November 26, 2005 Words And Music US The author has her narrator("Cinnamon") spend most of her time comparing herself to the fascinating Scarlett,in a game of wish-fulfillment one-upmanship. Even though she's calling the shots,as it's her book, Scarlett still comes out miles ahead. Perhaps it was only that way for a certain strata of society,but there WAS once a beautiful world of chivalry and gallantry and bravery and even some idealism-even if misplaced-just as there has been throughout the ages in other societies,such as "Ivanhoe" presents.The story may have been one-sided,but it's the side MM chose to tell,and there's kernel of truth in the "myth" of the Old South,as in all myths. Margaret Mitchell has nothing to fear from this silly so-called "parody",which is really a subconscious-or not so subconscious,in fact-effort to knock from her pedestal,that epitome of heroines-Katie Scarlett O'Hara and the wonderful Melanie Wilkes.As if Rhett would ever give any other woman a serious thought-he was obsessed with Scarlett.That's why he turned to women like Belle Watling.And to imagine Mammy killing the male babies,when she had been devoted to Ellen O'Hara from Ellen's childhood.Thank goodness this book isn't a pimple on the fanny of the classic GWTW,because what it is a a travesty-and not even a well-written or engaging one at that.GWTW will still be read and loved for all time,like the classic it is,when this book is selling for a quarter at garage sales.I didn't even pay that,thank goodness-the woman gave it to me,and I read it and burned it with the rest of the trash.I'd give it a negative star if there was such a rating.Ludicrous and laughable-try again,Ms Randall,and try to get over the jealousy of Scarlett and Co. Again,Margaret Mitchell need not fear,LOL 0072462485:genetics:__from_genes_to_genomes:michael_haraway_"student" 0072462485 Genetics: From Genes to Genomes with PowerWeb(OLC Bindin Card): Books: Leland Hartwell,Leroy Hood,Michael L. Goldberg,Lee M. Silver,Ruth C. Veres,Ann Reynolds books 7 of 9 2.0 February 6, 2005 Michael Haraway "Student" NY I found this book extremely verbose and unorganized. It would serve as a great reference book for a lab researcher or grad student. But it's way too technical and dense for an introductory genetics class. The authors do a poor job presenting the material in a comprehensible way to an undergraduate genetics student. Not recommended 0976585707:not_enough_substance:wishiwasabookworm 0976585707 The Coffeehouse Investor: How To Build Wealth, Ignore Wall Street, And Get On With Your Life: Books: Bill Schultheis books 2 of 3 2.0 August 17, 2006 wishiwasabookworm Endwell,NY The author makes a good case for index mutual funds but there are too many digressions about the author's extracurricular activities. Do you really want a pumpkin pie recipe in a book about mutual funds 0613181301:manifesto_of_liberal_pseudoscience:sherry_"scb" 0613181301 The Mismeasure of Man: Books: Stephen Jay Gould books 7 of 25 1.0 June 3, 2006 Sherry "SCB" Montclaie, NJ For someone who spends his career attacking politically-motivated science, Stephen Jay Gould does a pretty good job combining scientific research with politics in this book. Gould rambles on and on, attacking giants of modern science like Samuel Morton and Francis Galton, and never putting up any serious scientific conclusions of his own. Gould presents fabricated objections to serious research and selectively excludes studies that make a clear correlation between intelligence and brain and skull size as well as differences in brain size between the human population groups and correlations between brain size and class. Gould only ridicules the most outlandish claims of scientific racism and refuses to pick on findings that have been proven correct. For anyone who has no knowledge of biology, this book will give them a very distorted view of the entire science. Stephen Jay Gould is a paleontologist; evolutionary biology is an amateur field for him, and it would be best if he, as well as all other crypto-Marxists who wish to blend science and politics, stay out of it 0224017578:sophie's_choice_gone_wrong:amy_gustine 0224017578 Sophie's choice: Books: William Styron books 10 of 17 1.0 January 4, 2006 Amy Gustine Toledo OH This is the story of Stingo, a 22 y/o aspiring writer in NYC in 1947 who meets a pair of lovers, Sophie and Nathan, at his boarding house and is drawn into their dysfunctional relationship, falling in love with both and witnessing their self-destruction. Nathan is a mentally deranged and drug-addicted genius. Sophie is a haunted Polish survivor of Auschwitz. Her story unfolds as she confides to Nathan the awful truths of her unwillingness to join the Polish resistance, her eventual capture over a small infraction and her heart-destroying choice when she arrives in the camp--she must decide which of her children will live and which will be sent immediately to the gas chamber. While Nathan and Sophie are both fascinating, fully-realized characters with terrible obstacles, Stingo, the narrator, is about as imbecilic a person as ever an author has entrusted his narrative to. Despite his thirty or so years of perspective on the events of '47 which he is relating, he seems to possess little or no wisdom about them, no intriguing viewpoints about his life or his friends' tragedies, and his actions and attitudes at the age of 22 are so immature and superficial as to be almost unbearable. The novel is far too long--it could be nearly cut in half and only benefit. The narrative style is foolishly ponderous, far over-written, especially in the first half. And in the end while the structure of narrator/observer seems like a fine choice in the abstract, the specific narrator and his terrible lack of wisdom only interferes with the heartbreaking story of Nathan and Sophie. In the end, the narrator never even approaches the key question in my mind: why did Sophie so quickly choose Eva to die rather than Jan? A lack of true understanding of what would happen to the girl? A blind panic? A preference for her son, the sort of harmless preference many parents may harbor that is never important because we are never asked to choose? It is this having chosen which seems more than the other tragedies to have really destroyed Sophie, and yet it's glossed over in the narrative. In fact, it's followed by Sophie and Stingo having an endless night of 'fu---ng' as the novel would put it. Really? Almost hard to believe Sophie could get it together to have peremptory sex after her drinking and her terrible revelations. She uses sex to escape with her lover Nathan, but it's hard to imagine this all-night sexcapade Stingo relates. Could it be that Styron only knows how to connect people through sex? How this could be considered one of the greatest American novels of all time is a mystery to me. The potential is there, but only a truly talented, dedicated editor could have rescued the book from itsmany structural and linguistic failures 1597376159:awkward_writing_makes_a_bad_story_even_worse.:jeanette_c. 1597376159 The Starter Wife: Books: Gigi Levangie Grazer,Susan Ericksen books 6 of 8 1.0 January 26, 2006 Jeanette C. Utah, United States Middle-aged Gracie is a typical Hollywood wife, right down to her botox injections and designer wardrobe. When her husband dumps her after almost ten years of marriage, Gracie finds herself without love, without friends, and most importantly, without status. (But at least she's still got the money!) Actually, most of what I know is from the dust jacket since this book was too torturous to finish. The plot is predictable and uninteresting and is littered with so much name-dropping that sometimes it's hard to follow. The characters are taken straight from Stereotype 101 and are so badly written that they're impossible to relate to. The writing is ponderous and lumbers along awkwardly, lacking polish, wit, or interest. Especially irritating is Grazer's insistence on using Gracie's name as much as possible. For example: "Gracie thought about it; they'd never been to marriage counseling. Gracie had gone to counseling in the beginning of their marriage - there were many issues to overcome. More or less her personality issues - the fact that Gracie had too much personality. Gracie said and did pretty much what Gracie pleased, in the beginning. Before Gracie learned The Way of the Wife" (p 38). I lost interest after about 20 pages, plowed my way through 40 more, then gave up. It's very obvious that this is a poorly-veiled autobiography (Grazer/Gracie) and that as a Hollywood wife, Grazer DOES have the connections and clout her protagonist lacks or this book would never have been published. Definitely not worth your time 0684176165:sorry,_guys,_i'd_have_to_disagree:c._lui_"clui" 0684176165 Look Homeward, Angel: Books: Thomas Wolfe books 1 of 22 1.0 November 11, 2005 C. Lui "CLui" San Francisco, CA I rarely stop reading a book in the middle of it, but I couldn't take any more of Look Homeward, Angel after Part I (about 1/3 of the way through). It was long, rambling, and most of the passages did not add anything to the story, not even in the way of atmosphere. I do not recommend this book 0226905187:poor_form_-_lacks_original_research:tracey_amino 0226905187 The Transformation of American Religion: How We Actually Live Our Faith: Books: Alan Wolfe books 0 of 4 1.0 February 1, 2006 Tracey Amino Mesa, AZ USA As the reviewer from Jackhorn, KY stated, this book lacks original research. If you read the section on the "house church movement" and then go to the website for The Homechurch Homepage, you will see that Mr. Wolfe hacked away at many of the articles on the site to obtain his "research." For the many quotes he used from the website, not once were any of the authors contacted by Mr. Wolfe in order to do any original research. If he had done so, he would have come away with a different take than he wrote in his book 0071380493:aweful:arb_trader 0071380493 How To Get Started In Electronic Day Trading: Books: David S. Nassar books 3 of 4 1.0 December 29, 2005 Arb Trader Newport Beach bought book flipped through for 5 minutes, found good use starting a woodfire. all the info contained can be had for free on the internet. if youve been trading more then 2 days you already know more then the scope of this boo 1580082688:reinharts_disappointing_hyped_coffeetable_bread_book.:nopasho 1580082688 The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread: Books: Peter Reinhart,Ron Manville books 39 of 54 1.0 July 26, 2006 Nopasho GENT Belgium As a professional, certified chef and baker, I am also an avid baking and cookbook collector. After seeing that this book won and the James Beard and the 'IACP Cookbook of the Year' awards -both prominently displayed on the cover of this book- and after reading the 'too good to be true'-reviews on Amazon -some reviewers sound so exalted and in trance as if Peter Reinhart is the Jesus Christ of Bread- I finally decided to buy this expensive book. What a dissappointment! For all those blindly following Reinhart as he were the Saviour of True Bread, wake up! Reinhart's book is simply flawed. Compared to other bread books, it's even a quite average book. But one that is luxuriously packaged. A lot of hot colorful expensive air. And it's expensive not because of the info and exlusive bread knowledge in it, but because of the super luxuriously editing. This is a book for book enthousiasts, not for bakers, professional or home. I see baking and cookbooks mainly as working tools, as information and inspiration. Not as eye candy. If you want nice pictures, buy an art book. A book on baking bread with these awards behind it, should give you tons of new info about ingredients and techniques, original insights, an appetite for baking, factual info, the newest and tested developments in technique... What you get here is a fluffed up egotrip. 47 formulas and ample bread info packaged into a shining 30-40$ publishing hype. Don't get me wrong: this is a beautiful, expensive book. But one you don't use in the kitchen, and certainly don't smudge with butter but put on the coffee table in the living room to impress guests and have polite conversations about. But as a source of new information or enlightening up to date bread knowledge, giving pointers about using new bread ingredients combined with old proven bread baking techniques, as a working tool sweating near the hot oven at home or at a bakery, compared to other bread books, this book fails miserably info-wise. But it has a snappy lay out. Jeff Hamelmans 'Bread, a Book of Techniques' and Rose Beranbaums 'Bread Bible' give the readers much more practical info and insight into bread baking. They talk more about the subject 'bread'. And not about themselves like Peter Reinhart clearly relishes. Mr Reinhart clearly sees himself as so important and interesting a person that we read in this book about his wife and their sightseeing in Paris. How about the bread info, the kneading, rising, baking, ingredient- and techniques info? I honestly prefer industrious bakers who pass on their baking knowledge clearly without having to read at which hotel room they stayedin. Bakers with such big ego's that think that readers of a Bread Baking book are more interested in the shopping experiences of the wife during 'a learning trip' to professional bakers on which she accompanied him, than in another bread formula's, should work in shobizz, not in a bakery or a culinary school. Big ego's with more talk than substance galore in the food industry. Reinart is, judging by this book, sadly also one of them. I don't see in a 1000 years Rose Beranbaum in one of her books rambling on about her husbands prefered color of ties or Jeff Hamelman writing in a bread book about the time he spent with his wife in Paris. Mr.Reinhart: your readers forked out 30-40$ for bread info, not your personal travel experiences. As you as a teachers no doubts sometimes say to a pupil: Stay with the subject! And the subject of this book, for which I paid is 'Bread and Baking. If we want to know about your personal life, we'll read an interview in People, if they find you interesting enough. Peter Reinharts 'The Bread Baker's Apprentice' as a 'Bread Book' is simply a marketing creation. Smartly edited, but way too short on substance. There is not much new information on bread. Worse: there is not much info at all! In total for 30-40 $, you get exactly 47 formulas on 307 pages of which 2 color photo pages are simply ads for other books by Ten Speed Press, the editor or this book. Compared to Beranbaums 640 pages, Hamelmans 400 plus pages, that is a big difference for a big price. With Reinharts book, you get a lot of shining white surface that in other Bread books is filled with bread info. As a buyer of this book, you also pay for full page black-and-white and color pictures that are pure filler. See p. 3, 6, 26... And why is the beautiful model Fumie on the cover of a bread book and not mr. Reinhart himself or even ... bread alone? With Reinharts next book they will no doubt put Kate Moss in an apron and a bakers vest. Package the air attractive enough and the readers will swallow it and fork out the 30-40$. Never mind the content. Let's talk a bit about the formula's. That should be an important part of a baking book, right? And they should be original and fine tuned, right? Sadly to say: nothing new or original here. Some aren't even fine tuned. And baking is all about fine tuning. Worse, almost all the formula's can be found in other bread books. And, most insulting for a buyer of this book, a lot of the mere 47 formulas (Reinhart uses this expensive word because 'recipe' propably doesn't fit into the marketing of this baking book) in this book are rehashed or directly derived from Reinharts former book 'Crust and Crumb'. Clever marketing and ba-da-bing! By the way, 'Crust and Crumb' has been reedited in 2006. At a fair price, I admit. So if you want your dose of Reinhart at a right price without the pomp, sc nes of a marriage, without Peter Reinharts comment on the Eiffel tower so to speak... buy 'Crust and Crumb' and leave this luxuriously edited egotrip on the shelves. But before I buy I would also first flip through Beranbaums and Hamelmans bread books in the bookshop or in the Amazon shop. As for this book, you should ask yourself: 'Do I want a serious bread book or a nice coffeetable book?'. Taking in consideration all the egostroking in this book and in reviews, as a baking book for the world market, this book is almost worthless. The universal accepted working standard in worldwide baking is metric weight. Like it or not, but that's a fact. You weigh your ingredients carefully by grams, kilo's etc. Reinhart visited French top bakers Poilane and Gosselin, clearly admires them and aspires to reach their level of baking. I don't think that Poilane measures in cups and ounces! But even then, let Reinhart measure in cups for the home market. But then have the decency to add the metric equivalent in the formula's itself for the rest of the world. This guy goes on and on about his wish to bake authentic European inspired bread like ciabatta, fougasse... About a Worldwide Bread Revolution! And then he refuses to use the most important tool to make these breads: the same language, the metric weight system. Rose Beranbaum places the metric equivalent next to the cups/ounces. It's a simple as that. Bread is a world food, so use the world standard for baking. If not, market your book mainly to the USA market and be honest and upfront about that. And don't give us that inflated hot air babble about a Worldwide Bread Revolution without using the worldwide accepted working standard, the metric wieght system! This big flaw makes the book almost useless for bakers outside the USA. The Worldwide Bread Revolution won't be for tommorrow if we have to use this book worldwide! Next point: Reinhart advocates instant yeast over fresh pressed yeast. Every baker worth his salt (or yeast) will tell you that fresh yeast gives a far better taste, volume and texture. Yeast is a living organism. As 'instant yeast' it has been dried and put on the shelves for God knows how long. It's like you force a just woken up coma-patient, that has been dormant for months, years... to run a marathon. Fresh, pressed yeast is still alive and its taste and texture are a world of difference compared to 'instant' (aka dried) yeast. Try the difference between fresh yeast and instant yeast for taste and texture and fully developed rising at home, and judge for yourself. To place fresh yeast on the same level as instant yeast is preposterous for someone like Reinhart who spends days on his pre ferments! For scientific back up, you can always read the recently translated book of world renowed food scientist Herve This 'Molecular Gastronomy, Exploring the Science of Flavor' (Columbia University Press 2006). And it gets worse. Reinhart frequently uses shortening instead of butter or olive oil in his breads. If Poilane hears this, he'll drop dead! Every baker knows that even a small amount of butter gives a much better taste and texture than shortening. Shortening produces a rancid/metallic taste and a slimy, unpleasant mouthfeel. Not to talk about health. Most shortening is choc full of trans fats which are much more unhealty than butter fat. Read Harvard's nutrition professor Walter Willets book: 'Eat, Drink and be Healthy' (Free Press 2001). New York has already picked this info up. Professional food writer and teacher Reinhart hasn't or doesn't care. For instance, Reinhart proudly declares -not as a joke- that in Italian bread you can use shortening instead of olive oil. In Italian Bread! Come on, let's be serious. And this guy teaches at the Culinary Institute of America! It's like he is advocating spam to put on the BBQ instead of beef! If that is the standard of baking that Reinhart uses, he'll have to wait a long time to reach the standards of a Poilane. Then there is Reinharts Hygi ne Problem. There is an international standard for basic hygiene in food called the Hazzard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP). Reinhart as a professional tutor and teacher must no doubt know the HACCP by heart. The first thing in hygiene that an apprentice baker learns, is that before even touching ingredients, he must remove all the rings on his fingers. Because the place underneath a wedding band for instance, is the place where the filth gathers and bacteria feast. And kneading dough with all that filth underneath a wedding band that you keep on, is not only very dangerous for the health of customers, it is simply not done for a baker. I like my bread without filth baked in, thank you very much! In the school where I earned my diplome in baking, if a student had a ring on during practical class, he had to leave the class immediately and he lost important points for his exam. Yet we see professional teacher and Bread Book Author Reinhart kneading dough WITH HIS WEDDING BAND ON! See p. 36-37, 82-83, 255, 245... Unforgivable in a 'professional' baking book. And all the more in an expensive book that won the James Beard and IACP awards! Has anyone of the juries of the James Beard Foundation and the IACP, any basic knowledge of food hygiene? Has nobody seen this cardinal sin against food hygi ne in a so called 'professional Bread Book'? One other thing, for a bread book that pretends to be world class, there is no word about gluten-free bread. Not one formula. And this while more and more people are allergic to gluten (protein in wheat flour). To end on a positive note, one thing I found acceptable in this expensive coffee table book, was his 55 pages with the 12 stages of bread. But, fellow reviewers, you can find all this info and more, and explained more clearly, more detailed and to the point, in Hamelmans 'Bread' and Beranbaums 'Bread Bible'. And it doesn't take 55 pages of expensive high quality shining white paper. Peter, take out all the white empty space, learn to write more clearly and to the point, and you can say the same thing in 20 pages. Which leaves you 35 pages for more formula's for example. But if you haven't any formula's left or are preparing a new book, then, yes, by all means stretch the 12 stages of bread to 55 scarcely printed pages instead of 20. Why make it simple if you can make it seem difficult, impress your not so knowledgable readers and in doing so stroking your own ego? So despite all the hoopla, hyped reviews, near hysterical praise and important awards, this is simply a too expensive, show off-book. It's like the tale of 'the King with no Clothes on'. Somebody has to yell: 'Hey, wait a minute!' If you want good books on bread baking: buy one by Jeff Hamelman, Rose Beranbaum and Bernard Clayton. You don't get a model on the cover, but the content is all the better. And in a bread book, isn't content more important than packaging 0613621557:history_of_the_dictionary:upperleftcorner 0613621557 Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary: Books: Simon Winchester books 1 of 2 1.0 July 25, 2006 upperleftcorner spokane, wa "This has been a story of an American soldier whose involvement in the making of the world's greatest dictionary was singular, astonishing, memorable and laudable - and yet at the same time wretchedly sad." - Prologue. Well, that certainly could have been the story. But what it was was a history of the dictionary (as in "the history of the horse") with W.C. Minor's contributions finally gotten to on page 116 or so. Winchester, the author of several other books I'll avoid, also seems to suffer from the common malady - or unwillingness - of not knowing how to end a book. So the last fifty pages sink the poor reader into...the history of insanity/dimentia/Alzeihmer's, whatever you want to call what Minor suffered. Whereas I should have shed a tear when the main character - assuming it wasn't a dictionary - was laid to rest at age 85, I was fairly glad to see him go. 1843533847:good_book_but_in_the_wrong_way:mrliteral 1843533847 The Rough Guide to Cult Movies - 2nd Edition (Rough Guide Sports/Pop Culture): Books: Paul Simpson,Helen Rodiss,Michaela Bushell books 0 of 1 2.0 November 14, 2006 mrliteral Woodland Hills, CA United States As a romantic comedy, Star Wars is a failure. As a science fiction film, the Annie Hall is a complete disappointment. Whatever other merits these movies might have, there are definitely areas that they are lacking. Which brings me to The Rough Guide to Cult Movies: as a reference book, it is highly suspect. What's notable is that Annie Hall fails as sci-fi because it doesn't try to be that genre; The Rough Guide fails at the very category it aspires to. Which is too bad, because it is often an interesting read. The failure starts at the beginning of the book with a definition of cult movies that is so broad as to be meaningless. We then a series of chapters representing various "genres", some of which are valid (science fiction, westerns, horror), some of which are ridiculous (Animals, Food, Nuns) and some of which are not even true genres (dubbed, independent, straight-to-video). After this, we get various miscellaneous topics that are thrown in without rhyme or reason, such as a list of top movie grosses followed by presidential movie trivia. The movie descriptions are often amusing, although there are numerous errors (such as misstating Geoffrey Rush's role in Pirates of the Caribbean), even more omissions (every reader will find his own; one example is that Unforgiven is missing from Westerns) and plenty of movies that are really miscategorized but seem only placed in a specific genre to fill it out. What saves this book is, even though it fails as a reference book, it is nonetheless entertaining. I am therefore giving this two stars instead of one. It's a rather useless book, especially if you want to learn more about movies, but if you do pick it up, it is probably the most entertaining two-star book that you're ever likely to read. 078619068X:irrational_hatred_with_authoritative_sounding_documentation:ariadne 078619068X Islam Unveiled: Disturbing Questions About the World's Fastest Growing Faith, Library Edition: Books: Robert Spencer,Nadia May books 5 of 32 1.0 July 16, 2006 ARIADNE Another farce to feed irrational hatred with authoritative sounding documentation... If you dig that sort of thing... there are tons out on the market...Unfortunately they don't come with disclaimers. like one would get when reading a book on the occult... People tend to go for books that support their bigoted view, and this is a fine example... it is a lucrative business in the united states to see what is en vogue and write a book of it.... It is a living. When the Da Vinci code was written it was a craze everyone had to write the idiot's guide to the code, how to interpret the code etc etc.... I am not surprised of a book like this and certainly there is no accounting for integrity or lack thereof... people write for years even for the NY times before others discover their plagiarism.... or in this case the secret agenda.... before long we will all be drafted to support capitalistic oligarchies err democracy abroad... 1570426201:your_head_will_split_open_and_ooze_goop_after_reading_this:c._elgin_"akitonmyers" 1570426201 The Simple Truth: Books: David Baldacci,Tony Roberts books 2 of 4 1.0 June 6, 2005 C. Elgin "akitonmyers" Palo Alto CA All I can say is pass me some aspirin. This is a dozy of a bad novel. As it says on the dust jacket, a Supreme Court law clerk grabs a petition and ends up becoming deceased. Its up to the brother to uncover the truth by finding the real killer who had let a poor black man rot away for a crime he did not commit. At the same time the brother contends with mysterious bad guys out to get him and stop the unearthing of the evidence. Not only does he deal with his family, but his brothers friend, a sexy young law clerk herself and the duplicity on the bench she works for. And that's only the start of the plot. Its really pretty bad, it descends into mired pretensions and goofy resolutions. The characters are so shallow that you are left with little notion of who they are except for a faint nasty after taste over their conceded ways. Baldacci is along with James Patterson and Dean Koontz one of America's worst authors. If you want an author who writes on a similar vein to this, try one of Harlan Coben's last four or so stand alone thrillers with out the character Myron Bolitar in it. Or for a more sophisticated read, look for Denis Lehane, he wrote the amazing Mystic River, but his PI series located in Boston is pretty good as well. 0812968581:confused_apology_for_japanese_militarism:givbatam3_"givbatam3" 0812968581 The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945 (Modern Library War): Books: John Toland books 8 of 8 2.0 May 8, 2006 givbatam3 "givbatam3" REHOVOT Israel I must say that after reading this book, I am more confused than ever as to the origins of the war between Japan and the US. The book starts in 1936, although most knowledgable people know that the march to war really began with the Japanese seizure of Manchuria in 1932. The author continually repeats the refrain that "Americans don't understand the Japanese mentality and culture", and it was this "misunderstanding" that led to the war. It is true that Toland defines the Japanese term "gekokujo" as being some sort of "insubordination" that led to the Kwantung Army to feel it could move, presumably without orders from Tokyo, into Manchuria. However, Toland does not explain how this could happen. There is little description of the power structure in Japan, we do know that there was some attempt to create parliamentary democracy, but there were also the giant oligarchs who had much power, plus the military hierarchy. Somehow, the military took control in the 1930's, but Toland doesn't really say how. He describes in detail the "2/26" Uprising of young officers in 1936, and how they were willing to kill without compunction, and how fanatical they were, yet we are then told that they OPPOSED expansion into China, and that the repression of this coup attempt would lead to an expanded war in China. I must say I don't understand this at all...Toland potrays them as militaristic fanatics, yet they seem to be "the good guys". Weren't those who supported expansion into China also militaristic fanatics? This is left totally unexplained. Toland then goes on to describe the fatal "Incident at the Marco Polo Bridge" in 1937 near Peking (Beijing) which led to the full-scale invasion of China. Toland says the government in Tokyo, again, had nothing to do with it, in fact both the Chinese and Japanese commanders on the spot tried to calm things down, but some undefined "hotheads" (possibly Chinese Communists) kept inflaming the situation. Somehow (without Toland telling us how), a decision is made by someone (not necessarily the "peace-loving" Japanese Prime Minister Prince Konoye) to mount a full-scale invasion of China. An impression is left by Toland that the Chinese, particulary, the Koumintang government of Chiang Kai-shek was provocative and unreasonable. All I know is that that Marco Polo Bridge is within China, and it is understandable that the Chinese would resent the Japanese military presence there. After this, we move on to the atrocities of the "Rape of Nanking", which again, according to Toland, "somehow" happens, (Toland does admit that there were atrocities and between 200,000 and 300,000 Chinese were butchered by their "brother Asians" who claimed to be liberating them(?)). Toland says the Japanese commander at Nanking did not order any such behavior, nor again, did the government in Tokyo. How then do thousands of supposedly disciplined Japanese troops suddenly get it into their heads to do such things? Toland doesn't give us a clue, other than his general statement that "westerners don't understand the Japanese". Toland also, in a way, tries to claim that Western opposition to Japanese expansion into China was "hypocritical" because of Western Colonialism in East Asia (US in the Philippines; Britain in Hong Kong, Malaya, Burma, India; Dutch in East Indies; French in Indochina), however, by the 1930's the US had already agreed to give the Philippines independence and the British were beginning to wind down the Raj in India was setting up an autonomous Indian government, so it was apparent that Colonialism was already on its way out before the war. All this makes me wonder about the various things he says in the book, and I would look for a better source on the tragic history of this period. I have read his books on the end of both World War I and World War II which are much better, so that adds to my disappointment 007138782X:repackaged_database_marketing:frank_muldoon_"fjm274" 007138782X loyalty.com : Customer Relationship Management in the New Era of Internet Marketing: Books: Frederick Newell books 11 of 12 1.0 November 14, 2000 Frank Muldoon "fjm274" Chicago The book is chock full of examples and anecdotes but really has no new worthwhile conceptualizations or insights to make it worth reading. If you don't know anything about database marketing, then you will get something out of this book. If you are familiar with the basic concepts of customer database analysis, loyalty programs and relationship marketing, there is nothing new here. In fact a much better introduction to all those concepts is The Loyalty Effect by Reichenheld or Customer Connections by Wayland and Cole. The subtitle mentions the dot com world, but the book has little to say about the Internet. The book really does not cover CRMs (as oppsed to database marketing) in that it fails describe how CRM systems work and what database, modeling and communications platforms are required to implement them 1560252499:where_are_my_red_slippers?:andrew_claudius_finchlittle 1560252499 Wild Child: Life With Jim Morrison: Books: Linda Ashcroft books 3 of 4 1.0 October 4, 2005 Andrew Claudius Finchlittle Oh.... my.... God!!!! There is another Patricia Kennealy running mad through the streets and shouting about high schoolish love fantasies that exist only in her mind. I thought one Patricia was enough. But after reading this book, I am faced with the frightening realization that there are TWO of them! Also, what I find very disturbing is that this version of Patricia may be even daffier than the original version. After reading just 6 or 7 pages of this hallucination horror show it was evident to me that the author is suffering from a case of Patriciaitis and a dose of Kennealyism. By the 40th page I was searching for my red slippers so I could click them together and get back to Kansas. Or anywhere else, as long as my copy of this book didn't make the trip with me. A pack of lies and a waste of paper and time. I would rather read Mary Poppins than wade through this endless journey of rubble. 0520218353:second_rate_reference_book:"blake2001" 0520218353 The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications: Books: Amy Einsohn books 16 of 23 2.0 July 11, 2003 "blake2001" Santa Monica, CA United States A rather toothless attempt at rewriting Strunk and White, or Chicago into "fun." Reference books shouldn't waste this much space on casual conversation. Get to the point--get Elements of Style, Elements of Grammar, and Chicago rather than this handbook 0395937779:poor_parsing_of_concepts_and_confusing_diagrams:j._li_"sj,ca_teacher" 0395937779 Geometry: Books: Ron Larson,Laurie Boswell,Lee Stiff books 12 of 13 2.0 October 19, 2005 J. Li "SJ,CA Teacher" Sunnyvale, CA United States This textbook is more useful for the flashy (and admittedly very good) teacher's ancillaries. But this review is not for the ancillaries. It is for the text itself. The text's treatment of proofs is very cursory and not rigorous enough. The diagrams for the algebraic problems are too confusing, compiling numerous different concepts into one problem. While I agree that students must learn to differentiate one property/theorem/rule/postulate from another, it doesn't make sense that most, instead of some, diagrams are over-complicated. Personally, I don't like the format with the examples, mainly because it downplays the necessity for students to become LITERATE in math, not just a good "example comparer." The text has little actual TEXT to speak of. I have not been teaching HS for very long, but I do not like this book. I am not a textbook dependent teacher, but I do (woefully) recognize that students have poor study skills and don't reference notes all the time. I do not teach out of the textbook and I spend many hours planning lessons, lecture notes, my own examples, etc. I had many complaints that the problems were confusing, included too many ideas at the same time, etc. Some may be successful in "teaching themselves" from the examples, but I am very disappointed that textbooks no longer have TEXT. I may be a math teacher, but I understand the importance of reading and how it helps a person to process the material. On the other hand, the teacher resources is a great set of worksheets, study masters, note taking guides, etc. Perhaps the authors spent more time on those resources instead of the text. 159600424X:was_this_a_novel_or_a_horticulture_manual?:bookworm 159600424X Blue Dahlia (In the Garden): Books: Nora Roberts,Susie Breck books 1 of 2 2.0 May 21, 2006 Bookworm michigan The prologue of this book lead me to believe this was going to be a very touching love story of a woman losing the love of her life and finding love again. I was disappointed, soon after, when it turned into a gardening manual and a tale about ghosts, with a sort of haphazard romance thrown in the middle-and then even that was disappointing. I mean Graceland for a first date? I noticed a lot of similarities between Roz and the mayor in Northern Lights, and Logan and Nate from that same book. None of them can talk in complete sentences. And Stella, who comes across as this loving mother, who puts her kids before anything else, works from sun up to sun down and is so smug that she thinks the whole business is going to come crashing down around everybody if she isn't there to oversee everything, even though the place has been successful for years. There is no addressing the issue of moving on with her life after the death of her husband, she just does it. Unless, of course, it was in the last 50 pages which I didn't bother to read because I just couldn't torture myself any longer. And I'm a big fan of Roberts. I love her Quinn brothers books and a lot of her other work. But this just stunk because I could really care less who the ghost is going to turn out to be. I'm certainly not going to suffer through the last two books to find out. 1592530184:do_not_waste_your_money:kate_smart_"burnabyheights" 1592530184 The Organized Home: Design Solutions for Clutter-Free Living: Books: Casey Ellis,Randall Koll books 8 of 16 1.0 October 24, 2004 Kate Smart "burnabyheights" Vancouver, BC This book has taken photo after photo straight out of the Ikea catalogue! Obviously, the authors have decided that they have nothing to offer and opt instead to refer to Ikea's design and storage ideas. This book actually put me in a bad mood. Listen up folks, THE IKEA CATALOGUE IS FREE. Do yourselves a favour and pick one up, because none of these so-called "organization" books have anything to teach you that cannot be found at your local Ikea store. These authors should be fired. Shame on both of them 0739323350:you're_kidding_me,_right?:bruce_a._salisbury 0739323350 Don't Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, The Torments of Low Thread Count, The Never- Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems: Books: David Rakoff books 3 of 17 1.0 October 14, 2006 Bruce A. Salisbury Farmington, NM USA Not insightful, not even humorous. I am willing to admit that maybe I just don't get his writing style, whatever that might be. I hope Mr. Rakoff gets into a new line of wor 0142800864:forget_it._:einselgaenger 0142800864 Trace (Kay Scarpetta Mysteries (Audio)): Books: Patricia Cornwell books 5 of 7 1.0 June 4, 2006 Einselgaenger Ridiculous, convoluted and unresolved plot with main characters that have become predictable and boring. Did Cornwell even write this one herself? If so, she missed a glaring discrepancy when she proofread: On page 216 Marino remembers Mrs. Paulsson greeting him at the door "wearing jeans and a soft pink sweater", but later when he tells Scarpetta what happened during his visit to the house he describes her as having worn black books and a camouflage shirt when she opened the door. Perhaps it was the author's attempt to let readers think Marino only imagined the pink sweater scenario because he was too ashamed to remember what really happened. However, to this reader it comes across simply as a mistake the author forgot to go back and correct 0736684506:don't_answer_it:michael_larocca_"http://www.chinarice.org" 0736684506 The Summons: Books: John Grisham,Michael Beck books 1 of 2 2.0 August 26, 2006 Michael LaRocca "http://www.chinarice.org" Chiang Mai, Thailand When I reviewed THE STREET LAWYER recently, I mentioned that I've never put down a Grisham unfinished and that we should throw the man some props. For that book, certainly. For this one, nope. I read four chapters, 41 of its 391 pages, and gave up totally unengaged and uncaring about any of his characters or his plot. I hope he just had an off day or something, and that what he wrote later got back to what makes him so readable. 1861055943:what_a_crappy_book:a._vegan 1861055943 The Meaning of Life: Books: Bradley Trevor Greive books 5 of 14 2.0 February 21, 2004 A. Vegan Ontario Canada I'm thankful that I was able to get this book at the library and didn't spend $15.00 buying it. I own The Blue Day Book by the same author and I think it's fantastic and it cheers me up right away. He should have stopped with that book. It claims to be a witty, thought-provoking book that makes an ideal gift for anyone who's seeking their true purpose and wants to laugh along the way. The only thing this book has going for it is the amazing animal pictures. It did have one thought that I really liked: "Some people say that life is all about acquiring knowledge. If that's true, then why do smart people dress so badly?" 0451220110:most_boring:queen_margo_"buttercup" 0451220110 To Rescue A Rogue: Books: Jo Beverley books 3 of 6 1.0 September 30, 2006 Queen Margo "Buttercup" Arlington I liked most of Jo Beverly's books. In fact, she is one of my favorite romance writers. That's why it's hard to believe she could write something so boring and contrived. The premise -- saving an opium addict--- is good. One could expect a lot of turmoil between the lovers. But no -- it's all pretty smooth. The passion is tepid and not much else happens. A series of "Rogues" from previous books is paraded before the reader without really adding to the story. And the conversations are so boring that I simply had to skip them. I guess this may be enjoyable to new romance readers who do not know better or hard core Beverly fans 0312128096:poetry_in_riis'_how_he_oher_half_lives:jami_anderson_"jlhs" 0312128096 How the Other Half Lives: Studeis Among the Tenements of New York (Bedford Series in History and Culture): Books: Jacob A. Riis,David Leviatin books 2.0 October 1, 2006 Jami Anderson "JLHS" Green River, WY How the Other Half Lives was written over a century ago as an expose' of the appalling living conditions in the tenements of New York City. The author speaks with a crusader's zeal and with so much detail that the reader can visualize these tenements, these streets, and these people as if they were living today. This is a grim and moving portrayal of the lives of the men, the women and the children that inhabit these loathsome neighborhoods of New York City in the late 1800s. He so graphically describes the filth, the sunless and airless rooms, the crowding, and the starvation that these places palpably exist for the reader and bring a chill to any heart. Riis has a genuine concern for the tenement situation and understands these people's plight. His pictures are touching and meant to vividly show their misery. He, for the most part, blames the money-hungry landlords for these crowded conditions: "How shall the love of God be understood by those who have been nurtured in sight only of the greed of man." (p. 266). He laments that the tenement is three quarters responsible for the misery of the poor. Then, after his extensive discourse, he offers three concrete cures for these dreadful conditions, something that many authors forget when they are enlightening readers. Riis states his purpose for writing this book himself on page 297 when he says, "If this book shall have borne ever so feeble a hand in garnering a harvest of justice, it has served its purpose." The author apparently succeeded with his purpose, because in the flyleaf of this book the publisher tells us: "This book helped bring about new revisions in the housing codes of the major U. S. cities." How does this book relate to adult education? By moving chronologically from the founding of America to the slums of NYC in the 1800s, are we to understand that education took a back seat to the accumulation of money during those hundred years? Certainly Riis posits that education is one of the solutions to this problem while at the same time implying that wealth accumulation and the lack of education has been the cause of this problem. "Thus the whole matter resolves itself once more into a question of education, all the more urgent because these people are poor, miserably poor almost to a man." (p. 147). He does not forget that this "education" is not only for the poor people, but also for the wealthy landlords. "Clearly, it is a matter of education on the part of the landlord no less than the tenant." (p. 270). Riis' almost missionary language exhorts us to never allow greed to override a compassion for humanity. "It is a fight in which eternal vigilance is truly the price of liberty and the preservation of society." (p. 233). The relation of this book to the other units of study in this course could be explained as an example of how low mankind can descend if education is not considered one of the major cornerstones of a society. Although this book was exhaustive in its detail, it was easy to read while at the same time enlightening. I found myself enjoying the ranting tone and the fascinating lists of neighborhoods and the labels that Riis used for the different races. In a sense it reads like a Ginsberg poem; constantly hitting the reader with melodious lists of places and people from another era. Read these geographic names out loud and feel their rhythm: Jewtown, Bandit's Roost, Double Alley, The Bowery, The Bloody Sixth Ward, The Fourth, Fifth and Tenth Wards, Blindman's Alley, The Bend, The Battery, Little Italy, The French Quarter, Hell's Kitchen, The West Side, Bottle Alley, Frog Hollow, Poverty Gap, Murderer's Alley, Gotham Court, The Old Brewery, Old Africa, Potter's Field, Blackwell's Island Asylum, Rogues' Gallery, Penitentiary Row, Chinatown. The list goes on. To someone reared in rural America, this chant sounds like a song about another country. Riis also has something to say about all the races of people that live in the tenements of New York City: Chinaman (he can't be taught), (Chinese (coolie--laundry business), Polish Jew (coops himself up in his den with his thermometer at boiling), Russian Jew, Jew (money is their God), Bohemian (poor, but thrifty), Blacks (like to gamble, but they are clean), Greek, Hebrews (tailors, all of them), Dutchman, Irish (like to drink and have expensive funerals), German (order loving), Swiss, Pasquales, Russian, Italian (a born gambler; lighthearted and gay), Swamp Angel (thieves), Street Arabs (army of homeless boys), Tramps and Toughs (the world owes them a living),and the Celtics. I was enthralled by the street lingo and the colloquialisms and Riis' comments about every race. I noticed one interesting similarity between the late 1800s and the present day. Riis says that the gap between the social classes is widening everyday. I hear people talking about the growing differences between the rich and the poor often these days. Does every generation think that is happening in their time? Not only should this book be used by people researching New York City`s tenements, but it should also be read by everyone seeking a blueprint for social change. It is a reminder to show us how hopeless the human circumstances can become when man's greed overrides his concern for human dignity. 0071372466:damaged_book:n._ramos_"np" 0071372466 Color Atlas & Synopsis of Clinical Dermatology: Common & Serious Diseases (CD-ROM 2.0 for Windows & Macintosh): Books: Thomas B. Fitzpatrick,Richard. A. Johnson,Klauss Wolff,Richard Suurmond books 1 of 36 2.0 October 7, 2005 N. Ramos "NP" NY The package the book came in was smashed. The book appeared as if it had been used. It took over 2 weeks for it to arrive. I wouldn't order any books from amazon agai 140004622X:inadequate:kyddyl 140004622X Lost in My Own Backyard: A Walk in Yellowstone National Park (Crown Journeys): Books: Tim Cahill books 1 of 17 1.0 June 2, 2005 Kyddyl Utah, USA Spend your money elsewhere. For someone who supposedly lives in the vicinity of Yellowstone he knows and sees little. To anyone who steps outside of the sealed up world of their car and even casually looks, the senses are all brought to life with sights sounds, smells, temperatures, textures and colors. Cahill does not inform. He is not even a very good writer, for if he were, he'd do the same thing I did, huck the book into the trash. Go to Yellowstone yourself and hang out the windows of your car and even that simple pleasure will tell you how inadequate this book really is. 0385503180:the_binding_is_very_bad.:willy_b 0385503180 From Conception to Birth: A Life Unfolds: Books: Alexander Tsiaras books 1 of 20 1.0 March 19, 2005 Willy B Louisville, KY Got this book for my oldest daughter about a week ago and she reports the binding is very bad. Pages are falling out 0679424628:slow_paced:casual_reader 0679424628 L is for Lawless (Sue Grafton): Books: Sue Grafton,Judy Kaye books 2.0 July 29, 2006 Casual Reader Missouri I recently read "I", "K", and "L" in succession. Compared to "Innocent" and "Killer", I found Lawless to be slow paced (even though this edition finds Kinsey spontaneously traveling across the country) and the plot twists less surprising. With others I've read in the series, I am usually hooked relatively early in the story line. I was 1/3 of the way through this iteration before becoming mildly interested in the outcome. Even the subplots were not overly attention grabbing (Kinsey has little contact with immediate family, ergo she substitutes others in her life--Henry, Rosie, Pitt family, the criminal elements in this book--as her family...). I also found it hard to believe that some of the characters that appear in "L" could be so dim-witted on one page, and great possessors of vast knowledge with incredible powers of deduction on the next. Anyway, there are others in this series I would recommend more highly ("M" being one of them) 0374516901:not_a_good_book_for_a_beginning_geology_student:gattaromana_"gattaromana" 0374516901 Basin and Range: Books: John McPhee books 3 of 7 1.0 February 4, 2001 gattaromana "gattaromana" Florence, South Carolina USA I had to read this book for an Intro to Geology course, and although I find geology to be fascinating, I had a very difficult time following this book. The author uses a lot of technical vocabulary and is rather repetitious. Although I understood what McPhee was talking about most of the time, I think it would have made a better film documentary than a book. The author constantly went off on tangents and the overal organization of the book did not appeal to me at all. . .it would be more readable if written as a field journal because I could not even figure out when one day turned into another. But the book did a decent job of presenting the bigger picture 073933347X:i_didn't_like_it:gabrielle 073933347X The Undomestic Goddess: Books: Sophie Kinsella,Katherine Kellgren books 2 of 4 1.0 September 24, 2006 Gabrielle USA Samantha seems a lot like Becky. A young woman whose life is very out of balance and doesn't know how to face up to the consequences of her decisions. Instead of staying at the firm and working out her "mistake," she runs away. This is just like Becky hiding her bills. And then she gets a totally implausible job, because she can't tell the truth - again like Becky. Samantha doesn't tell the truth until the very end when the media coverage forces her to. I agree that the firm would never have taken her back; they probably would have viewed her as a former lawyer who had a nervous breakdown and was in need of psychiatric care. Samatha, like Becky at times, seems somewhat manic, in that she's frantic somtimes and makes major life decisions on impulse in a state of agitation. just like Becky when she rushes after her sister on a hike for which she is totally unprepared. Lithium, anyone? I don't have an opinion on the housewife/lawyer "controversy," but I do think Kinsella's protagonists need to grow up 0826410456:too_psychologized:"reader999" 0826410456 Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness: Books: Nan C. Merrill books 26 of 46 1.0 August 29, 2001 "reader999" USA This is the first book I've ever returned. While a lot of what she does is admirable and does work (the "You" form instead of "Lord/He" works very well), two things make it unusable: constant use of "Beloved" for the word "God" or "Lord" becomes irritating very quickly, and she subjectively pops out the word "enemies" wherever it appears and puts in "fears." I wouldn't dare tell someone with AIDS or a refuge or whomever that their only enemy is their own fears, and even for others such overpersonalization doesn't work. The classic 137th Psalm was unrecognizable -- where did the dolphins come from 159486103X:just_plain_awful:m._jorgensen 159486103X Put Your House on a Diet: De-Clutter Your Home and Reclaim Your Life: Books: Ed Morrow,Sheree Byofsky,Rita Rosenkranz books 3 of 14 1.0 March 23, 2006 M. Jorgensen Bad paper, Old advice. Just plain awful and a waste of Money. 0966132769:repetitive_and_redundant:triggerhappy 0966132769 Mind into Matter: A New Alchemy of Science and Spirit: Books: Fred Alan Wolf books 28 of 36 1.0 January 11, 2006 TriggerHappy Houston, TX Of the thousands of books I've read in my life, and the hundreds I've actually purchased from Amazon.com, this is the first time I've felt strongly enough about a book to write any sort of review. I kept waiting for the author to get to the point. He rambled and meandered and didn't tell me anything new whatsoever. He used the words "alchemy" and "alchemists" in almost every single paragraph of the book. Skip this book - you'll get MUCH more out of the "Cosmic Trigger" series, "Quantum Psychology", or "Prometheus Rising" by R.A. Wilson. 1423308999:morrigan's_cross:annie_e._bielski 1423308999 Morrigan's Cross (The Circle Trilogy, Book 1): Books: Nora Roberts,Dick Hill books 0 of 1 1.0 November 10, 2006 Annie E. Bielski Just not my cup of tea. Well written but as I said not my cup of tea..I will not purchase the others in the series 0786251018:better_than_you_sean:the_late_greats 0786251018 Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism: Books: Sean Hannity books 8 of 31 1.0 March 22, 2006 The Late Greats Chicago Three things make me better than Sean Hannity: 1) I was actually in the US Military 2) I graduated college, unlike Sean 3) I don't believe that everybody who votes a certain way is a loser, or hates America. Sean Hannity is a bunch of hot air. Just watch him on FoxNews, or listen to him for one hour. He is yet another of the current line of conservative commentators who believes that all people who vote Democrat hate their country and hate all Republicans. Sean - stop labeling everybody. Every American has their own opinion 0060975903:pleasure_reading_shouldn't_be_this_painful_:-0:"2boyzmom" 0060975903 The Golden Notebook: Books: Doris May Lessing books 10 of 44 1.0 January 17, 2002 "2boyzmom" Beaverton, OR USA I bought this book 2 years ago - almost to the day...I have the receipt stuck in the book...I can only seem to force myself to get to page 50 and then I just can't stomach anymore and I put it down for 2 more years. Maybe this is a piece of art. Something to be treasured and something that should change your life. But pleasure reading shouldn't be this painful. I wish the store would take it back - but I think I've probably had it for too long 0140097317:dressed_up_postmodern_metafiction:a._ross 0140097317 City of Glass (The New York Trilogy, Vol 1): Books: Paul Auster books 4 of 4 2.0 December 11, 2005 A. Ross Washington, DC The first book of Auster's New York trilogy was originally published in 1985, and in 1994 was adapted into this graphic novel. I've never read the original (or any of the other parts of the trilogy), so I can't comment on Karasik and Mazzicchelli's adaptation. However, I can say that since I'm not particularly fond of existentialist or postmodernist literature (those two terms being the most common critical shorthand for Auster's story), this really didn't do anything for me at all. The story is basically an exercise in metafiction, and if you like that stuff, great -- I do not. It is dressed up (at least initially) in the mystery genre, but that's just window dressing. (There's a long legacy, especially in France, of cloaking novels and films of ideas in genre trappings (for example Alain Robbe-Grillet's two books The Erasers and The Voyeur, or the films of Jean-Pierre Melville.) The story begins fairly straightforwardly: a reclusive writer of potboiler mysteries named Daniel Quinn lives in New York on his own since the death of his wife and son. A complete stranger calls him and thinks Quinn is a private detective named Paul Auster and begs him to to take his case. (The writer Paul Auster, and his family, shows up for one scene -- it's that kind of book.) Quinn meets with the strange man, who was raised in rather harrowing circumstances by his professor father, who was seeking to discover the true language of God. The father has been released from jail and Quinn is supposed to keep an eye on him and report. Everything starts to derail when he loses track of both the old man he's been following, and his clients. He spends several months watching the building and going crazy. Once he realizes they've disappeared, he finds his own life has disappeared as well. Obviously this is all somewhat about identity, but it's more about fun stuff like language, representation, and other tiresome postmodern subjects (as are the other two parts of the trilogy, which involve a man spying on someone, and yet another disappearance). It has to be said that the artwork does an admirable job of treating the bizarro world Auster has thrust his characters into. The simple, heavy black and white inking is a perfect match to the material, especially when the representations become less literal and more symbolic. However, if your taste runs more toward things like plots and characters, this is probably not for you. Fans of Auster may enjoy this, but fans of the graphic novel form are probably going to be much less keen. 0140097317:dry,_boring_and_unrewarding:robert_w._macdowell 0140097317 City of Glass (The New York Trilogy, Vol 1): Books: Paul Auster books 8 of 17 1.0 November 10, 2003 Robert W. Macdowell NY Paul Auster's City of Glass is perhaps the worst read I've experienced. The story moves at a pace that would make a snail envious; the murder mystery plot is as thin as air and hardly resolves itself; we spend way too many waking hours with the main character sulking around his apartment staring into a toilet bowl in which he has just defficated--I kid you not. The best part of this novel is the end. I read with fervor to get to the end in hopes that the author would have the talent to tie everything together and make this experience somewhat valid; however, I was utterly and discustingly dissapointed beyond my wildest dreams. To all the reviewers and critics who claim this book is a metaphysical, existential tour de-force, I beg wholeheartedly with my very life to differ. I believe the author had no such thoughts in mind, had no direction when writing this disgrace of a work and it saddens me to see such an unentertaining, dry-dry-dry piece of fiction with one or two not-so-clever plot devices, gather such literary praise. Like a Rorschach image you can see life, love, death, a myriad of wonderful symbols, and if you would like to believe that the person who put that ink blot on the page intended you to see all of that depth, intepret and dwell in that depth--coming to conclusions and reflecting ultimately on your own life, well, then, good for you. But in reality, the person that made that Rorschach for you is Auster, and he just ambigoulsy splatted some ink on the novel pages before you with no ryhme or reason and you All bought it...hook line and sinker. This novel is an exercise in an authors ability to take us nowhere, show us little on the way and still receive praise, despite an ending which is refelctive of the entire work, in that it plain and simply: sucks 0972446230:no_help_at_all:doro 0972446230 Stocks for the Long Run: Books: Jermey J. Siegel books 1 of 16 1.0 June 2, 2006 Doro Exxon Mobile and Citigroup This book did not teach me anything and was a waste of money. page 364: Principles of Long term investing: "Chapter 8 shows that among the S&P 500 Index returns, large value stocks have a small edge over large growth stocks." Now look at Chapter 8. "Of the 10 largest corporations, only 2 (Exxon Mobile and Citigroup) are value stocks." duuhhh. Now I know what to do. I have a choice of two stocks. If you already know all there is to know about the stockmarket, buy this book and pat yourself on the back for being so smart. If you know little, it won't add to your knowledge at all 1584281340:posing_for_high_school_seniors:peter_zink 1584281340 Posing for Portrait Photography: A Head-to-Toe Guide: Books: Jeff Smith books 1 of 1 2.0 October 13, 2006 Peter Zink Oregon, USA I bought this book to try to learn some useful poses for my subjects, and given most other people's ratings, I decided to give it a try. However, upon opening the book my first thought was, "these all look like high school yearbook photos", which is exacltly what they are. It seems that that's primarily what type of photography the author does and his book is geared almost exclusively to that market. His main concern, which he stresses throughout the book, is creating a "saleable picture", and he keeps emphasizing the importance of pleasing mom, since she's usually the one with final say over the pictures. A better title for this book would have been, "How To Take High School Senior Pictures". Even then, most of the pictures are not very good, both in their original execution and in their print quality for this book. In addition, the poses are unnatural and awkward looking, and the book is filled with typos and grammatical errors. To be fair, the author does suggest some useful basics of things to do and things not to do when posing a subject, but there is really very little useful information here. So, if you're interested in learning how to take pictures that look like a Sears portrait, this may be the book for you. However, if you really want to learn some useful techniques for posing your subjects in a more natural or more artistic manner, I'd steer clear of this book 0195182499:gary_-_lost_christianities:gary_"gary" 0195182499 Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew: Books: Bart D. Ehrman books 18 of 48 1.0 August 14, 2006 Gary "Gary" Kirkwood, NY Ehrman's work is not for a person of faith. It does not take faith into consideration. It is a wonderful research project based on limited documents available - most forged and falsified; and none which can be validated. I read it as an immediate follow-up to his work "Lost Scriptures" - Books that did not make it into the New Testament. I was warned by my minister who is also a Bible scholar and has two Ph.D.'s - and my minister was correct. In Lost Christianities, Ehrman seems to make an effort to discredit our current books of the New Testament by implying that many New Testament books may be false, forged, translated incorrectly, altered to serve a purpose, etc... Ehrman clearly attempts to form a relationship between the New Testament books to those falsified books that did not get into the New Testament. Ehrman's Lost Christianities starts out strong, but ends weak to the point of losing and disinteresting the reader. If for nothing else, it is an attempt to test your faith, but in the end your faith will be strenghtened - if you have faith. The book leads one to believe that the author is as much a Bible critic as he claims to be a scholar. He does present all sides of the New Testament story and it is interesting how the New Testament was formed. However, the lack of confirmed and validated documents will lead one to begin to question if Ehrman is accurate or merely sensationalizing much like the media does. To save you the time and money, simply let your faith answer any questions you may have on the validity of the New Testament and how came to be. Ehrman and other Bible critics (ie., The DeVinci Code) seem to be profiting by creating questions about the truth and validity of the New Testament story. Save your money and give it to your church instead. Gary 0312939132:incredibly_boring:alex_pulaski 0312939132 The Italian Secretary: Books: Caleb Carr books 0 of 3 1.0 July 20, 2006 Alex Pulaski Portland OR I'm a Conan Doyle fan and found The Alienist to be a pretty good read, so I made the unfortunate mistake of buying this book in softcover without taking a gander inside. Carr seems to think he can ride his reputation for 316 pages without putting much thought into whether anyone along for the trip will get some enjoyment out of it. The dialogue is flat, the plot uncompelling and Carr relies on the near-endless use of exclamation points to inject some excitement!!! into this tale, which left me skipping pages at a time as it neared its conclusion because I couldn't bear to read the mangled sentences. This book has no climax -- just, thankfully, an ending. Spend your money on something worth reading. 0812976568:good_satire,_awful_presentation:thomas_torrillo 0812976568 The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster: Books: Bobby Henderson books 50 of 90 1.0 August 3, 2006 Thomas Torrillo Stamford, CT USA I had read all about FSM before picking up this book and bought it as more of a conversation piece. Well, suffice to say this will never get any space with my other books as it is very poorly put together. Flimsy cover, flimsy pages, it's put together about as well as a children's coloring book. I too was fooled by the default picture, I thought it was a nice hard cover with a bookmark ribbon like other "religious" texts. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hey Amazon, change the default picture to the one which shows the book as is, a flimsy cover with a picture of a hard cover on it 0786181478:not_quite_what_it_seems:j._williams_"spiritual_sampler" 0786181478 In the Shadow of the Moons: My Life in the Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Family: Books: Nansook Hong books 2 of 7 2.0 November 28, 2005 J. Williams "Spiritual Sampler" New York Nansook Hong paints a painful picture of her marriage to HyoJin Moon, but she does not own up to the full truth of her parents' machinations to get her married into the Moon family. Eyewitnesses tell of Nansook visiting the Moon household and knowing full well of HyoJin's excesses in advance of her marriage. The Hongs wanted desperately for their family to be entwined with the Moon family, and after arranging for one child to be wed to the first Moon daughter, they pushed Nansook to marry a Moon son. Though I don't know all the motives, the point is that there was an agenda behind her marriage and probably this book that Ms. Hong has not been honest about. It is only too easy to paint an unflattering portrait of Rev Moon and his wife but at least some of this is suspect, given her own deceit 0739323059:s_is_for_slow_read:paula_l._cole_"triallaw" 0739323059 S Is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries (Audio)): Books: Sue Grafton,Judy Kaye books 4 of 6 2.0 August 8, 2006 Paula L. Cole "triallaw" DETROIT, MI USA Normally, I find it hard to put a Sue Grafton book down once I get started. Not the case with "S". I did not enjoy the plot about Violet and her abusive husand. The main character Violet was too much of a stereotype - boobs, red hair, just a boozing slut over all. I didn't get the whole thing about her brother and why he disliked her. The ending wasn't clear either. I did like the development of the relationships with the young girls exposing jealousy and how it ruined relationships over several decades. Most of the characters just weren't that interesting overall. I missed her interactions with Rosie the restaurant owner and her neighbor, the handsome 80 year old baker Henry. Usually, there is an interesting man in the picture too - not here. I would vote pass on this one. B0006BNT8S:outdated_-_thy_name_is_the_crying_of_lot_49:mr.snowblood B0006BNT8S The crying of lot 49: Books: Thomas Pynchon books 4 of 22 1.0 October 2, 2006 Mr.Snowblood So, being a fan of all forms of literature, more specifically challenging[faulkner], pretentious[d.h. lawrence] and original[kafka] works, I was surprised at how long it took me to get around to reading what's considered Pynchon's most imporant work. Important 40 years ago, perhaps, but the test of time has totally obliterated the supposed wit in this one. Oh man, the radio station is KCUF, boy, that's incredibly clever, I bet it's, like, something spelled backwards. I fully understand what Pynchon was trying to accomplish with this work, to skewer extreme right wing nut jobs, among other things, all while giving us a story with no particular plot, no moral, no message. I can understand it, but it doesn't mean it's worth my time, I didn't even finish it. I read about half and then just dropped it to the floor. I've read in numerous reviews of Haruki Murakami's work that he's a latter day, Japanese, Pynchon. I don't agree, Murakami's ability to create a surreal dream-like atmosphere is amazing, Pynchon is a hack 0743257596:not_worthy_to_bear_the_name_the_best_american_poetry:j._behrle_"loser_blogger_&_cartoonist_&_poetic_love_god" 0743257596 The Best American Poetry 2006: Series Editor David Lehman (Best American Poetry): Books: Billy Collins,David Lehman books 12 of 18 1.0 September 8, 2006 J. Behrle "loser blogger & cartoonist & poetic love god" Brooklyn, NY This smugly-edited series has become a dreary example of careerist nepotism and features mainly short stories with linebreaks and jokey poems that are not funny. Some choice awful lines: Denise Duhamel: "Don't give into your cravings, you need to stay lean / So you can lift up your skirt as you prance and twirl..." Kim Addonizio: "Better dead then fed. / He who laughs will not last. / Sticks and stones will break you," Thomas Lux: "that the eyes be gouged out / and replaced by hot coals / in the head, _the blockhead_,/ of each countrymen or woman who, / upon reaching their majority, / has yet to read MOBY DICK..." Most of the poems herein, besides Franz Wright and Paul Violi among a scattered few, would have been better off as just titles than full poems. The big name poets featured have generally written better poems, the younger poets all seem to have some connection to the New School. It's incredibly disappointing: THE BEST AMERICAN POETRY 2006 could have been so much more. Instead, *it's* a joke 0446359866:presumed_innocent:skip 0446359866 Presumed Innocent: Books: Scott Turow books 1 of 4 1.0 August 1, 2006 Skip I thought this book was going to be a great Legal Thriller, but little did I know that it would turn out to be the worst book I have ever read. I expected a lot more out of Scott Turow, who wrote "One L", which I loved, but this book was plan boring. The begining started out slow and it never picked up from there! The worst Legal Thriller, ever 1419377965:how_did_this_book_get_published?:i._fernandez 1419377965 The News from Paraguay: Books: Lily Tuck,Lisette Lecat books 14 of 15 1.0 January 18, 2006 I. Fernandez Santa Cruz, CA From about the second page of this book, I was shaking my head in disbelief that anyone would publish it. The characters and their relationships are so poorly developed you are left with a blur of images lacking connection to one another. Add to that the stereotypical characters (the men are all violent and lusting either for girls or boys, the women are all "large-assed" or fat with the exception of Ella). And the gratuitous sentence or two at the end of each section about various characters' sexual proclivities was so completely dumb, not to mention kind of repulsive (I like a good sex scene as much as the next person, but Tuck's descriptions are completely banal). Oh wait, there's more. The Spanish is ATROCIOUS. It's hard to believe that Tuck had a translator for this book. It's pretty clear that whoever copy edited it neither reads nor writes nor speaks Spanish. Half the names are grammatically incorrect. Many of the words are just plain wrong ("vita" means life in Italian, not Spanish, for starters). I felt embarrased for the author. Does she know that her book is full of errors? The one word that comes to mind when thinking about this book is: SHALLOW. I sincerely hope that readers don't mistake this book for historical fiction. The author clearly knows little about Paraguay and its people and history, and clearly doesn't care, from her superficial treatment of it. 079279902X:meandering_and_plotless:brwneydgrl78 079279902X Durable Goods: Books: Elizabeth Berg,Jen Taylor books 1 of 7 2.0 January 9, 2006 brwneydgrl78 i was disappointed after this book was suggested to me. nothing ever happens. there are a lot of long winded descriptions and background and very little story 0201157675:read_a_review_article_instead!:thomas_vaughan 0201157675 Genetic Algorithms in Search, Optimization, and Machine Learning: Books: David E. Goldberg books 3 of 5 2.0 November 5, 2004 Thomas Vaughan Seattle, WA USA I agree with another reviewer who said the book was unnecessarily long. Genetic Algorithms are a great programming tool, and there are some tips and tricks that can help your programs converge faster and more accurately, but this book had a lot of redundant information. If you are interested in using GA for solution-finding, I doubt you'll find much useful in this book beyond the first chapter or so. Many of the examples later in the book were so specific that I couldn't see how they could be usefully generalized. Really optimizing a GA approach for a specific problem domain takes a fair amount of tuning, and this book won't help much with that. I think time spent surfing siteseer or other publication sites would be better spent than reading this book. 0060849681:generalized_overview_with_little_new_insight:dave_mccomb 0060849681 Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality: Books: Henry Cloud books 1 of 5 2.0 July 1, 2006 Dave Mccomb Ft Collins, CO USA I agree completely with the Becksted review (I also noted that it was helpful, but I meant it would have been helpful had I read it before I bought the CD). This refers to the CD version. I did listen all the way to the end, I kept thinking there was going to be something, but continued to be disappointed. I found the analogizes to be strained beyond usefulness (evaluating someone's integrity by the size and shape of the wake they create... are their people waterskiing on it?) It seems to be politically incorrect to come out in opposition to "integrity" in this day and age, but frankly this book didn't help me much. B000JGWDS2:silliness_masking_as_literature:avid_reader B000JGWDS2 The Shroud of the Thwacker: Books: Chris Elliott,Chris Elliott books 5 of 10 2.0 April 22, 2006 Avid Reader Franklin, Tn Yes, it was intended as a "fun" read (literature of the absurd?) and it did evoke several chuckles, especially at the first. But as literature (read into that word what you will) it's an abysmal failure. Crammed with so many jokes, puns, outrageous and over the top dialogue and downright stupid action, one's interest is eventually diverted from the story to the catchy devices. It's a case where you can't see the forest for all the intervening trees. I had expected a "straight" tale similar to the Alienist. Then when I discovered it was a humorous take on the police procedural I perked up. It was only after the 100th hyperbole and cutesy 20th century reference that I grew weary of the whole thing. Toward the end it descended into caricature. What's sad is that the idea was a good one - maybe the author should stick to SNL and the visual media. In fact, the book seemed very visual, almost as if the author were transcribing a SNL skit 1590862112:omg!__this_is_so_bad...:happy_hoppy 1590862112 Sleep No More: Books: Greg Iles,Dick Hill books 2 of 5 2.0 February 13, 2006 Happy Hoppy Buenos Aires, Argentina I've read most of the books written by Greg Iles. I liked them all except Dead Sleep, which by the way was much better than this one! Anyway, despite Dead Sleep, if I see a book by this author I haven't read yet I'd grab them right away without further thinking because I enjoyed the rest of his work very much. So, when I bought Sleep No More I was prepared to stay up all night because I was certain it would be thrilling. WRONG! The whole Mallory/Eve/Cole/etc thing is just not believable at all even though I set my memory and imagination open as the author suggests. I still laugh when I think of the explanation of how Mallory gets into another person (she has to have sex and have a mindblowing orgasm). I should give Greg Iles some credit for this idea, a stupid one, but creative nonetheless. As for the characters, I was so appalled by the paranormal plot that I couldn't care less about any of them. I read The Quiet Game and liked it, but the appearance of Penn Cage was just so blah because he's like a cameo in this book and didn't have a character development nor adds anything to this book. In conclusion, I would not recommend this, especially to those who liked other books by Greg Iles. Nevertheless, I'm going to continue to purchase other books by him because I enjoyed his other works very much and strongly believe he is one of the best fiction writers. 0060507152:not_convincing:n._j._peck_"thespian" 0060507152 Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense: Books: N.T. Wright books 1 of 3 2.0 November 3, 2006 N. J. Peck "thespian" Victoria, Australia This book tries to convince non-Christian skeptics but seems to spend too much time justifying orthodox perceptions and concepts of prayer and liturgy, without addressing fundamental objections 031232586X:not_great:trevor_ormerod 031232586X J. K. Rowling: Completely Updated: The Wizard Behind Harry Potter: Books: Marc Shapiro books 2 of 2 2.0 July 30, 2005 Trevor Ormerod Toronto, Canada This book is poorly written. Although it is one of the most update-to-date versions out ther, it seems muddled and repetitive. I was surprised at the number of grammatical mistakes and errors. Clearly little time was spent editing this book. I'm not sure how it got to be a New York Times Bestseller, outside of the fact that it is related to Harry Potter. I'd advise going with a different biography 1929241348:does_too_much_and_too_little:jeremiah_lawson 1929241348 Christian Modesty and the Public Undressing of America: Books: Jeff Pollard books 17 of 18 2.0 May 12, 2005 Jeremiah Lawson Seattle, WA United States by focusing primarily on the history of the swimsuit Pollard's book does not address the larger issue of modesty in public dress as effectively as he might. And while the history of fashion sheds light on fashion, (i.e. swimsuits have observably become skimpier over a century) Pollard can offer no explanation except the caving in of Christian virtue. This is basically saying Christians have lost a culture war without explaining why. While the initial exposition on what the parameters of Christian modesty mean Pollard provides no application for what a suitable example of Christian modesty would be. Furthermore, when push comes to shove he refers to the Westminster Larger Catechism for application rather than sticking to the biblical principles he espoused. Some of his cases are self-defeating. On one hand he notes that garments in biblical periods could be sleeveless and then states that the inexorable decline of swimwear in the west into sluttiness really began when sleeveless swimwear appeared in the mid-19th century. Props for giving the topic serious consideration but as an exegetical study it is still wanting. On the other hand, it's cheap so if you're not persuaded the research has been effective it won't cost you much 1400076854:go_to_the_bookstore_down_the_street.:eric_j._baur_"internet_consumer" 1400076854 Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans: The Best of McSweeney's Humor Category: Books: Dave Eggers books 6 of 11 1.0 June 28, 2005 Eric J. Baur "Internet Consumer" New York, NY Hunt this book down. Read "The Bet" (pp. 131-134). Put this book down. Leave the store satisified knowing that you have read the only humorous story in this collection. Sure you could read some other stories in the book, but they're so terribly unfunny that you will invariably come to hate yourself and everyone around you for being in a store that carries this dreadful book. The only way these stories could possibly be funny is if they were somehow adapted for a series of SNL skits, in which McSweeney's unfunniness were somehow reversed by the lens of SNL's unfunniness. Come to think of it, this book is just as awful as SNL, except that you can't change the channel. You're just stuck there on the subway wishing you'd picked up that AM Metro, desperately trying the read the Wall Street Journal (or even the Daily News) over the shoulder of the person next to you. Anything - just anything - to avoid the tears of boredom that come from reading this garbage. So, If you like late-model SNL and you can read, you may like this. But I doubt it 0195145976:prosaic....:lillith_"victoriousprettyflower" 0195145976 Pedophiles and Priests: Anatomy of a Contemporary Crisis: Books: Philip Jenkins books 5 of 17 2.0 July 29, 2004 Lillith "victoriousprettyflower" New York, NY Personally I found this book to be little more than a GRE verbal refresher course. Sure, it is objective and balanced but so impassionate that such a contentious issue seems like nothing. I think you can strip away emotion from a social problem so much that it creates the question of, well, then, does this really matter? In my opinion I feel this is what the author has done. I was really disappointed in this book 068485001X:the_chicken_soup_for_the_writing-it-down_souls:lin 068485001X Write It Down Make It Happen: Knowing What You Want And Getting It: Books: Henriette Anne Klauser books 11 of 21 2.0 November 9, 2005 Lin Tainan, TAIWAN This book may be as well called "the chicken soup for the writing-it-down souls". The author illustrates her points by telling many uplifting stories. However, if you are a self-help reader like me who is used to David Allen's "Getting Things Done", you may find that storytelling is distracting and not as convincing as it can 0471705381:just_another_book_in_this_genre:chan_joon_yee_"dr_chan" 0471705381 The Anti-Aging Solution: 5 Simple Steps to Looking and Feeling Young: Books: Vincent Giampapa,Ronald Pero,Marcia Zimmerman books 2.0 November 12, 2006 Chan Joon Yee "Dr Chan" Singapore The book claims to help you: 1. Say goodbye to aching joints, sagging skin and fatigue 2. Improve the quality and function of the genetic material in your cells 3. Ramp up your body's self-repair functions 4. Increase your stamina, endurance and sex drive 5. Dramatically improve your resistance to disease, including cancers 6. Have more youthful, radiant skin You don't need to be a cynic to be able to tell that the claims are all inflated. Sure, you'll see some improvement if you have been leading a very unhealthy lifestyle, but for those of us who are already exercising regularly and eating a relatively healthy diet, some of the tips on progressing further to "genetic repair" will sound a bit too good to be true. In fact, most of the advice and recommendations given in the book are not very different from that found in many other books on nutrition and supplement. The authors just gave all the info a "DNA twist". I stopped reading the book a few chapters from the end when it begins to talk about hormonal supplementation and some glowing testimonial on the author's services. All "natural"? No side effects? How long have the subjects been followed up and how long have physicians really practised hormonal therapy on otherwise healthy individuals? The results may be real, but how safe is it for the rest of subject's life? Sounds like another one of those practice-promoting books in this genre. Disappointing 0399153292:consider_this!:j._sweeten_"jerky_joe" 0399153292 The Complete Conversations with God: Books: Neale Donald Walsch books 7 of 24 2.0 September 11, 2006 J. Sweeten "jerky joe" Suffolk, VA USA To anyone who has or is planning on reading this book, consider this. This book has a lot of words which feel good and can make anyone's guilty conscience ease in thinking that "your own will is god's own will." (quoted from Walsh's books) If you will it, then God wills it because he loves you and wants you to live in freedom, right? Will is a precursor to action. If there is no such this an a 'right' or 'wrong' will, then in essence there is really no such thing as a 'right' or 'wrong' action. If someone else's actions hurt you, you feel that action is wrong. But the person who hurt you certainly had his feelings for acting that way, right? It was his will, therefore he was justified and right and god's right there to back him up. The victim is suffering. Where is his god when he needs him? Was the victim correct in believing the action wrong? Was the perpetrator correct in believing his action was right? In this book, god says that WE have the authority to decide what is right or wrong. The action is both right and wrong, right? Wrong. This is when you may want to take a look at the Bible. The Bible portrays God as a loving yet HOLY God. Holy is defined as exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness. He loves us but sees a REAL AND DISTINCT right and wrong as clear as day where sometimes it appears to be a tangled mass to our limited senses. He created us and gave us a conscience which can in most cases discern a right and wrong in a situation. He gave us a free will which allows us to then choose that right or wrong. Are we always going to do the right thing? No, and He knows that. When we do wrong thing, it is unhealthy at best to believe that doing wrong is the right thing to do because we desire it. We're NOT God. We do wrong all the time and God simply wants us to acknowledge this. He wants us to exercise our FREEWILL to do right according to our conscience and what's told in His book. But he knows that even still we will do wrong when attempting in good faith to do right. And that is why in a generous act of sacrificing Love He sent His Son Jesus Christ to SHOW us the way, sacrifice Himself on the cross for our wrongs, and be there still today to forgive our wrongs when we believe in Him and in the truly amazing thing He did for us. It's a beautiful thing! I urge you to believe that the Holy Bible is not a lie and Jesus Christ simply did the things the book said He did and is the person He claimed to be. 11 disciples took everything they said and wrote to their grave and never recanted even after much persecution. Wow! I've been a believer in Christ for almost seven years and He's continued to worked wonders in my life. I would have been a fan of these books if God had not put me on His path. In case you're wondering, I gave this book 2 stars because it has reinforced my faith in Christ by giving a glaring example of what God is not. If you've read through all of this, thank you. I encourage you to write me. God bless! 188364710X:use_caution_in_laying_all_your_hopes_on_yet_another_"cure.":aimee 188364710X Children With Starving Brains: A Medical Treatment Guide for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Second Edition: Books: Jaquelyn McCandless books 75 of 92 1.0 April 17, 2005 Aimee NY My almost-6 year old daughter was diagnosed with autism at age 2 and we took a multi-pronged approach, including things like supplements, a GFCF diet, and OT/PT/speech. After a year on the GFCF diet and many specialized supplements and no change in behaviors, we went back to a normal diet with standard vitamin supplements and continued her behavioral therapies. Our close friends' daughter, now age 4 and also diagnosed with autism, took a similar approach, but even more strict, following the DAN protocol as well as the recommendations of this book, including chelation, a dizzying array of supplements, GFCF diet, OT/PT/Speech, ABA, etc. While our child has made tremenous advances, or friends' child has not, beyond minor advances related to her age--at 4, she is still non-verbal, far from potty trained, exhibits many repetitive behaviors, and needs constant verbal and visual cues for the simplest tasks. The point I am trying to make is that every child is different and no one, NO ONE has shown that one course of therapy cures or even convincingly improves a significant percentage of children with autism. Autism, as most of you likely know well, is a catch-all term. Our friends' daughter no doubt has a very different kind of pathology than ours. I have yet to really see a book or study address that fact first and foremost before offering a course of action, rather than immediately launching into predictions of one "cure" for a broad range of issues. While I do think some of what the author recommends can be helpful (and it really may offer a tremendous help for some children with autism), some of the therapies (like chelation) can be very dangerous--in fact, I have yet to see one of the many families who tried chelation therapy see *any* improvement in their child's symptoms. I have seen more success with GFCF diets (for a small percentage of children), but the greatest success seems to come with comprehensive behavioral therapy. I certainly understand where families are coming from--I have been there myself, but treating your child like a guinea pig and attempting to "cure" them with multiple substances that have had very little study/peer review in a desperate frenzy of worry is both dangerous to their bodies and destructive to their emotions. As with anything, balance is your approach will serve you and your child well. 1580621961:very_very_disappointing:"madmadmx" 1580621961 Streetwise Finance and Accounting: How to Keep Your Books and Manage Your Finances Without an MBA, a CPA, or a Ph.D.: Books: Suzanne Caplan books 2 of 5 1.0 March 5, 2004 "madmadmx" Austin, TX don't buy this book, no substance only good for sale 0785267727:wow...:don_head_"cotton,_brad_cotton" 0785267727 Hagee 3-in-1 Beginning Of The End, Final Dawn Over Jerusalem, Day Of Deception: Books: John Hagee books 5 of 16 1.0 July 26, 2005 Don Head "Cotton, Brad Cotton" Topeka .... you can get all three of these wacky books in one neat volume! Doesn't this hurt the bottom line at Hagee Ministries? What, has the pool of his mesmerized followers begun to dry up? It reminds me of when the band, KISS (aka Kings In Satan's Service) re-packaged their first three albums as "The Originals." At least in that case you had an extra track of "Rock and Roll All Nite", assuming you already had the album "Dressed To Kill." On the other hand, maybe Hagee Ministries was using the KISS model, assuming that it wouldn't hurt to have his drivel repeated in one handy, compact volume of fear 0140186417:steinbeck's_bait-and-switch:_a_good_writer_fails_to_act:robert_goehring_"spreading_my_heat__all_over" 0140186417 In Dubious Battle (20th Century Classics): Books: John Steinbeck,Warren French books 0 of 1 2.0 September 27, 2006 Robert Goehring "Spreading my Heat All Over" DeKalb, IL I'm perhaps the only Steinbeck lover not to have yet read "Grapes of Wrath" or "East of Eden." Instead I have focused on "Of Mice and Men" and his lesser known works, such as "To a God Unknown" and, my personal favorite, "Pastures of Heaven." I've been enamored with his ability to vividly craft characters in particular. When I began reading "In Dubious Battle," it appeared the most engaging of all Steinbeck's work. Telling the story of American Communist party workers Jim and Mac, it begins with the story of hardscrabble Jim initiating himself into Mac's radical cell. There is a great (and misleading) sense of intrigue - Mac and Jim travel by boxcar, work secretly through letters, go from secret contact to contact and finally arrive among disgruntled orchard workers. Early on, the pace is fast, exciting, and engaging. Suddenly, Steinbeck simply fails to deliver, leaving the reader wondering when he's going to pick up the pace again. After Jim and Mac slowly initiate a worker's strike, I expected the sense of excitement to continue. It simply never does. Summary of "In Dubious Battle" - Workers get mad. Workers get tired. Workers get mad. Workers get tired. Workers get mad. Workers get tired. The rest of the book mostly concerns Jim and Mac talking - and talking - and talking - and talking. And while their philosophical chats are mildly interesting at first, they simply repeat themselves for the rest of the book. Most of the action takes place in the dark or far away from the narration, and most of the story simply concerns the strikers bickering over petty nonsense... ...and eating. Steinbeck must have been peckish while writing this story, because at least a good 25% of the story concerns finding, eating, and (worst of all) TALKING about food. There is plenty of action that Steinbeck could have shown during the story, but for some reason he prefers to focus on Jim and Mac endlessly walking from tent to tent in their encampment, discussing whatever comes to mind. Steinbeck's sense of intrigue and social injustice is worth reading the first few chapters. But I advise any reader of "In Dubious Battle" to take this course - after the strike is initiated, simply set the book down. You won't miss anything. Nothing of great import happens, and only a very few memorable characters ever surface, and they are lost among the sea of forgettable faces. I suppose now I'll give "Grapes of Wrath" a go. Perhaps if it isn't one of his "greats," it isn't worth reading 0609801724:not_an_economic_history_of_money:artanis65 0609801724 The History of Money: Books: Jack Weatherford books 5 of 7 2.0 October 30, 2005 artanis65 Washington, DC This is the sort of book you get when an author writes on a subject with which he has only a passing familiarity, and lacks the confidence that the subject matter is inherently interesting enough to hold the reader's attention. The result is a book that is ultimately unsatisfying. One symptom of the problems described above is that large portions are devoted to subjects other than money. For example, the author uses the first three pages after the introduction to describe Aztec ritual sacrifice in literally gory detail before proceeding on to the use of cocao beans as commodity money. I think that's meant to be what they used to call in show business a "grabber," but for the reader expecting to learn about money, it's a distraction. Another problem is that the author's grasp of modern economics is shaky at best, and especially in the latter part of the book, he'll make a point and then repeat himself, much as an undergraduate trying to extend the length of a term paper that's run a few pages short. And yet, there's also some interesting and oddly convincing tidbits of information here. The author states that L. Frank Baum's 1900 book "The Wizard of Oz" is really a parable about the need for a bimetallic dollar based on both gold and silver. But even as it strikes you that this is an interesting bit of trivia, you realize that it's only a bit of trivia and has little larger significance. If you're looking for a economic history of money, you should look elsewhere. If you're interested in the cultural and sociological impact of money, this may be more to your liking, though I think it still falls short. 1740591623:better_guides_available:nc 1740591623 Lonely Planet Japan: Books: Chris Rowthorn,Andrew Bender,John Ashburne,Sara Benson,David Atkinson,Craig McLachlan books 23 of 24 2.0 August 7, 2004 NC Pittsburgh, PA USA When I traveled in Japan with a friend, this was the book we brought with us. Within a week we were at a foriegn language bookstore in Tokyo looking for a better one. There are some things this guide does quite well -- it helped us out finding reasonably priced places to stay throughout the country, and the advice to get a JR pass was invaluable. However, the book has a very negative, immature view of Japan as a country and travel in general. It seems to be written by bitter expatriates with a fascination with gaijin bars and the sex trade. Did I pay $1200 for plane tickets to go drink with Americans? The authors express a bias against culturally interesting sites, ancient and modern, that borders on the anti-intellectual. The cultural notes are dated, inaccurate, and shallow. After a while, we began to think, "If Lonely Planet doesn't recommend it, it's probably interesting." The maps, as many have mentioned, are almost useless. Ironically for a series which fetishizes getting off the beaten path, it's practically useless once you get out of the main tourist areas. There are much better guides available. This entry has sworn me off the LP series for life. 0394725441:old-fashioned_elitist_boredom:daisykatie 0394725441 Art of Fiction: Books: John Gardner books 13 of 68 1.0 December 28, 2003 Daisykatie USA This is a fairly helpful book for those born before the '70s-- a time when "a yarn" wasn't an archaic term. Does it give some helpful hints? Sure, there's the obvious ones like show don't tell and all characters have free will. But fiction has changed a lot since Henry James (thankfully), and this book might be better left unread. Plus, I don't buy the "only people who aren't well-read don't like it" argument. I've read nearly all the books mentioned and I still wish I never bought this book 0929480376:sluggish,_uneventful,_corny_and_borrrrring:filmbuff-reads_stuff 0929480376 Insomnia: A Novel: Books: Stephen King books 1 of 1 2.0 October 22, 2006 Filmbuff-reads stuff Brooklyn, NY I usually read Stephen King for his interesting ideas and imagery and expect his books to read fast and well. I've read three previous King books that have had the occasional long passages with overstated depictions of horror, doom, and grotesquery in order to immerse his readers into the tone of his story. This one takes the cake because what is meant to read as terror and horror is really ridiculous and unimaginative. And this is exactly what "Insomnia" is. This isn't a spoiler, just the author's note: at the end of the book we read Sep. 10, 1990- Nov 10, 1993- three years in which King took to write this book. Three years which were evidently wasted. The other King books I've read were engrossing for their characterizations and character identification. "Insomnia's" Ralph Roberts is certainly a character the reader could identify with. He is strong, kind, has traditional gentlemanly views on aiding women in distress and regards them as beautiful and respectable. His counterpart Lois Chasse doesn't come across as identifiable. Instead she serves as a secondary character who has no real flair or identity other than being in love with Ralph. King doesn't usually do that with his secondary characters. Other characters with much smaller roles in this book come across as real and identifiable, like Ed and Helen Deepenau, the three bald doctors, and Ralph's numerous confidantes. Then there's the whole abortion mess. This central political issue crumbles midway thru and seems to serve no purpose at all in the story. Though King does provide an interesting and seemingly objective commentary on the issue via Detective Leydecker (albeit with a tranparently pro-choice slant), it serves no relevance to the theme of the story but just hangs there on display used for no more than a story device. I gave the book two stars because I am an inspiring writer and reading this provided me with some of the devices that are important to utilize as part of a writer's arsenal. The devices were obvious and all thru the reading I asked myself, 'How is King going to get through this?' His weapon of choice was most often Ralph Robert's narration (via third person) that analyzed the events of the story and interpreted its meaning and significance. It seemed whenever King was in trouble in the story, he would use Ralph as his solution and let him think it out and guide it for him. This is a useful tool for a beginning writer, but King used it as a crutch to tell a story that had no pulse from the beginning. One last thing, the villians just don't work. They are not frightening, they are not demonic, they are not vicious or malign. Three little bald doctors with scalpels and scissors? Their defining characteristics are being small and bald- does that really frighten anyone? The real villian among them dances around and jump ropes to reveal his evil madness. Then there's the Crimson King, the evil supernatural mastermind we read about from page 100 who finally enters the story on page 550 as a Catfish in one of the most terrible, anti-climactic scenes ever rendered. I rest my case. 0786214228:harlequin_presents...nicholas_sparks:former_witness 0786214228 Message in a Bottle (Thorndike Large Print Basic Series): Books: Nicholas Sparks books 1 of 2 2.0 July 22, 2006 Former Witness While easy enough to read, if the exact same pages were enclosed in a Harlequin Romance cover, I wouldn't know the difference. I'm extremely surprised this is a "best seller". Maybe I should take up writing because I can't possibly be worse than this. Ok, it's a good enough story but wow, it's predictible and boring. I read it completely in 2 days, and I'm a reader that savors pages so it takes me a while. I wasn't intrigued, I wasn't on the edge of my seat, and didn't shed a tear 0739323695:inaccessible_prose:j._glenn_"j._glenn" 0739323695 The Blind Assassin: Books: Margaret Atwood,Margot Dionne books 0 of 1 2.0 November 4, 2006 J. Glenn "J. Glenn" Chicago Maybe it was me, but I kept wanting this book to work and it just never grabbed me and I had to put it down. It was almost aggravating 0962131164:author_needs_his_own_soapbox:joel_magnussen 0962131164 Shattering The' Left Behind' Delusion: Books: John Noe books 14 of 28 1.0 December 16, 2001 Joel Magnussen Florida Steer clear of this one - criticizing others for lack of original thought or a consistent viewpoint, while virtually copying their cover (not to mention riding the wave of their unique concept) illustrates the weak and timid position assumed by this author. Please achieve your own significance, not bashing others popular and widely accepted readership. As Christians, we are obviously aware of varying theories on end-times. To even slightly indicate we are not aware indicates the authors pompous platform. So sad his approach couldn't be based on his own original work 097668750X:unbeliveable:mizz_tee_"bbg" 097668750X Help Wanted: Books: Shawan Lewis books 1 of 3 1.0 September 29, 2005 Mizz Tee "BBG" Columbia, Maryland I was very excited about receiving this book, by the way big upps to lupo997 for getting my book to me in a timely fashion. After reviewing the book further I realized it was like Touched by an Angel, and I don't like that show at all, but I decided to read it anyway cause it looked good. That was a mistake, the character's were two dimensional and truly unbelieveable. In the first story - Rainmaker - The Professor was sooo in love with Hailey he didn't care about getting killed or putting his own child's life in danger - come on now. He would rather see his blind daughter killed for this woman he barely knows. I didn't even read the second story, maybe I'll come back to that. The third story was totally ridiculous as well. Paris is so sick of Russell - he doesn't have a job, money and no ambition, yet she stays with him. He cheats on her, she has the broads up in her house and sells them Mary Kay!! Yet she stays with him. He has given her an STD!!! She stays with him!!! She doesn't even like making love to him. During all of this nonsense her fi-one boss is pushing up on her, and she resists. She won't cheat on her man. What!!!! If you like reading fairy tales then this is the book for you. For everyone else who likes a little believable drama in their fiction - DO NOT GET THIS BOOK! 0966692810:not_worth_the_money:lash 0966692810 The ABCs of Hiring a Nanny, Expanded Version: Books: Frances Anne Hernan books 1.0 April 7, 2006 Lash Raleigh, NC Bought this book hoping for a comprehensive resource of information on hiring a nanny. Boy were we disappointed. As was mentioned in another post - the book is nothing more than a glorified outline, and half of the book is copies of the forms that are on the disk, which forms by the way are in .pdf form and are not even fillable. 0312200331:too_many_metaphors,_not_enough_info.:angela 0312200331 The Thin You Within You: Winning the Weight Game with Self-Esteem: Books: Abraham Twerski books 3 of 4 2.0 January 27, 2000 Angela Louisiana I found this book to be full of silly metaphors (as if that's the only way we could relate to Dr. Twerski). It just didn't get me the information I needed. Perhaps others would find it motivational 1580083501:dick_management:_yes.__idiot_puritanism:_no,_thanks.:kendall_soulen 1580083501 How to Manage Your Dick: Redirect Sexual Energy and Discover Your More Spiritually Enlightened, Evolved Self: Books: Sean O'Reilly books 3 of 6 1.0 January 23, 2006 Kendall Soulen Sarasota, FLA This books seems interesting until you learn (within a few pages) that the author forbids masturbation at any time and basically sees sex as a crude animal instinct. If you're a big Bill Bennett fan you might enjoy this, but for those inerested in developing a little more restraint while still participating to some small degree in modernity, look elsewhere. BTW, Mr. O'Reilly, the world is NOT a more brutish place than ever before. Sad, to say, it's almost certainly less so. 0306814552:no_original_material,_as_far_as_i_can_tell.:james_marsh 0306814552 23 Days in July: Inside The Tour De France and Lance Armstrong's Record-Breaking Victory: Books: John Wilcockson,Graham Watson books 1.0 March 28, 2006 James Marsh Austin Texas I agree with a previous reviewer who found fault with the way the story was told. There is no excitement in describing the stages. They are just wrapped up all of a sudden. To me, it did not seem like the author did many interviews of his own. It seems like he just watched the Tour de France and retold what he saw on the broadcast. His supposed "back-stories" which should be really interesting, all seem like a recap of the mini segments during the Tour broadcast that let you know more about the participants. There is just nothing that reaches out and grabs you, and makes you want to keep reading. I finally quit it after the poor description of the day in the Pyrenees. That is one of the most exciting stages of the race, and the narrative was so wooden 0345409574:lacking_in_details_and_intimancies:peter 0345409574 Gods and Generals: Books: Jeff Shaara books 1 of 6 2.0 February 14, 2006 peter ny i'll be the first to admit that i'm biased based on my expectations from shaara's father's great book, the killer angels. it is not fair to compare the two, but because reading the father's book lead me to buy this one, i thought i should mention it. this book does not contain nearly the details and intimancies of the father's book. it is not surprising since this one covers a much longer time frame than the battle of gettysburg, so shaara has less pages to devote to each person and battle. but the result is a less satisfying book. it skims rather than digs deep 0345409574:the_definition_of_trash:m._wyckoff 0345409574 Gods and Generals: Books: Jeff Shaara books 3 of 15 1.0 November 19, 2005 M. Wyckoff Trash sells and this is the definition of trash. Unfortunately many readers see this as history instead of fiction. Shaara who may have had a ghost writer obviously never visited a manuscipt library to do research. Readers should stick to reading the history of these events done by people who know how to research and how to write 0425180638:if_only_i_could_have_back_the_hours_i_spent_reading_this_book...:p._stuhr 0425180638 The Last Precinct: Books: Patricia Cornwell books 2 of 3 1.0 September 23, 2005 P. Stuhr Gainesville, Ga. I have read all of the Scarpetta novels through The Last Precinct, and I have never wanted hours of my life back as I did when I finished The Last Precinct. Cornwell tried to go in a new direction with her writing, and it failed. If Kay Scarpetta was a fortune teller, this book may have been alright... What I mean by that is, in at least 2-3 separate occassions in this book, Kay says "I had a feeling I knew exactly what [so in so was going to say/do to me..." Really Kay? Out of absolutely nowhere, you just believe that the unusual way Marino has been acting is due to the fact that you are going to be prosecuted by a special grand jury for homicide even though NOTHING led up to your supposed "revelation." You are truly impressive. Reading this book makes me want to steer clear of Blowfly and Trace, but then again, maybe Cornwell read some reviews and saw that she had to shape up. This book really ticked me off and I wouldn't recommend it to an enemy 0071360573:how....?:michael_w._vinoski_"mechanimal" 0071360573 Tab Electronics Guide to Understanding Electricity and Electronics: Books: G. Randy Slone books 6 of 21 2.0 May 31, 2005 Michael W. Vinoski "MechAnimal" South Haven, MI United States How some people gave this book a five star review is way beyond me. First of all, I'd just like to mention that this nice book gives you schematic diagrams using symbols and other things without explaining them first! Secondly, if you want to understand electronics it can only be assumed that you want to understand the physics behind it! This book dedicates about a sentence to a paragraph to physics for each section. Horrible! So basically, this INTRODUCTION to electronics doesn't do a lot of introducing you to anything! I'm on transistors right now, and I've spent days researching the physics of how they work on the Internet, and guess what? It's using schematics I don't understand, and yet again I'm going to have to do more looking on the net. This book is not worth it. Don't buy it! Just please, for your own sake, find another one. Also, half the book is dedicated to projects. That is, actually building electronic circuits! Why didn't the author just entitle this, "How to build electronic devices", then? It's beyond me! As far as explaining things are concerned, the book does very little, and assume you know more than you do. Unfortunately I'm going to have to end up buying another electronics textbook, because this one is just horrible. I was really wanting to learn something from this book, but it's just not happening. For every chapter I've read on this book I've had to do research on the net, and I'm sick of it. I'm on pg. 154, and I'm closing it. DO NOT buy this book! I've already found a better book on amazon.com (just buy reading the Table of Contents!!!!!!!!!!) and I'm going to get it! 0140072799:the_worst_proofed_book_in_the_universe:e._shepherd 0140072799 The G-string Murders: Books: Gypsy Rose Lee books 0 of 1 1.0 December 1, 2005 E. Shepherd New York, NY This book is by far the worst proofed book I've ever read in my life. I can't believe I'm writing this as a review, because I can normally overlook a few typos. However, the typos in this book make for an almost impossible read. I can't believe I paid money for it 0345422805:my_complaint...:feduppence 0345422805 Team Rodent : How Disney Devours the World: Books: Carl Hiaasen books 0 of 45 1.0 July 22, 2005 feduppence I don't own this book nor have I read it, but if that first sentence is any indication of the quality of writing, I won't ever. It is not a sentence. One would think you would save your non-sentences for someplace else in a book, not start off with one, giving your readers the impression that you are all hat and no cattle before you even make your points 0679724176:lets_correlate_joblessness_with_everything:nathan_m._cornell 0679724176 When Work Disappears : The World of the New Urban Poor: Books: William Julius Wilson books 3 of 27 2.0 January 28, 2004 Nathan M. Cornell This book is full of excuses and manipulated data that ignores the ultimate moral responsibility of a society. We can correlate joblessness with the number of innercity households that contain black ink pens if we want to. While Wilson presents an argument in an attempt to educate, his words are slanted in such a way that we are left feeling "sorry for them" 0345468589:dull,_trite,_and_disjointed:sam 0345468589 The Botox Diaries: A Novel: Books: Janice Kaplan,Lynn Schnurnberger books 3 of 4 1.0 September 6, 2005 SAM Newport Beach, CA I am an avid reader and have never once submitted a book review. However, after reading Botox Diaries, I felt compelled to write and warn you all that this book is dull, trite, and disjointed. I love my "chick-lit" books, but Botox Diaries is a disgrace to this genre. The plot is weak and unrealistic (even in light of the suspended disbelief one normally affords "lite & fun" books). The plot is also disjointed, perhaps because two authors co-wrote this book. The characters are shallow and excruciatingly dull. Botox Diaries is absolutely the worst book I have ever read. -- December 2005 Update: My friend insisted on reading this book (ugh...despite my warnings!). Even though she was stuck in the airport for eight hours, she still couldn't bear to finish the book, because she found it so dull. She actually left it, half-read, at the airport 0743536703:king_officially_jumps_the_shark:russell_j._deford_"russbeck99" 0743536703 Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, Book 6): Books: Stephen King,George Guidall books 5 of 5 1.0 June 4, 2006 Russell J. DeFord "russbeck99" East Peoria, IL United States This is perhaps the most disappointing King book I have ever read (and considering that I have read "Desperation" and "Insomnia" that is saying a lot). The storyline was okay until the author lost me by inserting himself into the story. I have no problem with characters from other stories popping up but for the author to become a character was over the top. The only thing I found interesting about King as a character was the diaries that appear as the last chapter of the book. I thought this was a blatant attempt to market his other books by having them referenced throughout the book. I would guess that anybody that reaches Song of Susannah has read is a faithful reader of King and does not need to be reminded of all his previous works (which as of late have been bad with the exception of "The Green Mile: Hey, Steve, if I wanted to read an infomercial I'll read my junk mail. I cannot wait to read the last Dark Tower book so I can be put out of my misery 0471496154:i'd_like_to_give_it_zero_stars._:rick_wingender 0471496154 Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market, and Organizational Change, 2nd Edition: Books: Joe Tidd,John Bessant,Keith Pavitt books 1 of 2 1.0 September 6, 2006 Rick Wingender Richmond, VA Of all the textbooks I've had, from elementary school through graduate school, this is easily the worst one I've ever had, for any course. First of all, the authors so redundantly use the word "whilst" and the phrase "rules of the game" that it really gets on your nerves. My classmates all agree with me on this point. Second, speaking of getting on your nerves, half of what these authors say is, "...as we talked about in the previous chapter" or "as we'll talk about in the next chapter". There is so much redundant language in this book that it really could be condensed to about 25% of its size, and hell, it probably could simply be a chapter in the text for some other course. Third, the authors should win a Pulitzer prize for flowery language. They seem more interested in impressing me than educating me. Their sentences are far too long. They don't know the meaning of clear and concise, and I think they should all go back to English Composition 101. They'd be great politicians, because never have I heard anyone say so much and yet say so little....over and over and over again. The book is a like an inflated academic paper...and it's BORING. If ever a topic begged for a case-study approach, it's this one, and this book is not the answer. Save your money, and beg your instructor not to use this text. 0142800392:i_guess_that_were_the_adventure_end_for_me.:o._perry 0142800392 The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, Book 3): Books: Stephen King,Frank Muller books 1.0 October 19, 2006 O. Perry rehovot Israel After reading the first book *(which was catastropha) and reading the second which was really good, I thought that the series is taking off, I was mistaken, the third book is slow, and boring, you can see very well that Stephan king has no Idea what so ever where he is going to take that series Nothing much is happening, and while the second book introduce some interesting ideas, the third book just go to the ordinary adventure that you can find (And better written as well) in dragon lance series, or other adventure books, also many ideas that were in this book already appear in many king books, reading reviews of manuy users on the fourth book, which some say is very boring I guess this is where the adventure end for me.. 1566914493:new_age_tripe:hoke 1566914493 The Way of the Traveler: Making Every Trip a Journey of Self-Discovery: Books: Joseph Dispenza books 8 of 12 1.0 July 18, 2006 Hoke Thailand Have you ever met a person where every single thing that happens to them is a spiritual awakening? The kind of person that can't go to the bathroom without making some sort of journal entry of the new vistas they discovered? Well that is the kind of mentality you get with this book. You can't simply look at a sunset and be in awe of nature or God. No you need to relate to it and make it a part of you. I am avery spiritual person and love traveling. I have traveled all over the world and feel complete when I do so. Reading this book did the one thing I never thought was possible, it put me off of traveling. Fortunately, the feeling passed quickly. I will not make little travel shrines. I will not take little spiritual trips across my living room. I will not follow this persons advice. And this book is going nowhere near my rucksack. Sorry, I am too stoic for this book. I would recommend people read books about the places they want to go. Learn their culture and a little bit of their language. Don't worry about the trip just go on it. My passport is the only material possession I truly value. 0439249767:not_the_best:liz 0439249767 Kristina: The Girl King, Sweden, 1638 (Royal Diaries): Books: Carolyn Meyer books 2 of 10 2.0 July 12, 2004 liz CALIFORNIA to me .this book was definately NOT one of the best in the series.I admire the Kristina,but this book was slow and dull.It was practiacally all about the politics of sweden.very dull 1597220639:not_the_best:donna_delaune_"donnaread" 1597220639 The Twelfth Card (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel): Books: Jeffery Deaver books 1.0 July 11, 2006 Donna Delaune "donnaread" Jeanerette, LA, USA I'm not a fan of mysteries to begin with. However, my public library has a limited selection of audio books, so I take what I can get. I am a voracious reader, and I listen to audios to get more "reading" in, as you can listen and do other things. I much prefer the Lillian Jackson Braun "cat" books, at least there is some humor, and I like the "mystery" part of these books better than Deaver's. Sorry to all the Deaver fan's out there...I HAVE enjoyed a few of his books, but I get tired of the "same ole-same ole" 0672317435:dissapointed:vinicio_valencia 0672317435 Foundations of Service Level Management: Books: Rick Sturm,Wayne Morris books 22 of 29 2.0 August 15, 2001 Vinicio Valencia MIAMI, FLORIDA United States I admit I was impressed by the table of contents of this book, and I admit I had no previous experience with the subject, but sure with the 'real life' of support services for a database company. Most of the book is devoted to review commercial software available on the market and for me, this is just enough to be dissapointed. There are better commercial magazines or even websites can provide you this information for free... Although some formulas and templates looks very interesting (that's why 2 stars), maybe should you consider a help desk book instead 0812693906:not_very_well_reasoned...patently_unoriginal:t._s._phillis 0812693906 The Ayn Rand Cult: Books: Jeff Walker books 16 of 25 2.0 September 16, 2005 T. S. Phillis Like most critics of Objectivism, Mr. Walker focuses his criticism on Ayn Rand's frailties and idiosyncrasies rather than the principles of the philosophy she founded. My disappointment in his book was immediate and I have to say it's as unoriginal a piece of writing as any other critic I've read. His cynicism drips from almost every sentence and his contempt for all things Objectivism is obvious to anyone who takes ideas seriously. I cannot recommend this book even to those interested in contrasting views of her approach to philosophy; this book was written for those of like mind to the author...whatever mind they can be said to have. The body and scope of work done by Objectivist scholars who've never met Ayn Rand now ellipses her work - both fiction and non-fiction - and the work of her original core of thinkers. To characterize the movement as a cult may have had some validity in the years prior to her death, but only in the most remote sense of the word. Right now the ranks of Objectivism are swelling with intelligent people who differ in background AND in opinion. Mr. Walker's principle mistake is looking at Objectivism as something that was born exclusively from the mind of Ayn Rand...something Miss Rand herself would disagree with. Objectivism is the logical continuation of a line of thought that views mankind as a reasoning animal...a line that extends back through history and begins (explicitly) with Aristotle. Those (like Mr. Walker) who dismiss it on the basis of Miss Rand's personality and the culture of people that grew around her in her lifetime are truly missing an opportunity to enlighten themselves. There is no doubt Ayn Rand is a polarizing figure; my advice to those inclined to read Mr. Walker's book is to read Miss Rand's books as well. Particularly her non-fiction. I'm not a real big fan of her novels or fiction in general - it was Rand's non-fiction works that first inspired me to study her philosophy - so my first suggestion would be "Philosophy: Who Needs It." I enjoyed her novels, but I enjoyed her non-fiction more 0312307020:flowery,_predictable_drivel:m._gardner_"seinfan63" 0312307020 Emma's Secret (Bradford, Barbara Taylor): Books: Barbara Taylor Bradford books 1 of 2 1.0 August 21, 2005 M. Gardner "seinfan63" Massachusetts I would normally not read Barbara Taylor Bradford but my boyfriends' Mom gave it to me as part of a present, so I said what the heck, I'll try it. Just as disappointing as I'd expected. Light, uninteresting, and with no real plot or ending. As for the historical pages, read Catherine Cookson instead. I may go back and listen to A Woman of Substance only because other reviewers seemed to have enjoyed it. But this sequel was too into clothes and the finer things, and full of too-successful, too-beautiful men and women. Not believable. 006440966X:dragged_down_by_a_dead_weight_of_an_ending:mojo_jojo 006440966X The Two Princesses of Bamarre: Books: Gail Carson Levine books 1 of 1 2.0 July 4, 2006 Mojo Jojo This wasn't such a bad novel, and I kind of enjoyed it. Not great, but easy to read and the story chugs along briskly. However, the ending really killed it for me. It's too unnecessarily long. Once the major conflict is resolved, the story is over and yet we must hear a treatise on what it means to be a faerie and the price paid and the virtue of love and heroism and blah blah blah. I wish I'd just put the book down after the rain because I would've left with a feeling of at least entertainment. But after reading on and realizing that there were no further complications, only pages of explanations, I just lost much of my enthusiasm for the book. Would've been three stars if it'd just known when to end 158131129X:weak_cases:yuval_shafir 158131129X Vault Guide to the Case Interview (Vault Guide to the Case Interview): Books: Vault Staff books 12 of 17 2.0 May 29, 2005 Yuval Shafir Israel Hi, I have used this book among others to get accepted to McKinsey (and with success) and I think this book gave me less then others. The advantages are the more or less detailed frameworks chapter and the real-life interviews chapter, but the cases themselves are rather superficial and sometimes even obviously ridiculous(like for example the case in which a Star-Trek like omnipotent people transporter has been invented, and the book claims that it wouldn't replace cars because it costs 100,000$. Come on, they would buy one for every block). I think there are much better resources than this. Good luck with your interviews 0679777857:interesting_but_lacking....:joe 0679777857 The File: A Personal History: Books: Timothy Garton Ash books 6 of 23 2.0 May 24, 2000 Joe Santa Barbara, California Timothy Garton Ash's book the file was very provocative and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the personal experience of one man who happened to be in East Berlin before unification and then was able to see his file afterwards. However, i am a bit disillusioned. The story interests me but Garton Ash really doesn't say anything! I am disappointed that he so poignantly and blatantly pokes at communism and a totalitarian state. And yet he does not back it up. The book is good under the premise of democracy good, communism bad. It feels like he is just pooling for support. And nobody knew the wall was going to "fall" when it did. I know of many professors who were writing books critiquing communism who had to throw out their text because of the abrupt fall of communism. I'm wondering if this book is just a way to cash in an unexpected event. I am dissappointed. Maybe i just don't know enough of Garton Ash but if this is the case, i should not have to feel the need to know his history before reading the book. The book had some good points and kept me entertained but on the whole didn't do anything for me. Peace 1402518617:the_protection_of_the_remnant:r._c._mueller_"constitutional_constructionist" 1402518617 The Remnant: On the Brink of Armageddon (Left Behind (Recorded Books Audio)): Books: Tim LaHaye,Jerry B. Jenkins,Richard Ferrone books 0 of 3 1.0 May 5, 2006 R. C. Mueller "Constitutional Constructionist" Omaha, NE USA Petra of all places. Supernatural protection, persecution, on ad naseum. The one drug on, and on, and on, and on ...... Same tired story, persecution by Carpathia a lame attempt at evil incarnate and his lackies. Sorry.. I think the series denegrates Christianity rather then exalting it. I've read all 12 and found it morose and condemning. The opposite of how I view Christianity is. 0140266712:the_rest_of_the_story:disturbed_reader 0140266712 Listening to Prozac: The Landmark Book About Antidepressants and the Remaking of the Self, Revised Edition: Books: Peter D. Kramer books 3 of 6 1.0 August 4, 2006 Disturbed Reader Marble Falls, Texas This is a very famous and a very influential book. This was not the first time I checked the book out of the library but I now know much more about antidepressants and the related issues than I did when I first became familiar with Kramer's book. What I found on my quick survey of the book this time amazed me. This is not a book supported by research. It is a book of stories. The stories, one after the other, are about Kramer's patients (Kramer is a psychiatrist) and how taking Prozac dramatically transformed lives overnight. Consider these four examples. 1. Sam: "Sam not only recovered from his depression, he declared himself better than well. He felt unencumbered, more vitally alive, less pessimistic. Now he could complete projects in one draft, whereas before he sketched and sketched again. His memory was more reliable, his concentration keener. His memory was more reliable, his concentration keener. Every aspect of his work went more smoothly. He appeared more poised, more thoughtful, less distracted. He was able to speak at professional gatherings without notes.(Page x.) 2. Sally: After four months on Prozac, she looked brighter, calmer, self-assured, in control of herself. The most important effect of the medication, Sally felt was that it cleared her head...After ten months...she negotiated a small promotion and pay raise at a time when the bank was cutting back staff...More remarkable was the change to her private life. She started going to dances...(Page 147.) 3. William M: The patient's low self-esteem, which had been present since his earliest childhood, began to disappear...On medication William M. experienced a sense of self-worth superior to any he had felt before. (Page 203.) 4. Ms. B: For the first time in her memory she felt perfectly relaxed and happy sitting at home reading books or listening to music and felt less of the free-floating anxiety that was previously quelled by going out...Off Prozac, Ms. B. bar-hopped in search of men. Prozac moderated her sense of aloneness and allowed her to enjoy a variety of social settings. Dozens of other examples could be cited. The point is, this is essentially the book. It is a book which convinces the reader of the almost magic power of Prozac by sharing stories like these. What is disturbing is that I now know the truth. Research investigations have found that the power of antidepressants has increased dramatically. They are now more effective because our belief in the power of a pill to cure social shyness, anxiety, depression, and a bad temper has increased dramatically. We have come to believe, as Kramer puts it, "biology is destiny" (page xiv). No where does Kramer explain that the longest of the clinical trial used to get approval of Prozac to market was only 8 weeks long. No where does he share that a tranquilizer was given to study subjects and the other tricks used to make the effectiveness of the drug appear greater than it really is. The dangers of long-term use (diabetes, Parkinson's disease, permanent muscle jerking, etc.) are never discussed. (Of course, these problems were still unknown when Kramer wrote.) See Timothy Scott's wonderful, and unlike Kramer's book, carefully documented book America Fooled: The Truth About Antidepressants, Antipsychotics, and How We've Been Fooled to find the dangers as well as what does bring good mental health. Yes, this book has been influential. Thus, Kramer bears some of the responsibilty for the myth surrounding antidepressants. (They do not work as well as exercise even--numerous studies.) It's funny how, as our knowledge grows, a great book beomes a harmful book, but it is just that. 0689206887:nothing_good_to_say_about_the_10th_good_thing....:"emily328" 0689206887 The Tenth Good Thing About Barney (Tenth Good Thing about Barney Nrf): Books: Judith Viorst,Erik Blegvad books 10 of 22 1.0 December 20, 2003 "emily328" Bakersfield, CA United States I work in a school library and as a cat lover am always seeking out the cat books. This one caught my eye and I was expecting something wonderful. I found the story to be hopeless and defeating. How sad the only comfort the father has to offer is composting tips and the last memory the child has to hold is that of a decomposing cat. I'm no censor, but two thumbs way down. Also, if you are looking for something wonderful for pet loss, try Cynthia Rylant's, Cat Heaven 0394586980:weak_link_in_a_great_series:steph 0394586980 H is for Homicide (Sue Grafton): Books: Sue Grafton,Judy Kaye books 2.0 September 6, 2006 Steph and forgiven Ms. Grafton for making her weigh 118 lbs on her 5'6" frame I read A is for Alphabet years ago and did not get pulled into the series. Years later I read S is for Silence and was hooked. I started to read the series--backwards at first and then jumped to the beginning. I have really enjoyed the books and felt a connection to the heroine (and forgiven Ms. Grafton for making her weigh 118 lbs on her 5'6" frame). However, I agree with the other readers who feel like this is not Grafton at her best. You just can't believe that Kinsey would put herself in these ridiculous positions---belting a police officer to endear herself to a woman she is investigating, remaining in an incredibly (and unbelievable) dangerous situation, to name a few. The dialogue is weak,the sexual situations seem gratutitous, and there is a fair amount of stereotyping of hispanics. But even with these issues, I did finish the book. Grafton at her low point is still a good read 047143051X:lacking_lots_of_info:samuel 047143051X The Right Stock at the Right Time: Prospering in the Coming Good Years: Books: Larry Williams books 0 of 1 1.0 August 9, 2006 Samuel the first few chapters have built the anticipation for a good strategy to learn , HOWEVER, there were no formulas, nothing to learn. book talks about theories about market timing with no proof. i wouldent take it seriously as i though 0393051633:fairytaleaficcionado:goncalo_xavier_"ronin" 0393051633 The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales: Books: Maria Tatar books 2 of 14 2.0 July 19, 2005 Goncalo Xavier "ronin" Macau, China interesting, well documented, with marvelous illustrations.Definitely a good buy for adults who still dream of fairy tales characters. It is a pity that the collection does not include stories from "One thousand and one nights". Otherwise it will be perfect and complete. 0930242572:vague_and_dull:hh_"hh01" 0930242572 Futuring: The Exploration of the Future: Books: Edward Cornish books 6 of 8 2.0 August 15, 2004 hh "hh01" West Hollywood, CA United States It certainly sounded exciting. Unfortunately, it's mostly a bunch of long winded articles on vague ideas that you've already thought of a hundred times. That's not to say that the ideas aren't important. I was simply expecting something a bit more focused by an author willing to take some risks. On the bright side, the book won't become dated for quite some time. 1419375385:good_start_-_no_finish:d._rachel 1419375385 The Colorado Kid: Books: Stephen King,Jeffrey Demunn books 3 of 3 2.0 September 17, 2006 D. Rachel Minco, Ok United States The author had all the elements for a good mystery/suspense except for one thing, the lack of an end or resolution to the mystery. I find it difficult to believe the author of such noted works as Bag of Bones and The Stand would leave his readers hanging in such a manner. Fiction should be about conflict and resolution and we have the basis for the conflict. A body turns up on the beach and the only clue comes from a pack of cigarettes found on the body. We learn the man was from Colorado but very little else. If the author had brought the story to a meaning conclusion it might well have been a classic mystery or crime thriller but unfortunately the reader is left to wonder what really happened. I would recommend a Mary Higgins Clark mystery in place of this boo 0754095622:typical_characters,_fast_plot:t._crane 0754095622 Transfer of Power: Books: Vince Flynn books 4 of 9 2.0 August 12, 2006 T. Crane West Milford, NJ United States Flynn offers up a fast-paced, if unbelievable story. Unfortunately, character development is paper thin and clearly portrays Flynn's political preferences. Characters, like Rapp, with a military background are guided by clearly defined ethical principles, have all the answers and are always showing those good-for-nothing politicians how the "real world" works. Meanwhile, Flynn's politicians (the majority of whom are Democrats) seem only concerned with public opinion and the next election. While there are grains of truth in his characters, Flynn consistently goes for the cheap, partisan stereotype. I was looking for a well-developed political/military thriller. I'm still looking. 0061012289:not_so_good:joann_martorana_"joann" 0061012289 A Secret Affair: Books: Barbara Taylor Bradford books 1.0 November 10, 2006 Joann Martorana "Joann" i felt as if this book was way below my reading leve 1596911042:microserfs_2.0?!?:p._uren 1596911042 JPod: A Novel: Books: Douglas Coupland books 2.0 October 17, 2006 P. Uren Melbourne, VIC Australia I'm really a great fan of Douglas Coupland, which is perhaps much of the reason I found this book so disappointing. I hate the fact that it has been dubbed the new Microserfs, since it totally lacks the insight, wit and 'funny because its true' apsects of the original. About the only thing it has in common with Microserfs is the fact that its set in the same industry. jPod is set in a landscape of unreality, with no apparent reason than to make a series of whacky adventures for eccentric, and for the most part unlikeable, characters. It certainly doesnt reflect the IT industry of today, and the members of the jPod really only seem to represent those aspects of this community which give programmers a bad reputation, as essentially dysfunctional (autistic) as they are. There doesnt even seem to be any real focus for this story. I felt like I was mostly reading about a heap of stuff that 'happened'. Its not all bad, and there were more than a few humorous moments, and interesting plot twists. Coupland's highly approachable and fast moving writing style hasn't changed. Its really just the subject matter and whatever its trying to communicate that seems to have fallen in a heap, in this book. I normally devour all of his books within a day or two, and want to read them again soon after, but it was a real struggle just to get through this one to the end 0425163407:if_you_like_scarpetta_-_-_:r.__fryer_"digital_logic_is_fun" 0425163407 Unnatural Exposure: Books: Patricia Cornwell books 2.0 October 21, 2006 R. Fryer "Digital Logic is Fun" California Then you'll probably like this story. My wife and I read books together and I'd sworn off Cornwell after Hornet's Nest (which on TV Cornwell admitted was some warmed over college material - and it showed horribly). The Scarpetta character (in some books) is unbelievably emotionally ultra-hyper (going from confident to terrified every time Marino knocks on the door). In this book she was mercifully level headed almost ALL the time! What a relief. And there was a real story. I'm not really a fan of her work over the last 10 years but there's almost enough lab details here to satisfy. Sure wish she (Scarpetta) would learn to delegate - imagine the top lab expert for her state and she has to go to every crime scene and move bodies herself! Anyway don't start here with the Scarpetta series - but if you already like the character, this one is a B+. Compared to other crime novels in general, it's still a C- in my estimation B000EPFW04:worst_in_ages:john_f._flood_iii_"flash" B000EPFW04 The Lake House: Books: James Patterson books 1.0 November 14, 2006 John F. Flood III "FLASH" RI, US This book is atrocious. It is THE worst book I have read in the last decade. A 10 year old could have done better. The plot gets more ridiculous as the book progresses, the characters act unbelievably and it is amazing that someone can actually get paid to write such garbage. The only plus was that I got it out of the library and didn't pay for it 0316710628:i_just_don't_understand:j._r._peppo 0316710628 Honeymoon: Books: James Patterson,Howard Roughan books 3 of 7 1.0 August 28, 2006 J. R. Peppo Littleton, Colorado Why are there so many insanely positive reviews for this book? Honestly, what has this author contributed to the world with this book? Was it the characters? No, they've all been used and reused and used some more in practically every other work of fiction in the last fifty years (i.e. cocky and handsome FBI agent, beautiful but dangerous killer with a past, take-no-sh#t FBI boss, etc.). Was it the deep insight into the characters themselves? A laugh out loud, "No!". There was nothing coming close to character development. Was there some new and clever writing style? Unless you count having two page chapters revolutionary (I call it a way to have a two hundred page novella turned into a four hundred page novel). How about the plot? Was that something worth my time? Not unless you haven't ever watched suspence movie in your life. So honestly, what the hell makes this book worth anyone's time? All I can find in this book are two dimensional characters, needless sub-plots, ludicris dialogue, and empty promises (we're lied to about the main character's fate in the beginning and we're lied to about this being a thriller in the vein of Hitchcock). As a person who has turned to the world of novels to escape Hollywood's onslaught of needless, pointless, and time wasting strategy of churning out movie after movie of pure garbage I can trully say that this is the type of book that will doom us all into a market of hurried and horribly bad novels to take our hard earned money. This man does not deserve our money and certainly does not deserve to write anything other than an apology letter to the world for dumbing us down into thinking that this type of writing is anything other than trash 1400052254:i'm_throwing_this_book_out:john_carlson 1400052254 All the Presidents' Pets: The Story of One Reporter Who Refused to Roll Over: Books: Mo Rocca books 5 of 37 1.0 January 29, 2005 John Carlson My friend's and I will pass books back and forth to each other to read if they are good. My friend was going to throw this one out instead of passing it along, but since I have a dog, I thought it would be interesting, but it wasn't, so I had the honor of throwing it out myself. Typically, I would donate the book or give it to charity, but I don't think anyone would enjoy it. It's just this author's drivel. It doesn't focus on the president's and their pets at all like the title suggests. I could see where another author could have created a really fun book about presidents and their dogs. 1402545231:unbiblical_and_bad_writing_make_for_one_star:darth_wader 1402545231 Armageddon: The Cosmic Battle of the Ages (Left Behind, 11): Books: Tim LaHaye,Jerry B. Jenkins books 1 of 8 1.0 June 19, 2006 Darth Wader Aylett, VA This book is so flawed in every which way, it is hard to know where to begin. First of all, we are living in the end times, and when Jesus comes, that's all she wrote, folks. There's no seven years, no Christians being zapped up, etc. This is our Second Chance on Earth. No tribulation. This book takes figurative visions and tries to apply it literally, and does it poorly. Reading this book made me think that if this was true, then what's the point of trying to be a Christian. Why not just live your life the way you want to, and then when people zap out of thin air, change your life. It's ridiculous and sends the wrong message. Plus, the writing is for second graders with no redeeming characteristics to it. But I really don't think the author's care at this point (seeing how many millions they've made printing lies). My recommendation is to read the bible instead of this series; then you'll get truth and the bible is probably shorter (and much better writing). Man, not even Kirk Cameron could save this train wreck. 0434010405:no_temperance_here:taylor_bayard_"armchair_special_agent" 0434010405 Cross Bones: Books: Kathy Reichs books 4 of 5 2.0 July 5, 2006 Taylor Bayard "Armchair Special Agent" Mountain View, CA Ms. Reichs has lost the recipe, or at least the focus and formula that has brought her success prior to Cross Bones. Although not nearly as bad as P. Cornwell's last two or three misfires, Reichs is way wide of her usual high mark here. In this offering, Temperance is out of character, out of both style and focus, and the story is just overly convoluted and circuitous; a yarn that meanders around heading every which way except toward a finished product. Even the writing is unfamiliar and not of the same voice Reichs has maintained in her many Brennan novels. Having finally given up on Cornwell, after many years, I'll hang in there for one more Temperance Brennan dig; everyone is entitled to one gong 0375707190:it's_exciting,_it_will_sell,_but_it's_just_not_happening:connor_rzasa 0375707190 Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation: Books: Neil Howe,William Strauss,R.J. Matson books 13 of 17 2.0 August 20, 2005 Connor Rzasa Massachusetts Millennials Rising is the latest book in the generational series by the authors William Strauss and Neil Howe, focusing this time on the generation born after X. For those not already familiar with the authors' theory, Strauss and Howe are two authors who began writing about generations in 1991. They wrote the book Generations, which introduced a theory that generations fall into four re-cycling types, and each type comes of age during a different kind of era, or "turning". The Silent Generation is of the "adaptive" type, for instance, passive, gentle, and in tune with their emotions, and came of age during the Golden Age of postwar America. The Baby Boomers, remembered for their "Awakening" in the 1960s, are of the "idealist" type, concerned with God and spirituality and impassioned about what they believe in, but inclined to change during life (from hippie to the current "Just say no" control freak). Generation X, which they named the Thirteenth Generation, is of the "reactive" type, being alienated, street-smart and materialistic, without a feeling of need to be "loyal" to anything, coming of age during the 1980s and 1990s. They then first identified everyone born since 1982 as the "Millennial Generation", and predicted back in 1991 that it would be grow up to be optimistic, hard-working and clean-cut, just like the G.I. Generation that fought World War II, going back to the "civic" type generation before the Silent Generation. In 1993 they published the book Thirteenth Gen, which specialized in Generation X and why they are the way they are. In their third book, The Fourth Turning, they went back to the whole theory and writing about all the generations. They also changed the archetype names from adaptive, idealist, reactive and civic to Artist, Prophet, Nomad and Hero. Strauss and Howe wrote in this book about an upcoming era of epic battle and mass destruction, much like the one in which the G.I. Generation came of age. They then predicted the Millennial Generation would form the role of Heroes during the coming crisis, and they would lower teen pregnancy rates, stop using drugs, serve the United States, in uniform even, and desist with using profanity. So then in 2000 they put out this book, Millennials Rising. In this one the authors try to explain the Millennial Generation (my generation). Millennials Rising attempts to identify who we, the most ethnically diverse generation in American history as they note, are. In Millennials Rising they write about this generation's Boomer parents and their influence on the Millennial Generation, as well as the kind of world in which this generation is growing up (which S&H think of as hundreds of television channels, SUV lifestyles, rappers who swear, and people who smack each other on TV). The book states that Millennials want to work together in teams, believe the people in authority know more about right and wrong than they do, are enthusiastic about learning and going to school, are loved and protected by their parents, achieve great things in school and will achieve great things in the future, and lest we forget, always want to exude that "positive peer pressure" on their fellow Millennials. The obviously leads to the question, then, is the generation really optimistic, hard-working and clean-cut just as they say? Consider this: Only 28% of high school seniors say that the work they get assigned at school is "meaningful", only 21% describe their courses as "interesting" and still barely over a third, 39%, believe that what they do in school will have any relation to their success later in life. The generation was supposed to be enthusiastic about learning. The Millennial Generation also rapidly increased drug use, especially pot, from the level at which Generation X was using them in its teens, as even the authors themselves note. S&H portray the world of edgy entertainment, such as television shows, movies and music, as a Zoroastrian battle. In popular music, for instance, artists are described by extremes that either represent the alleged Millennial values or go actively against them -- on one side, artists like Eminem, Limp Bizkit and Marilyn Manson, on the other, boy bands and Britney Spears and her imitators, along with such second-tier bands as the S Club 7. They do not deal with the Millennial interest in bands that lie somewhere in between the two. For instance, Blink-182 is just about the biggest band around now, and yet Millennials Rising does not mention Blink-182 and the many young fans who make the band a success. South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut is the authors' idea of where popular culture is today. Millennials Rising heralds boy bands as what music will increasingly be like as the current decade unfolds, and blasts the "edgy" bands as groups that will be washed away, but could the authors have predicted bands like Good Charlotte or artists like Avril Lavigne? This leads to the bigger question of whether the book and the theory will be able to predict anything. S&H write about "rebelling by being better" during the present decade. Apparently, their idea of rebellion is not listening to Limp Bizkit, blasting censorship, or doing illegal drugs, but wearing preppy clothes, waiting until marriage to have sex, and trusting their government. According to them, we should expect to see Millennials petitioning for policies that will punish their own peers. S&H write that we will accept the draft and join the military in great numbers when the crisis presents us with a war, and even do National Service. Frankly, can anyone imagine any more than 20% of today's high school students doing their duty and risking their life in war in the name of America? Also, our generation has done nothing to make a commitment to following Bush as leader during the Iraq War, while S&H predict Millennials serving their president. How suited to a Hero generation is that? The G.I. Generation followed FDR so blindly they had to print his campaign materials in Braille. When it comes to rallying around their president and leading the direction of the nation during a crisis, Millennials have surely disappointed those who expected them to do just as the authors said we would. This, of course, does not have to be a bad thing, but it does make you wonder about the limitations of the predictive abilities of the theory. Some parts of it make for very interesting reading, but all the talk about how they are to be the "next great" generation gets to you sometimes. S&H seem to believe you can never think too big about those Millennials. Millennials Rising presents an image of youth that is set to amaze you and will attract readers, but sometimes what the book describes just isn't happening 0750609214:get_the_whole_picture_elsewhere:nevermore 0750609214 Post-capitalist Society: Books: Peter Drucker books 2 of 2 1.0 August 10, 2006 Nevermore USA It certainly is no surprise with the development of technology and expansion of capitalism that knowledge-based workers are the future in American Society. It seems to me that Drucker spent too much time attempting to criticize Marx, which was a complete failure. Drucker didn't even fully analyze Globalization in its entirety. The only credit that should be given to this book is his analyzation of the American worker. Nonetheless, he offers a limited viewpoint on all aspects of society. Look elsewhere if you want to get a better understanding of where our world is headed and what state we are in. Drucker neglects the whole and simply accepts what backs his own perspective B000IOEO64:convoluted_and_totally_confusing....:bioreader B000IOEO64 Circus Fire, The: Books: Stewart O'Nan,Dick Hill books 2 of 14 1.0 April 3, 2005 BioReader Pennsylvania Mr. O'Nan should have taken a refresher course in basic writing. His skipping and skimming and throwing to and fro people, events, etc., is downright frustrating and confuses the project. Unlike superior literary treatments (see Walter Lord's TITANIC), this book leave you with more questions than anything else and the urge to take a long, hot shower. 0385338090:trivial,_tiresome__and_tedious:fiona_manning_"hawaiian__eye" 0385338090 Shopaholic & Sister: Books: Sophie Kinsella books 1 of 2 1.0 October 31, 2006 Fiona Manning "Hawaiian Eye" CA This fourth installment of Becky's trying tribulations is the worst. The qualty has plummeted from passable fun to total embarrassment. I don't understand how Kinsella's editor didn't draw the line (and the red pencil) at the litany of shopping expeditions. And her endless, excrutitating 'inner' reflections. Becky's exploits aren't amusing anymore. Her purchases on her honeymoon aren't wacky. They're bewildering. For a shopaholic with supposedly good taste, Becky buys the ugliest sounding things on her travels and then flogs them all on Ebay once home in England. And oh yes, then she discovers a long lost sister. That situation is about as believable as three designer wedding dresses and two weddings from the previous book. And then Bex and her sister wind up on a rock rescued by Tarquin in his personal helicopter. I am not making this up. It's all there in the book. And none of it is even remotely entertaining. And now God help us, Becky is pregnant. AARRGGGH! 0844670170:sociology,_more_of_the_same:comie_zapr 0844670170 The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life: Books: Erving Goffman books 6 of 20 2.0 February 28, 2006 Comie Zapr again, the language is unecessicarily thick and this may be it's bane as an introduction This is a revolutionary book. It introduces the stage metaphor into sociology; all of social interaction is a performance on a stage. It's questionable how novel this metaphor is, but this is certianly its first explicit statement. The language used to present the ideas of the author is, like most sociological writing, unecessarily complicated. There are some problems with clarity and structure; the book just doesnt have a holistic feel for me. No sociological background is presupposed, there is extensive quoting from other sociological sources, many footnotes, and various other ways to enter sociological literature throught the book. So if you are interested in reading sociology, this is probably a good place to start (again, the language is unecessicarily thick and this may be it's bane as an introduction). However, the book is misguided. The idea of viewing social interaction as a performance on a stage is unecessary. The authors motives for saying this will make my position clearer. (The following is a charicature of the author's argument). There is certianly a large amount of social behavior which is directed towards other people (the audience) in order for the audience to build an impression of the actor. Well, if it can happen here we can draw a parallel with other situations, infact all situations and therfore all of social interaction is like a performance on a stage, "All the world is not, of course, a stage, but the crucial ways in which it isnt are hard to specify" (p 72). The performances can either be with individuals, or groups of people, and they can be performing conciously or unconciously. (end of charicature) There are other arguments, obviously, and the statement "we can draw a parallel with other situations" is most of the content of the book, which i dont like to gloss over with a sentence. But the real question here is, is the view worthwhile? My answer: No. Social interaction is a complex phenomena that cant possibly be summed up with a signle metaphor. Yes, some social interaction is like a performance, where indivudals are intentionally making impressions on one another. Yes, some social behavior can arise from unconcious beliefs. However, most social interaction is exactly the way we see it, conciously controlled, meaningful, purposeful interaction with individuals; it is not some kind of performance with the purpose of creating a "reality". I hope my view of the book is clear so that the biases on the final part of my review can be sorted out: the book is a waste of time. Where the author is right, the statement is little more than common sense. Where the author goes outside of common sense, he's wrong, sometimes plainly so. This book is part of the tradition in sociology of thinking that society pulls the wool over each individuals eyes, that reality is a social construct with no purpose other than social control (here the wool is the performance, and the control has to do with impressions ... but this quickly degenerates into an obscure mess of assertions). There is no real empirical support given for most of the claims. Where "evidence" is given, the evididence is so heavily intepreted that it fails to correspond to facts in the world but rather to facts about the views of the reporter. Where there is no correspondence to the world there is no truth. Various sources of sociology are cited, but this is more like intellectual bullying. Saying that some author, which also didnt have any empirical support for his claims, agrees with you is just to bully your reader into acepting your claims. The claims in the book have no practical application in the world, but only serve to intepret situations differently, and in personal opinion, less correctly. Nothing said here will lead to better predictions about social behavior or a better understanding of psychology. In short, this isnt a scientific study at all. My final qualm with the book deserves its own paragraph, the use of language. The best example is the definitions given at the end of the introduction "A performance may be defined as all of the activity of a given participant on a given occasion which serves to influence in any way any of the other participants" (15). This is a curios definition. Me breathing while i work is a performance, it changes the percentages of O2 and CO2 in the atmosphere near my co-workers. Me staring into space is a performance, other people see me stare into space and are therefore influenced. Infact, me simply existing is a performance, since my existance causes a gravitational effect on the other participants, as well as influencing them to create beliefs about me existing. Its as if Goffman created a definition for performance which included all possible actions taken by any person, and then wrote a book about how all possible actions taken by any person fall under the category of performance. He didnt. He used a word that we associate with controlled behavior (performance) and defined it in a way no one is used to. Then he used alot of word play to show that behavior has no substance, its all for the purpose of maintaining social reality. I hope this very limited example shows the terrible use of language that is endemic to Goffman and sociology more generally. So an ode to sociology is in order ... actually no it isnt. Why wont this subject go away? This book is an integral part of sociology, and it espouses the methods and style of sociological researchers and writers by being an archetypical work within the tradition. The methods are questionable; the style is obscure. Like it or hate it, sociology is a part of modern thought. Read the book to be an educated person and keep in mind its intellectual failings 0671042823:almost_as_good_as_hapworth:david_mclain 0671042823 Dream Catcher: A Memoir: Books: Margaret A. Salinger books 9 of 16 1.0 February 12, 2003 David Mclain Holyoke, MA Robin Williams used to tell a joke about his son, saying that whenever he got angry with him his son would say 'you hit me and I'll write a book.' I'd like to tell you that there is some deeper meaning behind Peggy Salinger's memior about life with her father, but it seems to more or less boil down to that same idea. Although there are some interesting revelations about Salinger as a man, his daughter doesn't seem to appreciate that many of the problems she faced in her youth were not neccessarily unique to being the daughter of JD Salinger, they're the problems that children of divorce and children who live in rural areas face everyday. There's a lot of blame thrown around here, and not a whole lot of admitting to one's own mistakes. Although this is probably to be expected, it's still frustrating, since Margaret Salinger has more or less made a career out of trading on her father's good name, and since many of her chief complaints about her famous father are largely hypocritical. (Complaining about your father's desire for privacy but refusing to mention the name of your first husband was probably a bad idea.) I admit that her father is probably not as nice a guy as you think he would be, but this is not really a revelation, nor should it affect your feelings about his work. I wouldn't recommend reading it unless your working on a thesis of some sort 0060170522:a_truely_biased_bio._an_epic_waste_of_time_and_money.:james_bien 0060170522 Tramp: The Life of Charlie Chaplin: Books: Joyce Milton books 3 of 4 1.0 May 28, 2003 james bien Singapore I was at first rather impressed by the epic size of the book thinking it must contain something new about the comedian. Well, I was wrong. It was long, tedious and nasty. Granted, Chaplin was not perfect, but the author's preoccupation with his imperfections borders on sickening. A better title for this book would be 'Trash, what I think of Charlie'. Joyce Milton would do well writing for tabloids.. 0553239589:p_l_e_a_s_e_._._._buy_something_else:novel_reader_"just_a_review_._._." 0553239589 Late Great Planet Earth, The: Books: Hal Lindsey books 12 of 28 1.0 November 3, 2005 Novel Reader "just a review . . ." Earth Many reviewers on this site read TLGPE in the 70's, when we were young and impressionable. (I happened to be 13 when I read it.) If one could be sued for intellectual forgery, Lindsey would certainly be found at fault. Most of us, thankfully, have gotten past our fears that plagued our teenage years. After all, when we read TLGPE, we were young. We were searching and seeking. We didn't have all of the facts. There were wolves who knew this, and they preyed upon us. Many people who were older, yet still intellectually undeveloped, read this book and were moved to 'believing'. For most of us, our minds matured. We began to see the vast chinks in Lindsey's pompous Christian armor. We began to realize that fear is a weapon brandished by madmen, by people who use a subtle, gentle cloth of manipulation to control others. This is beyond dangerous. It is beyond extreme, as most of us have now found out. I love a good horror novel. I love a good 'true crime' thriller. But the fact that people read Lindsey's books and take them at face value is, perhaps, one of the scariest notions I have ever imagined. That, dear reader, is beyond horrific . . . and far more terrifying than anything you'll find in the bible or any of Lindeys 'books'. The only thing scarier is that Mr. Lindsey is still receiving royalties from an outdated, silly, contradictory and completely barbaric book penned over thirty years ago. Please don't be the next sucker. Please don't add this one to your cart. 0072980796:completely_incomprehensible:kimberly_a._grassey_"kimba2121" 0072980796 Philosophy: The Power of Ideas with PowerWeb: Philosophy: Books: Brooke Noel Moore,Ken Bruder books 1 of 6 1.0 September 30, 2005 Kimberly A. Grassey "Kimba2121" Worcester, MA USA I am a bright student and have a GPA of 3.86. This book is completely useless for class. I reread the chapters and it simply does not make sense. I found the internet to contain more useful information. This book should not be used in any Introduction to Philosophy classes. It is much too complex. If you are attending classes at WIU, I would skip the purchase of this book and rely on the internet for your assignments 0140434275:the_typesetting__for_this_edition_is_awful:penny_name 0140434275 Daniel Deronda (Penguin Classics): Books: George Eliot,Terence Cave books 8 of 11 1.0 April 26, 2005 Penny Name Yonkers Great book, of course, but for this edition Oxford used a computer to justify the type. On every other line you encounter three or four spaces where there should be only one. It may not bother most readers, but I'm looking for another publisher's edition 0813342759:the_title_for_this_book_is_highly_inaccurate_:m._rodziewicz_"101st_screaming_eagle" 0813342759 A Concise History of the Middle East: Books: Arthur, Jr. Goldschmidt,Lawrence Davidson books 5 of 14 1.0 January 21, 2006 M. Rodziewicz "101st Screaming Eagle" Lost In The Desert This should be retitled "The Leftist, Israel-Hating, Politically Correct Revisionist Guide to the Middle East." That would be far more accurate. For a textbook, the author freelances just a tad bit too much, a lot of what is in here is presented as fact but is mostly opinion in disguise. The author fails in presenting a clear and unbiased view of the Middle East and instead allows his personal politics to get in the way. My professor dumped this book as the course textbook 1/4 of the way through the semester due to the never-ending left-leaning political commentary. This is no serious review of the Middle East, just a socialist-based fantasy on how THINGS SHOULD BE. The author himself proclaims that accuracy isn't always important, its the idea that matters. This book is a joke, I looked for something serious, unbiased to aid me in learning more about the Middle East but this book doesn't present anything new and its political leanings are just to the left of Stalin. If you want to learn what an extreme left liberal thinks of the Middle East, buy this book, otherwise stick to encyclopedias and hopefully, less biased college textbooks. 0375758232:no_match_for_a_great_city.__:beatrixb 0375758232 Paris to the Moon: Books: Adam Gopnik books 5 of 12 1.0 January 14, 2006 BeatrixB College Park, MD If you're going to write about the city that is Paris, you'd better be up to the task. Gopnik may have the writing and observation skills that would have served this assignment well, but this collection of essays generally falls flat. For someone who resided in the City of Light for 5 whole years, Gopnik gives us a surprisingly myopic picture constrained by his own self-absorption. Those who are interested in Paris and its natives will be sorely disappointed in the smug chronicles of a New Yorker who regards himself and his son to be the most interesting elements of this city. I have zero interest in My-Toddler-Does-Paris stories and Gopnik's relentless insertion of his look-how-cute-my-kid-is accounts should have been saved for a family re-union instead of wasting precious space that could have been used for more interesting topics. For a better book on Paris cuisine and culture, check out the collection of Gourmet essays from the last 60 years titled 'Remembrance of Things Paris'. It provides a wider variety of perspectives and a more expansive and interesting view of Paris -- and it's blessedly free of all that baby's-scrapbook stuff. 0312868855:seemed_like_he_was_in_a_hurry...:simon_cropp 0312868855 Hell House: Books: Richard Matheson books 4 of 5 2.0 December 10, 2005 Simon Cropp Grand Junction, CO USA The book isn't good at all. I'm sorry. I loved I am Legend and seeing the list of books this guy has written which had been developed into classic horror movies (Hell House included) I was really excited to read this. I have heard many complaints about the book from calling it "soft porn" to "sick soft porn" and then even being offended by the sacrilege present in the tale. Sacrilege in a book called...Hell House is probably something you need to come to terms with before picking it up. Attacking the author because of the content is really something that is not necessary. I doubt these were Mathis' "sexual fantasies" in the book but more likely his idea of melding something pleasurable together with something terrifying. It is an effective way to convey horror to a reader. Similar to enacting horrible violence on children, or worse, babies in cinema (try watching the Hills Have Eyes without being on the edge of your seat while the villains in the movie dangle the fate of an infant in your face). Mathis should not be condemned for content. Here is what he did right. He took the idea of a haunted house and brought it into the world of science. Much like I am Legend used science to define its vampires, Hell House uses science to define hauntings and it is very well researched and believable within the framework of the story. The bad parts may be more numerous. His characterization is horrid. There are four characters really and their personalities do not define them. You will remember Barrett by his limp, Fishcer by his fear, Florence by her religious beliefs, and Edith...well because there is no one else. They are paper thin and have no real motivations. The pacing seems poor too. A lot of moments are left on revelations in the point of view characters mind which that character has not fully processed because the chapter ends before they can relay it and all of its profound meaning to you, the reader. As a matter of fact the revelations themselves, when all is said and done, are really pretty dull. There is also a habit characters have, when going into great lengths of exposition that goes on for pages, to cup their hands around a coffee cup. It seems too much like a commercial for me! Anyway, the book hardly slows down for characterization or details and we get very few vivid descriptions in the book. Sometimes I wanted to know what things looked like, I wanted imagery not just exposition for pages. What was it about the atmosphere that, say Fischer found so scary? We needed the scenes to be better developed. By the end I was so tired of lines like: "God do you know what this means?" "What?" "I can't tell you now but it's freakin' awesome!" That exchange is not in the book but you will find many similar moments throughout. Just tell us already! The fear should come through our attachment to the characters not the mystery of the house because the mystery of the house is kind of weak. This book is not worth it, unfortunately. I hate to say it because I Am Legend is really good (though it did suffer from some of the same things I pointed out above, though on a smaller level). It's the classic "show don't tell" advice 0553470469:avoid_the_book_and_movie:moi 0553470469 The Pelican Brief (John Grishham): Books: John Grisham,Anthony Heald books 3 of 5 2.0 April 4, 2006 Moi No thrills and a pointless plot marr what could have been a pretty decent story. The whole thing is based on who wants to kill Darby and why. And that is where it falls apart. The FBI or CIA could have easily investigated faster and easier then she could, and what is the point of trying to kill her? To bury what is already out in the open? The FBI, CIA and White House all had a copy. What are they trying to silence? Nothing at all. Perhaps if it were just for revenge the plot might not have collapsed on itself 002900151X:rehashed,_recycled._nothing_new_here.:jojo_"jojo" 002900151X Building Strong Brands: Books: David A. Aaker books 10 of 11 1.0 November 11, 2004 jojo "jojo" Chicago, IL This book is more of the same rehashed, recycled, repurposed content from the authors. Much of this material is available in any basic marketing text. In fact, this book reads strikingly similar to just about any training manual on the basics of branding. If you've worked at any of the big agencies: McCann, JWT, Y&R, you learn the contents of this book on your first day in about a hour. All the cases cited in this book are stale and extremely weak. The "editorial reviews" listed above are shill quotes from clients who are cited as "cases" in the book. Remember this before you buy: the author, and the firm for whom he works, use this book as nothing more than a lead-generation tool--it's called "thought leadership", a nebulous term used by company to propagate its own way of thinking. Save your money. Don't become a victim of Prophet's propoganda. Buy something with substance like Jean Noel Kapferer. 0060590270:garbled_and_overrated:thomas_johnson 0060590270 A Dirty Job: A Novel: Books: Christopher Moore books 1 of 4 2.0 October 21, 2006 Thomas Johnson San Diego, CA USA "A Dirty Job" was my first Christopher Moore novel, and will probably be my last. I was captivated by the story line as I read the dust jacket, but found that the writing was not nearly as interesting. I thought the author spent way too many pages with humdrum matters of no real interest, and very little addressing the actual theme of the book. Although wanting to relate sympathetically to the book's hero, I just wasn't drawn in enough to care about him. The action began in the final quarter of the book, and you had better suspend reality before reading it. I actually couldn't wait for the book to end so I could move on to something more interesting 006113029X:skip_it:doubling_manhattan_"dublin212" 006113029X The End of Medicine: How Silicon Valley (and Naked Mice) Will Reboot Your Doctor: Books: Andy Kessler books 2 of 4 2.0 November 5, 2006 Doubling Manhattan "dublin212" New York, NY I enjoyed Andy Kessler's book about finance (Wall St Meat) but this one is just silly. It seems to show the wisdom of the old writer's saw about sticking with something you know about. This book is like sitting in a bar listening to a drunken bore try to impress you with all the little bits and pieces he heard at a hospital that day. I couldn't wait to get to the end so I could throw it out 0792264266:where's_the_editor?:w._chen_"circusoflife" 0792264266 National Geographic Atlas of the Ocean: The Deep Frontier (National Geographic): Books: Sylvia Earle books 9 of 9 2.0 June 5, 2005 W. Chen "circusoflife" Kirkland, WA United States The word Atlas is misleading as there is alot of text accompanying the various maps. Some pages are nothing but text. I expect an Atlas to use maps to explain more rather than words. The maps that are in the book are good, but numerous sections do not have one. The book is split into sections/topics written by individual persons. However, in many sections the text ends in mid-sentence, as if several pages were forgotten about in each section or as if there was some arbitrary cutoff on the # of words per section. of this approx 200 page book, sentence cutoffs appear on these pages. Each page also represents the end of a section. p.37,55,63,82,89,96,115,141,149,163, and 175 clearly, not just a simple oversight. Also, the table of contents is inadequate, as it primarily denotes the major sections - which is by ocean, but not the individual topics. I give this 2 stars (Rather than 1) as the idea is good, and the content that is in the book - looks good. Execution is another story. Frankly, I would be a embarassed by the editing and quality control oversights 0786241683:liberal_bias?__complete_nonsense...:john_smellaflower_"botany_guy" 0786241683 Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News: Books: Bernard Goldberg books 5 of 32 1.0 August 1, 2006 John Smellaflower "Botany guy" USA Wow..What lies. I NEVER hear any kind of news channel favor the left...NEVER. The media, especially FOX News, has a right wing bias..its 100% FACT, proven beyond any reasonable doubt. The republican right wing NUT JOB Wackos INVENTED the concept of a liberal bias in the media for political advantage, and its simply not true. Republicans are the worst thing that could ever happen to this country, all they know how to do is lie, cheat, steal, and profit off of the suffering of others. Oh yeah, and these religious wing nuts are delusional bigots who think some guy waved a magic wand and invented the universe. Give me a break. This book is 100% lies. I actually burned the book after I read it...(Notice the lack of credible sources). Good job republicans...Continue to make up news...the people are catching on! 9626346221:description_is_misleading:scipio 9626346221 The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Part 2 (Classic Non-fiction): Books: Edward Gibbon books 9 of 9 1.0 September 25, 2006 Scipio Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, USA The Amazon description says Vol. 1-3, boxed set, hardcover. That is all true. What they don't tell you is that there are actually six volumes. The box in which it comes is clearly marked, "Volumes 1-3 (of six)." That would have been a much better description for Amazon to have used. If you have volumes 4-6 and you are looking to complete the set, this book is for you. If you are looking for the complete set, look elsewhere 1423310640:see_the_wonderful_(very_different)_1937_movie_instead_..._:harriet_m_welsch 1423310640 Captains Courageous (Classic Collection (Brilliance Audio)): Books: Rudyard Kipling,David Stuart books 3 of 5 2.0 February 8, 2006 Harriet M Welsch Northern California, USA Sadly, this thrilling sea-yarn from 1897 is nearly unreadable today. Between the seafaring jargon - which must have delighted boys of yore - and the unfathomable dialects, it can take ages to puzzle out a page. Some of the anecdotes related by the good seamen of the schooner "We're Here," which has picked up over-privileged Harvey Cheyne when he was washed overboard from a luxury liner, I could not grasp the point or moral of. My husband has read all the Patrick O'Brian series, so I asked him to puzzle out a representative story, that of Counahan the Navigator, and after spending 15 minutes reading me a few pages aloud and filling me in on the few terms he understood, he said, "Honey, I see what you mean." One can get the general gist, but it's best to read through fast, then go back and see if any of it makes any more sense. For example, when educated Harvey says, "Why can't we always fish from the boat instead of from the dories?" his pal Dan answers, "Allus can, till we begin to dress daown. Efter thet, the heads and offals, 'u'd scare the fish to Fundy. Boat-fishin' ain't reckoned progressive, though, unless ye know as much as dad knows. Guess we'll run aout aour trawl to-night. Harder on the back, this, than frum the dory, ain't it?" I got my B.A. in English, and I would rather tackle Joyce's "Ulysses" than an unannotated version of this book. So why did I bother? A few days ago, a friend showed us the DVD of the 1937 movie, starring Spencer Tracy and Lionel Barrymore, on his big screen home theater, and it was thrilling and very moving. The movie is quite different from the book, though, but it may give some incentive to check out for oneself how Kipling crafted the story, as it did for me. But dear teachers, PLEASE, do not subject students to this particular title unless you are going to spend the semester on it and are willing to turn them off classic literature forever! (Let them read "Cannery Row" instead!) 0786890436:disappointing_story:scott_burmann_"scotty_b" 0786890436 The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red: Books: Ellen Rimbauer,Joyce Reardon,Stephen King books 4 of 6 2.0 December 19, 2005 Scott Burmann "Scotty B" Rochester, MI I would not personally recommend this book to horror/thriller fans. I would definitely not recommend this book for anyone under 18! If you like soap operas, you may enjoy this book a lot. If you are searching for the secrets of Rose Red or a good ghost story, this is not your book. I read the story before the author was made known. I thought it might be Stephen King or Tabitha King. The writing style was far below Stephen King's style and it was very erotic, which I suspected Tabitha King to be the author. However, the accounts of Ellen were obviously written by a man, as the erotic episodes were definitely not from the viewpoint of a woman. So, it was no surprise when the author was neither Stephen nor Tabitha, but a male author I have never heard of. The book reveals almost nothing new about Rose Red and it's secrets. I would dare say that 90% of the diary goes on and on about Ellen and John's wealth and extremely dysfunctional marriage. On and on about John's extramarital affairs, Ellen's withholding of sexual favors, more affairs, more withholding of favors, more affairs, more favors withheld. The story is a vicious circle regarding this. It's almost like she gets burned, but yet continues to play with fire. Very frustrating and almost boring, as you read the same scenarios redundantly. By the third time, you know exactly what he's doing and how she will retaliate. Silly. I mentioned above that the Diary of Ellem Rimbauer revealed no new secrets of the house. In fact, as the diary progresses, it skips four occurrences (it made mention of the four, like "by the way, four disappearances happened since last time I wrote, but I won't tell you about them"). And this I found obnoxious - ***SPOILER ALERT*** Ellen waits some three or so years for a sance from a master uber-psychic. Three long years. But after the sance, nothing is revealed! The book is riddled with episodes like this. Some big secret is coming. When it finally is revealed, it's no secret at all. It's something dumb, like "yes, there are spirits in the house". What spirits? Why? Who? Nothing is ever satisfactorily explained. I would have given it one star, however it seemed to have a single quality. At the start of the diary, Ellen was an ordinary 19 year old fiance to John. Soon, she is corrupted by John, wealth, maybe corrupted by her African best friend (jury is still out), and hatred. She prays to God, but also to "her other god" (the dark one). At first, you suppose she is playing with fire. Right on. She gets consumed by darkness, revenge, and hatred and falls into self destruction. Overall, I personally thought it read like fan fiction. I would bet the author whipped up this short story just for giggles, but somehow it got published. I was disappointed, hoping for a good ghost story. But I ended up reading a soft-porn, soap opera style plot. Hope I don't offend those who loved the book : 1555835430:creates_more_questions_than_it_answers:nelson_j._teed 1555835430 Heather Has Two Mommies: 10th Anniversary Edition (Alyson Wonderland): Books: Leslea Newman,Diane Souza books 16 of 50 2.0 March 17, 2005 Nelson J. Teed USA The book's appearance and story line are both lighthearted and gentle with the underlying message that acceptance is the highest of all virtues. This approach will probably work for a typical 5 year old child in a Lesbian led household - especially a girl child. If the child is a boy and/or approachng 8 or 9 years old, the hard questions start coming and this book pretends these questions will never be asked. Doesn't everyone have a father, somewhere? Who is my father? What is he like? Where is he? Does he know about me? Does he care about me? Why don't I know? Why don't you know, Mommy? Mommy, when you grew up you lived with your Daddy, why don't I? When I grow up, should I live with a man or a woman? Why? How/when will I know? Does it matter? Is our family really a complete family if my father is unknown? I want to be a father some day. How do I learn what good fathers do? I love my friends and my dog;Does that make us a family? Think about it. 1401905676:simplistic_at_best:helen_lightfoot_"morgansky" 1401905676 Suze Orman Will & Trust Kit: Books: Suze Orman books 8 of 9 1.0 June 30, 2006 Helen Lightfoot "morgansky" Austin, TX USA If you want a VERY simple will or a VERY simple living will or power of attorney for health care, this program will work for you. However, it offers only a very narrow range of options for personalizing the generic forms included in the package. I disliked this program so much that I threw the whole package in the trash. 0385467982:p.o.s.:bert_livingston 0385467982 The Physics of Immortality: Books: Frank J. Tipler books 5 of 26 1.0 June 17, 2005 bert livingston Portland, OR Tipler says many times "as I have proved". Huh? What the f is he talking about? There is no proof in this stinking pile of filth. He's got an abundance of physics in the back of the book-I'd like to hear from a physicist if any of that crap makes any sense, but I don't think it should matter. I am intelligent enough to understand basic physics concepts, and Tipler just doesn't make any sense. His writing is so bad that anyone who reads this entire thing will have wasted a colossal ammount of time. The more books you read, the sooner you know when to stop reading, put the book down, and read a work of fiction instead, which can play with such ideas without boring you to death 0816153817:not_one_of_his_best:anne_melvin_"mystery_lover" 0816153817 The Fly on the Wall (Gk Hall Large Print Book Series): Books: Tony Hillerman books 4 of 6 2.0 May 25, 2001 Anne Melvin "mystery lover" Barrington, NH United States I enjoy the Hillerman Navajo mysteries because the characters are well developed. Not so in this book. I found the first half really boring and hard to get through. The characters were not people you could care about, an important issue for me 0842365516:lots_of_fill...little_thrill:strogie_"rochstar" 0842365516 Tribulation Force (Left Behind, Book 2): Books: Jerry B. Jenkins,Tim F. LaHaye books 1 of 2 1.0 August 16, 2006 Strogie "rochstar" South Florida USA As a piece of entertainment, this book falls flat. Way flat. There is a story here, but mundane sub-plots (including the love story) are thrown in in an attempt to fill the pages to make it a book. I found myself skipping pages - lots of them - to get to the point. Overall, very disappointing. 0515141429:lengthy_tedious_thriller:w._creed_"bill" 0515141429 Killing Floor: Books: Lee Child books 1 of 3 2.0 July 19, 2006 W. CREED "Bill" Chevy Chase, MD USA Amazingly tedious for a thriller. Reacher is a good character, believable in his expertise, but a bit cold blooded in his use of violence. The book takes too long to tell everything (and I mean everything) - it seems every minute of the week long plot is chronicled as is every thought Reacher has (many repeated over and over). I hope Child fixed these flaws in later books. 0449242803:where's_the_story?:rebecca_"bookworm" 0449242803 Philadelphia Experiment: Project Invisibility: Books: Charles Berlitz books 1 of 4 1.0 July 8, 2006 Rebecca "bookworm" Boston, MA I really thought I would be able to learn about the Philadelphia Project from this book, considering the title. However, the actual project doesn't make an appearence until the last chapter. The entire book focuses on ideas that may or may not have contributed to a project that may or may not have taken place. This book was disappoiting to an extreme. 1415918562:dark_watch:a_dud:lindy_"lindy" 1415918562 Dark Watch: A Novel of the Oregon Files (Oregon Files (Audio)): Books: Clive Cussler,Jack Du Brul books 0 of 2 2.0 March 7, 2006 Lindy "Lindy" Napa,CA usa As I read this book it was easy to tell that it was not written by Mr. Cussler, the story was slow and the plot was transparent. This book just didn't have the "zing" of the older Cussler stories. If you are just laying around with nothing else to do it will give you something to read 0739313428:does_d.s._know_any_other_law_schools_besides,_harvard_and_yale...i_am_so_tired_of_her_books...this_is_it.:kimyla_stokes 0739313428 Toxic Bachelors (Danielle Steel): Books: Danielle Steel,Kyf Brewer books 1.0 June 11, 2006 Kimyla Stokes Severn, MD USA Does D.S. know any other law schools besides, Harvard and Yale for her characters to have attended. I am so tired of her books...this is it for me. Its the usual suspects for her...rich and white....quite boring. I used to love her and would read anything from her, but those days are over.....Maybe she should retire 0091740118:negligent:r._albin 0091740118 The Second World War: Books: John Keegan books 10 of 21 1.0 April 13, 2005 R. Albin Ann Arbor, Michigan United States The very first thing you read in this book is a mistake. The Prologue begins with a photo of German POWs at the end of WWI. The photo caption states that the German Army at the end of WWI was "unbroken" and implies that Germany capitulated because of a loss of will on the part of its political leadership. This is doubly misleading. The German Army was soundly defeated on Western Front in 1918 and then began to disintegrate. In 1918, Germany was essentially a military dictatorship run by Ludendorff and Hindenberg. The political leaders who lost will were the German High Command. Defeat on the battlefield and despair on the part of senior commanders hardly meets the description of an unbroken army. Keegan is essentially repeating the pernicious "stab in the back" myth used by the German military and right wing propagandists to undermine the Weimar republic. Its astonishing to see this published decades later by someone who is supposed to be an expert on such matters. This type of error recurs throughout this book. My favorite relatively minor error is Keegan moving the Ploesti oilfields, a major strategic resource, from Romania to Hungary. See prior reader reviews for documentation of a number of factual errors of varying magnitude. Just as important and in some cases even more important are Keegan's failures to discuss crucial aspects of WWII. He makes little effort, for example, to discuss the origins of the war. Indeed, his paragraphs on this topic suggest that he finds it too confusing to discuss. Leaving aside his shirking of his obligation to discuss this crucial topic, there are excellent overviews of 20s and 30s that are good guides to this admittedly formidable topic. Instead of an effort to discuss the origins of the war, we get a superficial and somewhat misleading discussion of how industrialization transformed military technology and organization. Instead of a discussion of the sad history of the Weimar Republic, crucial for understanding the ascent of the Nazis, we get another misleading discussion of the Freikorps phenomenon. Among other significant omissions are his failure to grapple with the possible strategic significance of the Allied bombing campaign against Germany, a issue analyzed insightfully by Richard Overy in 2 of his excellent books. Keegan's discussion of the Holocaust in both inadequate and implicitly misleading. Partly because he doesn't discuss the origins of the war and the role played by Nazi ideology in starting the war he fails to show that in crucial respects the Holocaust was the point of German aggression. The Nazis went to war not just to overturn the Versailles settlement or even to conquer Eastern Europe, but to impose their bizarre notions of racial conflict on the rest of Europe. Without this background, its impossible to understand the outbreak and the specific nature of WWII. Among other things, Nazi racism prevented them from rationally exploiting the resources of the western Soviet Union, a factor in their eventual defeat. As pointed out by other reviewers, Keegan devotes a disproportionate amount of the book to activities of the Western allies when the Eastern front was really the crucial theatre. To be fair to Keegan, writing a concise 1 volume book like this is very difficult. The best 1 volume work on WWII is Gerhard Weinberg's book, which is about 1000 pages of text in a fairly small font. Some of the individual sections of this book are quite good and Keegan has a nice, sometimes actually elegant, writing style. None of these positive features, however, can overcome his neglect of basic features of WWII and the lack of attention to basic facts. This is not just error, this is actual negligence. 0892816414:acupressure_techniques:_a_self_help_guide:t._baker_"helping_hands" 0892816414 Acupressure Techniques: A Self-Help Guide: Books: Julian Kenyon books 1.0 November 9, 2006 T. Baker "helping hands" Arizona This book is almost useless for helping someone understand how to use acupressure to alleviate physical symptoms. As a licensed massage therapist who already knows quite a bit about acupressure, I am always willing to learn more about any kind of bodywork. I had hoped to be able to pass on some ideas to my clients for self help but this book was definitely not it. The book gives some accupoints for specific problems, some of these are "golden points" able to stand alone in use, but others are not. The book gives no order to use these in and furthermore does not specify if all or any of the points are to be used together in sequence, or not. Also,it does't tell where the points are EXACTLY. There are really too many flaws to go into here. Acupressure is very complex, this book tries to simplify it to the point that it looks like some goofy folklore advocating some bad mojo 0122947576:this_software_is_unusable_on_mac's_and_unix_systems.:j.f._groote 0122947576 Table of Integrals, Series, and Products, Sixth Edition: Books: I. S. Gradshteyn,I. M. Ryzhik,Alan Jeffrey,Daniel Zwillinger books 15 of 19 1.0 April 27, 2003 J.F. Groote Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands I bought this software hoping that it would help me to find required mathematical formulas faster. At home on my powermac (OSX.1, OS9.2) I only see messed up windows. Furthermore, the formulas are unreadable, using an archaic font. Trying to save the day, I went to my linux machine at work reading "Your operating system, Linux 2.2.19-7.0.1, is not supported by this software. It appears that the software is only suitable for some SUN and SGI machines. It only appears to run properly on a windows machine. From an editor, who I remember, is one of the few persons finding errors in Knuth's TeX system, I expected much better 0312187688:a_quick_read_and_a_quicker_write:glm 0312187688 Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World: Books: Lawrence Goldstone,Nancy Goldstone books 11 of 14 2.0 July 9, 2005 GLM New York City The number of books written in our society is huge and getting huger. Everyone recognizes that far more books are being written and published than can be read. Why are people so anxious to be authors in such a market? One reason, apparently embraced by the Goldstones, is that it is so EASY to write a book! All you have to do is write down some reminiscences of your experiences. They don't have to be particularly interesting experiences. You don't have to do any research into your subject. If you describe what all the people you encounter are wearing, if you go into details of how you found a babysitter for each trip you took, if you quote verbatim phone calls from relatives and shop keepers (even if they are not interesting or witty), and if you describe the hotel rooms you stayed in, you can finish the book in a couple of weekends! And readers can finish the book in a couple of hours with little harm done. The book does accurately represent the travails of beginning book collectors, and I recognized some of my own experiences in the stories the authors tell. However, the book does not take the effort to educate readers so that they can skip over common early errors, nor does it attempt to answer many of the questions that the authors themselves raised when they first began collecting. What determines the price of old books? Why are first editions important? Why should Tarzan books cost more than great works of literature? These are good questions that anyone might think of when getting into book collecting, and you will find the questions but not the answers here. The book is written in a breezy style that is easy to get through, and if you have two hours at an airport to kill, you could do worse than to read it. But by the time you arrive at your destination, you will have likely forgotten most of what you just read, because so much of it is ephemeral details of the authors' own lives, transportation problems, and experiences. If you are really interested in book collecting, it would be wise to read one of the many books that describe what one should look for, how prices are determined, different styles of book collecting, and so on. Fragments of this knowledge are transmitted in this book, but they will leave you with more questions than answers. To be sure, not every book about book collecting needs to be a font of wisdom. But the entertainment value of the authors' experiences was weak, and did not make up for the absence of useful content 0061143936:oh_puhleeze:d._jackson_"rhett6" 0061143936 Domicilium Decoratus : Books: Kelly Wearstler books 22 of 23 1.0 May 30, 2006 D. Jackson "rhett6" California USA What exactly is it that Ms Wearstler does? This book is filled with "glam" pictures of recycled design ideas by Billy Haines,Dorothy Draper and Billy Baldwin,mostly of the "Hollywood Regency" style. Ms Wearstler,whose home it is, appears in the photos dressed to the nines and seems to want us to think that she dreamed up this nifty new look. Take a look at the new Billy Haines book and the just released book on Dorothy Draper and you'll see real designers at work AND whose work and style this really is. 0451518632:lost_fans,_don't_bother.__choose_"watership_down"_or_other:sharon_e._neufeld 0451518632 Our Mutual Friend: Books: Charles Dickens books 6 of 18 1.0 June 5, 2006 Sharon E. Neufeld Fairfax, VA USA Fans of the ABC-TV show "LOST" will probably be buying "Our Mutual Friend" in droves after having seen Desmond keeping it to be the "last book [I] ever [read]". Since I did not have to buy it, having purchased a full set of Dickens years ago, I immediately set out to read it. What a disappointment it was! Dickens wrote it on an installment basis publishing it in a magazine over a 19 month period. One cannot avoid a sneaking suspicion while reading it that it is, just a bit, perhaps, 'padded'. Any good editor could have tightened it up at least 200 pages. Dickens' work is melodrama, but some of it is just more overwrought than is compatible with good art. As Oscar Wilde said of 'The Old Curiosity Shop', "I simply cannot read of the death of Little Nell without laughing." 'OMF' goes quickly down to this level of bathos and remains there to the last sentence. Even worse is the ending. Some endings just can't help but feel contrived; and Dickens, having gotten a large number of his characters into drastic positions, pulls so many strange- colored rabbits out of his hat that the reader simply feels cheated. All of this may seem rather harsh from someone who was willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for "The Complete Oxford Illustrated Dickens" but I assure you that my only concern is for you, gentle reader. Unless you are possessed of adequate time to read the whole of Dickens' oeuvre or are required to read "Our Mutual Friend", I would, instead, direct you to Dickens' far superior works: 'David Copperfield', 'Oliver Twist', 'Pickwick Papers'. If you are looking for 'LOST' reading material, I would refer you to 'Watership Down' (Excellent), 'The Stand' (by Stephen King, entertainment, not literature), 'The Dark Tower' series (by Stephen King, entertainment, not literature, and similar to 'Our Mutual Friend' possessed of a fatally flawed ending) or a review of philosophy like 'Locke, Rousseau and Hume'. Namaste and Good Luck, AKA Redemption Isle on TheFuselage.co 0879388498:sad_disappointment:chris_ingram 0879388498 Porsche High-Performance Driving Handbook: Books: Vic Elford books 2 of 3 1.0 August 14, 2005 Chris Ingram Hong Kong The title is a misrepresentation. This is not a handbook for driving a Porsche quickly or professionally. I bought this book because in 2 months I am going to drive my rear engined 993 on a F1 circuit. I have no circuit experience, and cannot get any coaching or any circuit experience in the country I live in. Since this is a rear engined car which I have little experience with I was particularly wanting some tips particular to rear engined cars. There is nothing in the whole book which is particular to driving Porsches or rear engined cars. The only reason I will not throw this book out is because it has some interesting 1960's and early 19970's Porsche racing pictures (poor quality black and white though). Also to be fair there are some good racing stories. He is undoubtedly a very impressive driver having been successful at the highest levels in rallying and sports prototype endurance racing. A better title would be "My Porsche Racing History". If you want a book on fast driving I would highly recommend Ross Bentley's "Speed Secrets" in place of this book 1417710969:a_dissapointment:susi_vudan 1417710969 Morvern Callar: Books: Alan Warner books 2 of 3 2.0 June 20, 2001 susi vudan Greece When I picked up this book I had high expectations,seeing that it had received good reviews.It opened quite spectacularly as well, on a rather surreal note.But as I read on, I couldn't help wondering what the point was in this rather incoherent, rambling tale.The book seemed like a sloppy, haphazard collection of incidents that didn't make much sense or assist character development. The central character herself was unbelievable and I found it impossible to identify with her or understand her actions or even sympathise with her plights.It seems to me that the writer had tried too hard to create a hip,cutting edge story and the end product was strained and gimmicky. Some incidents were quite mirth-provoking, however,that's why I gave it two stars 0140244913:get_to_the_point!:grant_s._le_sage 0140244913 How the Mind Works (Penguin Press Science): Books: Steven Pinker books 0 of 1 1.0 November 9, 2006 Grant S. Le Sage London, England This was another Pinker book I couldn't finish. If he was a taxi-driver he would take you from Brooklyn to New York via San Francisco. Sometimes even his asides have asides! Perhaps like pulp fiction writers he gets paid by the word 0060897988:don't__waste_your_money!!:sarah_w._reeves 0060897988 Domicilium Decoratus: Hillcrest Estate, Beverly Hills, California: Books: Kelly Wearstler books 7 of 11 2.0 March 24, 2006 Sarah W. Reeves virginia While I very much enjoyed Miss Wearstler's first book, I found Domicilium Decoratus to be borderline obnoxious. Rather than show great decorating, the book focused mainly on close up shots of objects in her house that took up the whole page.In addition, I feel that as the viewer of the book I do not need to see fifteen entire pages of Miss Wearstler dressed in ball gowns pretending to be domestic 0679429247:difficult_read:paula_erickson_"pse71" 0679429247 The English Patient: Books: Michael Ondaatje,Michael York books 3 of 7 2.0 November 17, 2005 Paula Erickson "pse71" Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States I am an avid reader, and I will finish a book no matter how difficult it is, or how boring it is, and I couldn't finish this one. It was so dry - and I couldn't connect with any of the characters. I was really disappointed 1582340676:i_dont_like_this_book:t._thanatipanonda_"cal136" 1582340676 Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture: Books: Apostolos Doxiadis books 2 of 12 2.0 August 13, 2005 T. Thanatipanonda "cal136" I want to make a short comment here: 1) This book is quite confusing. It mixed up the real story with the make up one. 2) Saying that Ramanujun thought Goldbach Conjecture is wrong was a huge mistake. Everyone believe that Goldbach Conjecture is true. And Ramanujun is a real genius. I cannot stand this make up part 0786216956:disappointing:lamaranthe 0786216956 The Simple Truth (Thorndike Large Print Basic Series): Books: David Baldacci books 1 of 4 2.0 September 15, 2005 lamaranthe Toronto The plot is good but there are about 200 pages too many. Why a full chapter to tell us what the protagonists are thinking about the attach case, when we already know it was not in the car and we could tell them where it is? We know where the precious document is : another useless quest. People are murdered by the half dozen, the characters are outrageous, most of the time improbable, and I felt the semi-erotic swimming episode totally stupid, not to mention the girl apologizing constantly about it. I have read much better books than that. Sorry.. 0802224466:there's_a_sucker_born_every_minute:tom_sullivan 0802224466 The Mystery of Life's Origin: Reassessing Current Theories: Books: Charles B. Thaxton books 7 of 36 1.0 August 3, 2005 Tom Sullivan York, PA This book is an excellent example of how creationists approach science: write a book with a lot of bafflegab that sounds scientific but is actually devoid of any meaningful content, and then finish up by concluding that evolution is impossible. What a bunch of baloney. First of all, evolution, in the sense of "common descent," is not impossible. Even ID-iot superstars Michael Behe, Stephen Meyer, and Jonathan Wells have admitted as much. (See a summary of their recent testimony in the Kansas biology curriculum hearings in the evolution/creationism forum at the West Virginia Gazette. (wvgazettemail) (put "/forums" after com) So any ID-iot who thinks all that bafflegab about irreducible complexity (IC) and the nonsense in this film is the death knell of evolution is simply ignorant. Man evolved from non-human ancestors. Get over it. Thaxton in particular ought to read that summary, since he himself was one of the witnesses and looked particularly ID-iotic. In any case, the empirical data discussed in this book is indeed nothing but bafflegab. Talking about the allegedly empirical foundation for intelligent design makes it sound deliciously scientific, especially to poorly educated ID-iots, who generally are clueless about real science; but even if the empirical data is accurate, it's nothing but a facade, because it has nothing to do with the book's main conclusion. For example, imagine your neighbor told you that his dog could play Beethoven concertos on the piano. Skeptical, you ask for proof. "Simple," your neighbor replies. "See, here's my dog, and there's my piano." Only a moron would accept that as "proof," and yet ID-iot Christians are more than happy to accept exactly that kind of "proof" from ID-iotic films like this. The problem with your neighbor's "proof" is that it proves only the existence of the dog and the existence of the piano. Neither of those issues, however, was the real cause of your skepticism, so the "proof" was entirely meaningless. The critical issue, of course, was not the mere existence of the dog and the piano, but rather the ability of the dog to play the piano, and your neighbor's "proof" was completely silent on that issue. Again, only a moron would accept evidence of mere existence as proof of piano-playing ability. In this book, there's a lot of talk about how complex certain biological systems are. That is nothing but meaningless bafflegab, because the mere existence of complex systems is not a disputed issue. The disputed issue is how those systems came into being, and on that issue the book's "evidence" is completely silent. This book was designed to fool poorly educated, easily impressed ID-iots. Judging from the five-star reviews, it seems to have succeeded. Well, there's a sucker born every minute, and apparently a lot of them are found in evangelical churches and seminaries. In one of the very first evolution debates, Thomas Huxley accused Bishop Wilberforce of using his intellectual and oratorical gifts to mislead and bamboozle people. Things haven't changed much since then. Instead of meaningful evidence, this book substitutes a God-of-the-gaps argument. "Gee, look how complex it is. It must have been created by an intelligent designer. Maybe, just maybe, it was God. Wink, wink." God-of-the-gaps arguments are dumb. Only ignorant suckers are taken in by them. So if any of those folks who wrote five-star reviews for this book would like to buy a nice bridge in Brooklyn or a dog who can play Beethoven concertos on the piano, please give me a call. I'll be happy to provide evidence! 0807281913:harry_potter_and_the_chamber_of_secrets_-_review:trish_new_"hopedealer" 0807281913 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2): Books: J.K. Rowling,Jim Dale books 0 of 1 1.0 November 2, 2006 Trish New "hopedealer" Decatur TX An elf appearing to Harry Potter warned him not to return for a second year to the school of sorcery. The Chamber of Secrets, he said, had been opened and a monster is lurking. Harry goes anyway and is the only one who can hear the monster, challenge it and save students who have been "petrified" by the monster. Age group interest: early teen. I wanted to see what all the rave was about. Lots of action, not much morale. Trish New, author of The Thrill of Hope, South State Street Journal 1560252758:an_example_of_nativist_bigotry:j._f._mcmanus 1560252758 The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld: Books: Herbert Asbury,Jorge Luis Borges books 1.0 November 13, 2006 J. F. Mcmanus Phoenix, Arizona A writer for the Irish Echo said this book should have been titled "The Protocols of the Elders of Erin." It was written around the time Al Smith was running for president and appealed to the nativist, anti-Catholic prejudices of upstate New York and America at that time. While there really were gangs in that era, most of New York's immigrants were busy building hospitals and schools like St. Vincent's, Fordham, St. John's, Manhattan and Manhattanville. The vast majority of the city's population including its immigrants didn't riot in 1863. In fact New York City's 200,000 soldiers and sailors, more than half of whom were immigrants, won over 100+ Medals of Honor during America's Civil War. It's a tribute to the persistence of prejudice that this book isn't more widely recognized as the nasty practical joke that it is 0385720106:awful:rachele_landers_"rachele" 0385720106 A Map of the World (Oprah's Book Club): Books: Jane Hamilton books 1 of 15 1.0 September 2, 2004 Rachele Landers "Rachele" montgomery, al I find it very difficult to get through half of this book. I have put it down and picked it up more times than I care to mention. It is a waste of time. Awful book.. 0297829297:what_went_wrong_with_the_writing_of_this_book?:lightman 0297829297 What Went Wrong? : The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East: Books: Bernard Lewis books 9 of 16 2.0 September 22, 2006 Lightman New York In the post 9/11 world in which this book, subtitled "The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East" was published, it should not be surprising that the reader would anticipate a discussion of the factors that led up to that awful day. This, however, is not to be found in What Went Wrong? Instead we are treated to a cerebral discussion of various and sundry esoteric minutiae. We learn, for instance, that, "A distinguishing characteristic of Western music is polyphony, by harmony or counterpoint. This begins in its simplest form with the choir, in which matched voices sing different notes in a planned sequence to produce a combined effect; then comes the keyboard instrument, matching the ten fingers of the two hands, following different routes in a common purpose; and finally, the musical ensemble, from duets and trios to the full orchestra". While this is all well and good, and may even be mildly interesting on some academic level, it is hard to understand how it plays into a discussion of "The Clash Between Islam and Modernity..." that has led to the precarious times in which we live. Or, on another note (harmony? counterpoint?) we learn that Robinson Crusoe was translated into Arabic by Butrus al-Bustani and published in the late 1850's. Big deal! What we don't learn anything about is the rise of militant Islamism. There is no mention of Wahhabism or how this fundamentalist Islamic movement contributed to the rejection of modernity. The Muslim Brotherhood also is not to be found in the index, nor is there a mention of Sayyid Qutb, or his writing of the incendiary manifesto, Milestones. Furthermore, there is not a single reference to al-Qaeda, though Usama bin Laden does appear, albeit seemingly as an afterthought, in what appears to be a hastily added Afterword. So what went wrong? Beats me.. 0739324683:no_redeeming_features:harsh_critic 0739324683 Abide with Me: A Novel: Books: Elizabeth Strout,Gerrianne Raphael books 3 of 15 1.0 June 3, 2006 Harsh Critic Tucson, AZ This is a very bad book. It is poorly written, the characters are caricatures in misery, and it is almost impossible to develop any empathy for them except for the older daughter, who suffers in silence after the devastating, and, to her, mysterious, death of her mother. Her father fails in both his calling to ministry and his responsiblities to protect his daughter. He is so distant that he believes what teachers tells him about his child's behavior, which is a perfectly legitimate childhood grief response, rather than the bad behavior that others choose to label her with indifference to her deep pain and confusion. He fails in his responsibilities to his parishoners by not realizing that he himself is mired in grief and needs a break. I couldn't finish this. It is drivel 0553585894:disappointing_:(:laura_eakes 0553585894 The Seducer (Get Connected Romances): Books: Madeline Hunter books 0 of 4 2.0 May 8, 2005 Laura Eakes Port Neches, TX USA I was looking forward to reading this book, first in a series. Sadly, I gave up on it about 100 pages in. I felt there was so MUCH mundane writing and hardly any dialog between not only the two main characters but between any characters at all. It just feels completely unemotional and without any sort of feeling-there is NOTHING exciting about this book. The heroine is naive, and not in a good way. I hope the others in this series are better. 1.5 stars 0226317730:mixed_review:speedy_reviewer 0226317730 In the Shadow of Slavery: African Americans in New York City, 1626-1863 (Historical Studies of Urban America): Books: Leslie M. Harris books 3 of 5 2.0 September 9, 2005 Speedy Reviewer New York This book provides a good overview of blacks (slave and free) in New York. It's a very good reference (encyclopedic) book. My main problem with it is that Leslie M. Harris, the author, relies heavily (if not entirely) on secondary sources. The book, then, is nothing more than a patchwork of various other more scholarly works. Hence, finding the actual primary source (i.e. court decision, council minutes, etc) proves extremely difficult. I do not recommend this book for advanced students. If, however, you're interested in an easy read and don't care about sources, this is the book for you 1419116169:thank_you,_but_no,_thanks:michael_sympson 1419116169 Discourse On Inequality: Books: Jean-Jacques Rousseau books 7 of 33 1.0 June 13, 2001 Michael Sympson Singapore "I have received your new book against the human race, and thank you for it. Never was such cleverness used in the design of making us all stupid. One longs, in reading your book, to walk on all fours. But as I have lost that habit for more than sixty years, I feel unhappily the impossibility of resuming it. Nor can I embark in search of the savages of Canada, because the maladies to which I am condemned render a European surgeon necessary to me; because war is going on in those regions; and because the example of our actions has made the savages nearly as bad as ourselves." Voltaire (1755 0966236319:tough_language_but_few_verifiable_facts:eugene_v._shaparenko 0966236319 Reverse Aging: Books: Sang Y. Whang books 18 of 27 1.0 February 18, 2006 Eugene V. Shaparenko Pismo Beach, CA. In a world desperate for health solutions, the uneducated masses flock to purported cures and aids that have not met the tests of either scientific or medical validity. Alkaline water is one of those potholes that the unsuspecting customer encounters. Careful research of this book and related topics finds that the real reason alkaline water is popular is that in pregnant Oriental women, it is believed that the use of alkaline water increases the probablility of a boy rather than a girl being born. Hence the seven(7) percent utilization of this water in that part of the world. Elsewhere, mycocardia problems with controlled animal tests using alkaline water have been known since 1996 but are suspiciously avoided by the Japanese organizations which promote alkaline water. Common sense nutrition tells us that if one is concerned about acidic food intake, then the use of alkaline foods with alkaline fibre and neutral pH liquid is the answer. Alkaline promoters would have you dilute your sensitive blood pH with high alkalinity thus inducing hematological problems which may put you in the emergency room as my medic(1985 Nobel Prize recipient) clearly points out. You might as well drink battery acid he said, the result will be the same stress on your blood pH. Here is a medic who is not an expert in water but in internal medicine cautioning against forced dilution of blood pH. He continued by saying that when that much alkalinity is added to the digestive system, the very low pH which naturally occurs in the disgestive tract is neutralized and food is not metabolized properly. The various amino acids which are essential in the metabolic process are no longer effective and food putrifies and nutrition suffers. The alkaline promoters, including this book's author have been sniffing glue in a closed closet and are simply out of touch with even the very basics of body chemistry and metabolic processes. Read the book for entertainment and not for education and utility in your daily nutritional program 0521646537:nothing_doing:seanfurl 0521646537 Paths of Innovation: Technological Change in 20th-Century America: Books: David C. Mowery,Nathan Rosenberg books 4 of 6 2.0 May 30, 1999 SeanFurl San Francisco I found stale recounting of very well-known facts about 20th century technologies and their economics, with no insights. Since it covers the gamut from plastics to jet engines to microprocessors, and it's only 200 pages in a fairly large typeface, I wasn't expecting historical depth. But I was expecting at least one fresh idea. I bought it on the strength of a much earlier book by Nathan Rosenberg (about technology in the economy of the 19th century). I was disappointed. I get the feeling the book is intended as a brief survey for people who just came down in the last shower -- college freshmen born in the 1980s. I'll bet they find it kinda stodgy 0843956534:one_of_the_all-time_worst_books_i've_read..:harlowe 0843956534 Dark Desire: Books: Christine Feehan books 4 of 13 1.0 February 14, 2006 Harlowe Minnesota This book is simply horrible. Repetitive dialogue and situations. Characters that just make you groan and roll your eyes. I've read two by this author and she's just awful. Both books used the same lines over and over again. The stories chased their tails in circles half the time. Dull, repetitive and annoying. 0440126894:disappointing:s.w. 0440126894 Full Circle: Books: Danielle Steel books 0 of 6 1.0 January 13, 2000 S.W. UAE OK, i can't deny it, this book was well written. But what made me throw up is the age differance, i mean what the hell! how can Tana like someone who's 30 years older than her? that's aweful! this is what i really hate about Dan's books, she hooks someone who's 20 with some1 who's 35. i don't find that interesting. all i can say about full circle is that it's good but so depressing. it made me cry( which proves that Danielle is a good writer) don't read this book if you are not ready to get depressed 0671679104:i_liked_her_at_the_start,_but_wanted_to_slap_julia_by_the_end!:michelle_peckham_"amateur_writer" 0671679104 The Favored Child: Books: Philippa Gregory books 4 of 4 2.0 August 24, 2006 Michelle Peckham "amateur writer" Sydney, Australia I have never actually thrown a book across the room in frustration - and I love books, so this is drastic! Spoilers ahead - please don't read on if you haven't read the book. I managed to (somehow) get through the first book, 'Wideacre', which I disliked - whilst I adore the rest of Gregory's novels, so this was hard for me - and grit my teeth and tried to read this book, the sequel as I'd bought it and it looked more promising. It was 'marginally better' as one reader put it, than the first, but a very depressing and frustrating book indeed. I was getting very angry and frustrated after the second half of the book - as many other readers have highlighted, Julia's consistent inability to stand up to Richard made it impossible for me to like her anymore. I quite honestly wanted to slap her to wake her up from that dreamy state she was in! Because I wanted so much for Julia to be with James - who I liked a great deal. I was so depressed after everything went wrong and she didn't marry him... ah, because I was expecting the usually very clever Ms Gregory to surprise me and have a twist at the end and say, aha! She does get her true love in the end and she and Ralph get rid of Richard and although it's not happily ever after she learns to grow a backbone and be the very first female heir to Wideacre. The rape scene with Julia and Richard was very violent and far too detailed and I think it may be difficult to stomach for anyone who has ever been in an abusive situation like that, in fact, for anyone at all. I don't want to get into the tricky area of abortion too much, but I really did feel strongly that Julia should have gone to Ralph for help when she concieved the child with Richard. This was a child of incest and rape - and she knew in her heart there should be no heir for Wideacre - they were all simply too inbred and it needed to end somewhere for nothing was going right. Clean slate, so to speak. Yet she gives the child away - then in her final letter asks James to find the child?! What?! And I was expecting perhaps a deformed child, after all this inbreeding (I mean this child is the product of parents who are brother and sister AND grandparents who are brother and sister!!!) but she was perfect and beautiful. I was hoping the gypsies would keep her and she'd never be found again.. but alas, the Lacey madness will live on... The perfect end to this book would have been a nice twist. Gregory could have made her very good point about inheritance rights and the lack of power women of Beatrice and Julia's era had by Richard being killed by Ralph, then Julia inheriting the land - baby Sarah is adopted out to the gypsies and never seen again and Julia either lives as a widow and runs the land or (this would have been lovely - I bet all the girls have sighed over James a little, didn't you? he was a little like the handsome romantic leads in Austen's books) James forgave her - for they had both made mistakes and Julia's was not intentional nor her fault (I was practically screaming at her that it wasn't her fault - and she gets it in the end, when it's too late!) and they marry and have 'normal' children - or perhaps none, they just learn from their mistakes and respect each other, and make a fresh start for Wideacre. There were so many allies that Julia had - she was a sweet girl and I liked her - I wish that I could have shaken her though, I got so mad. So many people in the village offered their help - this trap she was caught in with Richard could have been avoided - ahhh... SO frustrating. I will not be reading the third book in the series. I shall go back to reading Gregory's more historic novels (A Constant Princess is one I haven't read yet and it sounds excellent). I wouldn't recommend this one 039914207X:coma_this_is_not:seachranaiche 039914207X Chromosome 6: Books: Robin Cook books 2.0 August 2, 2005 Seachranaiche West of the mountains Chromosome 6 has a great premise: what happens if medical technology accelerates to the point that scientists can create genetic doubles for people; doubles who serve as living organ reservoirs for possible future organ transplant needs-a sort of biological insurance policy? How much would people pay for this service? How far would they go to protect it? What are the moral implications? Robin Cook comes full circle, returning to the themes of his 1970s novel, Coma. Coma is the novel that first made us aware of the dangers of corporate medicine and greed; of the subtle but relentless destruction of the long-standing relationships patients had with doctors, and the dignity those relationship once preserved. Now, a quarter century later, Robin Cook is shown to have been eerily prescient as technology has caught up to his nightmare. Chromosome 6 is a very believable scenario of a technology designed with the best of intentions being corrupted for the sake of profit. In this novel, there is mystery and murder; medical sleuthing and exotic, international sets. There are a host of characters whose paths will intersect at some point-the set up is brilliant and we read with eager anticipation-but...this novel is so poorly written that I cannot believe it has Robin Cook's name on it. Though not high literature, Robin Cook's novels have always been tight and suspenseful, with believable characters and settings that seemed real. The characters in Chromosome 6 are as flat as road kill, the action as watered down as a glass of coke left in the sun until all of the ice has melted. Turn a page and the story just ends...what? That's it? Are you kidding? Did Robin Cook really write this? I don't think so. 1417714077:k_is__for_killer...:michael_c._mercado 1417714077 K Is for Killer (Kinsey Millhone Mysteries (Paperback)): Books: Sue Grafton books 2.0 October 22, 2004 Michael C. Mercado San Antonio, TX Well, if anything this was a decently written story, with good dialect and character detail. However, this story felt like it was going around in circles without any indication of ever ending. Grafton seems to have an idea of where she wants to go with this story but never really gets there. The story starts off with PI Kinsey Milhone in her office at night when she hears a knock on her door. She opens it to find Janice Kepler, mother of Lorna Kepler standing before her with the tale of her daughter's mysterious death. Not only this, but she also explains to Kinsey about how no one ever solved the murder because Lorna's body was left to decompose for ten months in her isolated cabin house. They talk for a while about the strange circumstances surrounding her daughter's death until Janice tells Kinsey about a pornographic video that was sent to her house after Lorna's death. This tape leads Kinsey on a wild goose chase of suspects in the red light district and gets her nowhere when it comes to turning over the real murderer. Millhone dives even further and searches through the world of Lorna's day job where she uncovers a mysterious lead about an expensive, elaborate project which is angering several people a considerable amount. Kinsey also checks up on Lorna's family members, and with the exception of Janice, all seem to have a motive to murder her Lorna. Not being a fan of these types of novels, I decided to at least give it a chance but this story got me nowhere. By the middle of the novel I wanted to give up and skip to the end of the story, but when I got to the end I had to go back to the middle to figure out how everything ended. I stopped caring about the whole murder after so much more emphasis was placed on so much side stories and it seemed like Grafton did too. The ending left me with a strange feeling and I didn't know if the book had actually ended. All in all, it was just not the right kind of book for me but if you're a murder mystery fan, try any other of Grafton's alphabet themed novels besides this one 0786218398:lousy_book_with_a_wishful_thinking:none_whatsoever_"the_3rd_opinion" 0786218398 Be Cool: Books: Elmore Leonard books 2 of 4 2.0 May 24, 2005 None Whatsoever "the 3rd opinion" Orange County, CA, Land of Big Mortgage Payments after get shorty, e.l. might just wish shamelessly that his next book with those same chili palmer characters might hit the goldmine and pay dirt and being bought up by the dumb hollywood producers and made into another movie again, with this single-minded purpose focused, e.l. wrote this totally unnecessary sequel to get shorty. and he was right again, it was bought and made into a movie again, but pathetically, a horrible one compared to get shorty. the novel itself was also a complete failure with so many obvious evidences that e.l. indeed wrote it in a way for another movie in mind. i simply failed to find there's any interest in reading this going nowhere story. it just like reading a double imaged e.l. personified in chili palmer and lobbying so hard to make this novel into a movie, with all the bore-to-death script, dialogue readymade for hollywood to grap. how could you imagine that those winnos in los angeles, especially those who in the hiphop music biz would watch 'charlie rose' and would have known and recognized chili palmer as the producer of 'get shorty'? you think those people would faithfully turned on their tv and channel surfed to pbs to watch 'charlie rose'? and at every corner of los angeles, every table in any restaurant, almost everyone would recognize 'chili palmer'? and you have to ask yourself: since when people would recognize a behind-the-screen movie producer, even a director in person? even they stand in front of you and claim themselves they are? yeah, maybe elmore leonard would watch 'charlie rose' regularly? and you think that charlie rose would interview a notorious shylock in his show? give me a break! this book, from the 1st page to the last was an absolutely no-brainer, so shallow and so superficious! just a total unnecessary and unwanted cash-in 0312206070:dreaming_water:sherri_laster_"quiet_dancer" 0312206070 Dreaming Water: Books: Gail Tsukiyama books 1 of 1 2.0 August 23, 2005 Sherri Laster "quiet dancer" PA, USA Gail's writing is again wonderful in this in book, but I found the book disappointing due to a lack of closure. I felt the book led you up to a particular point in the life of the character's and then left you wondering in the end what the message was meant to be. I almost felt as if the writer wasn't brave enough enough to tell you the ending to a tragic, yet hopeful story. I can only compare this book to the Samurai's Garden since I haven't read a third book by this author yet, and I loved the Samari's Garden! So I was surprised that this book lacked closure at the end. I am not sorry that I read this book due to the fact that I enjoy the author's style of writing 0375701273:thin:david_leeson 0375701273 Building a Bridge to the 18th Century: How the Past Can Improve Our Future: Books: Neil Postman books 13 of 16 2.0 January 2, 2001 David Leeson Hamilton, Ontario Canada I wanted to like this book, but I found it disappointingly thin. I wouldn't go so far as the previous reviewer and dismiss it as "hopeless", but it's certainly superficial: Postman seems to rely on secondary sources about Enlightenment thought, rather than any deep reading of Enlightenment texts. The idea of "building a bridge to the 18th century" seems more like a marketing device, a fresh way of presenting some of Postman's familiar themes, than a serious proposition (He even includes a summary of his "disappearance of childhood" argument in an appendix). It's a shame, really, because the Enlightenment has been getting too much undeservedly bad press for far too long, and Postman is correct when he points out that we owe much of what's good and admirable about contemporary society to Enlightened thinking. For a much more substantial survey and defence of Enlightenment thought and culture, read Roy Porter's _The Creation of the Modern World: The British Enlightenment_ 031021923X:an_historical_account:s._showalter_"christian_reader" 031021923X Jesus I Never Knew, The: Books: Philip Yancey books 3 of 16 1.0 March 28, 2006 S. Showalter "Christian reader" Culpeper, va United States I would not neccessarily call this book "Christian". It is more of an historical account, Bible as literature type of book. It does make you think about different aspects of Jesus life, but most of that is speculation or perception. Yancey leaves the reader hopeless at the end. 1593975635:good_plot_but_bad_details:book_reader 1593975635 Digital Fortress: A Thriller: Books: Dan Brown,Paul Michael books 1 of 1 1.0 September 5, 2006 Book Reader USA This book started out good but went downhill quickly because of poor research and virtually NO understanding of computer systems by the author. I don't mind authors skipping over technical details of computer systems to keep the plot moving, but if the author decides to provide detailed technical descriptions of encrytion codes, firewalls and hacking techniques, those details must be fairly correct. In this case, the technical details were so wildly implausible that I finally had to stop reading. The part where hackers were gradually forcing their way through a firewall to access NSA data were particularly difficult to read without becoming distracted by the absurd details. The NSA almost certainly doesn't have computers with highly classified data connected to the internet (through any combination of firewalls) but if they did, they could simply disconnect the internet connection if they were being hacked. Besides all that that, the characters were cliched and not well developed. This is all too bad, because the plot was interesting and I would have kept reading if the technical details were either accurate or just avoide 0374527628:germaine__greer__-__elitist_poppycock:frank_white 0374527628 The Female Eunuch: Books: Germaine Greer,Jennifer Baumgardner books 4 of 8 1.0 September 7, 2006 Frank White This is one of the worst books ever, don't buy it 0345426320:very_disappointing!:pjjlady@aol.com 0345426320 Where Trouble Sleeps (Ballantine Reader's Circle): Books: Clyde Edgerton books 2 of 4 2.0 November 3, 1997 pjjlady@aol.com southeast US I am a huge Clyde Edgerton fan, and I'm sorry to say I was VERY disappointed with this book. It just never seemed to get off the ground. I was expecting the type of story that I fell in love with in *Raney* and *Walking Across Egypt* (both of which left me in tears, I laughed so hard). If you're looking for Listre, you're not going to find it in this book Oh well, I guess I'll wait on his next one.. 0393051269:please,_stop_putting_me_to_sleep!:h._seymour_"recruiter" 0393051269 Respect in a World of Inequality: Books: Richard Sennett books 3 of 10 1.0 December 4, 2005 H. Seymour "recruiter" Hood River, OR United States I had to read this book for a diversity class. Sennett uses language and sentence construction that is overly ostentatious and difficult to understand. Inside this fat book is a very thin book trying to get out. He needed a good editor. 0300052472:could_have_been_said_in_half_the_amount_of_pages:jonathan_sepe 0300052472 Holocaust Testimonies: The Ruins of Memory: Books: Lawrence L. Langer books 4 of 10 1.0 October 17, 2001 Jonathan Sepe irvine, CA The material is first-rate but his writing style is horrid. His five-part typology of memory doesn't make sense since he is basically repeating the same theme for each type of memory in each chapter. The underlying theme is about the destruction and shattering of the self. Very poorly written and bad organizatino of his material. There are much better and clearer books on the Holocaust! Don't bother with this one 0595751016:copying_david_and_jonathan`s_example:david_jehovahson 0595751016 Lord Given Lovers: The Holy Union of David & Jonathan: Books: Christopher Hubble books 1 of 1 1.0 June 22, 2006 David Jehovahson Hawick Scotland I have sent away for a book called "Lord Given Lovers:the Holy Union of David & Jonathan" as I find the subject very interesting in this day of same sex marriages, now that David has been used in this subject as married to Jonathan, in the days when the Scibes who wrote the law against such things, I would like to know why David and Jonathan were not stoned to death according to that same law, and if David did such a thing, I would believe that all the Jews then would have did so to, copying David and Jonathan`s example 0739313371:wow_its_not_just_me!:l._corbo_"ctreader" 0739313371 Impossible (Danielle Steel): Books: Danielle Steel books 1 of 1 2.0 February 14, 2006 L. Corbo "CTREADER" Shelton, CT USA I was anxious to read the reviews on this book and I am happy to find its not just me! Her words and sentences are REDUNDANT! Yes "wacky artist" was used about 50 times in the span of 2 pages! Liam picked up a poker and scared the daughter! WE KNOW! Don't tell us 100 times! This is what I think: Either Ms. Steel thinks so little of her devoted audience that she feels we need to be spoon fed the material...OR she's just writing whatever comes to mind and no one is editing. Is D. Steel so popular and successful that no one has to proof read her work? Also, is it cold stone sober? Or STONE COLD SOBER? (it should have been the latter) No editor caught that mistake? I've been a fan of Ms. Steel's work for 21 years now and the past few year's works have been deplorable! I first excused it due to the death of her son.. But her talent never picked up again. From the Ranch onward the books are just pure fluff. If you want to read a novel and not think about what you're reading...then read her books, this one especially. If you want to read and process and fall in love with characters try Barbara Delinsky, Luanne Rice, Alison Clement, Susan Wiggs.. B0007EVR0G:flew_has_rejected_these_arguments_himself.:gangstalawya B0007EVR0G God & philosophy (A Delta book): Books: Antony Flew books 2 of 9 1.0 July 16, 2006 GangstaLawya TimBuckToo It has been said time and again that experience is the best teacher. Antony Flew, the world's number one atheist (at least with respect to the rare ability to argue his point without using ad hominem arguments) has recanted his atheism. Philosophically, Flew was a rationalist. Having accepted the empirical evidence of intelligent design in nature, he was able to liberate himself from the tunnel vision of rationalism and hence from the shackles of irrational atheism. Flew himself would give this book one star. So, I don't think it ungracious to do the same 0887308856:not_recommended:dirk_avenue 0887308856 Hidden Order: The Economics of Everyday Life: Books: David D. Friedman books 2 of 2 1.0 June 26, 2006 Dirk Avenue and thoroughly enjoyed Having read (and thoroughly enjoyed) Levitt's Freakonomics, I picked up "Hidden Order: The Economics of Everyday Life" looking for more of the same. Unfortunately, I was sadly disappointed. I get the impression the author intended to write a Freakonomics-type book, but was only able to come up with 40 pages of material (located at the end of the book). Facing an irate publisher, he then filled in the initial 290 pages with his old Economics lecture notes. As a result, readers who have taken an elementary economics course will find much of the material repetitive, while those who have not will most likely find the material too confusing to be of any real use. (Despite the glowing accolades on the cover, the author's explanations are no better than those available in a standard textbook.) The author also posits end-of-chapter questions for the reader to ruminate upon, but does not provide any answers. Aside from formal textbooks where such questions are intended to be assigned to students, such tactics are unconscionable. Of course, the author may be priming the pump for sales of a "Hidden Order Supplement". A final negative point is the author's tone, which is frequently condescending towards the reader (e.g. telling the reader they would not understand the math behind a given theory, so it will not even be presented). While this may be true for a layperson reading the book, being talked down to certainly does nothing to build their confidence or cultivate their interest in the subject matter. Overall, if you can borrow a copy from a friend or a library, the last 40 pages are worth reading. Otherwise, save your time and money. Reviewer's background: B.Sc. (Computing Science & Mathematics) M.B.A. (Finance & Marketing) Ph.D. (Finance) 0786855487:not_for_everyone:j._walsh 0786855487 Birnbaum's Walt Disney World 2006 (Birnbaum's Walt Disney World): Books: Birnbaum books 0 of 1 2.0 September 24, 2006 J. Walsh If you are going to Walt Disney World Resort for the first time and want to keep some mystery until you actually ride the attractions, then this book may not be for you. Some of the descriptions for the various attractions go step-by-step through them, including plot points in 3D movies and so on. The book also leaves a lot out in other areas, such as dining (little coverage), getting around Walt Disney World, and off-site hotels and dining. For me, the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World (by Bob Sehlinger) was much better at giving me the info I needed without giving away any details as to the surprises on the rides. That is, it told me what might frighten a youngster, what might bore an adult, and so on, but it didn't say specifically what would happen at every stage of any of the attractions. Just generalizations about the ride, then specific warnings for different types of people. The only things Birnbaum offers that the Unofficial Guide doesn't are pictures and info on some of the ancillary activities such as parasailing. If you have an Internet connection, you don't need the pictures. And as for the ancillary activities as well as nice maps, you can't beat the Passporter book on Disney World. So, for me, the Unofficial Guide plus the Passporter yields the best trip planning library for Walt Disney World. If you like, you can also pick up the EZ-Guide, as it also has some interesting maps and info. As for Birnbaum's, it really doesn't have anything to offer. I wouldn't recommend against buying it, though, except for the "let me tell you the plot and ending to the movie before you go" mentality. I hate spoilers, and wish someone had warned me before I started reading this book 1400095719:interesting_thesis,_but_overlooking_some_important_points:nikkita 1400095719 The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth: Books: Benjamin M. Friedman books 5 of 7 2.0 June 12, 2006 Nikkita New Orleans, LA Mr. Friedman's book begins with an interesting thesis, defining morality and its definition within a context of economic growth. The idea that economic growth or stagnation effects the mindsets of the people living in that time period is a logical argument that Friedman often well supports with historical facts. However, the exceptions to his argument make me wonder if he really believes in his own thesis, or if he just felt the need to write a book. Furthermore, for every chapter in the book, there seem to be at least one or more flawed arguments or points that, with a little thorough thought or research, don't make sense or can easily be disproven. With these things being the case, I find Friedman's argument a little hard to buy. The entire book seems to build up to the final chapter, which Friedman uses to make policy recommendations that would aid in economic growth; this final chapter could have stood alone from the book entirely, however, because the evidence in the book an his arguments elsewhere in the book (ie. the importance of education) do not add or support his final policy recommendations. His policy recommendations could have easily been listed by students in an economics class as responses to the question "What should the government do to promote economic growth?" They don't push the argument forward or indicate anything that hasn't already been suggested in the past, nor do they give suggestions as to how to go about implementing his policies. 0822336189:hardcore_jargon_on_intersectional_group:jeffery_mingo 0822336189 Black Queer Studies: A Critical Anthology: Books: E. Patrick Johnson,Mae G. Henderson books 7 of 9 2.0 June 16, 2006 Jeffery Mingo Homewood, IL USA For decades, African-American studies scholars have left issues facing non-heterosexuals to the side. For years, "queer" scholars have left concerns of people of color to the side. This anthology tries to address that void. It goes a long way in proving that black, gay academics can be just a rigorous and hardcore as white gay ones or straight black ones. The anthology has representative numbers of men and women. In some ways, it's a Who's Who of Black Gay Academia, including works from Cathy Cohen, Dwight McBride, and Jewelle Gomez. Still, there is much about this book that frustrated me. A few years ago, a study was done of black LGBTs and most respondents said they hated the term "queer," yet the academics here champion it. Really, if "queer" is supposed to represent the four groups equally, then this book was quite lacking in its coverage of bisexuals and the transgendered. This is surprising given famous black bisexual writers such as Alice Walker, Stuart Hall, and June Jordan. Often "people of color" is used when only blacks are brought up; Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans barely come up in this book at all. James Baldwin is brought up often here. I understand that. His writings were rigorous and often dealt with racial and sexual issues simultaneously. Still, I kept thinking about how bell hooks once wrote that Toni Morrison gets a lot of attention when publishers won't print the works of black women that are equally as sophisticated. James Baldwin deserves his crown in black, gay letters, but I'm concerned about him being the only one to get to wear a crown. Several books have been printed about the many non-hetero members of the Harlem Renaissance, yet that group hardly comes up here. James is getting a bit played out and the authors here are not helping change that tendency. Finally, I had beef with many of the essays. Charles Nero has great points but his essay is really two works glued together. Can anyone really say the whiteness of New Orleans' "gay ghetto" is due to "Chasing Amy" or "Six Feet Under"? One author could have written quickly about how he supported a gay, feminine student when that student was condemned by a masculine, heterosexual one. Instead, he went on and on in unnecessary jargon and babble. Kara Keeling's essay was 90% theory and 10% a discussion of Dunye's "Watermelon Woman." Why bother to bring up the film if you're barely going to discuss it? I wasn't really feelin' this text, but that's not to say it didn't have great aims 0446532231:the_narrow-minded_get_it:sean_grady 0446532231 Dude, Where's My Country?: Books: Michael Moore books 4 of 8 2.0 May 15, 2006 Sean Grady Dundalk In a review remarkable for saying nothing about the book, Popop from Boston (April 9 below) alludes to some children blown up by an IRA bomb in a North of England shopping center. Popop is very broad-minded. It pains him that anyone would bad-mouth such "armed operations". They were perfectly justified, he explains, because of thousands of innocent Irish Catholics murdered at the hands of the British army. I know why thousands of murders are important to Popop. Without them, while he might justify random bombings in his own mind, he could hardly do so in decent company. But I live in Ireland, not America, where news of these murdered thousands has not reached us. Gerry Adams never said a word about them, not wishing to be laughed out of the country. He had to make the most all these years of a dozen fellows caught in a crossfire in Derry in 1973. I guess he saved the big one for the broad-minded boyos in Boston. What of all those dollars that Popop broad-mindedly dropped in the Semtex collection box? They were not wasted. Thousands of Irish really were murdered - mostly not Catholics but all of them really dead - at the hands of the disorganization that Mr Adams always denied being a member of. To be sure, his non-henchmen failed to terrorize the Northern Irish into caving in, but his enforcer, who can barely write his own name, did get to be Minister of Education (I'm not making this up; I couldn't). Oh, and the book is quite thought-provoking. There's a lot about Bushes, Arabs and the wrong kind of tax-cuts that went over my head. There's wit of a subtlety rarely seen since Voltaire - you can tell by the CAPITALS and !!!!. There are explanations of 9/11 to suit every taste, whichever Bush you blame. Myself, I suspect those Enrons. But Mr Moore did discover: "THERE ... IS ... NO ... TERRORIST ... THREAT!" He paid us a flying visit, dined with some IRA capos who were laughing up their sleeves, and found the solution to the Irish Question without breaking sweat: everybody should be nice to each other 1558505296:this_book_is_a_poorly-written_economic_rant:j._blilie_"barbarossa" 1558505296 Investment Biker: Around the World With Jim Rogers: Books: Jim Rogers books 10 of 14 1.0 September 8, 2005 J. Blilie "Barbarossa" Twin Cities, MN Investment Biker: 1-1/2 stars, just barely escapes the lowest possible rating. This is a book about what a Tom Wolfe-style Master of the Universe does on holiday. It's nearly impossible to have an "adventure" when you are carrying 10(!) platinum credit cards. He got cold and wet a few times, worried about finding gas, didn't always have hotel rooms up to his standards, and had delays at some borders, yawn. The adventure must have been resisting the urge to buy an airline ticket back to New York using one of his many Visa cards. I rode a bicycle around the world for 19 months at about the same time Mr. Rogers was having his "adventure." I am stunned that he perceived so little in his long travels. I don't know how someone could travel in foreign countries that extensively and end up completely unchanged by the experience. However, this fits perfectly with his huge arrogance, which is truly the theme of the book. He already knows it all and will tell you all about it. Which makes one wonder: why did he bother to leave NY City in the first place? I guess it was a good opportunity to pose with and boink the attractive and young (naive and pliable? -- certainly lubricious) daughter of one of his clients. And a good opportunity to pump himself up by feeling superior to all those "brown faces" he's driving through. The arrogance, the arrogance! Typical privileged, right-wing know-it-all. I'd like to see him try to survive in the Peruvian highlands without all his money and fancy equipment. This is not a travel book: Mr. Rogers uses his trip as a way to sell a long economic rant. You can save yourself a lot of time by just reading his final chapter, "Afterword." I will summarize his position: governments are bad; smart, rich guys like me are good (remember October 1929?). Many of his predictions are laughably wrong. He advocated selling the US economy short in 1993. Look at the US stock market performance from 1993 through 2000 ... Gosh! Idiot! Some reviews are touting his prescience on markets. Hello? How about his predictions on the biggest economy in the world? Mr. Rogers' writing is very poor and it's loaded with cliche's. He and Tabitha are always zooming on "powerful steeds" into "gorgeous scenery", or "steep, craggy mountains" into "glitzy, glamorous hotspots" or "delightful, cozy hostels", or across "hot, empty, flat deserts" into "dumps" that are not up to American standards. He'll "describe" one of the greatest mountain chains on earth, the Andes, as "the top of the world" (p. 315) for five short sentences and then move on to more important matters like further adventures with border guards and investing. Great writing? Rubbish! I think he used a computer program to come up with his "descriptions" of the places he went. Mr. Rogers is woefully ignorant about the places he goes - and he doesn't learn anything along the way. He views the world exclusively through the keyhole of economics. Most of the "interesting facts" he mentions about theses places are just wrong. One indicative example: He describes the Moreno Glacier in Argentina as, "one of the few in the world still moving." (p. 294) I found myself laughing out loud many times at his "facts" and descriptions. If you want to understand the distribution of goods in the world, read "Guns, Germs, and Steel," by Jared Diamond. If you want to read about a real motorcycle trip, read Ted Simon's "Jupiter's Travels," or Robert Fulton's, "One-Man Caravan." For good travel books, try: "Seven Years in Tibet" (Harrer), "News from Tartary" (Fleming), "Arabian Sands" (Thesiger), "Gypsy Moth Circles the World" (Chichester), "Sailing Around the World" (Slocum), "Motoring With Mohammed" (Hanson), "Full Tilt" (Murphy), "A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush" (Newby), or "Eastern Approaches" (MacLean) "My Life with the Eskimo" (Stefansson), "Endurance" (Lansing). I could go on and on. "Investment Biker" is poorly-written drivel compared to all these and so many more. "Investment Biker," a classic? That's ridiculous. From another review: "Greatest Book on Finance, Business, Travels Ever" That comment almost leaves me speechless. Obviously written by someone who has read very few travel books indeed 0767906322:good_research_or_...:jvictor 0767906322 The Case for Marriage: Why Married People Are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off Financially: Books: Linda Waite,Maggie Gallagher books 13 of 23 2.0 January 25, 2005 JVictor New York City, USA The Case for Marriage makes arguments supportive of Pres. Bush's policies on marriage. However, Howard Kurtz of The Washington Post (1/26/5) reports that Maggie Gallagher was paid over $40,000 by the Bush Administration to write columns and a "private" report supporting its $300 million HHS marriage initiative. Mr. Kurtz reports that Ms. Gallagher filed a column apologizing to her readers, writing "I should have disclosed a government contract when I later wrote about the Bush marriage initiative. I would have, if I had remembered it." She also states she was "aware vaguely" that her work was federally funded. It must be vaguely hard to remember being paid $40,000. Bad memory, vagueness, national column: what will we say to the children? I wonder who paid Ms. Gallagher to write this book 0060955228:the_incredible_so-whatness_of_being:joe_brooks_"joe_brooks" 0060955228 Under the Volcano: A Novel (Perennial Classics): Books: Malcolm Lowry books 6 of 16 2.0 March 25, 2005 Joe Brooks "Joe Brooks" Ada, OK USA I was lured into reading Under the Volcano after seeing its inclusion on the Modern Library's One Hundred Best of the 20th Century and after reading a reviewer compare it to James Joyce (I am an amateur Joycean who tries to read Ulysess, Portrait of the Artist, and Dubliners at least annually). Lowry has nothing that likens him to Joyce. This book is leaden and tedious. I forced myself to finish it because I hate to start a book and not finish it. But it was no labor of love. It was simply a labor. 1741040760:lacks_detail_and_helpful_tips:ben_coats 1741040760 Lonely Planet Iceland: Books: Joe Bindloss,Paul Handing books 17 of 17 2.0 March 22, 2005 Ben Coats Skopje, Macedonia This is not one of Lonely Planet's best guides. There is suprisingly little information. For example, the book mentions that there are a few companies that give day tours from Rekyavik but doesnt tell you anything about how they compare in price or services. basically, everything in the guide and more can be found at the tourist information center in Rekyavik, which luckily is run very well. I found this really disappointing since Iceland is very expensive and I was hoping to keep down costs (in reality this is almost impossible, even eating at the grocery store I was spending 10 dollars a meal for bread and cheese) Furthermore, Iceland is a very small country and it would have been very easy to have given a lot more details. As with any tour book some of the info is out of date. some of the museums and businesses were closed including the Icelandic Phallogical Museum. It also seemed that this book was written for the high season in the summer months. I went in March and found the information on the offseason limited and sometimes inaccurate. I usually trust Lonely Planet but in this case I would have tried one of the other guide book companies or simply visit the tourist center when you get there. 1423310047:this_is_what_happens_when_someone_reaches_beyond_their_capacity:california_dreamin' 1423310047 Cover of Night: Books: Linda Howard,Joyce Bean and Dick Hill books 5 of 13 1.0 September 15, 2006 California dreamin' California I think the Linda Howard who wrote White Lies, Sarah's Child, Duncan's Bride, MacKenzies Mountain, Diamond Bay,etc. is one of the most talented current romance writers. Unfortunately, when she gave up the genre romances and turned to the "big Time", her writing started to decline. She is clearly in over her head now. What a shame she couldn't stick to a format in which she excelled and warmed the hearts of millions of readers. This just goes to show that one should figure out where one excels and stick to it. This is pure "Peter Principle" in action. Too bad 1585424366:this_is_disturbing..:katrina_stone 1585424366 Evolutionary Witchcraft: Books: T. Thorn Coyle books 23 of 62 1.0 April 7, 2005 Katrina Stone Portland, OR That so many people gave this book five stars really concerns me. Luckily, I bought this book used, otherwise I might be kicking myself for paying full price. Between her utterly uninspired "devotional dances" to things such as sex, wisdom, and the "Sticky One" (a term she made up for the astral body), and her constant blabber about masturbation and rubbing your juices all over everything to "anoint" it, I was unimpressed, to say the least. However, driving on a trip a friend and I got a lot of laughs out of flipping through this book. It's very, very amusing if you don't take it seriously. The thing that makes me sad is that she's just using her sexuality to sell a feel good waste of paper with absolutely no depth. There's nothing evolutionary about it, unless you consider being a wanton, idiotic freak "evolutionary". If this is what humanity is evolving into, I am frightend 1401352294:horrible!__:s._caruso 1401352294 The Twins of Tribeca: A Novel: Books: Rachel Pine books 7 of 13 1.0 September 8, 2005 S. Caruso New York This book dragged on and on. The ending was stupid and the plot was pathetic. Very similiar to The Devil Wears Prada which was also bad. Don't waste your time on this one 1587245647:hopefully_this_series_will_improve!:d._morse_"adventurer" 1587245647 Golden Buddha (Wheeler Large Print Book Series): Books: Clive Cussler,Craig Dirgo books 2 of 2 2.0 August 10, 2006 D. Morse "adventurer" Glendale, AZ USA Unlike Cussler's other series, I found this first story of the "Oregon Files" slow going at first and rather confusing. There are just too many things going on (no problem, I suppose, for multi-taskers!) and way too many characters to keep track of. Also, there's little to no character development even of "Mr. Chairman", Juan Cabrillo. The fact that he and his companions are mercenaries (with a penchant for good deeds that pay well) doesn't compare favorably with the NUMA heroes. However, the plots were intriguing and getting the golden budda out of the country was exciting and more like the roller coaster rides I expect from Mr. Cussler and co-writers. I look forward to the subsequent Oregon Files with high hopes. 1586213954:stick_to_romance,_sparky.:s._cappuccino 1586213954 The Guardian: Books: Nicholas Sparks,Isabelle Keating books 1.0 September 8, 2006 S. Cappuccino New Jersey Sparks must have had a momentary lapse of reason when he decided to take a stab at suspense by writing The Guardian. This book is awful. The storyline is weak and predictable, the dialogue is excruciatingly lame, and the characters are poorly developed and lack depth and chemistry. There is virtually no romance, which is the reason to read Sparks' books. I can't tell you how many times I rolled my eyes at the stupid things people said, the way the dog seems to be human, and the predictability of the plot. This book is so poorly written and so lame I have trouble believing Sparks wrote it. If you want a good plot with romance mixed in, read Message in a Bottle or A Walk to Remember. If you want suspense, read Mary Higgins Clark or Agatha Christie; they do a far better job with it than Sparks does. 0201634600:i_think_contracts_are_not_very_strong_tool:marcin 0201634600 Design by Contract by Example: Books: Richard Mitchell,Jim McKim books 4 of 13 1.0 May 23, 2005 Marcin Poland I read this book and I think presented material is not practical in commercial applications. In my opinion better solution is writting tests and using aspects to integrate applications. I know this is something different from contracts, by I think contracts are to complex, hard to maintain and lacks of support for multithreaded problems. For me another problem with contracts is problem in describing complex constraint that exists in problem domain. For example how to describe that objects must be cloned, not passed by reference or how to check that objects holded by readonly list not change their state during operations on list? Regards, Marci 0613598202:worst_book_in_the_series,_including_the_prequels.:christopher_warrior 0613598202 Remnant: On the Brink of Armageddon: Books: Tim Lahaye books 2 of 4 1.0 February 18, 2006 Christopher Warrior Tampa, FL USA Some may disagree, and in fact, many have asked me why I disliked this one so much; so, here is why: - scratch 'plotting'... by this point in the story, 'plodding' is more accurate. - caracatures over characters. A staple of the series, 2d characters; but by this point, when new characters keep getting introduced this late in the story, it becomes an annoyance, a drag and overkill. - virtually zero gain. the entire first half of the book is a rescue mission for a minor character and the mission, once accomplished (or not) is forgotten by the end of the book. The third fourth of the book finally starts to swing thigns back to the original LB premise of end times doom and gloom thanks to the horrific judgments; sadly, it's very boring and slow. However... -... the book doesn't get good until the last fourth. And that, my friends, is not good for the overall quality of this entry in the series. By this point, it's obvious that the authors were REALLY stretching it. However, as I said, things got really good in the last few chapters and led into 'Armageddon', one of the best books in the series. How ironic. Thumbs way down for Left Behind: The Remnant. It's sad when the best part of the book is a scene involving the antichrist sunbathing on a rooftop. 1566914574:entirely_inaccurate_...:joanne_hanrahan 1566914574 Rick Steves' Rome 2003: Books: Rick Steves,Gene Openshaw books 5 of 8 1.0 October 22, 2004 Joanne Hanrahan El Cerrito, CA ... and the maps are worthless. Two examples of the many glaring inaccuracies contained in this book: 1) Rick claims you can pick up a bus map in any tourist information kiosk. The following is an actual transcript of our conversation with the tourist info lady: us: buon giorno. do you speak english? info lady: of course. us: we'd like to go to Vatican city. may we have a bus map please? info lady: a bus map? for Roma? us: um, yes. info lady: no such thing exists. 2) Rick claims you can see everything you want to see in the Vatican in one morning: St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel - everything. Um, Rick? Have you ever BEEN there? Did you notice the 40,000 other people there all trying to get in to the same things? Did you notice the priceless and beautiful works of art on practically every surface? Did it occur to you that people might, perhaps, want to stop and admire a large number of them? Light a candle? Say a prayer? Some of us, also, have to behind a crowd of 35 elderly Germans to look at Michaelangelo's Pieta, and everything else. Methinks ol' Rick either spends an average of 15 minutes apiece on the most astonishing and pleasurable spots in Rome, or is comfortable elbowing foreign senior citizens in the ribs 0440225647:don't_waste_your_money:ts 0440225647 The Complete Book of Food Counts - 6th Edition (Ctn Food Counts): Books: Corinne T. Netzer books 1 of 2 1.0 March 8, 2006 TS This book is not very helpful and confusing to use. A lot of the information it provides is information you can read on the food labels IF you buy those brands. 0786936886:capable_but_strange:christopher_r. 0786936886 Weapons of Legacy: A Magic Series Supplement (Dungeons & Dragons Supplement): Books: Bruce R. Cordell,Kolja Raven Liquette,Travis Stout books 2 of 5 2.0 February 19, 2006 Christopher R. Gives many examples of Weapons, most of which are useful. Gives no/few examples of Rings/Armours/Rods/Staffs/Shields Doesn't really think out a lot of the bonuses, also I question a lot of the penalties one has to take to use a Legacy weapon. About the only table worth taking is 4-1, or 4-2. Sure its a minus three to your saves, and a minus 2 to your attack power, and a whole SLEW of HP. The rest of them are so painful they aren't worth taking. Also all the caster "Tables" the ones your suppost to use if your a caster but losing caster levels and spell slots left and right doesn't make any sense. No matter what feats and wizardry skills its not worth it. Those could have been more thought out. Also I question the fact that in some cases the lowest tables, A, D, and G. Seem to be a lot better than the B, E and H tables just from the way they interact with things. I do fully agree that the top end capability you can add to your Legacy item is quite powerful, the I table is filled with many useful things the you wish you could have picked two of them. What I wish/want was if they're was some way to trade lower level slots to get you the capacity to get two I table skills. Also some way to get either more or less slots if you take a less dangerous or more dangerous tables of the legacy grid. The rules for weapons and fighters/barbarians/paladins/rangers. Are very well thought out and are very powerful. Yet for anyone other class they need heavy modification to be workable. In a Caster heavy campaign like the one I run and participate in its a very low value book 1562614789:mostly_useless:f._solomon 1562614789 Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book & Dictionary: Books: Rick Steves books 1 of 1 1.0 September 6, 2006 F. Solomon Melrose, MA USA I found the book very difficult to use and almost never had what I was looking for. The small dictionary in the back of my eyewitness travel guide was much more useful 037570745X:the_only_book_i've_wanted_to_throw_away:e._deerin 037570745X In the Fall: A Novel: Books: Jeffrey Lent books 0 of 6 1.0 February 14, 2005 E. Deerin Scotland, UK It's not that the actual story is nonsense but they guy has included so much 'fluff' that you get board waiting on a paragraph with real content. This book was so frustrating, I really wish I had saved myself the bother of reading it 1933405368:not_for_a_family_with_kids:kiwanissandy_"go_bucks!" 1933405368 Real Simple: The Organized Home (Real Simple S.): Books: Editors of Real Simple Magazine books 27 of 33 1.0 December 13, 2004 kiwanissandy "Go Bucks!" Heart of Ohio The photos are beautiful, the designs are just wonderful...but if you have kids this is not real life. This is a magazine lifestyle. You could only do this if you had an unlimited budget, there are no true solutions for real families with real children and real budgets. Sure my home could be organized if I had an open checkbook and could have such fabulous built-ins, and all the baskets I could buy! Stick with the real simple magazine and leave the book for the coffee table. B000C4T4R4:surprisingly_hyped:pandochka B000C4T4R4 Snakes and Earrings: Books: Hitomi Kanehara books 4 of 7 2.0 July 25, 2005 pandochka New York, NY This book is mostly hype. The writing is not that great. Japan must be really dying out if the country of some of the world's great literary giants can award such a prize for such weak work. However the book has erotic energy and is fresh in that way. If you are a serious reader skip this book. 084233968X:its_over_guys_:660_magnum_"snb" 084233968X The Mark: The Beast Rules the World (Left Behind, 8): Books: Tim F. LaHaye,Jerry B. Jenkins,Frank Muller books 2 of 2 1.0 June 26, 2006 660 magnum "SNB" NY This is a kids book. First few had my attention but since then its getting worse with each book. 0553456504:not_that_funny:m._t._meaney 0553456504 I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years: Books: Bill Bryson books 1.0 November 10, 2006 M. T. Meaney I keep reading and listening to his books because everyone says how good they are, but I have never found this to be so. He always strikes me as someone who potters around never really interacting with people who then goes home and writes about it. He seems more at home studying statistics (which he includes everywhere) and drawing his own facile conclusions from these statistics. I always imagine him stuck in his room reading his newspaper, surfing the net and smugly summing up his brief interactions with people in the real world. All his travel books are equally awful as he never really interacts with anyone - just comments on them later. Still lots of people think he is grea 0816157650:disappointing:athena_"been_there,_done_that" 0816157650 The Silver Palate Cookbook (G.K. Hall Large Print): Books: Julee Rosso,Sheila Lukins,Michael McLaughlin,Silver Palate (Shop) books 1.0 September 28, 2006 Athena "Been there, done that" Midwest USA Sorry guys, I looked forward to working on recipes from this cookbook due to the very enthusiastic reception it received from the media. The graphics of the book are truly beautiful. The recipes however, hmmm, try again. I followed a simple recipe for Apple Crisp and got a bad result. I now go to respected standard cookbooks for my Apple Crisp recipe and the old family favorite always turns out great. Really people, the recipes are NOT the stuff of greatness. Graphics? Great. Photography? Great? Recipes? You have got to be kidding 0865475369:escaping_the_massive_yawn:"s-ray" 0865475369 Trickster Makes This World: Mischief, Myth, & Art: Books: Lewis Hyde books 2 of 8 2.0 August 23, 2000 "s-ray" Synchronous City Imagine, just as I was getting bored with this book, through an odd act of contingence its binding literally fell apart in my hands. A Loki-Eshu-hermetic encounter? What a thankful rescue. Rambling and indulgent, such repetition would be better kept to a long essay rather than a full book. A trickster's story, indeed 0380802643:the_old_feint_and_switch:m._hori_"jesse_glass" 0380802643 The Field Guide to Ghosts and Other Apparitions (Field Guides to the Unknown): Books: Patrick Huyghe,Hilary Evans books 3 of 5 2.0 May 9, 2003 M. Hori "Jesse Glass" Urayasu, Chiba Japan So you pick up this book and read on the back cover the exciting quote about Hemingway's ghost and you're ready to drop some cash, right? Guess what--there's zero information about the Hemingway haunting in this book! In addition, old Ataulfo of Madrid has less words wasted on him than an asthmatic's version of Handel's Halleluja Chorus. Instead, what's offered here is a rehash of old stories (and old theories about what ghosts could be) with insipid, comic book illustrations. Why this is called a "field guide" with its connotation of an exhaustive reference to every kind of manifestation of a particular phenomenon--be it birds, plants, or mushrooms--is yet another part of the mystery of why this book exists. If you're a serious researcher of this subject, then pass this book up and seek Hem's fetch elsewhere 0679745645:filth,_rot,_and_decay:amy_ross_"advice_columnist" 0679745645 Other Voices, Other Rooms: Books: Truman Capote books 6 of 41 1.0 January 27, 2006 Amy Ross "advice columnist" Providence, RI Creepiest book ever. How can I describe it? It's like waking from fevered dreams to find yourself in a bathtub filled with molasses and blood, and flies crawling in and out of your eyes, your nose, the corners of your mouth. It is unpleasant. I don't know, I hate to be the philistine, and I suppose it's a good thing that these books exist, for other people, but for me? I don't want to live in such ugliness 0698113578:not_age_appropriate:pattycakes 0698113578 The Five Chinese Brothers (Paperstar): Books: Claire Huchet Bishop,Kurt Wiese books 2 of 17 1.0 August 13, 2006 pattycakes Leaving the racism issue aside, this is not a book for small children. Even if everything turns out OK in the end, I'm not prepared to expose my children to issues of capital punishment and the drowning death of a small boy. Small children forget the ending and focus on the scary parts in between. Perhaps I'm a softie, but let's allow them to be children and not worry about being wrongfully accused of murder and sentenced to death by beheading. Just because it's a classic doesn't make it appropriate reading. 0698113578:forget_the_racism_argument....what_about_the_drownings,_executions,_burnings_at_the_stake,_suffocations.....:lin_"childrens'_book_addict_from_downunder" 0698113578 The Five Chinese Brothers (Paperstar): Books: Claire Huchet Bishop,Kurt Wiese books 5 of 27 1.0 August 18, 2005 Lin "childrens' book addict from downunder" Australia Racism is not the problem with this book - sure...5 Chinese brothers look alike -maybe they look alike because they are brothers, not because they are Chinese. I bought this book because generally I love the books written in earlier times - they have a quaintness about their stories and illustrations that can transport you and your child to another time. This book does have engaging illustrations. What I find disturbing is the fact that this is a book for children yet: (1) a little boy drowns, never to be seen again (2) one brother is tried, arrested and sentenced to have his head cut off (3) the people of the village assemble in the village to witness the execution where the "executioner took his sword and struck a mighty blow" (4) the next brother was sentenced to be drowned and was thrown overboard from a boat (5) the next brother is sentenced to be burned alive - he was tied up to a stake and set fire (6) the next brother is sentenced to be suffocated - he's shovelled into an oven This is no more appropriate for a child (or adult for that matter) in 1936 than it is in 2005. Now, a lot of you are probably thinking I'm one of those mothers who just needs to get a sense of humour and lighten up. I'm not...I love the Giving Tree, and can put naughty Eloise (and the smoking nanny) in context, as I can many other books that polarise readers. I really wanted to like this book but trust me....if you buy it, you will have lots of uncomfortable explaining to do to a young child. An eight year old may be able to put it in context, but there is no way you should read this to a four year old. If you want a great book written in the 1930s, buy Ferdinand the Bull instead. It's a fantastic book. 078617465X:disappointing:a_reader 078617465X Shantaram: Library Edition: Books: Gregory David Roberts,Humphrey Bower books 2 of 9 1.0 October 20, 2006 A Reader Australia Unfotrunately Shantaram did not grab my imagination at all. Nor did I find it emotionally satisfying. I realize Shataram is meant to be a kind of Bollywood story - over the top, flowery, cliched etc. but the Bollywood movies I've seen have been engaging and strangely satisfying, despite their soppyness etc. Shantaram was not engaging because the poor writing and shallow characters spoil the story. 0441011357:yawn..........:l._maynard 0441011357 Monument: Books: Ian Graham books 1 of 2 1.0 May 21, 2006 L. Maynard Dallas, Tx First I have to admit, I only read 150 pages of this book. That was all I could possibly stand. Life is just too short to waste on a book you don't enjoy reading. Ballas, our main character, is a drunk and a scoundrel. One is not sure whether they should root for or against him. He is a vagrant, thief, and all around not so nice guy. He steals a mysteriously beautiful gemstone, which sets into motion something........I got too bored to stick around and find out what. The first 150 pages are filled with Ballas being beaten within an inch of his life, coming to, healing enough to move on, only to be beaten within an inch of his life again. ok, we get it, let's get on with the story. I just got too bored to stay with this one folks. Maybe it got better, but to me, if an author can't write well enough to grab and maintain my attention, their book isn't worth my time. There are too many great books out there. Read this one at your own risk, if you can stay awake through it, that is 1861974957:some_merit,_but_overall_flawed:tim_peters 1861974957 Our Posthuman Future: Books: Francis Fukuyama books 1 of 2 2.0 August 24, 2006 Tim Peters massachusetts, US By arguing that human rights comes from some vague concept of "dignity" and "familiarity" rather than sentience and feeling, Fukuyama brings to mind the European colonists who considered Africans no more than "common beasts." His philosophy, although argued in a tone that seems reasonable, is at turns startingly narrow-minded and genetically-racist. Not reccomended: readers should look otherwheres for a more balanced and less judgemental review of biotechnology and ethics 0553382411:the_elegant_gathering_of_white_snows:teabag 0553382411 The Elegant Gathering of White Snows: Books: Kris Radish books 1.0 November 11, 2006 teabag WI Don't waste your money on this book. I will finish the book because it is our book club choice. The characters are shallow and self centered. The writing is middle school quality. Kris Radish seems to have an agenda she is pushing and she was going to get it all into this book come hell or high water. No poetry and no beauty, I could care less about the women in this book. Who could possibly think life's problems could be solved by walking away from them while drinking lots of wine? I treasure my sisters and women friends but I wouldn't want to be a friend to any of these women. I would give it no stars if I could 0553583182:the_power_of_your_subconscious_mind_-_abridged_cd:k._lowe 0553583182 The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, Revised Edition: Books: Joseph Murphy books 8 of 10 1.0 August 27, 2006 K. Lowe The book is AMAZING! The CD is HORRIBLE! Stick to reading the book yourself. I have over 45 audio books...and this was like listen to a bad commercial. I had to turn it off. There is no connection between the narrator and the words he is reading. They don't even state who the narrator is! I recommend the book to anyone. The content is life changing 0385482493:the_celts_in_ireland:celtic_historian 0385482493 The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels (Hinges of History): Books: Thomas Cahill books 2 of 14 2.0 June 11, 2006 Celtic Historian 721 BC Mr. Cahills book offers an interesting and controversial take on history. He is an excellent and compelling writer, but his differentiation between pre and post diaspora Israelites when discussing the Celts in several of his books is not always clear. It was only the post-Babylonian diaspora Southern Kingdom Israelites who came to be known as Jews, around 500 BC. It was the post-Assyrian diaspora (721 BC) of the larger ten-tribed Northern Kingdom Israelites who became what we today call the Celts. It is they who are both the Island Celts who populated Ireland, Scotland, Wales, etc., and their cousins, the Continental Celts who sacked the Roman Empire under many Celtic tribal names and who make up most of northwest Europe today. The author could perhaps clarify this part of his presentations on European history by reviewing losttribes.net or any other modern Celtic site based on contemporary archeology. 1563052830:disappointing:athena_"been_there,_done_that" 1563052830 Silver Palate Cookbook: Books: Julee Rosso,Sheila Lukins,Michael McLaughlin books 1.0 September 28, 2006 Athena "Been there, done that" Midwest USA Sorry guys, I looked forward to working on recipes from this cookbook due to the very enthusiastic reception it received from the media. The graphics of the book are truly beautiful. The recipes however, hmmm, try again. I followed a simple recipe for Apple Crisp and got a bad result. I now go to respected standard cookbooks for my Apple Crisp recipe and the old family favorite always turns out great. Really people, the recipes are NOT the stuff of greatness. Graphics? Great. Photography? Great? Recipes? You have got to be kidding 0743523210:narcissistic_twaddle:favouritedress 0743523210 The Noonday Demon: An Atlas Of Depression: Books: Andrew Solomon books 7 of 29 2.0 August 25, 2005 favouritedress Somerville, MA All I could think was, "Damn, if I had so many friends at my beck and call to talk me down off the ledge, I'd never be depressed." I don't know quite how to explain it, but I felt no empathy for him. I only ended up feeling more depressed. As a history of depression, the level of research was quite impressive. If you read Prozac Nation and wanted to punch her out, steer clear of this one as well 0130870528:simple,_elegant_and_wrong:john_hruschka 0130870528 The Choice: A Fable of Free Trade and Protectionism Updated Edition: Books: Russell D. Roberts books 2 of 11 2.0 July 26, 2005 John Hruschka Bellefonte, PA USA Roberts' little fable pits a wholly benign free-trade against absolute protectionism and guess which one looks better. Based on the theories of David Ricardo, the fable assumes that every worker in the world is always treated fairly and every boss is kind and responsible. In The Choice there are no sweat shops and no corrupt CEOs. Fables like The Choice (or the "free-market economy" for that matter) are easy to believe because we want the world to be that simple. That's why the book is dangerous. The Choice has almost nothing to do with the real world, but it sounds good. The argument is so seamless that it appears almost unassailable. If you buy Roberts' version of Ricardo, however, you must accept Wal-Mart as the epitome of business virtue. Roberts may be a great guy, and he certainly writes well. Unfortunately, his book begins with a series of fallacious premises and works its way toward a conclusion that is simple, elegant, and horribly wrong 0380762277:not_quite_what_i_expected:"bermie" 0380762277 20,001 Names For Baby: Revised and Updated: Books: Carol McD. Wallace books 23 of 25 2.0 January 4, 2000 "bermie" Silverdale, WA United States This book turned out to be a disappointing resource. Although the book includes 20,001 names, many are unlikely and outlandish (Klotild, Edwige, Ghislain, Ethelbert, Birtle), making it arduous to sift through to find the names more worthy of consideration 0451527704:not_the_great_american_novel:christmas_in_march 0451527704 An American Tragedy (Signet Classics): Books: Theodore Dreiser,Richard Lingeman books 5 of 10 1.0 March 15, 2006 Christmas in March "An American Tragedy" by Theodore Dreiser is considered one of the greatest American books ever written. This may be the case if you can get past the first chapter. Five times, I have tried to read this book. To date, I am 0 for 5, having fallen asleep each time trying to read it. If you're a bit of a lazy reader or one who doesn't want to work through a book, this is not for you. Try Mark Twain instead 0814798462:distortion_of_john_e._holts_public_record:john_e._holt 0814798462 The Digital Person: Technology And Privacy In The Information Age: Books: Daniel J. Solove books 0 of 1 1.0 July 16, 2006 John E. Holt Professor Solove comments about me on page 147 are out and out lies. Search washingtonpost.com news archives for "john and holt and and gsa" for the true story. John Emory Holt 1594131252:her_weakest_by_far:karen 1594131252 Hard Truth: Books: Nevada Barr books 1 of 2 2.0 September 12, 2006 Karen a recently paralyzed ice climber I've read all of Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon books and enjoyed every one of them until I reached Hard Truth. After writing so many intellligent, suspenseful stories, Barr has joined what seems to be an open competition among mystery writers to see who can come up with the most despicable crime. Murder's not nasty enough? How about the murder of children? Still not gruesome enough? Add incest/rape/torture...you get the picture. Ostensibly such books are meant to give the reader insight into the minds of evil villains, but really, who cares? The kind of evil depicted in these books is not just disgusting but banal. It's like bad language in humor--in general, it's just a cover for bad writing. In Hard Truth, Barr outdoes all of the competition for sheer nastiness, in the process leaving out the features that make her other books so enjoyable: the charm and intelligence of her main charcter, the well-reasoned defense of nature, the lush descriptions of each story's setting. I found this book neither enlightening nor remotely enjoyable. I give it two stars for an interesting but largely wasted character (a recently paralyzed ice climber), but otherwise I'm sorry I spent my time and money on it 0764534556:koffee_table_gloss.:b._chandler_"xyzzy" 0764534556 Web Design Studio Secrets: Books: Deke McClelland,Katrin Eismann,Terri Stone,Steve Broback books 4 of 5 2.0 November 25, 2000 B. Chandler "xyzzy" Arlington, Texas Some times it is nice to have a book that points out the obvious. You can be too close to a problem to notice the obvious. Unfortunately this book is too obvious. And it is all fluff with no substance. Wait you say. This is a design book what do you want? Code? I really wanted design. So where is it? Between the pages that tell how to use exotic tools to do what html can? Or is it between the lines that keep emphasizing speed? Or is it that this is one big advertisement for the contributors? Oh well, it makes you look scholarly to have this book on the Koffee table 1596075597:where_did_ja_jance_go?:kittimama_"kittimama" 1596075597 Edge of Evil: Books: J. A. Jance,Kris Faulkner books 3 of 4 1.0 March 12, 2006 kittimama "kittimama" Hay Springs, NE USA I own and have read all of JA Jance's JP Beaumont and Joanna Brady mysteries and eagerly look forward to the next episodes in these character's lives. I picked this book up, thinking it would be on par with all the JA Jance books I've read previously. What a crashing disappointment. I can't care about stereotypical characters in unbelievable situations - truth be told, I kept looking at the cover to see if I'd picked up a Harlequin by mistake. I'll probably read more Ali Reynolds books if this is indeed a new series, but I'd much rather see what happens with JP and Joanna - incidentally, I didn't think much of either of them, either, when their paths crossed some books ago. This one gets a big "Aw, c'mon, JA, you can do much better than this!" from me. For those who haven't read previous books and happened to have the bad luck to pick this one up as your first JAJ, get the JP Beaumonts and start at the beginning. They are worth the time and effort 0310224810:good_first_effort_but_needs_improvement.:m._fuller 0310224810 New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, The: Books: Stanley M. Burgess,Eduard M. van der Maas,Ed van der Maas books 3 of 3 2.0 July 17, 2004 M. Fuller Calgary, Alberta Canada Considering that this is virtually the first attempt (as far as I know) at a Dictionary of the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement, this is a good start. It is worth the price for what it does contain but it is not without glaringflaws.The title "International" leads one to expect much more coverage of Pentecost outside of the U.S. Canada, where Pentecostal movements thrived in parallel with those in the U.S., is given very scanty treatment.Some major early Canadian apostles, such as O.J. Lovik, are skipped entirely. There is also too much opportunity given for some controversial movements to propagandize. A balanced article would necessitate an article by an unbiased observer, rather than by the leaders of those movements.Finally, there is too much credence and space given to sociological assessments of a movement that requires, above all else, keen spiritual discernment to separate the wheat from the chaff. That said, I will consult my copy often, for the great amount of useful material it does contain 0886461243:sex_belongs_in_the_bedroom_not_in_the_library!!!!!!!:jon_deepcreek 0886461243 Tropic of Cancer: Books: Henry Miller,Martin Balsam books 2 of 28 1.0 May 24, 2006 Jon Deepcreek This book is filthy. I had to take a shower after I read it. Why doesn't he get a job? Why does he have to live in France? Why doesn't he save his money instead of investing it in alcohol and hookers? So many questions. People just think this book deserves a place on the same shelf as say James Michenier because it was banned. It was banned because it's a bad book 0060193611:a_find_magazine_article_padded_to_book_length:dave_"df" 0060193611 The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology: Books: Simon Winchester books 5 of 11 2.0 December 9, 2005 Dave "df" Melbourne Beach, FL USA Mr. Winchester takes an interesting subject, collects enough material to make a fine article in, say, National Geographic, and somehow pads it out to several hundred pages in length. (Case in point, a chapter devoted to how he found an interesting fossil by the seaside while a kid, but loses it, and his journey back to the site of this failure of his to wallow in the misery of this horrible loss. Ick. Self-induldgent. Boring.) Worse, still, even where there is a potential for interesting and enlightening material, such as relates, say, to the subject's wife, all Mr. Winchester bothers to give us are some gossipy speculations. I guess extensive research might have been too time consuming. Numerous times I considered stopping reading the book because the writing was so dreadful, but the subject was just interesting enough to keep me going, hence my review of two stars. John McPhee could have covered the actual science of geology way better than Mr. Winchester, and just about any other author could have done a better job of telling the personal story 0060562994:long_on_drama,_woefully_short_on_credibility:ray_rae_goldman 0060562994 Jimi Hendrix: The Man, the Magic, the Truth: Books: Sharon Lawrence books 19 of 31 2.0 August 16, 2005 Ray Rae Goldman Venice, CA - USA While I applaud Ms. Lawrence for educating fans on the gross injustices within the Hendrix family and for having a commendable understanding of Janie Hendrix's psychological make up that is lost even on many who are within her orbit, there are some very serious credibility problems here. While even the idle Hendrix fan knows Jimi was born in King County Hospital, (Now Harbor View) Lawrence states he was born at the home of a family friend.(Ouch) Jimi is quoted allegedly verbatum throughout the book but from some alledged tapes of interviews that no one has seen or heard and that Lawrence conveniently plans on destroying so 'no one can profit from them'.Meanwhile cigarette packs (yes, cigarette packs) and necklaces are being sold via ebay or to private collectors allegedly having belonged to Hendrix ,siting Ms. Lawrence as the previous owner and source of authenticity. At one point she aledgedly quotes Hendrix as saying: "The LSD passed around San Francisco was a fabulous discovery for me, I'd taken acid in London but...." Aside from Jimi's use of the word 'fabulous' being at best incredulous, the fact that Hendrix had already tried LSD in New York in 1996 before going to England and subsequently Monterey is common knowledge among afficianados and again makes all of these alledged direct quotes questionable. Those of you who have listened to and read the hundreds of hours of interviews available through collectors, official releases and press clippings will also find some of the wording of these alledged quotes that the book, and the credibility of it's author are based on, extremely suspect. At one point Ms. Lawrence even offers an aledged quote from Hendrix's mother who passed away in 1958: "Jimi baby" she told her son "I have to escape this" While quotes like this can illicit an emotional response from the average reader,they are clearly fictional. Throughout the book people close to Jimi are referenced but very sparsely quoted, if at all. I shared the recount of Jimi's trip to Berkeley as a small child (Pg.5) with Jimi's aunt Delores and she laughed openly and wondered aloud where people come up with these stories. This from a woman who was actually there and involved in planning said trip. While making a reference to Ernestine Benson and misstakenly referring to her husband Cornel as "Bill" , Lawrence again allegedly quotes Hendrix in lieu of an actual interview with the Benson's who are both still living and have incredible first hand insights having lived with the Hendrix's. Lawrence's assertion that Hendrix committed suicide simply because his journal was left out is no less ridiculous than Jimi's adopted stepsister Janie's claim that Jimi didn't OD. Lawrence then stops just short of gleefully giving herself credit for Monika's suicide, but the jist is clear. This book is more than a bit narcissistic with Lawrence lauding herself as much as she does her subject. While proclaiming herself to be a close confident of Hendrix' the general consensus is that she wasn't around that much, if people even know who she is at all. For a much more well researched and credible look into Jimi's life read Electric Gypsy or even more so , the new book Room Full Of Mirrors by Charles Cross. The Man, The Magic, The Truth, while very dramatic, is rife with glaring inaccuracies and is for the most part a novel about the author and her subject, not a biography or a reliable historical record. Unless these alledged tapes that are widely quoted throughout the entire book are made available, their legitimacy and the legitimacy of the book will forever be questioned. Ray Rae Goldman Archivist/Historian James Marshall Hendrix Foundatio 013017291X:horrible:"physiologyguy" 013017291X Evolutionary Analysis (2nd Edition): Books: Scott Freeman,Jon C. Herron books 6 of 18 1.0 March 4, 2004 "physiologyguy" Bought this one for Evolution class. It is a horrible excuse for a textbook. Do not buy this book unless it is for a middle school student. If the authors think this book has been written for an advanced audience, then I would suggest that anyone interested in learning evolution not attend University of Washington 0395859999:jkg_thinks_he_funny._he's_not.:michael_a._kelly_"highgamma" 0395859999 The Great Crash 1929: Books: John Kenneth Galbraith books 4 of 8 2.0 August 28, 2005 Michael A. Kelly "highgamma" Basking Ridge, NJ USA While I did find the book informative and a good supplement to Robert Sobel's The Great Bull Market: Wall Street in the 1920s, Galbraith interjects his sarcastic view of the participants in the 1920s Bull Market way too much. This makes parts of the book extremely difficult to read. While I persevered to the end, I fouynd Sobel's account as informative and much more enjoyable to read 0395859999:book_shows_age:dan2345 0395859999 The Great Crash 1929: Books: John Kenneth Galbraith books 4 of 16 2.0 November 13, 2004 Dan2345 Los Angeles I was very disapointed by this book. After just finishing the 400+ pages book "Bull! from Maggie Mahar" which is an absolute ecxellent book about market cycles (although the more recent boom of 1982-1999), "The great Crash" was really hard to read. It totally shows its age (it was written more than 50 years ago). The language is hard to understand and some words seem weird in todays time. But its not just the language which makes this book not enjoyable. It is not written with much entertainment value, and the book I mentioned earlier shows clearly that it is quite possible to write an very entertaining book about the stock market. It also is very superficial, it doesn't go into much detail at all. It doesn't tell any examples of real people or anything which would make the book more readable. It lists names and companies without doing a good part of explaning why it lists them. Sometimes I was thinking to myself "Please get to your point." That book was probably a good read in 1955 while people still could relate to most of the names he lists. But now (2004) there must be better books out there about the Crash of 1929. I give it two stars and not one (you can't give zero stars) because it has some interesting facts. Overall I would NOT recommend this book. Try another one about this subject 0312336853:very_disappointing...:a_physician 0312336853 Shooter: The Autobiography of the Top-Ranked Marine Sniper: Books: Jack Coughlin,Casey Kuhlman,Donald A. Davis books 7 of 16 1.0 September 2, 2006 A Physician Dallas, TX USA I have been reading a series of autobiographical accounts of modern day warriors and had high hopes for this title. As others have pointed out, Coughlin's ego can be suffocating at times. This could be forgiven if it were the books only flaw. Alas it is not. The writing is amateurish at best and the author's overuse of adjective and hyperbole is very distracting. The language is disjointed and unnatural as if it were written with the heavy use of a thesaurus. Again this could be forgiven as we're reading this book for a soldier's account, not that of an English grad student. This book offers a stark contrast in comparison with Nathaniel Fick's "One Bullet Away." Whereas Fick seems to be an intelligent, thoughtful and humble warrior whose primary concern is the welfare of his men, Coughlin conveys himself as a shallow intellect with more concern for personal glory and satisfaction than anything else. He is a team player when he hand picks the team and considers them worthy of his own company. You cannot know a person from reading their writing but Coughlin's character development is very superficial. His attempts to convey a "human side" are unbelievable and seem grossly contrived. This is a great contrast to the character development in "One Bullet." There is no connection between author and reader in "Shooter." Coughlin does not develop the role players either. In "One Bullet" you really feel the brotherhood developed among the officer, his NCOs and the enlisted men. Additionally, Coughlin's demeaning descriptions of his support staff (non-trigger pullers) is tedious and only reinforces doubts about his team ethic. To make matters worse the action isn't as well developed as in other titles. The author's self-congratulatory tone and emphasis on personal exploits, with plenty of after-action chest thumping, obscures the view of battle. He spends little time on the finer elements of sniper tradecraft, training and shooting. This can be found elsewhere. Overall this book was a great disappointment. If only a fraction of Coughlin's self-acclaimed exploits are true, then he is a remarkable sniper. He should let his accomplishments speak for themselves and not try to beat us over the head with them 1593359527:survivor_in_death:r._hanak 1593359527 Survivor in Death (In Death): Books: J.D. Robb,Susan Ericksen books 0 of 6 1.0 January 29, 2006 R. Hanak the beginning of this book was excellent, but dont be fooled, the first few chapters are the only decent part of this book. the rest of the book is just filled with sex and the ultimate downfall is that there is no foreshadowing to the killers. what's the point of writing it if the reader cant try to figure out who the murderers were. this was one of the worst books i have ever read, i'd call it a trashy romance novel with a hint of mystery. dont waste your time reading it 0521829542:cambridge's_normal_skeptical_view:milo 0521829542 Architecture and Mathematics in Ancient Egypt: Books: Corinna Rossi books 3 of 8 2.0 December 14, 2005 Milo Sacramento, CA Several reviews of this book, published elsewhere, stress the contents of Rossi's analysis were more focused toward the skeptical side of Egyptian math and construction methods. Rossi, therefore is being fairly depicted as publishing new information within unproven paradigms. On the math side, Rossi mentions Fibonacci's algorithm and phi, two paradigms that clearly were not used in ancient Egypt, though many like to suggest that they were. The Fibonacci algorithm idea was introduced after 1891 and J.J. Sylvester's skeptical views of the RMP's 2/nth table, are reference point to 1202 AD and the Liber Abaci, but not a reference point of Egypt. Egypt used more subtle ideas like http://egyptianmath.blogspot.com and http://akhmimwoodentablet.blogspot.com . Yet, Hultsch in 1895 clearly showed that Ahmes in 1650 BC easily wrote out 2/p series into short and concise unit fraction series using a very simple partitioning method (as Ahmes wrote out n/p answers in his 'false position' algebra problems, ie. 5/19 written out in a long awkward series using 1/12th as the first partition, as he did for 2/19, as describe a couple paragraphs below. Ahmes wrote 5/19 per, 5/19 - 1/12 = (60 - 19)/(12*19) = (38 + 2 + 1)/(12*19) or, 5/19 = 1/6 + 1/12 + 1/114 + 1/228). Clearly modern scholars (two being Robins-Shute) have often suggested that 'false supposition' was used by Ahmes, hinting that Ahmes guessed at his answers. Ahmes never guessed! Ahmes' answers were always exact when he worked with rational numbers. Moderm scholars were the ones that had guessed, and missed, finding Ahmes deeper methods. Interestingly no scholar, until very recently, has claimed to have read Ahmes' shorthand notes. Modern scholars had sadly filled inlogical gaps left by Ahmes with their own intellectual guesses - many of which have been proven to be wrong (as Rossi had not learned, since he referenced none of the controversial Eguptian fraction and weights and measures issues). Bruins also discovered the Hultsch method in 1945, and today the method is named the Hultsch-Bruin method. It says that 2/p = 1/A + (2A -p)/Ap where A, a highly divisible number selected in the range p/2 < A < p with the divisors of A uniquely added to (2A -p) thereby solving (2A-p)/Ap. Example, 2/19 = 1/12 + (24 -19)/(12*19) = 1/12 + (3 + 2)/(12*19) = 1/12 + 1/76 + 1/114 with the (4 + 1) alternative being discarded since its last denominator was too large. Rossi also mentions that Egyptian division may have followed an inverse operation of its multiplication 'doubling' method. Here also Rossi did not seen the simple remainder arithmetic found in RMP #62 where 100/13 = 7 + 9/13 = 7 + 2/3 + 1/39. Generally Ahmes and all scribes divided by this Q = quotient and R = remainder method. The Akhmim Wooden Tablet even shows a special method for grain and volume division where a hekat unity 64/64 was divided by n, with n < 64, as (64/64)/n = Q/64 + R/(n*64) Even more interesting, Ahmes also used this method to divide 100 hekat by 70, with his final form matching the Akhmim Wooden tablet's special use of ro = 1/320th of a hekat, by: (6400/64)/70 = 91/64 + 30/(70*64) and introducing ro = 1/320 of a hekat, = (1 +16 + 8+ 2 + 1)/64 = (150/70)* 1/320 = 1+ 1/4 + 1/8 + 1/32+ 1/64 + (2 + 1/7)*ro I'll not go on and discuss Rossi' view of Egyptian architecture being the above her standard Cambridge skeptical comments. Overall, many accept Rossi's view as informative, and I do as well, in limited areas. However, on the math side of Rossi's quick use of a Sylvester's and other recent skeptical techniques, all disproven years ago, shows that her Cambridge training needs to be expanded to read the Egyptian mathematical texts. Clearly Ahmes and his brother/sister scribes are the only experts that should guide our understanding of Egyptian math. 1594200793:wade_:herbert_barger 1594200793 Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors: Books: Nicholas Wade books 3 of 9 2.0 November 8, 2006 Herbert Barger Ft. Washington, Md. USA I give this book a low rating because of the misinformation that Nicholas Wade has presented and in the manner it was presented, "DNA and the Secret Family of Thomas Jefferson." This most difinitive "unproven" statement leads the unsuspecting reader to believe that he "seems" to know so much about genetics and early man that he knows all about the Jefferson-Hemings DNA Study and for what "reason" he sees fit to include it into a serious scientific book as being very suspect as mentioned by some reviewers. He seems to not associate science and truth together as it pertains to the Jefferson-Hemings controversy. Unless I overlooked it, I saw no reference to the excellent work that genetist Spencer Wells is performing for National Geographic Socity. I assisted this study by providing access to Jefferson DNA sources. The result of a match was found in the early Phoenicians,(Caanites mentioned in the bible)and in lands that today are Syria and Lebanon. From what I know of the study (I assisted Dr. E.A. Foster with the DNA study), Mr. Wade's analysis of this is extremely limited, in fact, it is extremely biased. "Thomas Jefferson fathered an unacknowledged family with his slave mistress Sally Hemings" (pg 257). What truthful fact does he have to give this statement? He makes the most of giving details by lying James Callender and lying Samuel Wetmore/Madison Hemings in Pike Co., Ohio. Why the details in a book topic such as this? I will give you serious readers on the serious DNA topic my opinion. As you may see in my several reviews of other biased books, these authors know nothing of the details of the DNA Study but spread old early biased media tales. He did not inform you that a team of blue ribbon scholars (13 senior professors) for the Scholars Commission ([...]) and determined that there is no proof that Jefferson is guilty of these charges. You may read on my web page: www.angelfire.com/va/TJTruth all the details of this study. He cannot plead ignorance of the details because I sent him my research early in the media blitz and any reporter not using the many search engines to thoroughly search a subject is most suspect in my opinion. Can any serious researcher read his book and believe he/she is receaving accurate knowledge. My knowledge of the other topics he has written about is limited, BUT I do know this Jefferson-Hemings Study and he has done no current or original research. He references Annette Gordon-Reed as some type of "authority" on the controversy. She was charged by the Scholars Commission Report as having completely rearranged a letter from Jefferson's grand-daughter to give a negative meaning to her words. To add insult to his otherwise feeble attempt to influence your thinking, Wade has a figure with the title, "Thomas Jefferson Family with Sally Hemings.(Pg.260-261)." His lack of knowledge of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson is most lacking in current research because he goes into details that Martha Jefferson and Sally Hemings are half-sisters (an old political rumor brought forward by people wishing to confuse readers and to be politically correct. He does not mention a very scholarily book by Dr. and Mrs. James McMurry, "Anatomy of a Scandal, Thomas Jefferson and the Sally Story", who did deep research on this rumor and found it a lie designed to fit earlier political mud slinging. Since he did not give the reader another source for study, another VERY interesting book, "Jefferson Vindicated, Falacies, Omissions,and Contradictions in the Hemings Genealogical Search", I will tell you it has a foreword by former Monticello Director, James A, Bear, Jr. All of the named books, including, "The Jefferson-Hemings Myth" are available through Amazon. I do agree with Wade's last sentence on the Jefferson-Hemings controversy......."Some mysteries lie beyond the power of even DNA to resolve." I might add that contrived history is intertwined with DNA and even the Hemings will NOT permit the gathering of "another" Hemings DNA source.....only ONE originally tested. Herb Barger Jefferson Family Historian herbar@comcast.net 0671045547:snow_white_became_chuky:sacha 0671045547 Tis: A Memoir: Books: Frank McCourt books 0 of 4 2.0 June 15, 2006 Sacha Madrid Spain If you admired the young McCourt boy who survived misery and a drunken father in Angela's Ashes (A'sA), this book is sure a huge deception. The first 80 pages are a great continuation to A'SA, but suddenly the rhythm of the book stops, as if McCourt had suffered from a severe drought of ideas. The storyline becomes chaotic, changing the day-today timeline we were used to to a mixture of anecdotes that take place 5 years forward and jump back again, no order or sense whatsoever. What's worse, nice and naive Mccourt transforms into a copy of his drunken father, constant beating up of women included. It's a huge shock (hey this story's REAL, folks!); it's as if Snow White suddenly turned into the role of the Queen. McCourt won't be the same nice, brave and funny guy for me nevermore. 0060957174:disappointing.:l._mckenna 0060957174 Raising Adopted Children, Revised Edition: Practical Reassuring Advice for Every Adoptive Parent: Books: Lois Ruskai Melina books 9 of 14 1.0 May 18, 2005 L. McKenna Like the other posters, I too was given this book as part of our homestudy for adopting a child from China. After reading the first chapter I found myself insulted. This book assumes all who read it are adopting because they cannot get pregnant, which is not my case. While infertility is something that should not be ignored, and I appreciate the fact that most adoption books I read address the matter, this book would have been much more respectable if it did not direct its text to the reader as a person who cannot conceive. I was so insulted that I returned the book to my social worker with these concerns B00005VK0P:wish_i_hadn't_wasted_my_time,_but_saved_by_listening_to_story:mark_e._hugie_"testaverde76" B00005VK0P The chamber: Books: John Grisham books 1.0 April 4, 2006 Mark E. Hugie "Testaverde76" Utah, USA I have long had the desire to read a Grisham book, because I have heard good things. Well, my chance came and I was sorely disappointed. The audio cd's were on sale at a truck stop and I decided to get them for The Chamber. The opening to the book kept me going, but by chapter three, I had already decided this, "If Sam Cayhall lives I'm going to be mad because I get furious about hate crimes, and if he dies, he had better not die a martyr or worse yet the "hero" to the story." Sadly, I pursued curious about the ending. I'm very glad I got the cds instead of the book, because it only took six hours to get through it. Sure wish I had those six hours back and the money invested so I could try a diferent author. Mayber Grisham's other books are better, but I won't be reading them 1578563682:shamefully_simplistic:paul_grant_"blessed_are_the_uncool" 1578563682 Every Man's Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Temptation One Victory at a Time (The Every Man Series): Books: Stephen Arterburn,Fred Stoeker,Mike Yorkey books 2 of 16 2.0 August 25, 2006 Paul Grant "Blessed Are the Uncool" Madison, Wisconsin, USA We live in a man's world. Women are raped, abused, beaten and generally regarded as objects for male gratification. This is an epidemic problem, and Christian men are just as great of offenders as the general population. So here comes another book on male sexuality, for Christian men. The idea is good: rein in the beast. But the major defect, which sinks the book, is the self-centered nature of the remedy. Christian men are given a toolkit to not look at booty. What we are not given is a concrete understanding of compassion. It's all self-centered. Who cares if the world is just as dangerous for our wives, daughters, and loved ones? At least I'm "sexually pure." Surely sexual purity includes overthrowing the sexual aggression in society at large? This is a life and death situation. We will be successful according to the goals we set. It is not enough for men to stop lusting. We need to fundamentally change the sexual ethics of our society - ethics that aren't greatly concerned with women's well-being. If you're only concerned with your own thoughts, this book could be useful. But what about the sense of security for the women in our society, who have to live with sexual aggression, cat-calls and "hey-baby"s? This book sets shamefully low standards for the church's role in reshaping society, even as it sets admirably high standards for individual men's thought-lives 0674821483:soul_by_soul_by_walter_johnson:"kentbrook" 0674821483 Soul by Soul: Life Inside the Antebellum Slave Market: Books: Walter Johnson books 24 of 57 1.0 July 4, 2000 "kentbrook" New Orleans The principle question that arises from a reading of "Soul by Soul" by Walter Johnson is why was this book written? It is touted as history, yet not only does it lack any original historical material, it also lacks any discernable historical facts. Rather than history, "Soul by Soul" seems to be a mean-spirited, emotional tract designed to promote two fundamental ideas: 1. that white people living in the antebellum South were universally loathsome, brutish and cruel and 2. that black people living in the antebellum South were universally noble, good and abused. To support his views, Professor Johnson strings together a loose collection of repetitious snippets from antebellum abolitionist literature and excerpts from gossipy litigation proceedings. His personal contribution is represented by his miraculous ability to enter the psyche of the book's long deceased characters and divine their true, but unspoken, motives and thoughts. Quite a feat for any historian! One loses count of the number of times that the reader is treated to white people using their "probing fingers" in this book. Fortunately, in between probes, the reader can be shocked by the "killing fields of the lower South," the "historical sexualization of black bodies," the "slaveholders' inevitable failure to live through the stolen bodies of their slaves," and the "brutish perogatives of whiteness." This is heavy, hate-filled stuff worthy of a TV mini-series but it is out of place in a supposedly serious history text. I live in a former slave quarter in New Orleans. In the antebellum period, this building and its resident slaves were, interestingly enough, owned by a free black who was financially ruined in 1863 by the Emancipation Proclamation. As an amateur historian, I would have thought that a book about the New Orleans slave market would contain some pertinent historical facts about these markets. What were their addresses? What percentage of their customers were black? What percentage were white? How many slaves did the typical New Orleans household have? How were they fed and clothed? What were their working hours? These are basic questions that should have been addressed but instead, the reader is given an emotionally charged, repetitious, boring rehash of tired, previously published material. In short, this book, for the most part, reads like a rambling, overly long sermon. Anyone seeking serious scholarship on the subject of slavery would do well to look elsewhere and should consider reading the "Slave Narratives" compiled by the Federal Writers Project, "Time on the Cross" by Robert Fogel and Stanley Engerman and "The Slave Trade" by Hugh Thomas. The first of these is a collection of interviews of former slaves performed by the W.P.A. in the 1930's. The latter two works contain original historical research and both deal with the facts of slavery, not the emotions 0787940216:it's_a_waste_of_money_even_for_beginner:"yesandy" 0787940216 The Business of Consulting: The Basics and Beyond: Books: Elaine Biech books 3 of 7 1.0 May 1, 2002 "yesandy" Hong Kong Sure this book is only for beginner or outsider of Cosulting business. But then, for the price of this book, I would rather buy a much cheaper book but with more useful information and ideas - such as Consulting for Dummies. The book is full of motherhood statements and it is more liked written by a grand mom and she called herself consultant; But come on, Consulting is a highly skillful business that require structural, systematic yet creative thinking. Overall, I think this book is a waste of money for experienced consultant. While for beginner, the reader will risk the wrong impression that it's this easy to win a consulting work - highly unlikely in a complex and competative world 078619376x:irrational_hatred_with_authoritative_sounding_documentation:ariadne 078619376x Islam Unveiled Disturbing Questions About the World's Fastest Growing Faith: Library Edition: Books: Robert Spencer,Nadia May books 5 of 32 1.0 July 16, 2006 ARIADNE Another farce to feed irrational hatred with authoritative sounding documentation... If you dig that sort of thing... there are tons out on the market...Unfortunately they don't come with disclaimers. like one would get when reading a book on the occult... People tend to go for books that support their bigoted view, and this is a fine example... it is a lucrative business in the united states to see what is en vogue and write a book of it.... It is a living. When the Da Vinci code was written it was a craze everyone had to write the idiot's guide to the code, how to interpret the code etc etc.... I am not surprised of a book like this and certainly there is no accounting for integrity or lack thereof... people write for years even for the NY times before others discover their plagiarism.... or in this case the secret agenda.... before long we will all be drafted to support capitalistic oligarchies err democracy abroad... 0306814706:disappointing:jim_vadnais 0306814706 Indestructible: The Unforgettable Story of a Marine Hero at the Battle of Iwo Jima: Books: Jack Lucas,D. K. Drum books 3 of 8 1.0 July 19, 2006 Jim Vadnais Port Angeles, WA A biography about a boy - and a very tough and brave one - who was in battle for such a short time he was spared the continuous horror that veteran survivors (or killed and maimed) of Iwo experienced. He saved the wounding or death of the three other members of his fire team in an apparently instinctive and singular act of self sacrifice. By strict definition, this act was deserving of the Medal of Honor. His terribly painful recovery from wounds received is heart wrenching, but the relatively odd sense of personal glory is in sharp contrast with other accounts of Iwo veterans, or any other battle, I have read. The other accounts I have read generally conclude: War is a horrible thing to experience, and not glorious, but "I would do it again.........". The recent books I have read will illustrate this contrast: "GOODBYE, DARKNESS", William Manchester "GOD IS NOT HERE.....", Richard Overton "THE QUIET HERO", Gary W. Toyn "FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS", James Bradley "THE LAST LIEUTENANT", John Shively These men may have entered combat as boys, but they certainly left as men. 0884944441:better_that_you_die_than_survive_rape:uk_reader 0884944441 The Miracle of Forgiveness: Books: Spencer W. Kimball books 6 of 21 1.0 April 16, 2006 UK reader p.196 This book states that it's better to die than survive a rape: "Also far-reaching is the effect of the loss of chastity. Once given or taken or stolen it can never be regained. Even in a forced contact such as rape or incest, the injured one is greatly outraged. If she has not cooperated and contributed to the foul deed, she is of course in a more favorable position. There is no condemnation where there is no voluntary participation. It is better to die in defending one's virtue than to live having lost it without a struggle." (p.196) How much more twisted can it get? 0808520873:just_very_odd......:linda_zeyjime_"a_reader" 0808520873 Stranger in a Strange Land: Books: Robert Heinlein books 4 of 12 2.0 July 5, 2006 Linda Zeyjime "A reader" New York, USA This story should have and COULD HAVE been really good. It presents a great concept, but the story is just so poorly crafted. It is VERY sexist, the prose is stiff, and the plot is dull. I will concede that it was interesting at times; it kept me reading, but I really didn't get much out of it. I can only praise Heinlein for including the "intelligent conversation" which takes place after the press conference, where there is a great explantion on why the English language is so difficult to learn. The whole story is just very odd. Do read it though. It's a title to read if you wish to be considered "well read." Despite its faults, Valentine Michael Smith will be a character in literature that will never be forgotten, just as we will never forget Atticus from "To Kill A Mockingbird." 0739304992:three_junes_-where_did_they_get_that_name?:cecelia_hamilton_"siggi" 0739304992 Three Junes: Books: Julia Glass,John Keating books 2 of 6 2.0 August 21, 2006 Cecelia Hamilton "Siggi" Ferdinand, IN USA Sometime ago I read my Sunday paper and noted that "Three Junes" was listed as a popular book choice. The title sounded interesting so I bought it. That was 2 months ago and I am still trying to get through the paperback edition. It is difficult to follow the timeline, to understand the characters and where they fit, and to get involved in the storyline. I will finish the book because that's my style. It has not been a book that I could not wait to get back to. 0606241604:enjoyed_the_first_book,_but_the_second_book_is_not_up_to_par:a._smith 0606241604 War and Remembrance: Books: Herman Wouk books 0 of 13 2.0 December 8, 2005 A. Smith Stockholm, Sweden Sadly this second book left me unsatisfied. For one, Wouk's misgivings in the first book were well exaggerated in the second. Of course, once one has read through the first book, its hard to stop. Yet, by the end of War and Remembrance I was thoroughly sick and annoyed by Wouk's characters. It's hard to relate to super humans, who constantly do super human feats. Most of the characters in the book come from superior stock, graduate from the top universities, have extremely good looks, and seem to harbour traits that make superman look normal and mundane. I guess after spending endless hours reading the book I am somewhat frustrated. Perhaps you will be like me, and by the second book without pausing. But, for the sake of saving some time, I recommend you consider parting with the characters in book one. Don't make the mistake of buying book two just because book one was so good. 0786887079:fun..._but_long:nese_pamuk 0786887079 Lipstick Jungle: A Novel: Books: Candace Bushnell books 0 of 1 1.0 September 28, 2006 Nese Pamuk Izmir, TURKEY The book was fun but the fact that it is too long overshadowed all this fun. I got the impression it was rather written to become a movie. All I can say is that thanks to C.Bushnell for 'Sex and the City'. 0465006965:could_have_been_great_but_no_cigar!:joe_e._holman 0465006965 Religion Explained: The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Thought: Books: Pascal Boyer books 11 of 19 2.0 April 10, 2006 Joe E. Holman San Antonio, TX USA I'm sorry to say, this work will not rate very highly on my scale. The author is brilliant, not to mention right on the things he says. It's just that the writer's style is so abstract and nebulous that he's absolutely maddening to try and follow. One moment, he'll be talking about how religion evolved, and the next he jumps to an illustration that takes half a page and uses language that is so illusive you ask, "What in the world is he saying now?" I got so excited in the first chapter while things made sense, and then noticed how he drifted here and there, making good points and then totally abandoning them. I bought this book three years ago and just recently finished reading it because I had to keep going out of my way to put it down and come back to it!! It never seemed to get better. I gleaned a few good points and enjoyed it...well...sort of, but the author is so unclear at times that it drives you nuts - and this is coming from an atheist who agrees with the philosophical position of the author! Overall, I really cannot recommend it unless you are a VERY slow, contemplative reader who doesn't mind an unorthodox read. Other than that, the book is packed with some good info. I just wish I could have gotten to it more easily. (JH) www.ministerturnsatheist.or 1419381237:__just_what_america_needs.__more_rabble_rousing._:mark_buchholtz 1419381237 Disinformation: 22 Media Myths That Undermine the War on Terror: Books: Richard Miniter,James Miniter,James Jenner books 13 of 71 1.0 July 20, 2006 Mark Buchholtz Sacramanto, CA Miniter takes advantage of the American ideological divide by cashing in with controversal editorials of hyperbole. Maybe he could get together for a book with Ann Coulter 0671317741:really_horrible_book:spiros_"spiros" 0671317741 The Toddlers Busy Book: Books: Trish Kuffner books 1.0 November 17, 2006 Spiros "Spiros" Wendy S. Masi's book Like everyone of you, I am crazy about my toddler. I got this book and the book of Wendy S. Masi' Toddlers Play. The comarison: day and night. Kuffners book might have 365 activities, but it really bad organized. I am a first time parent, so I need some help/guidance; thsi is why I baught this bbok. There is nothing to guide me on which activity is for what age group, so I don't know if an activity is for 18 months or 24 or 12 months- ie amI challenging my toddler, am I boring him or amI providing him with the right fun activity for his age??? Some of the activities are too obvious- it seems like the author wrote down anything she could think of just to fill in 365 activities in the bookl and there is you see the author's luck of creativity and/or knowledge of the subject. Also the descriptiosn are very brief with limited illustrations. I really don't understand why anyone will give 5 stars to this book. I don't care about the money I spent for the book. I care that I ended up with something that I can not really use to provide my toddler with fun. For that reason I strongly recommend the othe rbook (Wendy S. Masi's book). Yes it has 100 instea dof 365 activities, but it is colorfull, easy and pleasant to read and each activity is marked by an ege indicator. Look at the 'look inside' of both these books and you will see what I mean. Good luck + have lost of fun with your toddler(s)!! 1591023424:steve_deserves_a_better_effort:turk_"formernavalperson" 1591023424 Inventing Late Night: Steve Allen And the Original Tonight Show: Books: Ben Alba,Jay Leno books 7 of 19 2.0 November 1, 2005 Turk "FormerNavalPerson" Victoria, BC, CDN Without question a book is needed to address the origin and history of late night television and Steve Allen's pivitol role it. Sadly Ben Alba's "Inventing Late Night: Steve Allen and the Original "Tonight Show'', is not that book. It is, largely, a poorly edited and self-contradicting pastiche of previously published memoirs by Allen himself combined with some excellent interviews with Allen's TV contemporaries. These interviews could form the basis of an excellent book by the likes of biographers Scott Berg (Sam Goldwin) or Neal Gabler (Walter Winchle). The opening chapter, which addresses Allen's dysfuntional up-bring, education and his early days in radio and TV sets the stage for the author's failure to create a full-blooded, well-rounded analytical portrait of Allen and his work. Alba draws here, almost exclusively and certainly uncritically, from Allen's memiors while combining these words with one quote from a childhood friend and two early reviews. Taking Allen and the reader's one independent witness at face value, Allen had a rootless, violent and unstable childhood. Given these negative conditions Alba gives no hint of how, why or even if, Allen really remained attached to his drunken and generally unstable mother and her equally troubled extended family. The author gives us two brief stories from Allen's adulthood to demonstarte that the family ties endured. Actually, all the stories show is that Allen attended an uncle's funeral and very briefly troted his mother out once on his Sunday night show. How did this dysfunctional world of Allen's youth effect his two marriages and five sons? Why, after a childhood on the fringes of a perlious show business existance did Allen choose this same career field for himself? Alba doesn't even pose such questions about the boy's effects on the man. He just plows ahead in a haliographic haze. Throughout "Inventing..." Alba maintains this pattern of unquestioning acceptance Allen's words. No other witnesses are called, no other points of view are examined. Steve tells a story; Alba accepts it and edits it into his text. Why not read Allen straight? 0312265050:a_review_as_ugly_as_this_novel:john_q_public 0312265050 The Naked and the Dead: 50th Anniversary Edition: Books: Norman Mailer books 10 of 38 1.0 March 27, 2006 John Q Public USA It truly is the best war fiction regarding WWII if you have never read ANY other fiction regarding WWII. I love war fiction and non-fiction and beside parroting the Time Magazine blurb prominently displayed in the novel I can not even come close to understanding why anyone, let alone review after review, would even come close to that stupefying conclusion. To me it is the best example of intellectual snobbery that critics like to pat themselves on the back with. Only they understand and you lesser intellects are not capable of appreciating. What it is, is a bloated, narcisstic, misogynistic waste of time. Of course any piece of literature is subjective, but to me, this critically acclaimed work fails on every level that a novel should, regardless of genre. Unless you love James Joyce (another bad writer lorded over us by the critically elite), I think most readers expect some sort of plot development. Don't expect that here. How about engaging characters that develop and grow throughout the novel? You better pick up something else. It seems to me the reader should at least be invested in one of the character's outcome. Far too pedestrian a thought if you "get" this art. If I can't have any of that how about writing a character that is even remotely likable? Forget it non-ivy leaguer! I was rooting for the Japanese to kill them all, so at least their "loved" ones at home would be spared of these nearly universally despicable human beings. The only thing that propelled me to finish was to get to the ending that would perhaps tie together the painful experience of reading these soldier's hateful ruminations while, oh by the way, a war was being fought around them. Nope, no big ending either. It just ends. Yes, I have heard that the plodding ugliness and pointlessness of the entire book is to symbolize war itself. Give me a break. While this may be bad news for us common folk duped into reading it, it certainly is good news for Tom Clancy. His last two decades of literature are just misunderstood genius depicting the banality of human existence and not bad writing at all. 0394513088:cookbook_to_fancy:robert_j_sobush 0394513088 New High Altitude Cookbook: Books: Beverly M. Anderson books 2 of 7 1.0 February 4, 2004 Robert J Sobush Clovis, NM United States I enjoy food but most of the recipes in this book are things I wouldn't eat in the first place 0140444785:who_are_these_people_kidding?:capitalizm 0140444785 Communist Manifesto, The: Books: Karl Marx,Friedrich Engels,A. J. P. Taylor books 6 of 17 1.0 August 30, 2006 Capitalizm which started it all Communism is one of the most evil ideologies in human history, responsible for the extermination of 100+ million people. This book (which started it all) holds at least much of the blame. Communists were and still are a threat to the free world, and communism is a slave system. Some "intellectuals" actually support the tired mantras of Marx's philosophy, whether because they are insincere or simply pedants who haven't seen enough sunlight, I don't know. In any case, if they ever step foot in the real world they would take note that communism denies private property, and is totalitarian and slave-driving (the government owns everything, including you). And the deaths caused by communism are hardly necessary to bring up. Pol Pot, Mao, Stalin (of course), etc etc...who are these people kidding 0814408591:ok_for_general_pm_concepts:spencer_currie_"psc" 0814408591 Preparing For The Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification Exam(pmp: Books: Michael W. Newell books 2 of 2 2.0 June 2, 2006 Spencer Currie "PSC" Toronto, Canada Not sure this is the book to study for the PMP. Agree that its missing the tools techniques and concepts but he made it clear up front he was not going into it. Also, the intergration knowledge area is missing. I think if he went into the format of the exam , it would really serve its purpose better. Read this after you have read the PMBOK and another REAL PMP EXAM prep book! This is great to read the day before for leisure with no pressure 0747264651:i_tried:jessk_"jessk" 0747264651 Drowning Ruth: Books: Christina Schwarz books 2 of 2 1.0 July 5, 2006 jessk "jessk" mich This book irritated me on many levels; not that the writing was poor or the plot weak. In fact, the plot, the premise, the writing were good--unfortunately the characters didn't pull it off or keep me interested because they were all kinda indifferent or unlikable. I read somewhere the number one reason people keep reading a work of fiction--regardless of plot--is because they care about someone in the book. In this book, I was hoping they would all drown by the end of the story... 0679034099:this_book_is_not_for_the_novice:pharmdoc 0679034099 Fodor's French for Travelers (Phrase Book) (Fodor's Languages for Travelers): Books: Fodor's books 4 of 4 1.0 June 2, 2005 PharmDoc Colorado, USA This book is not for someone who just wants to pick up enough French to get them through a trip unless they have a good ear and memory. I found "French in 10 Minutes a Day" much better as you must write what you learn in a workbook 0743437810:this_man_has_vanished_forever:gavin_h._crawford_"gauvain" 0743437810 The Vanished Man (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel): Books: Jeffery Deaver books 3 of 5 1.0 December 22, 2005 Gavin H. Crawford "Gauvain" Sydney, Australia I can't remember the last time I failed to finish reading a novel. I abandoned this one with 100 pages to go. With another implausible plot twist, I've had enough. Maybe I've been spoiled by the quality of character driven fiction from George Pelecanos, James Lee Burke, Robert B parker, James Sallis, Scott Phillips, and Robert Crais but I suspect that this is not just a failure to connect with the characters and more to do with poor writing. I've read quite a number of Deaver's novels and enjoyed the complex plots and the exploration of psychologically/psyciatrically devient chbaracters, but this is just over the top. When I came to the chapter that excplained how the magician faked his death while in custody, that was enough. I have another fifty novels lined up waiting to be read and I'll be damned if I'm going to waste any more time on this poor one. For that matter, after six or so Lincoln Rhyme novels, I can't say that I really know or care anything about Lincoln or Saches 0613626419:not_impressed:doctor_eye 0613626419 One Door Away from Heaven: Books: Dean R. Koontz books 3 of 4 2.0 June 22, 2006 Doctor Eye Orange, Ca I have been a huge fan of Dean Koontz for years, ever since my mom got me to read Watchers. But this story is just way too slow. Just when I thought it was going to grab my attention and start off for the rollar coaster ride....it would slow way down again. I almost put it down halfway through the book, but I kept pushing along thinking that it would get better just around the corner. About 2/3rds of the way through it got a little bit more entertaining....but I just felt like something was missing most of the time I was reading. I just couldn't get into the characters. I wouldn't recommend this book to any first time Dean Koontz reader because it would most likely turn you off....don't judge his work by this novel. 039596783X:"fictional_stories_of_scientific_falshoods"...:j._d._peters 039596783X How to Read a French Fry: Books: Russ Parsons books 29 of 37 1.0 October 17, 2003 J. D. Peters New Orleans If you are interested in learning about the *actual* science of food, but don't want to learn any science, at least read a book by someone who *did* learn it. There is so much grossly erroneous information in this book that he discredits himself entirely. "Oil is more dense than water-- and that's why it can be heated to higher temperatures than 212". As a chemist and formulator I can assure you that nearly all oil is lighter than water, and even if it weren't that's *not* the reason it has a higher boiling point. Ever make oil & vinegar salad dressing? Ever seen crude oil on the ocean? How about the funk on top of old greasy dish water? Folks, oil floats on water... and the earth is not flat. Either this guy is a complete moron, or he is a very clever con artist. Either way, save your money... and buy that blind Amish author's book "Semiconductor Microengineering for Dummies" instead. It's better researched 0792272668:there_are_better_options_available_for_readers:minnesota_reader 0792272668 Into a Paris Quartier: Books: Diane Johnson books 13 of 16 2.0 July 5, 2005 Minnesota Reader I was drawn to this book by the promise of experiencing or gaining familiarity with a new part of Paris, a city I have visited often. The book fell far short of that. It left me disappointed and longing for what I had missed. It was difficult to connect with or enter into the story primarily because the author failed to portray a personal intimacy with the subject. As an example, she tells us that moving within Paris was a bigger event than imagined but the description lacked emotional depth. Where were her feelings, little experiences, failings, successes, reactions. Overall, the author proved she has knowledge but does not know how to share it. 1588220516:too_expensive:d._fitzgerald 1588220516 The Big 5-0: The Big 5 Turns 50: Books: Sports Staff of the Philadelphia Daily News books 1 of 3 2.0 January 6, 2006 D. Fitzgerald Charlotte, NC USA $24.95 is way too expensive for a book that is only 100 pages. Other than that the content in the book is good 0553502808:too_drawn_out:hannah_m._hurey 0553502808 Answered Prayers (Danielle Steel): Books: Danielle Steel,Ron Mclarty books 2.0 March 2, 2006 Hannah M. Hurey Seattle, WA Normally I don't take the time to write a review, but this book just bugged me. When I finished I felt like I had run a marathon. The book was just too drawn out and I felt the descriptions were long winded. Faith was a little too unbelieveable even though she was abused and had little self esteem. The plot was good, but moved slowly. I am typically not drawn to Danielle Steel books and probably with good reason that I never seem to like them very much. I am glad that this book was in a box of 30+ books that I paid $15 for at a used book store. I would have felt like I wasted my money had I actually paid full price for it 0321213394:companion_web_site_not_there:hsinc._"hsinc" 0321213394 Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 for Windows & Macintosh (Visual QuickStart Guide): Books: J. Tarin Towers books 0 of 2 2.0 September 28, 2005 HSInc. "HSInc" California, CA The companion web site mentioned in the book is not there. When I typed in that URL, I got redirected to Peachpit's advertising site of this book, but no "links", "tools", nor "examples" mentioned in the book at all! B000BPG274:talk_about_a_tornado_in_a_trailer_park..........._:2hotnaz_"cwm" B000BPG274 Witness: For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson: Books: Amber Frey books 7 of 7 1.0 June 17, 2006 2hotnaz "cwm" Phoenix,AZ Between the "Glamour Shots & Easy Sex, Different Babys' Daddys" What else is there? Oh yeah, the many scripture quotes & abortion info. Dont forget unprotected sex with every man she dates. Dont forget letting a strange man pick your daughter up from school. Poor Amber! This gave me insight alright, on how dysfunctional Amber Frey is. Shame on her for using Laci's photo! I hope that she spends her profits on much needed therapy & a Tubal Ligation! 0312983298:don't_waste_your_time:judie_kupillas 0312983298 Full Speed: Books: Janet Evanovich,Charlotte Hughes books 1 of 2 1.0 December 27, 2005 Judie Kupillas Phoenix, AZ I absolutely love Janet Evanovich and the Stephanie Plum series, so when I saw this new series of books with her name on it, I grabbed them up. I couldn't even finish reading this book. It was so bad. The whole talking car concept was, frankly, just stupid. This was like watching an episode of Knight Rider, but without David Hasselhoff. The characters are flat, and the dialogue is stilted and contrived. I can only believe that Charlotte Hughes did most of the writing, and why on earth would Evanovich attach her name to this? Needless to say, I will not be reading the rest of the series. Spend your money on something worth reading 0743270665:mr._risen_has_found_the_legal_loophole_in_espionage_for_cash:_:klownboy_"klownboy" 0743270665 State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration: Books: James Risen books 10 of 50 1.0 April 14, 2006 klownboy "klownboy" Minnesota - Where if its not mandated, its prohibited. Don't sell it to one country on microfilm for a lot of money, sell it to everybody in hard cover for ~$20.00 a pop. Somebody is going to have to explain to me the difference between what Risen has done here, and what the Walkers were imprisoned for. Imagine a WWII era reporter, during the war, giving away that the Allies had broken the Kreigsmarine Enigma code in order to challenge how much money was spent doing it; or how we used false signals to test Japanese intentions in the run-up to Midway just to question whether we correctly evaluated the information; or disclosed the exact D-day landing beaches in a vain attempt to substitute their own "expert" opinion. James Risen's product is the same thing, only with a snarkier Monday-morning-quarterback vibe. And when hindsight is your only insight, you know you're in trouble. It's easy to figure out who had it right on intelligence issues a few years down the line, even easier to find the "I-told-you-so heroes" eager to tell their tales of cassandrian victimization. And that's really all State of War does. It collects a pile of disconnected (often single-sourced and anonymous) anecdotes, and fleshes them out. The more interesting the story, the more questionably it's sourced, and the fuller its fleshed. In the end, it's a bloated yet vacuous work that discloses sensitive specifics in order to illustrate a few widely known and obvious generalities, those being: Intelligence gathering isn't perfect. Mistakes are often made. Present laws do not keep up with technology. (Just in case you didn't know that already) If you're hoping for an across the board Bush slam, think twice. There's info on botched Clinton-era operations as well (one of which transferred nuclear weapons technology to one of our favorite Mid-East regimes), but again, why? What's worse, the specifics in the book have given terrorists valuable intelligence without giving anyone else anything usable (Unless cocktail party whining is a "use"). In the wake of this book and the politically-motivated NY Times story, the bad guys have already started altering how they do their communications. Great news for American civilians and military members alike. This book might have a place 10-20 years down the line. But as it stands, during an active shooting war, a valuable, effective, and completely legal intelligence gathering tool (a tool Clinton used with "0" congressional oversight) is revealed and disabled so that James Risen can buy a boat. Another triumph of American journalism! B000ENBQP6:terrible_for_the_price!!!:cookbook_collector B000ENBQP6 New Soul Cooking : Updating a Cuisine Rich in Flavor and Tradition (Melting Pot): Books: Tanya Holland,Ellen Silverman books 5 of 9 1.0 October 9, 2004 Cookbook Collector NASHVILLE, TN USA I ordered this book through a bookclub and returned it. It was terrible! Tanya Holland is a beautiful Black woman, but I feel has gone too far out of the way to create "innovative and different" recipes so much that they are not appealing and certainly should not be categorized as soul food. The price is outrageous for the handful of recipes that were chosen for this cookbook. I collect african american/soul food cookbooks among others. If you are really into soul food cookbooks and what they really represent, your money would be better spent on "Essence Brings you Great Cooking" by Jonell Nash, "The Ebony Cookbook" by Freida DeKnight or "The Black Family Reunion Cookbook" by the The National Council of Negro Women. If you are interested in healthier soul food try, "The New Ebony Cookbook" by Charlotte Lyons or "The Family Dinner Quilt Cookbook" by The National Council of Negro Women. If you are interested in diverse, cultural flavors, I would recommend Vertamae Grosvenor's cookbooks or "Iron Pots and Wooden Spoons" by Jessica B. Harris. I have collected over 50 african american soul food cookbooks. They cover the gamut. That is why I can give an honest opinion on Tanya Holland's book. I just wish that she would publish an african american cookbook that the average African American can relate to. One that would be useful to families in their everyday cooking. 0805073396:now_that_the_dailykos_crowd_has_finished_posting:oz_survivor_"oz_survivor" 0805073396 What's the Matter with Kansas? How Conservatives Won the Heart of America: Books: Thomas Frank books 7 of 40 1.0 August 23, 2006 Oz Survivor "Oz Survivor" Lenexa, KS USA I've always been a big believer in "attack the message" (if you don't agree), don't attack the messenger. The reverse has been almost standard practice of the Left when they can't refute the truth, facts and common sense of conservatives. Which is close to 100% of the time. So I have to be very careful not to copy the Left when I write as a fifth generation Kansan and having lived all of my life, thus far, in the same "upper-middle class" suburb Mr. Frank seems to so despise in his first and only book. But his book was so filled with errors, personal opinions disguised as facts and mislabeling of events, people and general culture, as to make it a book of fiction; not one of fact. He stated himself he had every advantage presented to him early in life but he chose not to take advantage of them. He relishes being a victim and seems to mostly be upset that he wasn't born into a poor family of migrant laborers. Perhaps born as Ms. Condoleezza Rice? She is certainly a good example of someone held down by evil conservatives and not permitted to excel in life (not). Living in, and exposed to, the surroundings of his childhood, it appears to me his life's goal was to become a professional victim and a loser in life where the deck is stacked against you from birth. He's, so far, at least succeeding in that! Being an accomplished loser. What a goal! His only "accomplishment" was the writing of one book that could only be believed as fact by disciples of The DailyKOS. Having written his fictional book of what life is NOT like in Johnson County, Kansas and how he was stopped cold at every turn of life's losing lottery, he really has nothing else to say. Perhaps he can now survive as an invention of the Left writing the same type of fiction over and over (as he just did for the NY Times). He must be a very unhappy person. It seems most liberals are. How sad. The only real obstacle they have in life is seen in their mirror each morning. That's it no matter how much they deny reality. He seems like an intelligent young man who had everything going for him. What a waste of talent. Now, he's just another "victim" doing his best to convince everyone else they too should just give up as they can't win in life no matter how hard they try. As I intimated, I'm sure glad Condoleezza Rice ignored people like him! I just wish people like him were fewer in number and that more ignored their delusional vision of reality. Checking in from Kansas, he is a "one book wonder". 0670104353:totoally_unrealistic_for_the_times:michael_sutcliffe 0670104353 Adam of the Road: Books: Elizabeth Janet Gray,Robert Lawson books 7 of 19 1.0 January 24, 2004 Michael Sutcliffe Morristown, New Jersey United States I recently read this as part of a survey of childrens' literature about the Medieval period. Let me say first, that the dialogue is completely modernized, with not even a complex word to redeem it. I know this is because the original is supposedly in dialect, but please, our children are more sophisticated than that. Adam is self-involved, careless, and annoyingly stupid. Despite it's touted 320 pages, this could have been printed in 150, and contained much the same material. The only thing that redeems this novel from being totally forgettable is the snatches of Latin and Old English ballads scattered throughout. If you want your children to have a much clearer understanding of the times, with a book focussed more on character than on plot or modern accessability, have them read Song of the Gargoyle. It's also about a boy who loses his father, and has to search for him, in the company of a dog-like being, but has ten times the depth and realism of this piece of trash. The boy is also a minstrel, of sorts, but he has more likable qualities than Adam, as well as more adventures in less pages. The ending is a happy one, but it involves a twist, which isn't at all forseeable, as theat in Adam of the Road. Please, just skip this, I don't care if it won a Newberry Award, and read Song of the Gargoyle, by Zylpha Keatly Snider 0743222970:hardly_authentic_science:robert_cyr 0743222970 Authentic Happiness : Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment: Books: Martin Seligman books 5 of 33 1.0 April 7, 2006 Robert Cyr Deerfield, IL United States Early on the author tells how he proved to concept of "learned helplessness" through his experiments where he administered electric shocks on caged dogs until they gave up and just lay there and whimpered. I threw the book away at that point. This "scientist" shouldn't be rewarded for his senseless cruelty that proves nothing. We don't support your science, Herr Doctor Seligman! Get the book from a library if you must, but don't reward him for his "experiments." It could have been your dog this moral idiot experimented on 0743260929:editor_called_to_task_:mary_pfeifer_"village_girl" 0743260929 The Twelfth Card (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel): Books: Jeffery Deaver books 2 of 2 2.0 July 4, 2006 Mary Pfeifer "village girl" Fargo, ND My all time favorite book is Deavers THE BLUE NOWHERE and The Testament by another author. I think this book is on the bottom of my list. It was a combo term paper and novel. I wonder where the editor of this book is. Where was he/she? It read like it was written by two different people and a poor editor combined them. Don't worry Jeff, I'll still buy your next book...I've bought them all but please ...get a second opinion about your editor. I good editor wouldn't have let it go out in this shape. 0788195921:agenda_here?:dr._a._french 0788195921 Confirmation: The Hard Evidence of Aliens Among Us: Books: Whitley Strieber books 2 of 3 2.0 June 14, 2006 Dr. A. French mostly disturbing, but some apparrently enlightening Well in my opinion, there is no longer any doubt that some things appear to be flying in our skies, and some people have had some unusual experiences (mostly disturbing, but some apparrently enlightening), but the question is, is it all as it seems? The fact of the matter is, various military branches from around the globe have real hardware that could easily fool us. Holographic projections can and are used to place images within our skys (this is related to controversial theories surrounding the 911 events); there are devices that can manipulate brain waves and neuronal excitation to have people hallucinate any scenario; advanced, drug manipulated hypnotic techniques can control memories and behaviour; implants have been around for decades and have even gone mainstream now (Verichip). I'm not saying that other lifeforms don't exist in the Universe (far from it), and perhaps there are a number of entities here on Earth carrying out agendas, but this idea that there are little, menacing Greys abducting us for various sinister reasons without immense COLLUSION seems suspect. It smells of classic fear mongering that the elite love to push on us. Historically, there's been the Barbarians, Huns, Mongols, Pagans, Jews, Christians, Vikings, black Natives, Cannabals, red Natives, Mexicans, Germans, Nazis, Communists, now the Arabs and the next logical conclusion is some evil force off planet because they have used all the boogey men on Earth. Even President Reagan set us up for this scenario in an infamous speech in the late 80's. The fact is that with known technology (not including whatever they may have that has not been leaked), they could quite easily pull the hoax off. Even genetic manipulation and cloning is much further advanced and PRACTICED (albeit "underground") than most people can fathom. What has become another fact is the major extent to which the UFO community has been infiltrated and compromised, of which Strieber has been front and centre at various times. My belief is that Strieber is part of this fear mongering campaign, sponsored by the elite and carried out by various military and government groups. In this book, his "hard-evidence" is flimsey and suspicious. For example, why wouldn't super advanced Aliens using implants design them such that they are entirely organic and of shapes that mimic human tissue (thus not showing up on any X-ray, MRI, CT, etc)? And design them such that they quickly break down when removed from the body? Surely, this would be child's play for Alien scientists? Why no major discussion or mention of the human military, or NAZI connection with abductions? There seems to be a growing number of victims who are recalling strange "fragments" of memories that are slipping through various memory covers. Why are they mentioning cooperation of human doctors and nurses with the Greys? Why are they mentioning swastikas and other known military insignias on uniforms? Why are some speaking English, others German? Why is there a connection with deep, underground bases and specifically Antartica? These are things Strieber never mentions, which I find curious. My point is, things are happening, but it has become nearly impossible to ascertain what, and Strieber's books seem to cloud the issues and possibly even advance certain agendas. 0071181830:3.64_lbs_of_pure_spirtual_abuse_:a_reader 0071181830 Digital Communications: Books: John G. Proakis books 4 of 4 1.0 October 26, 2006 A Reader California USA John R. Barry (another Digital Communications textbook author) first introduced me to this text. And Mr. Barry, as with many com. theory persons I've met since (GTRI in Atlanta, GA; MITRE along around the Boston area of MA; Northrup in El Segundo, CA; Intersil in Palm Bay/Melbourne, FL) actually use this book to justify their values and beliefs. Essentially, it's their Bible. The only problem is that the values and beliefs in Proakis, especially from an engineering perspective, are very third rate. Trying to use this text in a classroom situation, especially with a third rate engineer as an instructor, is an utter disaster from both an economic and an engineering perspective. John R. Barry, for example, is a very good baby-sitter and a so-so mathematician (he couldn't be otherwise as a faculty member of Georgia Tech). But as an engineer, John R. Barry, as with the other followers of Proakis, compares very unfavorably (in fact, I don't consider Barry an engineer; I consider him a phony that should be removed from the ECE faculty of GATECH; the department's economic fortunes would be far better if he were moved into some kind of adjunct English/Mathematics Faculty or just shipped off to some research laboratory without any students to harm [i.e., vampirically mind f--k them and then kindly provide them with werewolfic deliverance (yes, I mean along the lines of the 1972 movie with Jon Voight [Angelina Jolie's Dad] and Burt Reynolds)]...any place where truth/reality aren't so important). There are far, far better communications engineers out there than John R. Barry [infinitely better to be precise]. And what makes these others better [others meaning real engineers; John R. Barry being a make-believe "engineer"] is not mathematical ability, memorized knowledge, or even rhetorical shrewdness, but rather the difference lies in a faith of facts; something a follower of Proakis never seems to possess or even grasp the possibility. In fact, the values and beliefs in the Proakis text seem to promulgate not only Intellectual Abuse, but also a Spiritual sort as well. In a nation (where Steven Pinker, who like Proakis is of Harvard Fame, has noted) that has around 75% of its population esentially believing in the biblical/torah-related account of things, this kind of Spiritual abuse can be very dangerous indeed and lead to serious consequences. Though it may not be intentional, nevertheless, the values and beliefs of Proakis's text and those of its instructors tend to be extremely spiritually abusive. These values and these beliefs somehow set up a massive cognative dissonance with many student's own biblical/torah-related values and beliefs. The result is almost always a broken-spirit. From an economic perspective, this is bad. Very bad. And it should be stopped by no longer using this text or any like it. Most of the "engineers" now being "developed" by the followers of Proakis (e.g., John R. Barry) are very analogous to Mid 20th Century Carribean medical school "doctors." They can say, write, and use a lot of terminology making them useful for billing purposes, i.e. writing up invoices to Insurance/Government agencies. These "engineers" like those "doctors" don't and probably never will understand the essence of their professions, though because of their training or lack thereof they really think they do. When in fact, they are utterly clueless "professionals. 0974537616:can't_full_the_chuchu:chuchu 0974537616 A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat: Books: Zell Miller books 3 of 30 1.0 October 27, 2005 chuchu planet earth i used to follow politics but now i know better. clinton is a hero to poor folk in the US only bc bush is such a nazi, sorry, but clinton did more than any pres in US history to cut welfare to the moms who need it the most! i ain't no fool partisan of a richmans party and i don't like america. and yes i'm born and raised in the US, there is no democracy here, only a moneycracy!!! power to the ppl lets make a real country for the ppl, not the capitalist leech scum!! 0072378778:wrong_edition:a._hassan_"ah" 0072378778 Economics of Social Issues: Books: Ansel M Sharp,Charles A Register,Paul W Grimes,Ansel Sharp,Charles Register,Paul Grimes books 2 of 4 1.0 July 6, 2005 A. Hassan "ah" PA, USA I am supposed to get 16th edition, instead I received 15th edition. The book was completely changed from the previuos editio 0805075593:disheartened:richard_vidaurri 0805075593 Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire (Second Edition): Books: Chalmers Johnson books 18 of 73 1.0 January 5, 2005 Richard Vidaurri Mexico I came to Blowback by way of a year-long research project on globalization. Over the past year I have read dozens of books, both scholary and popular, on this topic. Right - Left - Love America - Hate America - Multi-Cultural - Eurocentric; I've suffered through them all ( happily, there is as yet no feminist perspective on the subject ). First let me state that Chalmers Johnson, this regrettable book notwithstanding, is not by profession the village diot. Johnson is a highly respected economic and political analyst, a man who used to be worth listening to. What happened? How did he come to cobble together this breathtakingly unanalytical smorgasborg? Where did the imperialist conspiracy rant come from? Johnson, where did you go? Well, the easy answer is that he delves into complex areas of which he has no knowledge. His take on America's military policies is ludicrous. Anyone who questions why the U.S. Army is still in Korea after 50+ years need only point to Seoul on a map and drag his finger a couple of inches north, where he will discover NORTH KOREA. Of coures once an idealogue veers into unknown territory there is no other path left for him than that of conspiracy. Conspiracy "theory" is all fine and good for the lazy and uneducated; it's their sanctuary; but for a scholar of Johnson's caliber to go there is incomprehensible. Unti you see what I saw. The professional works that I read on globalization were pretty much uniform in that they addressed one or another facet of free-trade and concluded more-or-less-nothing, all in scholarly language. For the most part the popular books were not nominally about globalization at all, although globalization was the only thread holding the books together, and to each other. Brushing aside the fact that most of the authors of the popular group are ageing oddballs from the 60s ( you underestimate the mustard-gas-like effect of that era at your peril ),the only possible reason for these immensely angry, nonsensical books is this: no one fully understands globalization. No one. Even when you define the thing narrowly it is a cantankerous beast, too young to tame; growing unpredictably every day like the Blob. They're frustrated, these authors. I can't blame them, but for some reason they must have a scapegoat and the've rounded up the usual suspect, America, as in why does America impose - dominate - ignore, etc. the third world? Silly question, really. You're at the top of the food chain, what do they expect you to do? When bad things happen you want to be sure they happen to someone else. 0552151297:mcjihad_vs._reality:doomsdayer520 0552151297 Jihad Vs.McWorld: Books: Benjamin R. Barber books 2 of 3 2.0 February 8, 2006 doomsdayer520 State College, PA USA This book is inexplicably influential, probably due to its catchy but ultimately meaningless title. Barber fails to convincingly analyze an interesting thesis, instead delivering an exasperating 300 page-long list of every single thing on Earth that he disagrees with. Barber contends that natural human political behavior results in smaller and smaller ethnic enclaves trying to separate themselves from the larger world, while unchecked global capitalism is erasing ethnic flavor with bowdlerized mass-culture sameness. Interestingly, Barber contends that these two contrary movements are actually in an unholy alliance, using each other's excesses as excuses for their anti-democratic behavior. That is a fascinating thesis, which makes the weaknesses of this book all the more infuriating. The first part of the book is an interminable tirade of lists within lists, of cultural trends that Barber disdains, in an avalanche of complaints that is not analytical but merely selective and arbitrary. It's all tied together with attempts at "edgy" pop culture references, made-up terminology (like the annoying "infotainment telesector"), and pseudo-intellectual quotations and namedropping. All is lumped together unconvincingly under the anemic term "McWorld," which is so vague and all-inclusive as to become meaningless. In his never-ending examples of how recent cultural trends are damaging the freedom and intelligence of the masses, Barber merely comes across as a condescending snob who thinks his own interests are superior, or a curmudgeon who thinks everything was better back in the good old days, or both. In the second part of the book, Barber proceeds to throw obtuse political science theories at various world hotspots, in which tribalism and separatism are damaging the integrity of nation-states. His umbrella term for this phenomenon is the dangerously loaded term "Jihad." Note that this book was published back in 1995, so that word was not as prevalent in Western discourse as it is now, but Barber still uses the term as a loose descriptor which is likely to offend both devout Muslims and ardent anti-Islamists. When it comes to the specifics, many reviews here and elsewhere list out the numerous flaws in Barber's arguments, and there are so many of them that a lot of reviews are necessary for the task. You can agree or disagree with various critiques of Barber's contentions based on your own personal politics. But everyone will probably conclude that in this book's final section he does not deliver on the ironic implications of his initially intriguing thesis (embodied in the book's title), and simply forwards borrowed theories on civil society and the public sector. Overall, this book is mostly the longwinded grumblings of a nostalgic know-it-all who portentously predicts doom for every single cultural and political reality of the modern world. [~doomsdayer520~ 0552151297:don't_fail_to_read_this_if_you're_new_to_earth:danceswithanxiety_"chewtoy_to_the_fates" 0552151297 Jihad Vs.McWorld: Books: Benjamin R. Barber books 9 of 10 2.0 January 17, 2005 DancesWithAnxiety "chewtoy to the Fates" Portland, OR United States In today's world, various forms of parochialism have a dialectical relationship with the homogenizing influences of globalizing consumer capitalism. These forms of parochialism may be ethnic, "cultural," religious, nationalistic, etc., depending on where you look. On one hand, ancient forms of identity continue to define in-groups and out-groups; on the other hand, multinational corporations elide these differences as they operate in a wider and wider worldwide marketplace. Example: the Turks and the Armenians hate each other and even partly define themselves by this ancient conflict ("Jihad" is Barber's label for this); yet they see the same Pepsi ads and do the same kinds of work in their local Pepsi bottling plants ("McWorld" is Barber's label for this). That's the book. This might be a useful resource for writers of term papers who need to endnote something fairly obvious. Outside of that, it would take an observer from another planet to find this book's insights novel or pointed. If you're new to planet Earth, by all means pick up a copy. It will catch you up on a few useful truisms. As others have pointed out, the "terrorism's challenge to democracy" subtitle seems intended to capitalize on 9/11, but doesn't accurately reflect the book's content. "Jihad" is deployed as a synecdoche in this book; Muslim extremism is just one of the book's many examples of parochialism 0807004596:brainwashing_propaganda_but_well_edited:james_c._liu_"gyozadude" 0807004596 Many Children Left Behind: How the No Child Left Behind Act Is Damaging Our Children and Our Schools: Books: Deborah Meier,George Wood books 1 of 8 2.0 September 13, 2006 James C. Liu "Gyozadude" Sunnyvale, CA USA This is a classic circle jerk book that consolidates a number of articles from educators and educational researchers who talk about the same thing, and cite each other or similar data and research. The authors do write well, so I gave it two stars. But it has under/overtones of the same old myths in erroneous educational ideology that is actually the malaise killing our educational system - dump more money into schools; teachers are underpaid and overworked; high stakes standardized testing is bad. Folks might be well advised to pick up a copy of Jay P. Greene's "Educational Myths" to run a little de-tox on the stuff they read here 0140165614:academic:r._r._krause 0140165614 Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle: Books: Richard B. Frank books 1 of 8 2.0 February 17, 2006 R. R. Krause Arden Hills, MN United States This was a comprehensive collection of statistics and War Department strategy notes but it had no life. It gave no feel for the soldier, sailor or marine on the ground. It was all acronyms and big picture strategy. If you are looking for something less academic and more readable try a different account of the battle. Since this was one of the most gruelling and bloody encounters of the war, the participants should get more ink. Here, the brass get all the attention 0140442650:a_little_dry:"maeilan" 0140442650 The Nature of the Gods (Penguin Classics): Books: Marcus Tullius Cicero,J. M. Ross,Horace C. P. McGregor books 2 of 38 1.0 June 22, 2000 "maeilan" USA I found the book informative while reading it, but also a bit confusing and a little dry, best used for a college course and not for recreational reading. (Which is no doubt why we even had it in our house, someone had to use it and it's equally boring companion for some college course, I'm certain of it... 0312283202:fun,_but_too_many_flaws:kathleen_chamberlain 0312283202 The Girls: Sappho Goes to Hollywood: Books: Diana McLellan books 5 of 7 2.0 August 15, 2004 Kathleen Chamberlain Emory, VA United States Sure, I had fun reading this book. But the Amazon reviewer who termed it "highly speculative" is understating the case. Opinion, conjecture, hearsay, and speculation too often take the place of thorough, solid documentation. And unlike many other Amazon reviewers, I found McLellan's tone off-putting. She alternates between patronizing her subjects (the very notion of calling them "my girls," for instance) and setting them up primarily as sources of voyeuristic thrills for the herself and the reader. Is the book dishy and intriguing and flamboyant? You bet. But is the topic of lesbianism in Hollywood well-served here? I don't think so 0801025249:short_and_sweet:kevin_rogers 0801025249 The Institutes of Christian Religion: Books: John Calvin,Tony Lane,Hilary Osborne books 6 of 9 2.0 December 1, 2000 Kevin Rogers Jackson, MS USA Judging by the long reviews before me, it should be obvious that there is much to say about Calvin's theology. This book doesn't say too much. For those familiar with his theology, DON'T buy this book. It will be a waste of your money. For those who would like to know more about Calvin's theology, without getting caught in mid 16th century language or too deep into theology, buy this. If you want a good in depth coverage of Calvin's theology, buy the FULL version and enjoy 0007172303:not_for_most_adults:jerry_preusser 0007172303 How to Do Just About Everything: Books books 2 of 3 2.0 December 10, 2005 jerry preusser Los Angeles If you just got out of prison or maybe had a spell of amnesia or if your just hitting your 20th or 21st birthday then you may learn some stuff here. But if you got yourself online to read this review then I doubt you will find this book much help. There were a few helpful ehows for me in the book though. For example I forgot exactly how to boil an egg. And there it was in the book. A typical type of ehow. And this book is BIG and HEAVY. with most info ridiculously simple I would say the size to useful ratio is not that desirable. Maybe this would make an ok high school graduation gift but other than that most people should avoid this book. The ehow website is great though and its FREE!. 0345476158:my_faith_has_been_shattered_...:sheepie87 0345476158 The Templar Legacy: A Novel: Books: Steve Berry books 4 of 7 1.0 September 18, 2006 Sheepie87 Kenosha, WI USA in the possibility that Steve Berry could ever transcend his not-so great debut, The Amber Room. Romanov Prophecy started in the right direction, Third Secret was OK, but I think he hit his *peak* right there. I really want authors to get better--heck, I hope to write better papers as I go along in college. But, Steve Berry, sorry. And for all you people out there who don't like it when people give negative reviews of a book you like, just hang on a second before you give me a big fat NO vote. First of all, even though this is fiction, the whole Da Vinci Code genre purports to be based on fact. Berry always writes his Note at the end to underscore this. However, if you want the reader to accept your plot, please get some basic facts correct first. The most annoying one for me, as, ahem, a French major, is the very dramatic chapter closer where they zip off to the "Palais des Popes." Excuse. Me. "Popes"? Just because the English word looks kind of like the French word "pape" (for pope) doesn't mean you can flippantly swap them! Eek. And, btw, this is a real place, so some editor somewhere should have noticed this. Shame on you, S.B.'s editors. OK, I'm not saying a novel must contain no anachronisms whatsoever (it IS fiction, after all), but really big, glaring mistakes of geography or history cannot be tolerated. The other main issue I have with this book is the vehement attack on Jesus Christ and the resurrection and the Bible as a whole. Cotton Malone, our hero, says that the Bible contains hundreds (I'm paraphrasing) glaring inconsistencies. If I remember correctly, he says that one of the gospels (he picks on Matthew a lot) doesn't place Bethlehem as the place of Jesus' birth. That one doesn't hold water--I checked Matthew myself. Says so in ch. 2. I don't mean to thump the metaphorical Bible, but who is Steve Berry to question the authenticity of the world's #1 bestseller ever? That's quite audacious ... some would even say blasphemous--but I tread on glass. I really can't go into the terrible character development, or lack thereof, or the wussy Knights Templar. Yeah, they're big and bad, but Malone seems to bump them off with the greatest of ease. Some "Knights of Christ" they are. Well, having alienated most of you, I bid you farewell as I go in search of a more worthy book 0679437843:meh:m._bunenko 0679437843 Hot Zone: Books: Richard Preston books 3 of 7 2.0 June 24, 2006 M. Bunenko Alameda, CA Jesus, talk about the little girl crying "wolf." When I picked up this book, I expected to read a truly terrifying tale about how people got sick with a horrifying disease that no one knew/knows how to deal with. What I got instead was a lot of perseverating and a lot of emotional presumption. The book starts out promisingly, even if Preston surrenders freely to flowery prose. We're given the account of Charles Monet, one of the first documented cases of the Ebola virus. From there on, Preston gives a description of the virus, what it does, how it does it - the works. Then, he moves on to the Human Component, the cast of characters, so to speak, for the big story. The big story is, alas, not so impressive. It's a case of an Ebola outbreak amongst a shipment of monkeys that everyone thinks is going to cause awful problems to come about, but nothing of the sort happens. Basically, people run around in bio-hazard gear, fret a lot, and monkeys die. In between, Preston manages to surpass his self-indulgence to talk about other cases of the Ebola virus, cases of people being infected, "crashing and bleeding out," cases that are a lot more interesting than a shipment of monkeys, unless you're a PETA type. The worst thing about The Hot Zone is just how self-indulgent Preston is. He starts to novelize his subjects a few chapters into the book, which is a noble idea, but not when they don't die at the end. Basically, he's trying to make you care about these people, and all for naught. And by the time that you're supposed to be truly concerned, you actually WANT them to die, because you're tired of hearing about him describe, in active detail, what they eat in the morning, what they do in the afternoon, and how they lie in bed with their spouses at night. When you're addressing a subject as fascinating as a Level 4 virus, why are you spending time talking about Nancy Jaax's hands and karate prowess? Moreover, when you've finally gotten to the monkeys, why are you talking about what kind of monkeys they are and how they dwell in the wild? Does anyone really care? I wish I could say that this book moved me in ways other than to reverse my peristalsis, but I can't. Preston's ornate metaphors that pepper almost every page of this book are tiresome and unnecessary; he had the chance to write a compact little thriller about an averted crisis of global proportions, but he instead chose to "get into the minds" of his subjects. And what a bore that became. There were only two redeeming aspects of this book: one was the description of the African, human Ebola victims, and the other was the description of the virus itself, although, again, both were sabotaged by Preston's inability to write. If you want to know something about Ebola, go get An Idiot's Guide to Dangerous Diseases and Epidemics. If you're pining for the namby-pambiness of the Human Element, read The Hot Zone. Personally, I like to avoid rereading the Uncle Tom's Cabins of scientific accounting 006251315X:couldn't_get_past_the_first_few_chapters.......:"azucarblanca" 006251315X At the Root of This Longing: Reconciling a Spiritual Hunger and a Feminist Thirst: Books: Carol L. Flinders books 8 of 17 2.0 May 17, 2004 "azucarblanca" San Francisco, CA United States The author is certainly writing for a target audience.......as one other reviewer said, white, upper-middle-class, female would-be mystics. I found the stories of life on the commune mind-numbing (then again, I was born in Berkeley in 1970, so that hippie commune kumbayah stuff reminds me of eating carob when I was a kid) and the rest of what I did manage to read alienating.......zzzzzzzzzzzz.......I am not saying this is a bad book at all, just that it's focus was so narrow that it completely lost my interest. The language was so fuzzy and woo-woo that it just irritated my Gen X (for lack of a better word) postpunk sensibility. It's a shame, too, as I was really looking forward to this book and hoping it would assist me in reconciling my own struggle between feminism and spirituality. C'est la vie 0125588216:not_worth_the_time_and_money.:jackson_"jackson_from_bx" 0125588216 The Computer Animator's Technical Handbook (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics): Books: Lynn Pocock,Judson Rosebush books 1 of 1 1.0 March 6, 2005 Jackson "Jackson from BX" BX The book is basically a dictionary of terms in the computer graphic field. All most the whole book contain very simple ideas and concept I knew already. Also Lynn Pocock doesn't even do computer graphic work professionally. I have yet to see any computer animation works by the writer. SAVE YOUR MONEY 0805077979:insulting_to_people_with_a_moderate_level_of_intelligence:scott_tessier 0805077979 The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic (The American Empire Project): Books: Chalmers Johnson books 6 of 122 1.0 May 20, 2006 Scott Tessier denver, co This is without a doubt the worst piece of social science ever produced. Regardless of where you stand politically, Johnson is guilty of revisionist history to the worst degree. Throughout this work Johnson displays a truly and utterly amazing ignorance of geopolitical realities. 0312317255:discombobulation:richard_a._mitchell 0312317255 A Pound of Paper: Confessions of a Book Addict: Books: John Baxter books 15 of 20 1.0 September 2, 2004 Richard A. Mitchell candia, new hampshire United States This was a terrible disappointment. More of a memoir than anything about book-collecting, it was so disjointed it is hard to say what it was about or what the point was. There seemed to be no context or fabric to the book. There were, however, HUNDREDS of references to obscure authors, actors, film-writers, magazines and books. There were pages at a time where I was completely lost because I had no idea about whom the author was speaking, but he wrote as if the person was well-known to the reader. Baxter leads the reader around the world from his beginnings in Australia, thence to Britain to the US and ending in France. Again, there is no context. He would flip from a reference to the obscure artist, to an anecdote about himself or some bookseller or collector and then perhaps mention how he had acquired a book. If viewed as a book about collecting books, you will not learn much. If viewed as a memoir, there was little that was interesting about the author's life and there was precious little about his life other than acquisitions. There were a very few nuggets about what makes a book valuable or diminishes its worth to a collector, but they were too few and far between. If you could not tell by now, I can not see much reason to read this book. I think Mr. Baxter flattered himself to think that either he or his collection would be of general interest 1400033489:tediuous,_repetitive,_and_altogether_poorly_written:augustus_gloop_"r.i.f." 1400033489 Project X: A Novel: Books: Jim Shepard books 2 of 11 1.0 December 20, 2004 Augustus Gloop "R.I.F." Milky Way Sheppard's attempt to capture the "American youth angst" failed miserably. Instead what he created was a novel that felt more like a chore to get through. I never developed any connection or understanding of the characters. Each chapter seemed to stumble into the next, with the end as predictable as the next expletive Sheppard was going to use to give his protagonists a hard edge. You'd do better saving your money, driving to the nearest mall, and find the kid in the Anarchy T-shirt looking sullen, because it appears that is all Sheppard did in this work. Phew Stinker-rooney! 0321303377:out_of_date:web_designer 0321303377 Non-Designer's Web Book, The (3rd Edition) (Non-Designer's): Books: Robin Williams,John Tollett books 1.0 November 16, 2006 Web Designer This book is seriously out of date for modern web design and development 0312974221:trashy_like_flypaper!:christina_l._matyskela 0312974221 Between Husbands & Friends: Books: Nancy Thayer books 2 of 3 2.0 November 18, 2002 Christina L. Matyskela Riverside, IL I read this in Jan. of 01 and am just now transcribing my notes. Here goes: Trashy, but I couldn't NOT finish it. Story of best friends who go to a summer house every August with their families. Secret betrayals of friendship, a hidden illness, a birth and a miscarriage. What else do you need to make a soap-opera style plot? I give Thayer credit for her spot on descriptions of feelings one experiences after miscarriage, from envy to despair. Bottom line: Rich people with too much money and rich people problems. It didn't stay in my short term memory very long 5557076107:wolf_in_sheep_skin:y._dumbrava 5557076107 When Bad Things Happen to Good People: Books: Harold S. Kushner books 4 of 36 1.0 August 12, 2006 Y. Dumbrava Spokane, WA If you are a Christian, this book isn't for you. It is full of blashphemy, concluding that we must "... forgive God" and that we must love God "... even if He isnt perfect". Kusher even has the will to say that "...God would not be God..." without our love for Him. At one point he reduces God to an aminal saying that in the garden of Eden, when God said "...let US make man in OUR image" he was speking to animals and creation. Kusher explains that God created the world, and in the next paragraph that we came by evolution. Since when was God in need of forgiveness? Isnt it that "... God so loved the world" and it wasnt us that loved God? I have no words in describing this book. It is full of error, because it does not base it self on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All this book does is frees you from the thought that you are a sinner, and that it isnt your fault, and that actully you are a good person. Why do bad things happen to good people? Wrong question. There are no good people in the world in the first place. " for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God..." The world is in sin. The world DOES NOT HAVE GOOD PEOPLE!! Only by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ you are made righteous. I beg you in the name of Jesus Christ to stay away from this book. It hasnt helped 4 million people, but it lied to them. Kusher, please turn from your ways and come to Jesus, then will you understand the life question "WHY" 0613659155:not_one_of_sparks's_best:molly_gum 0613659155 Nights in Rodanthe: Books: Nicholas Sparks books 1 of 1 2.0 May 30, 2006 Molly Gum Phoenix, AZ USA As a long time fan of Nicholas Sparks, I was a little disappointed in this book. The potential for it to be a great story faded when it became about these two characters and nothing more. The entire book takes place in this little Bed and Breakfast and lacks the support of any minor characters. There just wasn't enough going on in this book to keep my attention. Sparks's writing is beautiful as usual, but the plot for this story just didn't impress me the way his other stuff did. If you are looking for a great Nicholas Sparks read, try The Rescue 0606223657:a_complete_disappointment:book_maven 0606223657 The Circus Fire: A True Story of an American Tragedy: Books: Stewart O'Nan books 2 of 12 1.0 September 14, 2004 Book Maven Portland, OR United States It is difficult to believe that such a slow and dull book could be written about such a compelling subject. The reviewers who have lamented the short, choppy paragraphs that irritatingly jump from one scene to another, without benefit of full explanation or connection, are correct to scorn the overall poor writing that makes up this book. I had to read some paragraphs several times and even then didn't understand what I was reading. It was nearly impossible to picture most of the action in my mind, as it was mostly just a jumbled collection of facts and anecdotes that rambled on and on and on. The description of the fire itself drags on chaotically for fifty tedious pages, which incited one yawn after another. The book lacks any sense of focus and the author uses a very poor choice of words in many instances. For example, the narrative is littered with sentences like: "She made for the east exit..." Okay, fine, but did she run, walk, crawl, hop, skip, jump, or fly to the east exit? I just don't know what to picture there. The word "made" says nothing descriptive and is therefor about the worst word that could have been chosen. This type of problem occurs on every page of the book. I haven't read anything else the author has written, so I hate to be so critical. I wonder, however, why his editor didn't send his manuscript back to him with thousands of suggestions. I felt as if I was reading a very hastily-prepared early draft. I have read many gripping books about disasters and survival situations. This just isn't one of them. Compare "The Circus Fire" to "Into Thin Air," "Heart of the Sea," "Batavia's Graveyard," or "Ordeal by Hunger" and you'll understand what I mean 1594131376:tony_roberts_stinks_as_a_rrder!:c._h_mitchum 1594131376 Two Dollar Bill: A Stone Barrington Novel: Books: Stuart Woods books 0 of 3 1.0 July 28, 2006 C. H Mitchum Chelmsford, MA USA Since I listened to this as a cd it is difficult to comment on the book as Tony Roberts performance was so bad, it was impossible to follow the story line. He read so slowly that it seems he received a bonus if he could stretch this little book into 7 excruciating cds which he did. In addition to the slooooow reading, his characterization were completely over the top. Dino sounded like a moron and "Billy Bob" well like a Texas moron. And what about Billy Bob, that cliche name eptomized the whole weak little story. Skip this this one or prepare to suffer 0375501851:too_long:kam 0375501851 White Teeth: A Novel: Books: Zadie Smith books 0 of 9 1.0 September 13, 2006 kam austin A much condensed version would have helped but still would not have been a good story. The end was a disappointment and the middle laborious 0842318089:read_this_only_with_a_wider_range_of_christian_thinkers:nathan_eanes 0842318089 How Now Shall We Live?: Books: Charles W. Colson,Nancy Pearcey,Harold Fickett books 7 of 37 2.0 June 13, 2005 Nathan Eanes Philadelphia, PA Toward the end of How Now Shall We Live, Chuck Colson states, regarding popular music and media, that a little cotton candy is permissible as part of a healthy diet. However, he warns, a diet of junk food can be fatal. Good advice concerning pop culture-but even more applicable to this book. Yes, it contains a kernel of truth, but it ultimately is dangerous if not balanced by a heavy diet of other thinkers and theologians such as Thomas Merton, St. Francis of Assisi, Ron Sider, Tony Campolo, Brian McLaren, Brother Lawrence, Philip Yancey, Wendell Berry-the list goes on. It often is guilty of oversimplifying the ideological conflicts the modern Church faces, drawing the lines down to "Christians" against the "naturalists" or "humanists," thus ignoring the wide range of threats that seek to destroy the Church. While there is truth in Colson's writing, I believe it ultimately stems from a flawed worldview-one defined largely by comfortable middle-class American thought and militaristic nationalism, sprinkled with the politically correct amount of Christian belief. His faith seems to be overly academic, one that favors rhetoric and proof over prayer and other spiritual disciplines. Evangelism, it seems to Colson, is comprised heavily of apologetics. The secularists must be shown that they are wrong, he says. Yes, there is truth and there is time for debate, but this book seems to prefer winning debates over building bridges and relationships. You see, I used to fear evolutionists and the proverbial round table of "secular humanists" that many conservative evangelicals love to discuss. But as I've grown, I realize that threats to the Church come more often from within than from secular culture, and they almost always have more to do with power and politics than the Enlightenment or science. 1590866592:i_am_glad_i_didn't_pay_for_this_book!:nascarladybug 1590866592 High Country (Anna Pigeon): Books: Nevada Barr,Joyce Bean books 0 of 3 1.0 April 2, 2006 NASCARLadybug TN I borrowed this from my sister-in-law to read. It is the first Barr book I have read. I did not like it because of several reasons. First of all, THE VULGAR LANGUAGE was too much. One can write a fantastic thriller without words that are in the gutter. Second, it was so mundane for a mystery. The writer could have made this a very interesting book with the setting being in Yellowstone National Park. Someone needs to give me a book of Barr's to prove that she can write an interesting book using words that are common to our daily language instead of trash talk. (By that I mean words one would use in professions of integrity.) 0471458368:"just_enough"_is_more_than_enough.....:robert_stearns 0471458368 Just Enough: Tools for Creating Success in Your Work and Life: Books: Laura Nash,Howard Stevenson books 13 of 23 1.0 July 13, 2004 Robert Stearns The Woodlands, Texas USA "Just Enough" is more than enough: A turgid, pretentious, strident, and wholly unoriginal piece of work. Its framework neither breaks any new ground in the study of the sociology of business or organization behavior, nor is it a particularly useful addition to the realm of self-help pop-business literature. At best, this might have been a reasonable ten page article in the Harvard Business Review, but surely not enough material for 280 pages! Better to read "Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow : Discovering Your Right Livelihood," by MARSHA SINETAR, and call it a day 0415924626:product_never_arrived_then_i_was_told_it_was_on_backorder:todd_s._hawley 0415924626 Educating the "Right" Way : Markets, Standards, God, and Inequality: Books: Michael W. Apple books 0 of 3 2.0 July 4, 2005 Todd S. Hawley well, i thought that the book was coming. when i did not arrive at the last possible date i emailed and was told it was on backorder. they did let me get a refund which was nice. i would use them again for that reason alone. 0743523229:narcissistic_twaddle:favouritedress 0743523229 The Noonday Demon: An Atlas Of Depression: Books: Andrew Solomon books 7 of 29 2.0 August 25, 2005 favouritedress Somerville, MA All I could think was, "Damn, if I had so many friends at my beck and call to talk me down off the ledge, I'd never be depressed." I don't know quite how to explain it, but I felt no empathy for him. I only ended up feeling more depressed. As a history of depression, the level of research was quite impressive. If you read Prozac Nation and wanted to punch her out, steer clear of this one as well 142332367X:let_me_explain_why_i_give_it_one_star....:babygirl 142332367X Real Men Don't Apologize!: Books: Jim Belushi books 3 of 19 1.0 July 23, 2006 BabyGirl pay attention, my security does NOT come from YOUR paycheck, it comes from your arm wrapped around me, PROTECTING me with your love Please take this to HEART.... I love Mr. Belushi's acting, he's funny and all...I have nothing against his career and respect him for making all the changes he did in his life... BUT...I cannot say this louder then this: NOT ALL WOMEN ARE THE SAME!!!!!!!!!!!! I was reading this, I knew what I was to expect...so I went in with SOME knowledge. I love a real man, I LOVE A REAL MAN!! I am NOT your a-typical woman and I will kill or die trying to remain myself. When ever I see book after book or hear more and more about this ..... I just fume because I will be the FIRST to admit WOMEN'S LIB DESTROYED WOMANHOOD! BUT and I repeat BUT...NOT ALL WOMEN ARE FOR WOMEN'S LIB AND ALL THE DAMAGE CAUSED IS NOT SUPPORTED BY ALL WOMEN. I am destroyed by people like Mr. Belushi because THEY think I am one of the group called 'all women' and am judged because I belong to this group. His book is the most selfish book I have ever read and again, do not get me wrong about being a man, I SUPPORT IT AND CAN'T STAND a man who can't be a man.... for ME, money is NOT status, a career is NOT status and marriage does not complete me! If you fail at making the money you want, I'll encourage you to lift your spirits and NEVER tell you what job to do...if you don't have the money to take me out or buy me anything, I don't judge the quality of who you are, I will enjoy a night in front of the dvd player with you and I'M HAPPY! I don't ask you to call because I'm checking up on YOU, I ask you to call and let me know you're safe....I don't snoop in your stuff because I'm NOSEY, I respect your privacy because I TRUST you - give me reason to stand up and NOT take your crap and I will, but ONLY after I shower you with unconditional love and acceptance because I GIVE IT TO YOU, and if that still hasn't reached you, all I can do is then stand up for myself where my man should be protecting me. Yes, chivalry IS the key to this girls heart, but you better have a set to back that up too! Your friends are my friends and I love them because I love you and you love them...nothing more, but they sure do take by destroying us since they don't have the 'us' in their own lives... I SUPPORT and WISH THERE WERE more real men out there...there are only two wants from this woman to her man 1-don't cheat on me and lie to my face, I NEED THAT SECURITY (pay attention, my security does NOT come from YOUR paycheck, it comes from your arm wrapped around me, PROTECTING me with your love) and 2- it is YOUR job to take care of us and when you can't, I am right there to get your back NOT to get in your way, NOT to diminish you, but to HELP YOU when you say you need my help. That did not cost you your friends, did not cost a penny and it did not cost you your freedoms as a man. I GIVE FREELY, LOVINGLY, UNCONDITIONALLY and ALWAYS not because of the notches on your bedpost, not because it cost you a dime, not because you did it MY way, not because you gave up one dang thing - I gave you every reason to WANT to give me your arm around me and your WANT to protect me. Two things is all I need to give you an entire lifetime of love, honor, RESPECT and every ounce of my body to you...FREELY...got it??? I am halfway through the book and realized that yeah, I love one of the biggest jerks out there because of who he's become, I will love him til the day I die and will always and I mean ALWAYS give him that love, RESPECT as a man and honor him as MY man....because 'I' want to change ME to be a better woman, not because he got whipped into what I wanted him to be! NOT ALL WOMEN FIT THE BILL OF TRUE WAMONHOOD but I sure am dang proud of myself that I strive for it B0007DB96O:a_bad_choice_of_plot_and_character:roger_long_"longrush" B0007DB96O The King of Torts [BARGAIN PRICE] [Hardcover] by GRISHAM, JOHN: Books: JOHN GRISHAM books 2 of 2 1.0 October 24, 2006 Roger Long "longrush" Port Clinton, OH USA It is difficult, nay, impossible, to like a book when all the characters are obnoxious, money worshipping parasites, and that is exactly what we have in this novel. Out of the blue a godfather appears, a deus ex machina, who offers an idealistic lawyer, Clay Carter, more wealth than he can imagine or use. Anyone with a brain would know that there has to be a hook within the bait, a very sharp, very large hook. With apparent ease, this naive lawyer swallows the hook and makes millions and millions of dollars before he so much as senses that he is in deep trouble. Enthralled with the gaudy toys and women that money brings him, he immediately loses sight of reality. What a hollow and useless individual he is, as are those he hires to assist him and those with whom he associates in his lawyer world. Whether or not there are such individuals (Enron?) is beside the point. They may exist, but I for one am not eager to hear their life stories. The atmosphere in which they live is boring, as are their conversations, their lack of values, their hobbies, their sex lives, and their comeuppances. Somehow, even in their fall, they never lose all their money and they never quite realize what hollow individuals they are. Having read most of Mr. Grisham's other books, I expected better from him. B0007DB96O:a_rather_plodding_morality_tale:thriller_lover B0007DB96O The King of Torts [BARGAIN PRICE] [Hardcover] by GRISHAM, JOHN: Books: JOHN GRISHAM books 2 of 2 2.0 October 21, 2006 Thriller Lover Chula Vista, CA United States I like John Grisham, but THE KING OF TORTS was a slow-moving disappointment. Grisham is obviously making an argument for tort reform in this novel, which is fine, but he ends up putting the message above the story. Grisham devotes much of this novel to a young plaintiffs' lawyer and his new law firm dedicated to class action lawsuits. This provides Grisham with an excuse to explain, in agonizing detail, how tort lawyers sue big companies and collect huge fees. Grisham also produces scene after scene describing the enormous wealth of class action lawyers, and how they put their own greed above the interests of their clients. In the end, none of this adds up to an engaging storyline. It doesn't help that the young lawyer in this novel is a rather unlikable person that Grisham is obviously setting up for a fall. Since I didn't care for this character, I found the storyline of THE KING OF TORTS to be largely uninvolving. This novel is also rather preachy and heavy-handed in tone. I personally dislike class action lawsuits, but I read novels for entertainment, not to validate my own political beliefs. Although this book was decently written, I just didn't find the story interesting enough to recommend. For a better version of this story, I would suggest A CIVIL ACTION by Jonathan Harr. 1597775347:owen:__world's_worst_husband.:jody_l._eyer 1597775347 Gorgeous Disaster: The Tragic Story of Debra Lafave: Books: Owen Lafave & Bill Simon books 12 of 31 1.0 September 29, 2006 Jody L. Eyer Owen does a remarkable job of making himself look like a complete jerk. He comes off as arrogant, showing little empathy towards Debra's problems earlier on in their marriage ( eating disorder, depression, social anxiety). He writes about very private matters in his book that have nothing to do with the legal trouble Debra was in, but instead are very embarrassing to her. He comes across as a husband with no compassion. It's ironic that he goes on and on about Debra's poor choices in boyfriends over the years, and how they were always so controlling of her....and then he goes on to tell us how mad he was because he was a tidy person and Debra didn't keep the house tidy...and he didn't approve of the way she dressed!! Seems to me that he was no different than the other guys she dated. He repeatedly reminds us of how smart he is, his GPA, jobs, earning potential, etc...but then admits that when they separated, he sticks Debra with the credit card bill that still had a balance from their wedding and honeymoon to pay off! He says it was in her name, so she can have it! Owen shows how little a man he really is in this book. Debra did have horrible things happen to her as a kid, and maybe if she could have married a man with compassion in his heart, she wouldn't have gone down the road she did. I feel very sorry for Debra after reading this book 0972469036:way_too_complicated:tina_zahabi-robbins 0972469036 Simply Natural Baby Food: Easy Recipes for Delicious Meals Your Infant and Toddler Will Love: Books: Cathe Olson books 0 of 1 2.0 November 9, 2006 Tina Zahabi-robbins This is a good book for serious health nuts that have the time and energy to make simple easy recipes with a million strange ingredients that you've probably never heard of. If you plan on making lots of baby food with kelp and sea weed then this is the book for you 0380973499:a_war_criminal's_memoir_of_mass_murder:shifra_berman 0380973499 War's End: An Eyewitness Account of America's Last Atomic Mission: Books: Charles W. Sweeney,James A. Antonucci,Marion K. Antonucci books 5 of 32 1.0 August 9, 2004 Shifra Berman Mexico City, DF Mexico A sad reminder that history is written by the victors. I wonder how Americans would feel if Al Qaeda would write a similar book glorifying the 9-11 attacks. Disgusting 0830902791:chloroform_in_print:truthbefound 0830902791 Book of Mormon/Large Print: Books: Joseph Smith books 3 of 12 1.0 May 20, 2006 TruthbeFound St. Louis, MO Mark Twain called the Book of Mormon "chloroform in print" and he wasn't kidding. It is by far the most boring read I have encountered (I could barely get through it). I am a woman of faith - faith in God and faith in Christ and I don't know how anyone could believe this rubbish. PLEASE, anyone who is taking this at all seriously - do some research on the church. Ask some hard questions (you will likely get a rehearsed answer, but it's worth a shot). Joseph Smith was accused (and fined with a misdimeanor) of being a "glass looker" - hired by a man to help him find buried silver mines started and left behind by the Spanish. He would use "magic stones" that were placed in a hat to tell him where to find the location. So convenient that he later found "gold plates" and used what he called the "Urim and Thum" (which, by the way are actually gemstones that were carried by the High Priests of Israel in biblical times) to translate these plates (he describes them as stones he looked at in a hat). There are SO many myths that are told by members of the church "most men were SO distraught at the thought of polygamy", the age issue of Joseph translating the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith's actual role in polygamy (which really should be called polandry - when a woman has more than one husband... 11 of Josephs 33 wives were actually married to other men first and then married to him, having NEVER divorced the first husband - what's up with that???).. etc.. and the list goes on and on... I am not disputing that Mormons take care of their own... that they are often kind people who have good hearts, I think that is all wonderful and if you want to join their church for those reasons that's great! Just PLEASE do some homework first and don't just rely on the "power of prayer". There is a reason that Utah is the [...] capital of the USA (I'm sure every one of those people "prayed" about that big business decision - it can OFTEN be mis-intrepreted). 1559716711:chased_by_the_light:_a_90-day_journey:_2001:catherine_m._kelley_"catherine399" 1559716711 Chased By The Light: Books: Jim Brandenburg books 4 of 31 1.0 January 8, 2001 catherine m. kelley "catherine399" Bellevue, WA United States While it is true that Brandenburg is a tremendous photographer and the majority of photos are simply breathtaking. I returned my copy because the datebook also contained disturbing photos of dead wildlife. I'm very tender when it comes to wildlife, and while I know that death is a natural part of the life cycle, I am disturbed by dead wildlife and would never chose a book or datebook containing such pictures. For anyone who is animal sensitive and dislikes any death photos, then this IS NOT the book for them. Otherwise, I would recommend it 0143059017:don't_recommend_this_book!_the_worst_book_i've_ever_read!:claudia_ferguson 0143059017 War on the Middle Class: How the Government, Big Business, and Special Interest Groups Are Waging War onthe American Dream and How to Fight Back: Books: Lou Dobbs books 0 of 27 1.0 November 8, 2006 claudia Ferguson I have nothing more to say than I've already said in my headline. Lou Dobbs' book was a big disappointment for me. 0739324837:ugggh:carolyn_"life's_best_spent_as_a_goddess_being_pampered_by_well_oiled_cabana_boys" 0739324837 Killer Dreams: Books: Iris Johansen,Jennifer Van Dyck books 3 of 4 2.0 September 7, 2006 Carolyn "Life's best spent as a goddess being pampered by well oiled cabana boys" Oklahoma I've read every one of Iris Johansen's "suspense" novels and have loved most of them. The last couple though have been so painful to get through. This one however, I don't think I can even finish. I read where someone called these characters "cardboard," and I couldn't agree more. The female heroine randomly throws in curse words in a cheap attempt to create tension between herself and the supposed male protagonist. Whereas in the Eve Duncan Books and the Wind Dancer books we are drawn into the story and come to care for the characters, it is patently obvious what will happen with each of these characters - makes me think of a writing 101 class. "Now this should happen here, and this here, and this here and boom, climax, happily every after." I hope that Iris can get her groove back and begin writing novels worth my time. 0195189728:5_stars?_really?:steve_marshall 0195189728 One Nation, Underprivileged: Why American Poverty Affects Us All: Books: Mark Robert Rank books 1 of 3 2.0 August 13, 2006 Steve Marshall Mark Rank proposes many interesting ideas that attempt redefine how we think about poverty in America. Most of his ideas are solid, but my deepest concern is with the readers who gave this book 5 stars and used the word "interesting" to describe it. Did they actually read it? This book is an unending parade of boring and repeated ideas presented in different, yet equally boring ways. I honestly beleive that this book has destroyed the thrill of musical chairs for me forever. This book could have been written in about 150 pages instead of the 250 it actually took if he simply used his original, not to mention solid, ideas. The nature of the book greatly weakened his overall argument. Not only was the book dry, but it also seemed to fail to acknowledge the global system the US is a part of, and in particular, the role that immigration plays on poverty in the US. He talks about the US and the people in it as if they were static, but we live in a very fluid world, growing more fluid everyday, and I feel that his failure to ackowledge this fact truly hurts his overall argument. 0375408428:complete_inability_to_move_the_story_along!:no_spam 0375408428 Turn of the Century: Books: Kurt Andersen,John Rubinstein books 2 of 3 2.0 April 18, 2001 No Spam Denver forget the tom wolfe comparison. this book is simply BORING! i'm half through reading it, but i'm still waiting for something interesting to happen. if nobody tells me that the second half is much, much better than the first, i'm going to throw it away (which i rarely do). how could i believe this excellent book review (in a swiss newspaper) 1576121682:too_much_homoerotica:s._ryan 1576121682 Naughty Stories from A to Z: Books: Alison Tyler books 18 of 23 2.0 October 2, 2005 S. Ryan MA United States I appreciate that there has to be some of this to cater to the various tastes out there--but this book has way too much. I read 4 stories in a row that were either about lesbians or bisexual men. I am going to stick to books that have more balance or emphasize hot sex between men and women. The other stuff just doesn't do it for me. I got bored and started turning the pages fast. Disappointing 0486433986:trotsky:_mass_murderer_and_liar:odinsblade_"odinsblade" 0486433986 The Revolution Betrayed: Books: Leon Trotsky,Max Eastman books 11 of 104 1.0 January 29, 2005 Odinsblade "odinsblade" America You know, I hate to burst the bubble of devoted Trotskyites across the globe, but Trotsky was just as responsible for Stalin's rule as anyone. For Leon to blame Stalin is the height of hypocrisy. Without Lenin's apparatus of social repression and Trotsky's apparatus of military dictatorship, Stalin would never have been. The Russian Revolution was never a win for workers. It destroyed them, some 4 million at Lenin's hands, 30 million by Stalin, and 65 million by Mao Tse-tung. No policy or ideology that denies the soul can ever succeed. And communism does just that. By denying that which makes humans humans, it can bring only suffering 1400041996:poor_excuse_for_a_book:jazzy_boy 1400041996 The Iraq War: Books: John Keegan books 1 of 16 1.0 December 12, 2005 Jazzy Boy UK I thought Keegan was a "serious" historian. This book contains little to do with the actual war itself - you would have picked up more on how it was fought on a 2nd rate cable news channel - indeed I beleive thats where he did all his research for this poor excuse for a "serious" miltary analysis of the iraq war 0671474219:not_the_best_self-help:kent 0671474219 How To Start A Conversation And Make Friends: Books: Don Gabor books 33 of 35 2.0 January 13, 2004 Kent USA The self-improvement books How to Win Friends and Influence People and Talking the Winner's Way are both way superior to this short book. Most of what you read is basically review if you've ready other similar books. And what's present doesn't pack enough substance or "how to" to make it really worth your time. About half-way through the book, Gabor started presenting fresh ideas. The problem, however, is that it was half-way through the book. Not a bad read, but there's so much better. If you happen across it one day on the street, it won't do any harm to read it. But I can't recommend paying money for something you already know, or can get for a better deal 0142002593:entertaining_but_apparently_not_a_scholar:"magisterbooks" 0142002593 A Mind of Its Own: A Cultural History of the Penis: Books: David M. Friedman books 18 of 28 2.0 August 13, 2003 "magisterbooks" Clearwater, FL United States The book is entertaining, however if you wish to read this from a scholarly point of view and you have spent ANY time studying the ancient world to any degree...you will be appauled to find that the author of this book simply added his own interpretations to events, biblical texts, and blatantly stretched (pun so intended) the truth on so much. I'd had enough from a research point of view when this guy not onlt spelt the names of gods wrong, but hyped only childish popular perspectives that no closer resemble ancient Sumerian belief than does the golden arches as a phallic symbol. If you take away any claim of being a historical reference, this book is good. It's a tongue and cheek look on the penis and that is about all it does. Totally not serious, but a giggle to be had here and there. Some of which is at the author's expense 0671524461:great_book_if_you_are_looking_for_"victim"_status.:teephphah 0671524461 You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?: A Self-help Audio Program for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder: Books: Kate Kelly,Peggy Ramundo books 24 of 44 1.0 June 1, 2005 Teephphah as an adult When I first got diagnosed with ADD (as an adult) I believe the exact phrase "You mean I'm not lazy, crazy or stupid?" went through my mind. FINALLY, there was an explanation. So when I heard about a book by that name, certainly I had to check it out. Once I did though, I was sorely disappointed. I have ADD, yes. Nevertheless, I've still managed to get pretty far in life in spite of the "handycap" the authors of this book seem so eager to hide under. It's been a while since I read it, but I have the distinct recollection of finding some new example of a "You can't succeed in the world because you are 'disabled'" mentality on every page. You can't do this, you can't do that, you've failed and you will continue to fail - just accept it. Excuse me? I don't know about the authors of this book, but MY ADD makes me creative and intuitive and perceptive and just generally a genuinely unique and awesome person (egomania aside). Where is this addressed? Where are the helpful hints for harnessing THAT kind of potential? If they're in there, I sure didn't see them. All I found were new little tricks for combatting the "affliction" with which I am (oh so unfortunately) beset. Using these tricks, I can hope against hope for some semblence of a "normal" life they say. Thanks but no thanks. I'm doing pretty well so far, and I refuse to feel like some sort of mental cripple. If you, and the authors are happy considering yourself as something less than the rest of the world because of the way your mind works, feel free - this is the perfect book for you. But you can count me out. 0833543350:the_bad_borin_book_of_evil_tricks:kelley_e._stover_"drew" 0833543350 The Devil's Arithmetic: Books: Jane Yolen books 0 of 14 1.0 May 10, 2006 Kelley E. Stover "Drew" Have you ever read a book that just seemed to drag on and on? For me, that was this book. If you like fantasy then you might like this, because that is the genre of this book. It is about a Jewish girl named Hannah. She goes to a family party and hears a knock on the door. She opens it and then sort of wakes up and she thought it was a dream. She now has a new name, Chaya. She now has to figure out what happened, and what she will do in this body. It takes place in New Rochelle. It is old times. It doesn't give a specific time but you can infer by the clues and setting. She doesn't know why this happened to her but she must try to fix it. I didn't like this book at all. I thought it was really hard to follow. You have to pay attention throughout the whole book. You can never daydream or you won't know why they are calling her a new name. This was definitely made for older adults, or people with a higher reading level. If you are a good reader and you like to challenge yourself, try this book. I don't recommend this book if you are younger, or just not that well of a reader. This is for very and I mean very good and high level readers. I would say between the ages of 25-60 might like this book. I don't think this book was a page turner. I wanted to put it down, instead of not wanting to put it down. It never sparked my interest. Her being Jewish, and the book being a fantasy, I couldn't relate to anything that happened. This book was hard to concentrate on. If you look up for one second, you miss most of the story, so concentrate hard. I couldn't relate to anyone. I am not Jewish. If you are Jewish, you might actually understand this book better than I could. I didn't like the genre. It was all fake and totally unrealistic. If you like that sort of stuff, then read this book, but I don't like fantasy. I didn't like how it was written. It was too hard to concentrate on. I had to reread twice to find out why they are calling her a different name. I never found any surprised in the story. I could guess what would happen next. It was predictable. None of the chapters had cliffhangers. If just was boring and that's it. I thought it was extremely boring. I didn't understand anything and I would rather do my homework, than read that book. My mind wandered a lot. I had to read sections over and over again. I never believed the plot one bit. With the story being fantasy, everything is farfetched. I think older people would enjoy this book, because they would be the only ones who could understand it. 0743466721:a_b_movie_in_paper_form:paul_nally 0743466721 Assassin: A Thriller (Hawke (Pocket Star Paperback)): Books: Ted Bell books 1 of 3 1.0 September 12, 2006 Paul Nally Hoboken, NJ USA I picked up this book at the airport as I was heading to Japan. While staying with my in laws in the country, there is no English language anything. This is all I brought so I had to finish it. But it was a struggle. Firstly I like complex thrillers, and I liked all the Tom Clancy Jack Ryan series. Technically excellent, if with totally one dimensional characters. This book reminds me of the original Star Trek, where everyone but the Captain is affected by the virus. The hero is always right. Bell can write, his prose, I think is fine, but the scenarios are sometimes laughably implausible. I also agree with another reviewer here that there is an unpleasant racist overtone in some of his depictions of some of the bad guys. Overall awful, just awful. My first and last Bell book. I will be leaving the rest of the Bell collection on the shelf 0345404920:lacking_in_details_and_intimancies:peter 0345404920 Gods and Generals: Books: Jeff Shaara books 1 of 6 2.0 February 14, 2006 peter ny i'll be the first to admit that i'm biased based on my expectations from shaara's father's great book, the killer angels. it is not fair to compare the two, but because reading the father's book lead me to buy this one, i thought i should mention it. this book does not contain nearly the details and intimancies of the father's book. it is not surprising since this one covers a much longer time frame than the battle of gettysburg, so shaara has less pages to devote to each person and battle. but the result is a less satisfying book. it skims rather than digs deep 0767914104:boring:dasn0wman_"dasn0wman" 0767914104 The Automatic Millionaire : A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich: Books: David Bach books 4 of 8 2.0 October 2, 2006 dasn0wman "dasn0wman" Brooklyn, NY United States This book provides nothing new. It is centered on the whole idea of setting up your retirement accounts so they automatically deduct from your paycheck. If you have 401k, duh, it does that automatically...anyway, boring. It also says to save money, don't use credit cards, pay yourself, blah, blah, blah. Oh yeh, if you save early you will be a millionaire in like forty years...zzzz. Ok, it did help me by reminding me about the interest rates in banks. One idea was to put the emergency funds in a money market account which offers a higher interest rate than a regular savings account. Upon reading this, I decided to do this and doing this made me realize the dismal .2% I've been earning on my saving account. And not realizing the latest craze started by ING, all the other banks offer an "online savings" account which offers 5% compare to the dismal .2%. I immediately switched! Other than this part of the book, it was boring 0674673778:is_toni_morrison_for_real?:plainsdweller 0674673778 Playing in the Dark : Whiteness and the Literary Imagination: Books: Toni Morrison books 2 of 10 1.0 December 23, 2005 plainsdweller Kansas The reviewer below who said "More Heat Than Light" got it partly right. This book is SO badly written you have to wonder if the author's other works were written by the same person. Not only is it sophomoric, it is gibberish. Had its author been unknown, she would surely have had to pay for the book's publication. Incredibly bad, it may at least serve as a source of hope for struggling writers who believe that only the best works are accepted by publishers 0380728273:don't_waste_your_time:christina_m._westover_"cmw" 0380728273 Liberty Falling (Anna Pigeon Mysteries (Paperback)): Books: Nevada Barr books 1 of 3 1.0 October 26, 2004 Christina M. Westover "CMW" Everett, Wa After reading Deep South and Flashback, I was looking forward to going back and reading some of the earlier Anna Pigeon books. Liberty Falling has to be the worst of the Pigeon series. I found myself skimming over pages and skipping over the last third of the book to get to the end and hope the ending would make it worth the read. It wasn't. 0393310671:manifesto_of_liberal_pseudoscience:sherry_"scb" 0393310671 The Mismeasure of Man: Books: Stephen Jay Gould books 7 of 25 1.0 June 3, 2006 Sherry "SCB" Montclaie, NJ For someone who spends his career attacking politically-motivated science, Stephen Jay Gould does a pretty good job combining scientific research with politics in this book. Gould rambles on and on, attacking giants of modern science like Samuel Morton and Francis Galton, and never putting up any serious scientific conclusions of his own. Gould presents fabricated objections to serious research and selectively excludes studies that make a clear correlation between intelligence and brain and skull size as well as differences in brain size between the human population groups and correlations between brain size and class. Gould only ridicules the most outlandish claims of scientific racism and refuses to pick on findings that have been proven correct. For anyone who has no knowledge of biology, this book will give them a very distorted view of the entire science. Stephen Jay Gould is a paleontologist; evolutionary biology is an amateur field for him, and it would be best if he, as well as all other crypto-Marxists who wish to blend science and politics, stay out of it 0552101664:i_expected_more:spencer_case 0552101664 Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: Books: Robert Pirsig books 8 of 20 2.0 July 28, 2006 Spencer Case Pocatello, Idaho Before I started reading "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," the book had a lot going for it: stellar reviews on the cover, an intriguing title and its status as one of five or six books found in the meager philosophy section at Walden Books in Pocatello. Unfortunately, despite these advantages, the book failed to deliver anything but ambiguity and disappointment. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't terrible, it just wasn't very good. I'm not sure whether the book is a memoir, a novel or a philosophical treatise. In "Zen" Robert Pirsig tells the story of a motorcycle trip he went on with his son, Chris in the 1970s. But the story, I guess, is not really about the bike trip itself but the thoughts the author has about quality and technology. The only interesting passage of the whole book can be found on page 17: "The Buddha, the Godhead, resides quite as comfortably in the circuits of a computer or the gears of a cycle transmission as he does at the top of a mountain or in the petals of a flower." That passage is good. The rest of the book is depressing and confusing. Throughout the entire motorcycle trip, the author ignores his son and becomes lost in his own head thinking deep thoughts about the definition of "quality." I'm not sure if this book was intended as a novel, but if it was, it failed to produce character growth. It's standing as a work of philosophy is not much better. The author's ideas could have been explained in a 20 page essay and been much clearer. Whatever the book was supposed to be, it didn't impressed me. 0316058866:like_shadow_of_the_wind_(good)_with_chuckles_(bad):rebecca_mceldowney_"author_of_'soul_of_flesh:_a_novel_of_the_hungarian_revolution" 0316058866 The Historian: Books: Elizabeth Kostova books 1 of 4 2.0 November 12, 2006 Rebecca McEldowney "author of 'Soul of Flesh: A Novel of the Hungarian Revolution" Tucson, AZ USA I'm at page 116 right now. The writing is lovely, the specifics dense, and the sense of place rich. If the author tries to create suspense one more time by having the father say, "I just can't go on with this story!" I'm going to throw the book at the wall. Also, so many embarrassing little holes. If I were a librarian I would say, "So Dracula's checked out. Go to a bookstore. Every bookstore in the country has a copy." And if I were the cat, I would know I was a goner the second I appeared as indeed he does within a paragraph(you need to plant the gun in an early scene if you're going to fire it). Lastly, it seems like Dracula would be so much more efficient if he just killed the main characters rather than killing everyone around them. Unless "Dracula" is related to our heroine--that would be good. Will read a bit more. . . 0226816273:confusing_but_better_than_nothing:morgan 0226816273 A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing): Books: Kate L. Turabian books 2 of 3 2.0 January 24, 2006 Morgan Nevada Overall I found this guide pretty confusing, but I guess it is better than nothing. There are better choices, and some may want to consider auto-formatting software such as Eazypaper and others. 0375402926:mediocre:dawn_dellarocco 0375402926 Cold Mountain: Books: Charles Frazier books 2 of 6 2.0 July 27, 2006 Dawn Dellarocco SHELTON, CT I read this book, it was okay but the story flashed back to much, and I couldn't folow all of it but I read all of it anyway. I wouldn't recommend it. TOO SLOW MOVING, and BORING because of the flashbacks. The movie was the same way 0440242029:another_awful_book:book_fan_"reads_a_lot" 0440242029 Toxic Bachelors: Books: Danielle Steel books 1 of 1 1.0 July 19, 2006 Book Fan "Reads a lot" Chicago, IL Let me start by saying that I would have given this book zero stars if I could. The reviews I've read are all true. This book is boring, extremely repetitive and a waste of time. The only reason I finished it was because I paid for it. I truly believe that Danielle Steel has lost her gift of writing. She has not published a good book in a long time. I also think that she's lost her editor, because to me, a good editor wouldn't let books like this be printed. This story pretty much follows stories she's done before except it's told from the guy's point of view. There's the rich guy, Charlie, who can't seem to find the "perfect" girl to marry. He finds a flaw with every one he dates. He lost his parents at a young age, his sister left school to raise him, and just before he graduated college, she died of a brain tumor. So of course he's afraid that anyone he gets close to will die or leave him. Then there's rich Adam, whose wife left him and took their two children with her. It was a bitter divorce, so he has no desire to ever marry again. He dates girls half his age and never stays with one long. His parents blame him for the divorce. Every time he visits them, his mother let's him know what a huge disappointment he is to the family. The last of the trio is Gary, a struggling artist. He has no desire to ever marry or date. The three men spend the month of August each year on Charlie's yacht, partying and going on and on about how they don't want commitments. Well of course, each one meets someone, they start to date, they argue, they break up, they have their epiphany and everyone lives happily ever after. Same old story. Danielle Steel should stop writing. You can't tell me she doesn't have enough money to live on. I for one will not read any more of her books, even a paperback, and I won't even bother renting them from the library. I won't waste my time having to check the book out and worrying about getting it back on time. There are better authors available and I'm going to read them 1410401723:the_gothic_aspects_did_not_work_for_me.:c._gilbert_"frumiousb" 1410401723 Flashback: Books: Nevada Barr books 1 of 1 2.0 November 23, 2005 C. Gilbert "frumiousb" Amsterdam, the Netherlands This is the second Nevada Barr that I have read. I picked it up on the strength of Deep South, which I thought was really terrific. It was frustrating that nearly all of what I liked about Deep South was missing from Flashback. Flashback is structured with interwoven narratives which involve both the real-life murder and a civil war mystery related to Anna Pigeon's own family. The civil war story (told through letters and dream-like sequences) is clearly intended to add a note of gothic mystery to the story. Some may like the flavor that this element provides, but for me it dilutes the elements of the writing that I most enjoy. I really liked the crisp realism of Deep South, and felt that the style put it a cut above most books in the genre. Flashback, on the other hand, felt painfully contrived. The plot line with the letters was extremely unrealistic and (to my mind) unnecessary. If you like historical mysteries with a gothic flavor more than you like realism in a detective novel, then you will probably be significantly less bothered than I was by Flashback. Barr at least made a clear choice with her approach to the book. Judging from the reviews, not everyone had a negative reaction to the interwoven plot lines. I will go ahead and pick up a third Barr book, because I did like Deep South so much. It was disappointing to have not had my high hopes realized with my second outing, but hope that it can be redeemed with a third. 0553051849:where_is_the_quality_control:lynne_shaney_"sandrag" 0553051849 Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: Books: Jack Zipes books 7 of 16 1.0 August 16, 2005 Lynne Shaney "sandrag" Minneapolis MN USA design of book is very poor--pictures totally unclear and print is crowded making it impossible to focus on the story. The translations are not bad but there is no effort to organize the material and put it in contex 0307236994:basic_stuff:n._calille 0307236994 The Wall Street Journal Complete Money and Investing Guidebook: Books: Dave Kansas books 2 of 5 2.0 March 1, 2006 N. Calille california I was not impressed with this book. It is just basic stuff. I would have expected a more sophisticated analyis of financials from this publisher 1558706135:disappointed:rosebudspapa_"rosebudspapa" 1558706135 Design Your Own Furniture: From Concept to Completion: Books: Jim Stack books 6 of 7 1.0 February 18, 2005 Rosebudspapa "rosebudspapa" Columbia SC I expected information about design, but this is just a self serving "I am good at what I do" book. I am sure he is good but there is little or no information about how to actually desigh furniture. No proportions, no instruction except make your mistakes on paper by sketching first. A waste of good money. 0375412123:astoundingly_poor:a._ross 0375412123 A Multitude of Sins: Books: Richard Ford books 7 of 15 1.0 May 19, 2003 A. Ross Washington, DC If an author sets out to write a collection of short stories about adultery, you'd think they'd have a lo say about it, right? Well, Ford certainly expends plenty of words, but the net impact of them is next to nothing by the end of this incredibly feeble navel-gazing group of stories. Mind-numbingly similar in tone and temperament, the ten stories center of upper and upper-middle class white, middle-aged, married professionals who seem to have drifted into infidelity. Story after story plods cautiously along, poking at the consequences of adultery in a very mild way, with leaden dialogue and a lot of empty moodiness. Adultery is treated almost as a kind of bland rite-of-passage for a disconnected male. Marital infidelity can happen in so many ways for so many reasons, and yet Ford seems interested in only a very limited field of it. I have no idea what his personal background or situation is, but it's a collection you read and leave wishing the author had worked out their issues in therapy or something. If he wasn't such a literary bigshot, there's no way this would have been published-it strikes the same note over and over and over, and isn't provocative, insightful, or even interesting. PS. If you were planning on the audio version, don't. Ford is a terrible reader, sounding like someone reading the telephone book aloud as punishment 079223913X:why_is_the_cost_so_reasonable?...:femi 079223913X Wide Angle: National Geographic Greatest Places: Books: Ferdinand Protzman books 1 of 1 2.0 July 7, 2006 Femi Los Angeles, CA USA ...essentially you get what you pay for. This book is certanly NOT representative of what I have come to expect from National Geographic. I had eagerly anticipated the arrival of my book, but was dissappointed to find within the first few pages that it is uninspiring at best. Most of the pictures are poorly executed and at times seem amateurish. In the past I've found photographs by professionals like Steve McCurry ('Portraits')visually arresting. Not so here. At least it only cost me $20 oredering from Amazon. If I had been able to preview it beforehand, I would not have thought it worth even the discounted price 0385495226:a_terrifying_true_story...a_completely_mediocre_read:librum_"6nomad9" 0385495226 The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story: Books: Richard Preston books 1 of 1 1.0 October 26, 2006 Librum "6nomad9" CA, USA If HZ's sensationalist title gives you pause, you're on to something. The "story" Preston narrates is, indeed, terrifying. It is a story about disease, politics, epidemiology, history, geography... So much could have been made of this story (and so much has been, by far more capable writers). Preston, it seems, is only capable of going for the jugular. HZ shows no evidence of research (it lacks even a trace of a bibliography), and attests little more than a rudimentary grasp, on the part of its author, of the history, epidemiology, or politics of Ebola (no more than one might glean from any half decent article on the topic). From its opening page stroll through the air-lock doors of a bio-containment research lab, to its closing page 'death-defying' romp through Kitum Cave (how very brave of you, RP!), HZ is in full pandering-for-the-cameras mode. If this book was not a thinly veiled Hollywood screenplay, I'll eat my proverbial hat. Even this might have been tolerable were Preston a remotely thoughtful observer or a marginally adept writer. HZ is all cliches and lazy reporting. It is an embarassment 1559944293:very_disappointing_..._there're_better_books_out_there_for_co-dependency:c._wong 1559944293 Drama of the Gifted Child:: Books: Alice Miller,Walker Kathryn books 6 of 44 1.0 August 30, 2005 C. Wong USA Most of the information is very "theoritical" and "limited" -- author focus mainly on her own analysis of her mother and her relationship with her. ... In a nutshell, the message is that a dysfunctional mother'll pass her emotioanal issues to her daughter(s), and in turn, the daughter(s) may pass that onto her offspring(s). ... 0465023967:how_to_ignore_genocide:nikephorus_phokas 0465023967 Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire: Books: Caroline Finkel books 10 of 40 1.0 May 1, 2006 Nikephorus Phokas Alexandria, Virginia United States The official censes of the Ottoman Empire in the early 1900s showed well over five million Christians living in the provinces of what are now modern Turkey. Western specialists who helped the Turks conduct their censes stated that the Turks purposely undercounted the Christians and overcounted the Turks. So, there were many more than just five million Christians. There are now approximately only a hundred thousand Christians in Modern Turkey. The question that the author pointedly neglects to address is what happened to the difference between over five million in the early 1900s and only a hundred thousand people today. We know that over a million surviving Greeks were expelled in the exhange of populations between Greece and Turkey in 1923. Again, what happened to the huge difference of 4-5 million people? To the 1.5 million massacred Armenians, must be added three quarters to a million Assyriac Christians (Aramaic-speaking Arab Christians) and as many as two million Greeks (almost 30 percent of the Greek people). The author does not touch on the large numbers of Christians who were enslaved by Turks or forced to convert to Islam to avoid massacre which explains the large number Greek-speaking "Turks" around Trebizon on the Black Sea. It is not as if there is not vast contemporary accounts of neutral and Western observers of this enormous genocide and ethnic cleansing of the original, pre-Turkish populations of Anatolia. I can only conclude that the author had such an inborn bias in favor of Turkey as to ignore a slaugher that approaches the Jewish holocaust of WWII. Avoiding this subject amounts to holocaust denial. The Christian genocide was the first great genocide of the 20th century and Hitler's model for the Jewish genocide. The massacre of the Greek and Armenian population of Smyrna (now Izmir) ranks with the Rape of Nanking in sheer horror and scale, but the author skips over it in a rush to avoid any detail of the crime or assign any blame except to the Greeks and Armenians by repeating the discredited canard that they set fire to their own city. The author's treatment of the Christian genocide reminds me of the comments to me of a Turkish officer at a NATO conference which were to the effect that there had been no Armenian genocide (the Turkish Government official line) but, in any case, that they had deserved it. The author seems to have taken her treatment of the subject from the Turkish Government as well 089526711X:bah!__correction_please:jeremy_g._snyder_"darkstalker" 089526711X Das Kapital, Gateway Edition: Books: Karl Marx books 5 of 29 1.0 April 3, 2006 Jeremy G. Snyder "Darkstalker" San Antonio, TX USA "Karl Marx, years ago, gave a description of why this might be happening. He followed the most moral and meritocratic theory for wealth and value: an object is worth as much as the effort it takes to make." NO IT'S NOT!!! An object's worth is based upon both the supply of an object and the demand for it arrising from consumers. To imply that it comes from the effort it takes to make implies that a milkshake that takes only a few minutes to make is worth far less than a vial of poison that took an hour to make or an atomic bomb that took months to make, which would mean that we should subsidize the military-industrial complex, since all those workers worked hard to create those deadly things. "Petty-bourgeois' owners, i.e. the mom-and-pop stores and small business in general, of which my grandpa, a dentist, was a part of, are being driven under by corporate chain competition in retail." This is either to the innefficiency in their store to meet consumer demands or to the massive regulations burdened upon them by the government. All regulations do nothing but add an increased burden on to competition and thus kills them out. There's a reason why the owner's of Wal-Mart recently said that the federal government should increase the minimum wage to over $8, as this would cause many smaller businesses to go bankrupt, lay off employees, and prevent future businesses from starting up to compete with Wal-Mart. Another problem is the subsidies that the smaller store pays to Wal-Mart (Wal-Mart collects millions in subsidies due to Marx's Labor Theory of Value once again) and of the use of emminent domain abuse (which can be justified on the grounds of the "greater good" as opposed to the individual good of your mom and pop stores). "But no theory is ever flawless, and socialists should be able to correct their past flaws to account for human nature and "reality." There is no reason to believe that heavy social hierarchy and class division is a necessary evil; workers CAN manage their lives just fine through cooperatives." Sure there is. Human beings are inherently unequal, differing in many skills, abilities, ambition, the choices that they make in life, how they apply their time, etc. etc. Of course, there is isn't any reason that individuals can't create wealth nonetheless, creating goods and services that help others out in exchange for some good or service itself. And cooperatives need to be voluntary first. Nor can cooperatives produce the bulk of wealth. There needs to be some Division of Labor, Trade and Commerce, etc. or else all cooperatives end up as hunter-gatherering tribes reduced to the real law of the jungle to survive. This can't happen if everything is collectively owned. "Since workers are the sole producers of goods from scratch to end" NO! Entreprenuers, innovators, etc. provide much of the creativity, design, direction for the purchase and use of capital goods, negotiation of deals, evaluation of threats, problems, and consumer requests, and other such things. It wasn't the workers at Microsoft who created cheap desktop computers, it was Bill Gates, the workers are merely a form of mass-production who help out, but ultimately mass produce a good or service in exchange for privately owned wages, caused by supply and demand. 0670882356:the_title_of_the_book_tells_all.:pxdx_"one_of_those_'book_people'" 0670882356 When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan: Books: Peggy Noonan books 5 of 29 1.0 June 11, 2005 PxDx "one of those 'book people'" USA Pick up any dictatorial king from the past world and read any writing about him by one of his blind followers, whose very existence and relevance is due to that king. What you will get from that kind of writing? Noonan was a speechwriter Reagan administration. Sound familiar? Noonan does not get how ordinary citizens used to live under the rule of kings and how they felt about kings. Probably she does not care. Americans are lucky that they never had any king. Noonan fails to provide any inside information how Reagan dealt with many difficult things of his presidency - AIDS, Iran-Contra, welfare, deficits, funding mujahideens, cozy relationship with Saddam. Instead she tried to portray his 8 years like a Disney feelgood fairytale - good ruler, happy citizens..."happily lived ever after". Basically, this book contains just glorification of a person who is viewed as king by the writer. Her admiration took away her basic ability of criticism and desire to provide any information that readers don't know already. This is a writing isolated from the reality of 80's (which is nothing new in human civilizations). Secondly, she fails to understand that Reagan was just an elected politician and many have contributions on whatever achieved in his 8 years of presidency - including average hard-working Americans. But she gives ALL the credits to Reagan, except all the negative things, like Iran-Contra. In the world of democracy this book deserved to be in trash - a perfect place for the kings, characters of kings and the writings about them 0553756990:extremely_disappointed,_couldn't_even_finish_it._:joanne_stewart 0553756990 Dating Game (Danielle Steel): Books: Danielle Steel,Sam Freed books 1 of 2 2.0 October 29, 2005 Joanne Stewart My grandmother and my mother have read Danielle Steele for years, but I must admit I'd never picked one up. I was always more for historical romances. But I wanted something different, had heard good things about her, so while at the library, decided to give her a try. I have to say I'm extremely disappointed. Granted, I'm a fellow writer (a very picky reader by nature), and an unpublished one to boot, but the writing could've been better in my opinion. The first five pages are all backstory of Paris's marriage (no action, no excitement, told very "history lesson-ish") and what could have been an extremely powerful scene between Paris and her husband (the inciting incident in the first chapter) left me wondering, "So what?". Twenty five pages in, I could care less about these people. I honestly expected more from a bestselling author. 0316010944:why_is_it_dragging_on_and_on_and_on?:caligirl_08 0316010944 American Beauty: An A-List Novel (A-List #7): Books: Zoey Dean books 1 of 5 2.0 October 7, 2006 Caligirl_08 San Diego i wonder if im reading the same book the others are reading. i'm on page 101 right now and it took me about 4 days to get this far. (i've gone through 3 clique books in a day, so it's not like i'm a slow reader) the book is just so boring. its like ive read all of this cr@p before! so far sam had a graduation party at her dad's yacht, we hear about 2 new characters from a rival school who happen to be enemies of sam and her group and conveniently enough the two schools do something together, i forget what but it looks like it will be the opportunity for sam to get her revenge for getting poop smeared on her white jeans a few years back (eye-roll). anna is incapable of taking care of herself at a time of crisis (her car gets rear ended by some cliche white trash woman) so her dad's 'dont judge a book by the cover cliche' tatooed but hot new intern comes to rescue her, omg romance! (another eye roll) ben is being a troll my guess is hes cheating on her, but seriously reading that chapter where they go on this really uncomfortable date just made me want to scream at the book! it was so annoying. the only thing keeping me reading right now is the cammie storyline, i want her to confront her dad and find out what happened to her mom. right now im giving the book 2 stars, after i finish the book (if i ever do) ill come back and edit this. if anyone wants to take me out of my misery and tell me what happened to cammies mom, be my guest! lol ***EDIT*** it got a lot better after page 101, the Sam plot got developed (a bit overdone, tacky and stalkerish, i mean a life size cut out? a 100 cell phones? come on, what a waste of money. she could have donated all that $$$ to some charity in peru and impressed her guy a lot more. the cammie story is getting juicier, and parker may have a bona fide crush on sam. i still think ben is a creep. well i guess i wont spoiler everything lol. i'm still not done yet. ill continue this after i finish. ***FINAL EDIT*** after a good middle, the book took a nosedive. the story of cammie's mother was horribly disappointing. i officially HATE ben now and im getting more and more sick of anna for even being into him. what kind of guy tries to make a girl feel weird and uptight for thinking that sex between two people should be special??? that just really turned me off. the girl who wins a contest by wearing nothing but body paint to the party?? okay, this is a book that 12 year olds read, did we seriously need to hear that? the best way to get liked is to get naked? sigh... the two stars rating stands. sorry 1402725035:disappointing:david_m._bradley 1402725035 The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (Unabridged Classics): Books: Howard Pyle,Arthur Pober,Scott McKowen books 1 of 2 2.0 September 30, 2005 David M. Bradley U.S.A. After having read and loved Howard Pyle's 1968 Classic Press edition of "The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood" I was quite disappointed with "The Story of King Arthur and His Knights". Whereas Pyle brilliantly brought his characters to life in "Robin Hood", the characters of "King Arthur" seem flat and lifeless by comparison. The King Arthur stories read like little more than a description of events; one doesn't really get a feeling of being there while things are happening as in "Robin Hood." The dialogue seems much more realistic in "Robin Hood", but I think there's more to it. The writing style in "King Arthur" I'd characterize as prosaic---in sharp contrast to the charming, poetic style of writing in "Robin Hood." 193156146X:boring:qiao_li 193156146X The Time Traveler's Wife: Books: Audrey Niffenegger books 1 of 10 2.0 November 9, 2006 Qiao Li so very boring... i gave up halfway in. i usually hate to leave books unfinished but i felt like it was a waste of my time. my sister liked it though. 0060562978:give_it_a_rest_alan!:drew_odgers 0060562978 Red, White & Liberal: How Left Is Right & Right Is Wrong: Books: Alan Colmes books 2 of 12 1.0 March 27, 2006 Drew Odgers Groton Ct As I've said before NATIONAL HYPNOSIS!!! Liberals want to dupe the masses into believing that modern Conservatism and Lberalism are different ideologies (they both come from Hegel and Machiavelli the philosophies that gave birth to Communism and Facism). 0962936022:pollyannaeducation:teacher_"pw" 0962936022 The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher: Books: Harry K. Wong,Rosemary T. Wong books 1 of 1 2.0 November 3, 2006 Teacher "PW" LasVegas Mr Wong is making a good living selling his book and working the lecture circut. Some good ideas but a lot of impractical stuff included. The reality of the classroom and the ineffectiveness of school administration make working under such ideal circumstances unrealistic. Work in 5 classes of 40-50 kids each day who can't read (many are moved up so they can be with their friends) and such touchy feely programs quickly fall aside. 1569245630:revised_review:disappointed 1569245630 Stop Diabetes: 50 Simple Steps You Can Take at Any Age to Reduce Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Books: Allison B., M.D. Goldfine,Gretchen Becker,Virginia Rose Page books 3 of 3 1.0 January 26, 2005 Disappointed Simpsonville, SC These are revised remarks since my comments about "Prediabetes" and "Stop Diabetes" being the same book. I got them both and felt somewhat duped. Gretchen did contact me to explain the Prediabetes is a second edition of Stop Diabetes. I wish it said that on the cover. The book(s) info about stopping the progression of diabetes is great, so I do recommend either of these books. It is well written in a style that's easy to understand. Just don't get both books; they're essentially identical 0375408665:i_read_this_book_why?:chris_schmidt_"rocky_island" 0375408665 Saving Faith (Random House Large Print): Books: David Baldacci books 1 of 1 1.0 May 31, 2006 Chris Schmidt "Rocky Island" Auburn MI I have to admit that my wife read this book first and said it was slow. She didn't say how slow though. But rather than take her word for it (why should I? After all, she's my wife) I bothered to pick it up and read it. How I wish I had listened to her and left it in the box of stuff for the rummage sale. I cannot stand Baldacci's juvenile charactor dialog, but finish it I did though most of it I could have read through closed eyes and not missed anything. I'll stick with my Nelson DeMille from here on if I want literary junk food 0060920467:a_profusion_of_details:_lacking_significance:simons 0060920467 Life in a Medieval Village: Books: Frances Gies,Joseph Gies books 12 of 16 2.0 October 18, 2000 simons Denver, CO USA This book is so densely packed with miniscule details and examples that the information's significance becomes blurred, if not obsolete. The authors show they are very knowledgable on the subject, but they fail to analyze the information they present. The reader is left to interpret the meaning of details and ponder why they are included. The authors also use repetitive examples that become tiring and ineffective. The only minutely important information is presented in the topic sentences of each paragraph, and the book can be reasonably well understood just by reading the introductory sentences. While this book could be a treasure house for someone researching the relationship between manors and their respective villages, the average reader's attention is never captured. Students, beware! Before embarking on an excruciatingly dull explaination of medieval village life, reconsider your other options of reading material. (One option is another book by these authors that has gotten better reveiws. 0783579012:101_ways_to_massively_increase_the_value_of_your_real_estate_without_spending_much_money:brian_p._tanenbaum_"one_life" 0783579012 101 Ways to Massively Increase the Value of Your Real Estate without Spending Much Money: Books: Dolf de Roos books 1.0 September 11, 2006 Brian P. Tanenbaum "ONE LIFE" ORANGE COUNTY, NY Attention: Seasoned RealEstate investers don't waste your time purchasing this book. Ideal for amatuer investors who want to add more value to their piece of real estate. 0195171241:snore_is_right:phyllis_le_chat 0195171241 Self-Help, Inc.: Makeover Culture in American Life: Books: Micki McGee books 2.0 November 19, 2006 Phyllis le chat Elgin, IL United States I found this book to be a vaguely interesting dissertation on what the SHAM (Self-Help Actualization Motivational) Movement is, and maybe even on why it is, but no help whatsoever in giving me any tools for argument against it. I thought, sucked in by the interesting cover suggesting brain-washing in such a humorous way, that the author might have a sense of humor herself and I'd find her book absorbing intellectually and on other levels as well. I would read a page or a paragraph or two, close the book, and nod off. This is such a fascinating area, it could be the basis for a really fascinating book, but "Self-Help, Inc..." left me feeling I needed to go to a self-help group to deal with the density of the verbage. It would not appeal most to the people most in need of reading it - the victims of SHAM 0767905938:don't_support_this_writer_by_buying_this_piece_of_trash:z_"literature_lover" 0767905938 A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman: Books: Joan Anderson books 1 of 7 1.0 August 28, 2006 z "literature lover" USA A friend recommended this book which I unfortunately bought. I feel sorry for people who think that this is "writing." The author not only contradicts herself but the writing is shallow and lacks any depth. If you want to feel good, buy yourself a bottle of wine, not this book 0140481354:willy_loman_this_guy_ain'y:matthew_schratz 0140481354 A View from the Bridge (Plays, Penguin): Books: Arthur Miller books 2 of 5 2.0 May 21, 2002 Matthew Schratz Lockport, NY USA This play explores the same old turf as "Death of a Salesman", but it does so with much less satisfaction and much less character development. Eddie is no Willy Loman, though, and the play suffers immediately from a lack of a central, driving force like Willy. Parts of the play seem borrowed from Tennessee Williams, and they don't seem to work in this context. There is some business about the romance of the Old World Italy versus the New World of Opportunity on the docks of New York, and it is the only topic that is at all explored well, if still unsatisfactorily. Eddie's dreams are represented in his pretty niece, Catherine; and unlike Willy Loman's uncle, she is still an attainable dream. That makes Eddie's life seem all the more petty, in comparison to Willy's: he longs wearily not after what he could have had, but after what he can never have, as he is already married. The death scene at the end of the play also seems like a forced, tacked on ending, and Alfieri's entire presence is a more or less unsuccessful stage gimmick. There are better plays by Miller, and many better plays by others 038551140X:white_males_only:w._bynum 038551140X Made in Detroit: A South of 8 Mile Memoir: Books: Paul Clemens books 18 of 29 2.0 December 26, 2005 W. Bynum Detroit, MI USA Before purchasing Made in Detroit I read the reader reviews. The reviews were so mixed that I decided against buying the book and checked it out of the library instead. As it turns out I made the best decision. All I can say is `thank you fellow reviewers'; this book was definitely not worth the purchase price. My statement has nothing to do with the author's writing skills, he is a skilled writer. It has everything to do with his lack of insight. That Paul Clemens could live in a city and have such a skewed view of it is downright scary. I read the book, waiting for Paul to have a revelation that would help him put the pieces of his life together and make peace with them. But after 241 pages he was no more enlightened than he was on page one. Blacks are caricatures whose sole role in life is to make Paul's life hard. Women are peripheral characters who are barely given a voice. He finds a way to put down and demean everyone who is not a white male in his book. If you are a white male who harbors secret racist feelings you will enjoy this book and it will validate your feelings. If you are anyone else your reaction will no doubt range from mild boredom to outrage. As I read this book I felt sadness, a profound sense of dismay and had some of my worse fears confirmed. (There are white folks who actually still think like this.) My hope is that the light comes on for Paul, he is still young. If it does maybe he will share his insights with us. 0606298053:i_guess_that_were_the_adventure_end_for_me.:o._perry 0606298053 The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, Book 3): Books: Stephen King books 1.0 October 19, 2006 O. Perry rehovot Israel After reading the first book *(which was catastropha) and reading the second which was really good, I thought that the series is taking off, I was mistaken, the third book is slow, and boring, you can see very well that Stephan king has no Idea what so ever where he is going to take that series Nothing much is happening, and while the second book introduce some interesting ideas, the third book just go to the ordinary adventure that you can find (And better written as well) in dragon lance series, or other adventure books, also many ideas that were in this book already appear in many king books, reading reviews of manuy users on the fourth book, which some say is very boring I guess this is where the adventure end for me.. 0201441969:one-sided_and_angry...:j._stenglein 0201441969 The Manufactured Crisis: Myths, Fraud, and the Attack on America's Public Schools: Books: David C. Berliner,Bruce J. Biddle books 7 of 12 1.0 March 9, 2006 J. Stenglein AZ, USA This book reads like the blog of some angry person who ignores evidence to the contrary and embraces anything that agrees with him. It was very hard to take seriously 0684823837:pain_as_god's_megaphone:peter_payne 0684823837 The Problem of Pain (C.S. Lewis Classics): Books: C. S. Lewis books 2 of 13 1.0 August 12, 2006 Peter Payne Peter Payne, author of CAPTAIN CALIFORNIA: A YOUNG MAN'S ENCOUNTER WITH THE EVIL WITHIN HIMSELF Since God is Infinite Goodness, we must conclude that the appearance of reckless divine cruelty is a delusion. When we are comfortable, we are too shallow-minded to realize that we need God. Since God knows that He is the only thing that we really need, He inflicts pain upon us to wake us up to this fact. So pain is God's megaphone. If some people, such as the Jews, try to love God without going through Christ, it is not yet God - merely the best approximation their fantasy can attain. Hence poor God is forced to keep screeching at them through His megaphone. But even people who try their hardest to love the true God, such as Job, or C. S. Lewis for that matter, cannot adore God as much as He wants to be adored, so He uses pain over and over again to "plant the flag of truth within their rebellious souls." Where does this notion of an Infinitely Good God come from? Given mankind's painful existence, "an inference from the course of events in this world to the Goodness and Wisdom of the Creator would be preposterous." God had to reveal Himself to mankind by Revelation; thus it is in the likes of Abraham and Moses, who identified God as righteous, that all peoples are blessed. Lewis informs us that God expostulated with His own creatures on the basis of their own ethical conceptions - "What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me?" One has to wonder if Lewis has ever actually read the Bible. Can anyone really deny that if a leader of today did exactly the sorts of things that Abraham and Moses did that they would be decried by all of sane mankind as monsters? I have never understood why, or how, I am supposed to pretend that this is not true. Of course, God is wiser than me, so if I could only see it from God's viewpoint, I would see that the butchery of whole populations, including babies and animals, was actually an act of love. In MERE CHRISTIANITY Lewis condemns this line of reasoning in eastern religions as "damn nonsense." Undoubtedly, we get the impression of a just and loving God through the teachings of Christ, but the conviction that God is Infinite Goodness, Omniscience, and Omnipotence did not come from biblical revelation; it was developed by medieval Christian philosophers by reasoning through extrapolation -- a process that Lewis, rather inexplicably, deems impossible. Lewis's insistence that people have free will needs to be examined. Even as he describes it, since we are born in sin, we cannot use free will to avoid sin, and most people are blind to their sin. Hence, it logically follows that there can be no free will without the ability of self-perception. The evidence suggests that incessant pain, especially when inflicted upon children, destroys this ability. Abused children typically grow up to be abusers. In my own case, I adamantly insist it was the drug, marijuana, which first gave me introspective ability, at the age of 23. Prior to that moment, God knows that I had no free will. Free will is not a realized trait that we are born with, but a potential ability that requires a great deal of effort to develop. In most people it remains largely dormant. Since free will is dependent on self-knowledge, the role of religion needs to be the development of introspective ability. Dogmatic adherence can only hinder this. Lewis is at least honest enough to acknowledge evolution. Unfortunately, it is hardly possible to reconcile the notion of evolution of man from animals with his fairy-tale notion that animals only exist by destroying each other because they were corrupted by Satan before man's appearance on Earth. Somehow, the perfectly good "Paradisal Man" descended from animals already corrupted by Satan. Lewis can be abominably silly sometimes. Lewis is given to disjunctive, either/or, logic. Either the common human experience of supernatural awe is a mere twist in the mind with no biological purpose, or it is direct experience of the supernatural - a Revelation. I would once have scoffed at this, but a Numinous vision of Christ was the major turning point of my life. The problem is that this Revelation was not at all consistent with Mere Christianity. According to Lewis, the purpose of pain is to break our will, since it is our tarnished wills that keep us from God. I had only recently come to realize that I had not had free will until my sense of self was awakened by an illegal drug. I experienced Christ in the very moment that I was cursing Christ for demanding that I beg forgiveness for that which He was responsible. Albeit, at the time I was an atheist, and was only cursing at what I had been taught about Christ. I experienced Christ as the core of my being, not as an entity completely separate from myself, and as an awakening of will, not a surrender. Lewis assures me that the feeling of being one with God, rather than a creature of God, is Satan's ultimate deception. But I have also experienced Satan within myself. If Christ were not the core of my being, I would never have survived Satan. I know the difference. I do not acknowledge that Christianity has the authority tell me what my experience of God must be. I am a scientist by training, not given to superstitious credulity, however much like it what I have written above must sound. In my attempt to make sense of my experience of Christ and Satan battling within my mind, I have come up with the following myth: It is, at least, not completely unreasonable to assume that consciousness is an inherent quality of existence. This consciousness would first be in a primordial state, probably in some way responsible for evolution, though not by anything like intelligent design by direct control. There could be no distinction between good and evil; in fact the terms could have no meaning, until consciousness evolved to a complexity capable of self-awareness. As self-awareness developed, so did awareness of pain and terror, and a rebellion against achieving a level of awareness capable of experiencing pain. The human mind, as the vessel of consciousness experiences these antagonistic trends and, for whatever reason, tends to personify them as God and Satan, or their various cultural equivalents. What makes the Christian God so detestable is His complete refusal to accept responsibility for anything. Satan can therefore be described as "God's self-ignorance." Buddhists are apparently able to put themselves into the conscious state of inanimate matter, hence there insistence that good and evil are identical. C. S. Lewis tells us that "it is not God's purpose that we should go back into that old identity." I think I agree with him on this point. Mankind's goal must be to attain free will be becoming conscious of what we really are. (Peter Payne, author of CAPTAIN CALIFORNIA: A YOUNG MAN'S ENCOUNTER WITH THE EVIL WITHIN HIMSELF) 0739332058:worse_than_painful!!:jeanette_hall 0739332058 Killer Dreams: Books: Iris Johansen,Jennifer Van Dyck books 1 of 2 1.0 August 10, 2006 Jeanette Hall Circleville, OH I've enjoyed Johansen's books for years, but this one was awful...I'm beginning to wonder if she's using a ghost writer. Totally ridiculous plot, trite dialogue...I lost count of the times she used the phrase "Sophie said through her teeth..." I was beginning to wish someone was PULLING my teeth rather than having to read this book. Johansen is capable of SO MUCH BETTER than this! I'm praying she isn't falling into the Nora Roberts/Danielle Steel/James Patterson habit of churning out the same old tired fodder just to meet a publisher's deadline 0471348309:i_must_be_missing_something...:j._herron_"cooking_girl" 0471348309 How to Eat: The Pleasures and Principles of Good Food: Books: Nigella Lawson,Arthur Boehm books 7 of 19 1.0 January 14, 2006 J. Herron "cooking girl" Paris, France I am a chef and an avid collector of cookbooks. I find the recipes of this book to be mediocre at best, terribly organized and lengthy. I am not interested in Lawson's endless anecdotes, rather, I would prefer her stories to be replaces by pictures (an essential for cooking books, in my opinion), of which there are none. I was disappointed, and would not recommend this book to anyone. For basic, great recipes, I would suggest any of Ina Garten's books. Her recipes are no-fail and the books are well done. 0553528947:one_of_koontz's_worst:jennifer 0553528947 One Door Away From Heaven (Dean Koontz): Books: Dean Koontz,Anne Twomey books 1.0 November 17, 2006 Jennifer Durham, NC This is truly a disappointing book. It starts incredibly slowly and I found it very hard to become interested in the plot. Another disappointment is Koontz's recycling of elements from other novels: (1) plucky, highly intelligent disabled girl (the young female protagonist in "The Hideaway" had almost identical deformities and personality), (2) devoted, super-powered canine companions, (3) bad guys driving around in ultra pimped-out RVs, and (4) evil bioethicists. The Leilani character is patently ridiculous. She conveniently has a genius IQ, but that does not make the absurdly adult manner in which she speaks any more believable. I found it so disconcerting as to detract from the plot. Koontz clearly has trouble writing for children, and this book is no exception. Almost all the children featured in his books are either autistic/MR or genius wunderkinds; the latter, however, does not justify his habit of making smart children talk like genius adults. Dean heaps the hardships on poor Leilani, with all the subtlety of an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger. In case you miss the anvils, you are supposed to really, really like her and fear for her safety. I don't know how or where Dean Koontz learned about bioethics, but he has a terribly misguided view of the field, taking an extreme sect of it to represent the main viewpoint of the field. Further, he states multiple times that these eugenic bioethics principles are being taught to medical students at major universities (who will have to pay for their involvement with evil bioethics) -- as a medical student, I can assure you that this is patently untrue. That Koontz could be so off-base on a topic that directly relates to the central motive is disconcerting and makes an already weak book even harder to swallow. The final issue is Koontz's near-deification of dogs, particularly Golden Retrievers, which is a common motif in his more recent works. It is ridiculous and unintentionally funny to an almost painful degree. His obsession with dogs and their mystical powers borders on the psychotic (and I like dogs). This novel probably features the most egregious example of Koontz's tendency to create overly sappy, sugary-sweet endings. Dean Koontz has written many books better than this one. Spend your money on one of his stronger efforts B00021LMVS:three_junes_-where_did_they_get_that_name?:cecelia_hamilton_"siggi" B00021LMVS Three Junes : A novel: Books: Julia Glass books 2 of 6 2.0 August 21, 2006 Cecelia Hamilton "Siggi" Ferdinand, IN USA Sometime ago I read my Sunday paper and noted that "Three Junes" was listed as a popular book choice. The title sounded interesting so I bought it. That was 2 months ago and I am still trying to get through the paperback edition. It is difficult to follow the timeline, to understand the characters and where they fit, and to get involved in the storyline. I will finish the book because that's my style. It has not been a book that I could not wait to get back to. 0465069592:not_for_fans_of_tr:################# 0465069592 T.R: The Last Romantic: Books: H. W. Brands books 3 of 15 1.0 January 21, 2002 ################# Montgomery, AL USA As an admirer of Theodore Roosevelt, I was very disappointed in Mr. Brands' book. It appeared to me that Mr. Brands' intent was to analyze the life of this great man strictly from his critic's point of view. While any good biography worth its salt should present a balanced view of the man, Mr. Brands appears to go out of his way to find fault in almost all of TR's actions. TR was by no means a perfect man, however, history has proven him to be one of our greatest presidents. One gets the sense after reading this dreadfully long and depressing account of TR that Mr. Brands'truly disliked his subject 0553756400:lacking_in_details_and_intimancies:peter 0553756400 Gods and Generals: Books: Jeff Shaara,Stephen Lang books 1 of 6 2.0 February 14, 2006 peter ny i'll be the first to admit that i'm biased based on my expectations from shaara's father's great book, the killer angels. it is not fair to compare the two, but because reading the father's book lead me to buy this one, i thought i should mention it. this book does not contain nearly the details and intimancies of the father's book. it is not surprising since this one covers a much longer time frame than the battle of gettysburg, so shaara has less pages to devote to each person and battle. but the result is a less satisfying book. it skims rather than digs deep B00005WO0T:fell_well_short_of_my_expectations...:chad_oberholtzer B00005WO0T Politically Correct Bedtime Stories: Modern Tales for Our Life and Times: Books: James Finn Garner books 1 of 4 2.0 May 19, 2006 Chad Oberholtzer Boalsburg, PA, USA When I started reading this book, I was hopeful that it would be an insightful commentary on the ridiculous nature of politically-correct word choice. Unfortunately, I did not find it to be particularly clever or funny. On some level, it seems like the PC craze has subsided since the mid-90's when the book was written, and it just doesn't read as the brilliant critique that I expected. We've now heard so many silly descriptions followed by the suffix "challenged" that it just isn't funny anymore. I suppose that this book worked much better when it was written, but it hasn't aged well over the ten years since 0815410530:too_much_french_for_me:todd_justman_"audio_book_reader" 0815410530 Agincourt: Books: Christopher Hibbert,Christopher Hibbert books 1 of 2 2.0 January 4, 2006 Todd Justman "audio book reader" Charlotte, NC United States The chief problem with this book is that the writer incorporates the French perspective by using citations in French with no translations. I took 2 years of high school French but I'm not that good! This could be overlooked except that, for obvious reasons, I was very interested to hear the perspective of French writing on this lopsided defeat. The experience was like someone telling a long joke and them mumbling the awaited punchline, or someone tearing out the last page of a riveting mystery novel. I simply can't believe key citations weren't translated. Otherwise the study of Henry V was great, and I would like to hear more about him (except since he died young I probably heard it all already.) The treatment of the battle was superficial, but perhaps given the lack of material this could be understood, but more could be done 0425183319:nonsense_redefined:d._stevens_"texas_pimpernel" 0425183319 When Rabbit Howls: Books: Truddi Chase,Robert A. Phillips books 8 of 28 1.0 March 9, 2005 D. Stevens "Texas Pimpernel" Longview, TX I must admit I was skeptical when I first opened this book based on previous knowledge I had of MPD. This book made me that much more skeptical. In most cases of MPD or DID as it is now more commonly referred to the problem arises through the suggestive power of the therapist. This case is different though. On page 67 of the paperback copy I got, Ms Chase describes Stanley(her name for Phillips) as wondering how it is that the personalities could seemingly communicate with each other while at the same time not being aware of each other. Her answer that she or as she claims her "troops" give is that it is through the use of "thought transference" which was known to the ancient Greeks as she tells us later on. I almost burst out laughing when I read that. She also contradicts her claim that the alters don't know of each other later when she has one of them discussing the alters Rabbit and Sister Mary Catherine at the same time. Another way this happens is how they often refer to themselves as 'we'. Many of the alters sound as though they came from books or movies. The abuse that she claims occurred while living with her stepfather is rather graphic. Her claims really belong in the same realm as those who claim past life memories, ufo sightings, satanic ritual abuse, and second sight. I think she is not credible in the least. There is not one fact given to support her claims of past abuse and it would be interesting for someone to write a book looking into her claims to see if there is anything that would substantiate them. She does let us know in the book that she is very creative, artistic, intelligent, and apparently well read. I think this has a lot to do with her claims of multiple personalities. The book itself is long, boring, anti-climatic even with the final confrontation with the stepfather which occurs at the end. She also seems to be claiming in the book some pscyhic abilities. Don't waste your money on this book, unless you have to read it for a class as I did. 0375411445:blah_blah_blah:tony_stonebraker_"stonebrake" 0375411445 American Rhapsody: Books: Joe Eszterhas books 3 of 5 1.0 May 21, 2001 Tony Stonebraker "stonebrake" Maineville, OH USA This book just rambles on and on and never seems to end. I don't think I have ever been so disappointed in a book. Since I started to read it, I feel like I have to finish it. I am just praying for that day to come soon. I have to skip over entire paragraphs just to get through a chapter. It is overwhelming proof that hippies should NEVER write books 0415102596:ballz.:slutsky_"numba1stunna" 0415102596 Understanding Japanese Society (Nissan Institute Routledge Japanese Studies Series): Books: Joy Hendry books 4 of 12 1.0 May 1, 2006 slutsky "numba1stunna" with carmen sandiego this book blew my ballz. it was possibly the worst book i have ever read in my entire life. although i am usually sleepless in seattle, i found myself falling asleep each time i tried to read it. i advise no one to ever read this godforsaken book 0760320799:ok_-_but_you_didn't_tell_the_whole_story:a._kienitz 0760320799 Burning Cold: The Cruise Ship Prinsendam and the Greatest Sea Rescue of all Time: Books: H. Paul Jeffers books 4 of 4 2.0 March 29, 2006 A. Kienitz I was there, as were several of my fellow Sitka Fire Department EMT's and State Troopers from the Sitka Academy. The 6 of us, along with two parajumpers from the Canadian Armed Services were flown through the typhoon winds, on a helicopter, out to the Williamsburgh where we spent the next 33 hours attending to the rescued passengers - literally giving them the clothes off our backs and keeping them calmed. We knew there was a doctor onboard, from Anchorage, but we literally never met or saw him - I'm sure he did good work in the little clinic he had set up - but that is where he stayed. The real story was out in the rest of the ship that weekend. But I was disappointed to see that Mr. Jeffers failed to fully research this book - the role the Sitka rescue teams played (both on the Williamsburgh and trying to assess/fight the fire on the Prinsendam) was totally overlooked - despite the fact that there is a lot of documentation available that tells our story - which was the human side & had some quite amusing moments in the face of this event. I was so looking forward to this book and then to find out he left a large part of the story out, was very sad. At least we all have our commendations from both the Coast Guard commendant and the Canadian armed services - they knew we were there! Too bad Mr. Jeffers didn't due diligence. 0394604350:highly_overrated:diane_l._schirf 0394604350 Tropic of Cancer: Books: Henry Miller books 11 of 20 1.0 May 24, 2006 Diane L. Schirf Chicago, IL USA Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller. Not recommended. In his 1960 introduction to Tropic of Cancer, Karl Shapiro said, "I call Henry Miller the greatest living author because I think he is," ". . . as a spiritual example he stands among the great men of our age," and ". . . he [Orwell] predicts that Miller will set the pace and attitude for the novelist of the future. This has not happened yet, but I agree that it must." Shapiro does not support any of these points in his essay, and nothing about Tropic of Cancer supports them, either. Tropic of Cancer consists of 318 pages recounting Miller's experience as an American expatriate in Paris and expounding his personal philosophy, often in ways that are rambling and painfully nonsensical. Miller's stories about his friends are tedious, pointless, and catty; like Miller, they seem to have been talentless hacks whose belief in their own artistic abilities makes them artists and writers, as though believing is being. Miller writes, "A year ago, six months ago, I thought I was an artist. I no longer think about it, I am"--which is the type of arrogant pretentiousness he mocks in virtually all of his acquaintances. When they are not creating, or talking about philosophy or creating, Miller and his circle seem to spend nearly every moment picking up women (and disease). They rarely use a neutral term such as "woman" when there are so many obscene, demeaning words with which to objectify the gender. The women that Miller and friends find are invariably portrayed as stupid, drunken, irrational, loose, sly, deceptive, and good primarily for one function, which Miller turns into a squalid, cold, joyless act. In spite of all the vice and the "living," no one seems to be having fun, and some characters, notably Fillmore, find themselves nearly trapped into the bourgeoisie life. Miller expresses contempt for the machine, the industrial age, and money--although he schemes to keep 2,800 francs from Fillmore's mistress and revels in having so much in his pocket. Often hungry, Miller obsesses about food and relies on his friends to support him. When he describes his Indian friend Kepi as ". . . a scrounger, a sort of human tick who fastens himself to the hide of even the poorest compatriot," he could be talking about himself as he bitterly complains about those of his friends who are stingy with money, accommodations, food, and wine. Miller's logic about the working world is facile; he writes, "If you want bread, you've got to get in harness, get in lockstep." On the surface, this is true, but it never seems to occur to him that, if you want bread, someone must cultivate, raise, and harvest the wheat and produce the other components; someone must transform these components into bread; and someone must deliver it to the shops and cafes. In other words, if most people weren't in "lock step," Miller could choose to starve or set himself to produce bread, joining the world in harness. He makes his choice clear, then whines about it. He may despise those who support him, whether they are friends or workers, but that is perhaps because he, a misanthrope who finds fault with everyone but himself, needs the very people he denigrates (including "the grocer, the baker, the shoemaker, the butcher, etc.--all imbecilic-looking clodhoppers"), a reliance which he resents. He hates the machine and the machine mind, but offers no alternatives. Seemingly incapable of sincere feeling, Miller finds human emotion amusing. When a friend says, "A boy can break your heart . . . He's so damned beautiful! And so cruel!" Miller writes, "We had to laugh at this. It sounded preposterous. But Collins was in earnest." When an acquaintance to whom he owes money dies, he writes, "At any rate, he was killed in an automobile accident shortly after my arrival, a circumstance which left me twenty-three francs to the good." Shapiro claims that Miller is a poet, but his attempts at poetic and philosophic ramblings often make little if any sense. Speaking of buildings and statues, Miller says, " . . . they must be saturated with my anguish," the kind of bad metaphor in which he frequently indulges. He describes artists such as himself as the "inhuman ones." "I am inhuman! I say it with a mad, hallucinated grin, and I will keep on saying it though it rain crocodiles. Behind my words are all those grinning, leering, skulking skulls, some dead and grinning a long time, some grinning as if they had lockjaw, some grinning with the grimace of a grin, the foretaste and aftermath of what is always going on." Whenever these attempts at poetic philosophy appeared, rambling on for pages, I found myself yearning for a return to his insipid stories about prostitutes, disease, friends, and hunger. Tropic of Cancer is perhaps the worst book I have ever read (and I did promise myself that I would read Tropic of Capricorn). Shapiro says, "There are not many of these emancipated beings left in our world [emancipated from what? --DLS], these clowns and clairvoyants, celebrants of the soul and of the flesh and of the still-remaining promise of America." If Miller, with his whining, his criticism, his holier-than-everyone attitude, his "art," his two-dimensional view of people, and his obsession with excrement, is the "greatest" of these souls, may I never meet the least. Note: If there were a 0 stars option, Tropic of Cancer would have earned it 0446600474:i_would_have_put_0_stars:m._dion 0446600474 Season of the Machete: Books: James Patterson books 5 of 6 1.0 January 27, 2004 M. Dion Anywhere, MI United States This book was a complete waste. It was boring to read and hard to follow. I finished the book just see how it ended and hoping to clear up the confusion. I never should have read past the first chapter. Read Pop Goes the Weasle, or Lake House by Patterson. Just not this book. It is hard to believe it is written by the same author 0689847890:disturbing_novel_about_being_above_moral_law:emily_hawkins_"moreta2" 0689847890 Inexcusable: Books: Chris Lynch books 1 of 9 2.0 April 11, 2006 Emily Hawkins "moreta2" Indianapolis, Indiana, US Have you ever done something wrong but justified it so that you wouldn't feel bad? Have you ever seen someone else do the exact same wrong thing and condemn him? In this story, the main character seems to believe that even when he does bad things he's still a "good guy" because "good guys" don't do bad things. Dizzing logic, huh? Throughout the novel, you review his senior year of high school with him. It starts out with the story of how he got the nickname "Killer" to why it's okay for him to take illegal drugs or break a public statue. The flashbacks of the past year are woven within the present day drama of him trying to convince a scared and angry young woman that he didn't rape her. He won't let her leave the room until she believes it. The ending is less than satisfactory for me. I would much rather the main character have received retribution and the girl receive justice 0671506986:meh:m._bunenko 0671506986 Hot Zone: Books: Richard Preston books 3 of 7 2.0 June 24, 2006 M. Bunenko Alameda, CA Jesus, talk about the little girl crying "wolf." When I picked up this book, I expected to read a truly terrifying tale about how people got sick with a horrifying disease that no one knew/knows how to deal with. What I got instead was a lot of perseverating and a lot of emotional presumption. The book starts out promisingly, even if Preston surrenders freely to flowery prose. We're given the account of Charles Monet, one of the first documented cases of the Ebola virus. From there on, Preston gives a description of the virus, what it does, how it does it - the works. Then, he moves on to the Human Component, the cast of characters, so to speak, for the big story. The big story is, alas, not so impressive. It's a case of an Ebola outbreak amongst a shipment of monkeys that everyone thinks is going to cause awful problems to come about, but nothing of the sort happens. Basically, people run around in bio-hazard gear, fret a lot, and monkeys die. In between, Preston manages to surpass his self-indulgence to talk about other cases of the Ebola virus, cases of people being infected, "crashing and bleeding out," cases that are a lot more interesting than a shipment of monkeys, unless you're a PETA type. The worst thing about The Hot Zone is just how self-indulgent Preston is. He starts to novelize his subjects a few chapters into the book, which is a noble idea, but not when they don't die at the end. Basically, he's trying to make you care about these people, and all for naught. And by the time that you're supposed to be truly concerned, you actually WANT them to die, because you're tired of hearing about him describe, in active detail, what they eat in the morning, what they do in the afternoon, and how they lie in bed with their spouses at night. When you're addressing a subject as fascinating as a Level 4 virus, why are you spending time talking about Nancy Jaax's hands and karate prowess? Moreover, when you've finally gotten to the monkeys, why are you talking about what kind of monkeys they are and how they dwell in the wild? Does anyone really care? I wish I could say that this book moved me in ways other than to reverse my peristalsis, but I can't. Preston's ornate metaphors that pepper almost every page of this book are tiresome and unnecessary; he had the chance to write a compact little thriller about an averted crisis of global proportions, but he instead chose to "get into the minds" of his subjects. And what a bore that became. There were only two redeeming aspects of this book: one was the description of the African, human Ebola victims, and the other was the description of the virus itself, although, again, both were sabotaged by Preston's inability to write. If you want to know something about Ebola, go get An Idiot's Guide to Dangerous Diseases and Epidemics. If you're pining for the namby-pambiness of the Human Element, read The Hot Zone. Personally, I like to avoid rereading the Uncle Tom's Cabins of scientific accounting 0060760028:only_for_those_with_little_or_no_work_experience:m._c._ciulla 0060760028 Emily Post's The Etiquette Advantage in Business: Personal Skills for Professional Success, Second Edition: Books: Peggy Post,Peter Post books 20 of 23 2.0 September 17, 2004 M. C. Ciulla This book was advertised as though it would be valuable for any professional. This is absolutely not the case. This book covers very, very basic guidelines and does so in an overview type fashion. I would recommend this book for college graduates or those who are employed at entry level jobs and are seeking advancement 0972941606:wish_i_could_get_my_money_back...:dairyqueen 0972941606 The Unprocessed Child: Living Without School: Books: Valerie Fitzenreiter books 16 of 17 1.0 July 14, 2006 dairyqueen Frankfurt, Germany As a strong proponent of attachment parenting and a rather radical unschooler, this book was a BIG disappointment!!! I bought this book after reading the reviews and wish I hadn't paid more than $1 for it. While the title "The Unprocessed Child" accurately describes Laurie's upbringing, this book shouldn't be grouped with other unschooling literature. The author, while cherishing the close bond she has with her daughter, reminds me of the mother in "Love You Forever" who sneaks across town and climbs into her grown son's room at night to spend time with him--sweet but a bit creepy. The fact that she admits that she even went to college at the same time as her daughter so she could spend more time with Laurie pretty much says it all. The mother clearly has her own issues that I hope she allows herself to work through and heal from now that she's not spending 24/7 with her only child. We have been unschooling each of our four children since birth --challenging temperments and all--and I feel very privileged to spend so much time with them as they discover how exciting it is to decode and discover the world around them. If you want to read a GOOD book about unschooling without unsupported platitudes and preaching in almost every chapter, I would recommend "Homeschooling our Children, Unschooling Ourselves". Those authors offer more balance and eloquence than Ms. Fitzenreiter. 0345458427:nonsense:the_wicked_witch_of_the_midwest_"wwmw" 0345458427 Iron Council: Books: China Mieville books 1.0 November 13, 2006 The Wicked Witch of the MidWest "WWMW" Surrounded by Yankees Sheer and utter. This hardly can be called a work of fiction. Had this been his first work, I could understand the grammatical mistakes, but this is inexcuseable. The publisher should be fined for this book and the editor fired 0374527350:not_bad,_but_not_really_good_eithier...:victory_silvers 0374527350 Lucy: A Novel: Books: Jamaica Kincaid books 3 of 6 2.0 December 29, 2003 Victory Silvers This was my first reading of Jamaica Kincaid. She has a short, concise style, which made me often feel like I was reading poetry. However, I felt that it also had some downsides, like stifling character growth. In Lucy, the title character comes to America to be an nanny for a rich couple with four young daughters. Lucy watches as their marriage crumbles and tries to avoid turning into her own mother, who for some reason she hates. I wish we knew a bit more about Lucy, like why she hated her homeland so much. It was an alright quick read, but had it been longer, I doubted it would have held my attention 9997508831:not_christie's_best:h._male_"southpaw32" 9997508831 Mrs. McGinty's Dead/(Variant Title = Blood Will Tell): Books: Agatha Christie books 1 of 2 2.0 March 26, 2001 H. Male "southpaw32" Seattle Hmmm. I'm struggling to give Agatha Christie such a low rating. She wrote the kind of mysteries that you could sink your teeth into. Not quick reads, but very methodical with lots of character development. I don't always feel very motivated to get through some of those slow-moving chapters, but I always do it knowing that I will be rewarded with a great ending. Christie was great at spinning scenarios designed to shock the reader when the "who, where and why" were finally revealed in the end. I was shocked again at the end of this book - not because I didn't know who the killer was, but actually because I already knew who and how. I tried to convince myself for awhile that it had to be someone else because it was just too obvious. Very disappointing. Christie books I would recommend instead - ABC murders, And Then There Were None and Murder of Roger Ackroyd 0553379534:bias_was_off-putting:monica_g._"monica_g." 0553379534 Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing: Books: Christiane Md Northrup books 7 of 12 2.0 August 4, 2006 Monica G. "Monica G." Wilmington, DE 19808 Dr. Northrup provides women with practical information about their bodies, stages of life and medical procedures. However, I was appalled by her bias against Western cultural heritage and Christianity. Her views on those topics were extremely unbalanced, with no acknowledgement of their positive contributions to culture and women. As a Catholic whose best teachers were strong-minded, compassionate religious sisters, I felt offended by her slur against nuns. I am aware that not everyone feels the same way about their religious upbringing, but I would expect an academic to strive for some balance in their research. 0739300105:black_house:r._k._lovelock 0739300105 Black House: Books: Stephen King,Peter Straub,Frank Muller books 1 of 9 1.0 January 21, 2006 R. K. Lovelock Ive read mixed reviews on this book and though i had to make my own mind up. I first bought the book, 120pages later i realised that i had no clue what was going on, so i bought the audiobook (5 hours later i was still thinking what the hell is going on). Now im stephen kings No1 fan and have loved the majority of his work, the talisman for me was a fantastic bolt on to the dark tower quest. So naturally i thought this would be the same. The book is one of the slowest drawn out books ive ever came accross, not a patch on previous work. I forced myself through the book expecting more, and im sorry to say this one doesnt deliver on any horror, excitment etc, do yourself a favour, get a tin of paint and watch it dry - more happens in that and at a much quicker pace than it does in this book. This book is for die hard fans only... but even diehards will find this a chore 0936663294:not_for_experienced_runners:g._cherr 0936663294 Running and Breathing: Books: Justin O'Brien books 1 of 1 2.0 March 20, 2006 G. Cherr Tallahassee, Fla. The book is interesting, and well written. It contains little unique or scarcely known or understood information. Novice runners might like it and get more from it than experienced runners. 0060392452:stupid_book_written_by_a_stupid_person:justin_mercer 0060392452 Stupid White Men ...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation!: Books: Michael Moore books 5 of 14 1.0 July 10, 2006 Justin Mercer Corner Brook, NL Canada I read this book because my English Professor spoke highly of it. I would call it a collection of stupid and hypocritical opinions and ideas. So why did your bridge fall down Mr. Engineer? Oh, I dropped my structural steel class so I could do a course in another language. I don't think it's right to criticize something like a college degree if a person doesn't even possess one. Actually I think that something like a college degree would be a great start before writing a book like this. It might decrease the chances of writing a book as stupid as this one. This book insulted my intelligence and I wouldn't even recommend it for a laugh 0883686279:not_sure_of_ownership,_but_sure_of_his_bad_theology:jordan_anderson 0883686279 The Fingerprint of God: Books: Hugh Ross books 3 of 15 1.0 June 21, 2005 Jordan Anderson Lancaster, SC, USA I have a book of Ross' by the same title, but the cover is different (remake?) but most of my problems with his theology come from his advocation of the "big bang theory" which has numerous scientific problems (quantized redshifts to name one) and serious theological implications. If the big bang were true, then there were animals before man. Animals that lived and died. The Bible says that man's sin is the reason why we die and suffer. If death was around before sin ("For the wages of sin is death") then what good would Jesus' death on the cross have been 0816165807:knew_it_was_bad_after_three_pages:t._nelson 0816165807 The Thorn Birds: Books: Colleen McCullough books 1 of 12 2.0 July 31, 2006 T. Nelson Wisconsin I'm sorry, but I expect more out of a book. Beginning on page one the character development was infantile and the writing sophomoric. After reading beautiful books such as Cold Mountain and Brideshead Revisited, to mention just two, I found that this book started off so poorly and was so amateurish that I knew it would be a plot-driven monstrosity that wouldn't be worth the read. At page four I was fed up with the author's style and slammed the book shut 1563832089:not_what_it_appears:christy_steinke_"colorado_brit" 1563832089 Cooking with the 14 Super Foods: Books: Cq Products books 56 of 56 1.0 February 24, 2006 Christy Steinke "Colorado Brit" CO United States I was excited to see the book with recipes for the "14 Super Foods" after reading Steven Pratt's book, but was very disappointed. Yes, the recipes do use the "14 Super Foods", but also use such ingredients as shortening, Cheez Whiz, and yellow cake mix - hardly healthy! If you are interested in eating good, healthy meals made with the "14 Super Foods", don't buy this book 068480073X:full_of_lies,_propaganda,_and_hate:promoter_of_goodness 068480073X Failing At Fairness: How Our Schools Cheat Girls: Books: Myra Sadker,David Sadker books 7 of 14 1.0 January 29, 2006 Promoter of goodness MI This year, 60% of college entries will be female. Look at this spring's honor role listings. Last year, 78% of honor role members in my community were female. Schools are fails boys - not girls. If you wish to waste your time on a politically correct diatribe that is full of anecdotal and subjective pap, then get this book. If you want to really improve the quality of education, there are thousands of reads better than this 006051812X:where_are_the_flags?_and_sound_effects?:jack,_but_my_students_call_me_emoth_(emo+goth=emoth) 006051812X Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism: Books: Sean Hannity,Hannity Sean books 9 of 17 1.0 July 27, 2006 Jack, but my students call me emoth (emo+goth=emoth) emo+goth=emoth I remember hearing about this book by the great patriot Sean Hannity sometime in 2001, then it was a mere idea. From that time on, until August 20th 2002, I waited for what I thought would be the greatest book of all time. I remember seeing the cover art and hearing about the title: "Let Freedom Ring" with not just a picture of Sean Hannity on the cover, patriot that he is, but also a flag. I loved it, couldn't be more happy. Well, the day of the book's release, I took a day off work (i've never missed a day of work before in my life), and rushed to get this book. It looked better than I ever imagined. With the flag on the cover and the title of "Let Freedom Ring," I thought, finally, technology has caught up to our patriotism. I expected a book filled with flags, flags with sound effects. Maybe some firework sound effects. Boy was I wrong. I opened the book only to the colors black and white. No red. No blue. No stars and stripes. I quickly turned the pages, looking, searching for flags. I found none, no sound effects either, no fireworks. At that point, I went into a 4 year long depression. I nearly committed suicide at several points. It's only now that I can bring myself to review this man's book, patriot that he is. I say this so you know what you're getting yourself into. There are no flags, no stars and stripes, no fireworks, no sound effects. I have since recovered, but only because of old stars and stripes. I went back to teaching last year, not fully recovered, and my colleagues, knowing how much I love America and the STARS AND STRIPES, suggested I have my class do a research project: find the most patriotic book ever made. The methodoloy was simple: A book made out of flags with flag pictures would score high, a book that was not made out of a flag or flags and had no pictures of flags would score the lowest. We found some very good books and they did cheer me up. The one that was the most patriotic by far was a book called "President Jesus: How Jesus Wrote the Constitution, Freed the Slaves, and Won World War II." Its published by a small church in Texas. I was very proud of my students for finding it. It has brought countless joy to my life. Along with the book, made entirely out of a flag, with flag pictures, and written in blue and red ink, you get a giant flag. I'm not sure of the dimensions, but they had to haul it to my house in a moving truck. I've draped it over my house and it covers it completely. People even have to crawl under the flag to enter the house. Now I often go outside and just gaze at old stars and stripes for hours at a time, smiling. 0764560794:betty's_not_what_she_used_to_be:tom_anderson 0764560794 Betty Crocker's Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, Ninth Edition: Books: Betty Crocker Editors books 22 of 25 2.0 April 7, 2006 Tom Anderson Piney Flats, Tennessee United States Time was when the words Betty Crocker actually stood for something good in cookbooks, although the books' recipes, for better or for worse, were always a product of their times. The very first "Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book" was published in 1950 (still available), revolutionized how cookbooks were produced, and was an enormous best-seller. The recipes were the result of much thorough testing in the company's kitchens and in homes across America. This was cooking from scratch with very little reliance on convenience foods in its pages. This gradually changed as Betty and her books became more and more of a shill for General Mills' products and her name got plastered on one mix after another to the benefit of the company's bottom line, but to the detriment of good cooking. The two all-purpose cookbooks that came out in 1961 and 1969 were both loaded with recipes and wonderful tips/helps, although you could see the beginnings of sacrificing quality for convenience--especially in the 1969 edition--but this was still relatively minor in proportion to the majority of the recipes. If you have one of these books, treasure and keep it; you'll never see their likes again. The current 10th edition looks good but, like the past several editions, the number of recipes has been drastically reduced. Gone are the many variations, which are especially missed in baked goods. It was wonderful having recipes of many cakes that were sized for two people or small families and having different mixing methods to choose from. Now way too many recipes are of the "dump and stir" method instead of choosing methods that would insure the best results. Also gone is the very friendly, assuring, conversationial voice of yesteryear. Yes, there are recipes covering a wider range of ingredients and styles, but they are mostly stripped-down versions. It's obvious that the folks at Betty Crocker now seem to think that no one really cooks anymore and can't be bothered with proper preparation of dishes, which begs the question of why General Mills even bothers to publish these cookbooks anymore. The "Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook" is a better bet for those looking for an all-purpose, everyday guide. It has a better layout, the recipes and ingredients are generally of a higher quality, and there are more recipes and variations than Betty Crocker's had in some time. Even better, if you care at all about the quality of the food you eat and serve your family, I highly recommend the cookbooks of Cooks' Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen. Their comparable, general-purpose cookbook is called "The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook." The recipes are tested and reworked--dozens of times, if necessary--to be the best their staff can make them and you get precise directions in preparing them. It's a shame that Betty Crocker has abdicated her throne and good name, but there's even better stuff out there now. Go for it! 1401901492:not_much_beyond_the_cute_title:norman_snyder 1401901492 Life Is Short, Wear Your Party Pants: Books: Loretta LaRoche books 4 of 6 2.0 January 4, 2005 Norman Snyder Charlotte, NC The cover of this book declares that you'll learn "Ten Simple Truths That Lead To an Amazing Life." If your idea of an amazing life can be distilled to "eat, drink, and be merry," then perhaps you'll see value in the sophomoric platitudes that abound in this book. Alfred E. Neuman, of Mad Magazine, with his declaration of "What, me? Worry?" provides a pithier statement of the philosophy proposed by Ms. LaRoche. If you're looking for some deeper meaning to life, to success, to accomplishment, you'd be much better served by reading Napoleon Hill, Anthony Robbins, Dr. Covey, Denis Waitley, or Brian Tracey. 0571131913:very_disappointing_..._there're_better_books_out_there_for_co-dependency:c._wong 0571131913 The drama of the gifted child and the search for the true self: Books: Alice Miller books 6 of 44 1.0 August 30, 2005 C. Wong USA Most of the information is very "theoritical" and "limited" -- author focus mainly on her own analysis of her mother and her relationship with her. ... In a nutshell, the message is that a dysfunctional mother'll pass her emotioanal issues to her daughter(s), and in turn, the daughter(s) may pass that onto her offspring(s). ... 1883011035:manufacturing_error:avid_reader 1883011035 Thomas Paine : Collected Writings : Common Sense / The Crisis / Rights of Man / The Age of Reason / Pamphlets, Articles, and Letters (Library of America): Books: Thomas Paine,Eric Foner books 6 of 12 1.0 September 15, 2005 Avid Reader On the one hand, I loved the book, since I am a big fan of Thomas Paine. However, my particular copy was missing the last 50 pages or so of "The Age of Reason". When they get the printing and/or binding problems straightend out and have purged the inventory of the defective books, they should remove this review. At that point, I will eagerly buy a new copy 0385511248:deeply_disappointing_dexter:r._rappaport 0385511248 Dearly Devoted Dexter: A Novel: Books: Jeff Lindsay books 1 of 7 2.0 July 27, 2006 R. Rappaport Baltimore, MD USA I was not a huge fan of the first book, but the concept was interesting and some times a series gets better with each book. This may not be the case here. While it is not as forehead smacking dimwitted as the first, it is has it's moments of unbeleiveablity. How can Dexter be so attractive that women throw themselves at him, and such a good pretender of being human that he can be oblivous when women like him? The only women who was not attracted to him has been his foster sister, and I kind of think it might be only a matter of time. I also dislike how every person who is his foe ends up dead or out of commission. Are they going to introduce a new character to be "on to him" every book? This is not only frustrating but it shows that the author is completely incapable of developing any character or relationship longer than a few pages. 0759622795:e_for_effort:dan 0759622795 Unclog Your Arteries : How I Beat Atherosclerosis: Books: Gene McDougall books 6 of 7 1.0 January 3, 2006 Dan USA I am agreeing to the comment of "E for effort" on this book. This book describes the author's attemps to improve his condition and how he suceeded. But he admits in his book that he is not sure which ones actually worked. Plus, the author also takes diabetes medications, along with other medicines and supplements. My main concern is what worked for him probably won't work for someone reading this book. This book does not really provide a clear picture on what to do. He made so many changes on the medications and supplements, it is hard to say what worked. One can find the general imformation presented in this book on "Diet", "Exercise" and "Stress management" (relating to clog arteries & heart diseases) through the internet. I didn't gain any new information by reading this book. The printing of this book is also done in a very strange way. The text is printed at the center, occupying only the center area with a lot of spaces around, so about half of the page is blank. 1401902812:you_need_more_than_8_but_good_choices:lee_"lee" 1401902812 8 Minutes in the Morning to a Flat Belly Kit: Books: Jorge Cruise books 30 of 35 2.0 March 30, 2005 Lee "Lee" Cailfornia I Look for books all the time on this topic to see if there any new moves I can pick up to help shape and tone the stomach area which is a problem for most of us. I think if you are just starting out this book will help you understand the positions you need to get into but it's going to take alot more than 8 minutes to get results and I have been training for years 1576734692:profiting_from_the_christian_man_shortage:gortexgrrl 1576734692 I Kissed Dating Goodbye: A New Attitude Toward Relationships and Romance: Books: Joshua Harris books 11 of 16 2.0 May 26, 2006 gortexgrrl Vancouver, BC There is no doubt in my mind that Josh Harris is a good person, who sincerely wants to help people, particularly young Christian women, who are especially affected by the vicissitudes of the modern dating scene. However, he doesn't seem to offer much honesty about why this book has been so popular. Either he's guilelessly uninformed or deliberately avoidant: inexcusable in either case, considering how influential this book has become. Is it because it offers the best possible advice on how to navigate the most clear and direct path from singleness to marriage? No. For the vast majority of singles, the approach described in this book will be too rigid and contrived to be workable. Few couples have actually gotten together this way. The real reason why this book, with its overwhelmingly female readership, has sold so well comes down to one main reason: there is a SEVERE SHORTAGE OF SINGLE CHRISTIAN MEN, as documented in CampuslifeCollegeGuide.com male/female ratios, and the Barna Research group website which estimates the shortfall to be in the MILLIONS. Christianity Today recently identified the gender imbalance as being the issue that "rises to the top" for Christian singles. Because Christians are encouraged to look at circumstances as springing from "God's plan" for their lives, many of the surplus women faithfully avoid doing the math, but certainly feel the lack of male attention. Unfortunately, this often gets boiled down to some kind of "passive Christian guy thing", but it probably has more to do with the complacency that accompanies the abundance of women: which is the defining masculine climate wherever there is a man shortage, whether it's New York City, Post-war Russia or your local mega-church. It's not so much a lack of male leadership, but a lack of males. And so the idea of courtship appeals to the romantic longings of single Christian women frustrated by what they perceive to be a lack of initiative taken by single Christian men, who they greatly outnumber. Since reading Christian books about relationships can be as titilating as any romance novel, many of these women will pour over every detail looking for the one piece of advice, the one thing they can change about themselves that will make a difference. Which means they stay on the spiritual self-improvement treadmill, fuelling a Christian singleness industry with its own slogan "The Gift of Singleness" that refuses to tell them the truth about the Christian man shortage that is the greatest cause of their prolonged singleness! Of course, their lack of contentment (an innate response that tells you that things don't add up) is something they are told to repent, ironically by pundits who themselves will not repent of how they profit from this symbiotic relationship. But as long as these women can be convinced that their discontent is caused not by unnaturally protracted singleness that's the result of the Christian man shortage but their by own spiritual failings, there'll always be a market for Christian self-help books like this one. Pure genius! What's more, there are "unintended consequences" that can go along with Harris' model for "courtship" that he doesn't really address: 1) Because all masculine initiative taking must be based on a guy's intention to marry the woman, it makes asking a woman to do anything a BIG DEAL to him. This can have several sub-consequences: (a) It creates a lot of anxiety for guys in terms of their decision-making and rejection-risk (getting turned down for a date is bad enough, but imagine having your "potential marriage proposal" crash and burn!) (b) It fosters prolonged crushes, as stakes get so high with the guy investing all kinds of time and energy in figuring out that this is "the one", he might not ever do it (c) Ironically, it can boost up the guy's expectations in terms of a woman's looks. Because the guy has to have everything worked out in their heads (that yes, this is the kind of woman I want to marry) lot of guys end up not bothering to spend time with girls who don't LOOK like whatever their "wife prototype" might be. Guys who date and don't make a big deal of "a date" are more likely to ask out women they never thought of marrying and possibly end up getting married anyways (In "How to Get a Date Worth Keeping", Henry Cloud explains how couples will admit that their spouses weren't really "their type" when they first met). 2) It keeps people from the humbling reality check that dating provides. Serial dating (as practiced in Latin American countries, where a guy will ask out tons of women, get turned down by most of them until he has a "short-list") teaches you where you stand with the opposite sex. You ask your way down your "ladder of options" until you find your equal (likewise for women, in terms of dealing with the facts about who's asking and who's not). With courtship, a man or woman can nurse an untested prototype of what they want in their heads for years. The idea that it's better not to have any previous flames to compare them to is FALSE. You're better off being compared to their last girlfriend/boyfriend (a real human being with chunky thighs and all) than with the evangelical Angelica Jolie/Brad Pitt that has filled their imaginations since adolescence! 3) It reduces interactive opportunities that promote the acquisition of social skills needed in a romantic context with the opposite sex. It reinforces the pattern of psycho-social-sexual immaturity you commonly see in Christian singles circles. 4) It's unfair to the woman to have some guy spring a potential marriage proposal (which is essentially what courtship is) on her without any prior notice that the guy (who's had a head start on working out his feelings) is romantically interested. Most Christian women seem to need some time to progressively get used to the idea of having a date with most of the guys who would realistically ask them, let alone entertain the thought of marriage. 5) It also heightens the significance of anything the men do when interacting with the women in their circle, who inevitably end up reading too much into their behavior and expecting too much whenever any nuance of interest gets expressed by a someone they like. Kind of like, "he's a nice, sincere, Christian guy and he wouldn't be spending this kind of time with me if he didn't think of me as marriage material, right?"...not always so. If we are to stand back and take a look at it, the whole courtship redux really hasn't gotten off the ground: it works for too few people at this time. Maybe the world has changed too much, or perhaps there are other issues today's Christian singles face in the mating game that need to be dealt with first: such as the confusion about "the gift of singleness" and the shortage of men. I would recommend Debbie Maken's Getting Serious about Getting Married: Rethinking the Gift of Singleness for an alternative view of courtship that embraces the ordinariness and universality of marriage, instead of this moldy oldy. 1572437413:more_errors:c._nandor_"pudge" 1572437413 Believe it! World Series Champion Boston Red Sox & Their Remarkable 2004 Season: Books: Boston Globe books 2 of 2 1.0 September 16, 2005 C. Nandor "pudge" Arlington, WA USA In addition to the errors listed by others, I see missing letters in the middle of words, quote marks that are the wrong style (backticks instead of curly quotes, done inconsistently), inconsistent indentations ... it's a typesetting nightmare. Big disappointment 0451524985:ruined_by_its_ignorance_of_female_sexuality:a_reader 0451524985 Lady Chatterley's Lover: Books: D. H. Lawrence books 26 of 47 1.0 October 8, 2005 A Reader USA I found this book embarrassing to read - not because it's risque, but because it so clearly illustrates how the French & Italians got their reputations as great lovers. Is this the best that English literature can give us? This fellow clearly understands little of female anatomy, let alone female sexuality. It's also mean-spirited. Lawrence proves his points by setting up his version of idealized man and even more idealized woman, and then spends most of the book trying to knock down every other character and concept. This is his only real method of proving the superiority of his ideal. He drips way too much contempt. Everything outside of sex is dumb, meaningless, ridiculous. Attempting to derive enjoyment from the "mental life" makes one ridiculous; being paralyzed makes one ridiculous; trying to have sex in any way outside Lawrence's own true and correct way makes one pathetic, or defective, or spiteful; not being able to enjoy the sort of lovemaking Lawrence proposes makes one undeserving of the title of "woman" or "man"; and so on. Looking at Italian art is stupid. Everything in Paris is stupid. Constance can apparently tell from a glance that nobody in France knows how to have sex properly. Reading the book without his openly contemptuous commentary on what's "wrong" with everyone except C. and M., one might easily conclude that Constance doesn't really seem happier now that she's sleeping with the gamekeeper, and Hilda does seem happier in Venice - the author counters this by ridiculing "that kind" of happiness as delusional and druglike. He even seems to imply that her being so pleased with her life is yet more proof that there's something wrong with her. Of course Constance is wretched, because she does not have that one thing that, in Lawrence's view, really matters in life - not Mellors, but Mellors' equipment. This book does degenerate into phallus-worship, which makes the author's hostility toward "druglike" pleasures seem sort of ironically comical. Hilda is pathetic precisely because she can derive enjoyment from sensual pleasures: from Venice, from the feel of the sun, from jazz, from dancing. This seems weird to me - as if Lawrence is punishing the uppity woman. Hilda is also described as worse than pathetic - she is a "user", with strong suggestions that she is cold and immoral - because she enjoys that part of dancing which allows her to press up against a strange man, only to walk away when the dance is over. (This may be why at least one reviewer called the book sexist, since obviously Lawrence doesn't mind if Mellors is callous and behaves as a "user".) It's actually sort of creepy how an author who seems to be claiming that sensuality is good consistently knocks sensual pleasures like the feel of sunshine on one's body. Everything is stupid except sex - and not just any sex, but his notion of real sex. This is where astute readers will have the most trouble. Lawrence clearly defines a "real" woman - Constance Chatterly - by contrasting her with bad examples. A woman who lays there "unfeeling" is clearly an example. Such a woman is described in terms suggesting she lacks warmth/decency/heart/womanhood/etc. Lawrence doesn't even seem to have considered the possibility that maybe what the man is or isn't doing could even be related; it's presented quite clearly as a difference between good/desireable women vs. women who are defective not only physically, but in character. On the other hand, a woman with an unfeminine urge to be In Control - that is, one who insists on moving herself, rather than sitting passive and letting the man do what he will - is forgivable when Michaelis is the male (because he's premature, and meant to be pathetic), but it turns unforgiveable when it's women in general and especially Mellor's Bertha, who just refused to come when she should out of spite. Bertha just had a sick (!) urge to be In Control, demonstrating her essentially vicious and pathological nature. The only thing Mellors did wrong was to not put her in her place promptly - he "spoilt" her. As for all those touchy-feely things that women so frequently enjoy? Forget it. Lawrence suggests that Mellors does at least sometimes kiss and touch, but if it happens at all it appears to be mostly incidental, nothing important. A Real Woman doesn't need foreplay. Just hop on and go, and if she's what she ought to be, she'll feel crashing waves and dark tides sooner or later. These were what I found the most embarrassingly inaccurate - that a woman's duty is to lie there, not too passive, but not too active, and come when she's supposed to (and if she doesn't, it's her own fault); while a man's job is to climb on top and "perform". All of this is based on what ought to be a perfectly logical set of assumptions that are, unfortunately, not true. The truth is that a woman's vagina is not the equal-but-opposite inverse of a male penis; there's a thing that both males and females start out with, which in a man becomes the penis, and in the woman becomes (or remains) a clitoris. Lawrence seems to assume that what a woman feels is similar to what a man feels - but he assigns this feeling to the wrong body part. Women have always known about their own bodies; surely a man so dedicated to the advancement of sexuality could have and should have taken more time to research how women really feel about things, preferably apart from what women think men "want to hear". This, too, is no doubt why it has been accused of being "sexist". The author (or at least Mellors) openly blames women who cannot or will not "come to the crisis" when she ought, as if it were entirely of the woman's doing and had nothing at all to do with the man. It's also likely that science will eventually prove (if it hasn't already) that women like Constance Chatterly are not the norm or 'what a woman ought to be' emotionally as well as physically. For all that Lawrence spends an awful lot of energy ripping apart what he sees as silly, even noxious emotions and desires - such as "intimacy" and "connection", both of which he has Constance openly ridicule - biologists are increasingly finding that not only do men and women tend to have different feelings and expectations when it comes to the sex act, but that there is believed to be an evolutionary advantage in these differences, based on the notion that a man's biological job is to get his DNA out there, while reproduction for a woman involves a heavy emotional and physical commitment. If this is true, it would be the woman who takes such a cavalier and reckless attitude toward sex who is the deviant, not the one who wants to connect emotionally with the future sire of her child. So - while there may or may not be women who feel as Constance does, at the same time it's not so clearly obvious that a woman "should" feel that way, as to justify Lawrence's open belittling of women whose emotional states don't match masculine emotional detachment and distance. There's a lot of talk of "tenderness" - in fact, Constance keeps mentally accusing everyone in Venice of somehow "lacking tenderness" - but quite frankly I am unclear on what exactly is supposed to be so tender. The only thing he values about her is that he quite clearly likes having sex with her, but even there she only stands out particularly because a good sex partner is so difficult to find. I can imagine a woman putting up with - but I cannot imagine a woman particularly treasuring - a man who rebuffs her when she wishes to talk, who is rude to her instead of treating her as equal (remembering she's a Lady) when she asks him questions, who calls her c--t as if that were her name, and generally treats her as if she were a whore. I could imagine a woman finding this fun if it were a game they jumped into and out of, but this is how their relationship really is; she spends far too much time begging or wanting to beg him for reassurance - for the things he won't say and the questions he won't answer - for me to find her undiluted enjoyment in their relationship particularly credible. For what it's worth, I think life will be better when this book has become obsolete. It is exactly this sort of schlock that had women feeling pressured to fake their sexual responses - at great cost to their marriages, if not their selves. Those who agree that heppiness is linked to sexual satisfaction should be in favor of replacing this book with something that deals with sex in a way that reflects female sexuality in an honest and realistic fashion. As for those who just want a good read - I'd call it a matter of personal taste. Obviously some people enjoy this book. (Equally obviously, I did not. 0938045199:useless_unless:i._bana 0938045199 Power to the People! : Russian Strength Training Secrets for Every American: Books: Pavel Tsatsouline books 1 of 6 2.0 March 12, 2006 I. Bana Paris,FR This bool from the evil russian is useless if you already own " naked warrior " .Good techniques and informations nevertheless 0195174976:terrible:raymond_jensen_"rjensen2" 0195174976 America's Uncivil Wars: The Sixties Era from Elvis to the Fall of Richard Nixon: Books: Mark Hamilton Lytle books 2 of 29 1.0 October 14, 2005 Raymond Jensen "rjensen2" South Bend IN Lets say you were reading a book on the mafia, written by John Gotti, or perhaps some lesser-known mobster. And there was nothing but glowing accolades for the mob and it's activities. Furthermore, anyone who opposed the mafia and it's activities was labeled an "extremist" and in the text, their names were never more than about 4 or 5 words away from words like "Ku Klux Klan," "racist," "bigoted," or "paranoid," you'd begin to suspect that the book was a bit biased, wouldn't you? "Americas Uncivil Wars" is a book written by Mark Lytle, a professor at Bard College. He documents events in American History, in this book, from the 1950's to about 1975. Practically every time a genuine conservative individual, or organization is mentioned in this book, it is associated to a racist organization, whenever Mr. Lytle doesn't add his own commentary. For example, on page 22, he says Joseph McCarthy revealed himself as a "mean-spirited slob." This is a far cry from the McCarthy I know, the McCarthy who wrote the brilliant "Americas Retreat from Victory" for example. And forget about anything good mentioned about the John Birch Society. Page 138: "Most Americans ignored the hooded Klansmen, the John Birchers, and other extremists..." never mind the fact that JBS is not and never was a racist or an extremist organization. But here is their name, sandwiched between the KKK and "extremist." It is a typical tactic of the left to associate the opposition with the "stench of racism" as Stalin may have put it (I don't remember his exact quote). But you might ask, what about on page 89 where he refers glowingly to William F. Buckley as "the cornerstone of the anti-communist wing of conservatism...?" Keep in mind that this is the same Buckley who years later, in Lingua Franca magazine, confessed that he would be a "Mike Harrington Socialist" or a "Communist" if he were college brat today. Now on the other hand, try to find anywhere in this book, the words "murderer," or even "extremist" in front of names like Mao Tse Tung, or Che Guevara or Tom Hayden, to name a few. There is a good reason for that, but I will leave it to your imagination, the reason why. In summary, should you decide to read this book, take it with a grain of salt, or better yet some motion-sickness pills because unless you are prone to the same convictions as our professor Lytle is, you're going to need a barf-bag 0747570817:poisonous_misinformation:c._a._smith 0747570817 The End of Oil: Books: Paul Roberts books 1 of 28 1.0 September 12, 2006 C. A. SMITH Cottonwood Arizona USA The most depressing thing about a book like this is not the outrageously inaccurate content, but, based on the high ratings and adulatory comments by other reviewers, that most people actually believe this drivel. How can we possibly form an effective energy policy when the citizenry are not only uninformed but ill-informed? The answer is that we cannot. I will not bother to go through a detailed criticism, not only because it would take an almost book length document to do it, but because, in the highly politicized atmosphere we live in, no one would believe it. Today, the "truth" depends much more on one's political views than on an objective evaluation of the evidence. 0446395285:a_classic_text,_superficially_updated:douglas_gabbard 0446395285 The Organized Executive: A Program for Productivity New Ways to Manage TimePaper People and the Electronic Office: Books: Stephanie Winston books 10 of 11 2.0 March 27, 2003 Douglas Gabbard Salem, OR The cover claims that the book has been "revised and updated for the digital age," but Winston's information on technological tools is both superficial and already dated. The term, "PDA," does not even appear in the index 0694523615:a_real_chore_to_make_it_through:a._dunn 0694523615 On The Road: Books: Jack Kerouac,Dillon Matt books 1.0 November 17, 2006 A. Dunn I approached this title with all the expectations fostered by many friends endless promotions. I did my best to like it, to find some secret meaning, some redeeming quality within, to no avail. Actually finishing the book was an accomplishment, in my opinion. Ultimately I found the book aimless, soulless, and the promoter of everything negative about the human species. I know this sounds harsh, but time after time I felt let down by On the Road. No, I don't "dig" it, Dean 0875847501:be_careful_downloading_e-books!!:tomas_muzzio_castelletto_"tomas_muzzio" 0875847501 Right from the Start: Taking Charge in a New Leadership Role: Books: Dan Ciampa,Michael Watkins books 14 of 16 1.0 April 29, 2005 Tomas Muzzio Castelletto "Tomas Muzzio" Santiago, Chile I was disapointed when I downloaded it and got 8 pages. As a customer, I expected to have the digital version of the full book and not a summary. I thought that the price difference was due to the absence of paper, printing, handling, shipping, etc. The hardcover version is more than 300 pages; if you take the price per page of the digital version, the hardcover version should cost then ten times more!!! All the examples are referred to that version and nowhere I was said that I was paying 5 dollars for a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PRODUCT. I honestly believed that I was buying the full book. I will think better before ebuying again... 1889638005:squeezing_spiritual_growth_into_a_business_box:concerned_small_church_leader 1889638005 Natural Church Development: A Guide to Eight Essential Qualities of Healthy Churches: Books: Christian A. Schwarz books 5 of 7 2.0 April 14, 2006 Concerned Small Church Leader Worland, Wyoming This guide to church growth has gained popularity during the recent trend of mega-church models and numerical prowess in evaluating the current health and future viability of individual churches. Many of the theories and models are based on business studies and business growth theories. While the guide may be helpful in identifying strengths and weaknesses in your local congregation, its theories for projecting future growth or your church's demise are analyzed using European and Urban models, and have limited insight into the unique dynamics of the Christian church in the varied regions of North America as a whole. Most limiting in this perspective is the distinctly spiritual aspect of church growth which results in a gigantic disparity in trying to compare churches and businesses. This is a manual for analyzing and strategizing, for plotting and planning to stock more "seats in the pews," and makes no significant mention of the actual spiritual journey or genuine troubles and struggles of the very real person searching for belief. The philosophies of this book graphically illustrates why some other Christian writers such as Eugene Peterson, contend that too many pastors view the members of their churches as assets to be managed rather than human souls with questions, concerns, needs and priorities of their own. Issues that cannot be forgotten in the numbers game of current church growth modalities 0425200744:am_i_still_awake?:b._teti 0425200744 Bride and Groom (Dog Lover's Mysteries): Books: Susan Conant books 1 of 1 2.0 January 14, 2006 B. Teti NH I devoured all of this writer's books when I first discovered them and it had been quite some time since then when I bought this book. I'm a real sucker for a book with dogs so I dove right in only to become disappointed all too quickly. I didn't remember all the rambling. It is rampant! At times it was almost like reading a text book for all the 'skimming' that I did. I can't say it was a waste of time but some more editing would be appreciated 0805054383:one_star_is_one_too_many:bob 0805054383 The Bear Went Over the Mountain: A Novel (Owl Book): Books: William Kotzwinkle books 3 of 14 1.0 May 24, 2004 bob Pinellas Park, FL United States I am both astounded and confounded by the reviews here. Simply put, this is the single worst novel I have ever read. Everything about it--the writing, the characters, the story--is godawful. Here follows an absolutely true story. While I was forcing myself to read this drivel, I went out on date. She and I were discussing how much of a book one should read before giving up on it. I was advocating the 25 page litmus, and she insisted on at least fifty. She did several long train commutes a week to and from work, and so read a lot of novels. Anyway, I started describing this book. She recognized it immediately, and interrupted me saying, "The Bear Went Over The Mountain! Don't read another word! If you think it's bad now, it only gets worse, if you can believe it!" She was right. If you feel the need to find out for yourself, save your money and borrow it from a friend or the library 1586483064:unrealistic_premise...:e._moeser_"dr._britta_a.moeser" 1586483064 Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics: Books: Joseph S. Nye books 4 of 24 2.0 May 13, 2004 E. Moeser "Dr. Britta A.Moeser" Darmstadt Joseph Nye keeps repeating himself: multilateralism by global American charm attack. That is simply a stupid assumption. And it is untrue of American history in foreign relations. Nye still owes some answers to European scholars of International Relations who criticized his idea. In fact that is no personal multilateral approach.. 0060007443:interesting,_but_not_an_ethics.:p._mullaney_"kightlinger" 0060007443 Writings on an Ethical Life: Books: Peter Singer books 2 of 4 2.0 December 26, 2005 P. Mullaney "kightlinger" Atlanta, Georgia USA I found the book thought-provoking, but there is more to philosophy than provocation. The common underlying argument of this book, and its only valid statement as ethics, is that since the only purpose of ethics is to regulate human behavior, the ethics society adopts should reflect the kind of society we want to live in. This results-oriented approach is all very well, but Singer doesn't really build upon it through any legitimate philosophical argument. Virtually all of Singer's arguments about particular issues rest upon emotional premises that the reader either does or does not accept. If you accept the premise you are likely to find at least some merit in the argument; if you don't accept the premise, its impossible to follow along to any useful conclusion. In short, these are not ethical writings but the political writings of someone who is too smart for standard political discourse and not interested in limiting his thoughts to philsophy as a discipline. How useful you find this is up to you. I personally don't know Singer from Adam and had not received any prior indoctrination about how groundbreaking he was before I picked up the book; as a result, I have trouble seeing what people are so excited about 0743288483:old_predictions_that_have_not_come_true:d._gaffney 0743288483 The Next Great Bubble Boom: How to Profit from the Greatest Boom in History: 2006-2010: Books: Harry S. Dent books 4 of 4 2.0 August 7, 2006 D. Gaffney This book is old news and is filled with predictions for 2005 & 2006 - most of which are inacurate. His boom and subsequent bust theories are not materializing - and at this point even if they do will be of much smaller scale than his grand predictions (DOW over 40,000) presented in this book 0553146688:the_south_rises_again_in_all_its_historically_inaccurate_glory:hope_e._marston 0553146688 Confessions of Nat Turner: Books: William Styron books 6 of 15 1.0 April 21, 2006 Hope E. Marston Eugene, OR I originally wrote a review of this book in 1999, titled "This is a racist book disguised as a work of art." It seems that I didn't explain well enough my objection to Styron's co-opting of the story of a real human being, Nat Turner, whose story was more accurately depicted in the 1831 book, "The Confessions of Nat Turner," by T.R. Gray. Not only did Styron steal the title of Gray's book, in which Gray recounts his interview with the real Nat Turner, but the incidents Styron invents for the sake of drama reveal his southern-bred racism. Unlike his depiction in Styron's book, Nat Turner was married. Styron's invention of Turner's pivotal and conflicted relationship with a white woman, Margaret Whitehead, is entirely fictional. So is any self-doubt that Turner did the right thing by leading the revolt. In Gray's account, Turner did not express regret. There is so much more depth to Turner's life that is either fictionalized beyond recognition or left unexplored in this book. Do those facts make a difference in a work of fiction? Yes. The parts Styron has unnecessarily fictionalized are key to the story he invented. Turner's fictional relationship with Margaret is saturated in the southern myth that black men are obsessed with white women -- lusting for the forbidden fruit, for which they must die. That Styron crawls into Nat Turner's skin in order to infect him with self-doubt about his mission emasculates Turner and diminishes his cause. What offends me most is that Nat Turner's life deserves to be explored by a modern author who does not condescend or patronize this African-American hero. Instead, we have William Styron's version of Turner's life, taken by many readers as fact. If one prefers racist fiction posing as a legitimate account of a life, then one might enjoy wallowing in this version of "Confessions." But if one prefers reality, I recommend Gray's book as well as other accounts available about the slave revolt at Southampton, Virginia. Styron's book does not provide significant insights into Nat Turner, slave revolt or slavery itself. His book clouds the truth with the same kind of Reconstruction era distortions that spawned the hideous phenomenon of lynching 0399153527:this_one's_a_stinker:sharon_wylie 0399153527 Second Sight: Books: Amanda Quick books 7 of 7 1.0 July 20, 2006 Sharon Wylie San Diego, CA USA I really love Amanda Quick, but this one just didn't work. We don't even get to see the hero and heroine meet and spend time together; the action starts after they've already spent a week getting to know each other. Very disappointing from a romance novel. And I don't really expect tightly woven mysteries in my romance novels, but the plot in this one defies belief. It's never explained why the first murder even occurs. The hero's fear that the murderer will focus on Venetia because she's using the last name "Jones" is beyond ludicrous. If that was going to be a major plot point, at least make it an unusual name that would link the hero and heroine together. But JONES?! All would be forgiven if the romance were compelling, but it wasn't in the slightest. I will probably choose to wait for the next one in paperback or at the library 0674467264:two_stars_for_evocative_writing:z._norwood_"conscious_consumer" 0674467264 Is There a Text in this Class?: The Authority of Interpretive Communities: Books: Stanley Fish books 2 of 12 2.0 March 27, 2006 Z. Norwood "Conscious Consumer" Davis, CA USA The notion of "interpretive communities" is at best derivative of Kuhn's classical work, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, and at worst a framework of obstruction employed against those who wish to revivify literary theory and criticism in the wake of postmodern hegemony 0349118698:sorry_i_spent_the_time:j._gesme 0349118698 The Sunday Philosophy Club: Books: Alexander McCall Smith books 1 of 4 1.0 August 29, 2006 J. Gesme Like others, I picked this book up after reading several in the No. 1 Ladies...series. No comparison. The story is in the first line on page one and the last three pages of the book. I just don't understand the rest of this book. Isabel never even asked the key question to the whole "mystery" until it slapped her in her silly face. The mystery for me is - what is the Sunday Philosophy Club, and what in the world does it have to do with this book? I'm sorry I spent the time on this - there are important books to be read 0720605598:pot_noodle_bushido:c.b.liddell 0720605598 Samurai: Books: Shusaku Endo books 1 of 15 2.0 November 23, 2001 C.B.Liddell Tokyo, Japan This novel of a 17th century samurai's odyssey to Europe starts as a very straightforward story and rather continues that way, but towards the end, Endo does get in a few good points. The style is somewhat pedantic and staid, but easy to read. It's certainly not a zen classic and the story never really gets off the ground or totally convinces. The historical backdrops are paper thin and obvious cut-and-pastes from history textbooks. I must admit I am somewhat baffled by all the rave reviews here. I can only conclude that a lot of people who don't really have much experience of Japan, think they've stumbled upon some sort of motherlode of bushido spirit in this conveniantly Westernized piece of writing by a Japanesese Christian. Remember, not every Japanese woman is a geisha, and not every Japanese writer can wield his pen like a samurai's sword 0525948783:just_awful..................no_stars_whatsoever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:miss_indy......something_new_book_club_"straight,_no_chaser_reader" 0525948783 Genevieve: Books: Eric Jerome Dickey books 1.0 October 30, 2006 Miss iNDy......Something New Book Club "Straight, No Chaser Reader" Home of the Pistons It took me a year to finally complete this book. And honestly, the only reason I completed it was because I had nothing else on my bookshelf to read. This book dragged on and on to the tiny climax about 5 pages from the end. What a waste of such a beautiful book cover. Do not waste a year of your life or a dime of your money 0811846024:wonderfully_creative_but_overcomplicated_and_not_easily_indexed:s._tolleson-rinehart_"suetr" 0811846024 A Passion for Ice Cream: 95 Recipes for Fabulous Desserts: Books: Emily Luchetti,Sheri Giblin books 2.0 November 2, 2006 S. Tolleson-Rinehart "suetr" Chapel Hill, NC USA The book had so much promise, but I find it to be disappointing in several ways, alas. The recipes I've tried have been delicious, and the instructions accompanying those recipes are fairly clear and authoritative, although the discussions and instructions don't rise to the level of a cooking teaching tool, as would, for example, anything by Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, Jacques Pepin, or any of the King Arthur Flour baking cookbooks, all of which really teach one new skills while providing wonderful recipes. In this case, I was already pretty experienced at making ice cream before I bought the book. Were I a tyro, I don't think this book would be the best introduction, although of course there is nothing like plunging in and trying. My biggest disappointment, though, is the organization of the book: ice cream recipes are "bundled" with their accompanying cookies, garnishes, and the like; instead of a group of recipes for chocolate ice cream, for example, we have a group of recipes for ice cream sandwiches, with ice cream of any of several different flavor families. One has to dig around in the index at the back of the book to find, say, recipes for chocolate ice cream. I would much prefer to have an index or table of ice cream recipes, by flavor and page number, right up front -- I don't want to spend so much time looking for the flavor I want. My next disappointment is that the text is printed in a graphically attractive and most stylish but virtually illegible size and color. My middle-aged eyes struggle desperately to read the book, even with my reading glasses on, and I surely can't prop the book 18-20" back from my utensils, to read as I work without changing position, as I like to do with my cookbooks. This is a case in which the author and editorial team seemed to have chosen (admittedly very attractive) style over function. The book IS very attractive, and the photographs are lovely -- but I would gladly sacrifice some beauty in favor of being able to read the recipes and discussions more easily. My final disappointment is in the complexity and elaborateness of most of the "dessert packages," for lack of a better word. Making the ice cream or sorbet and its accoutrements is, in most cases, a tremendously labor-intensive exercise. I have opted for using some of the creative and delicious ice cream recipes and figuring out my own much simpler and easier garnishes and accompaniments. I work a demanding job and have a house to run. I love to cook, but can't devote as much time to making an ice cream sandwich, for example, as these recipes require. So I use less of the book than I'd wish. Over all, Ms. Luchetti's sense of style and taste are impressive, and she seems superbly knowledgeable about frozen desserts. And many of the ice cream recipes are lovely. But I had hoped that this would be a book I would pull from the shelf much more often than I will, in fact, because the book is so difficult to use 0312983271:yuck,_yuck,_and_double_yuck:randy_osten_"randy_osten" 0312983271 Full House (Janet Evanovich's Full Series): Books: Janet Evanovich,Steffie Hall,Charlotte Hughes books 1.0 July 13, 2006 Randy Osten "Randy Osten" Canada This is like teen-love-fiction, and by that I mean it's like a teenager wrote it, one who uses bad detail, cliche phrases, overused idioms, bad dialogue and poorly crafted plot. Meet mr. millionaire who teaches polo to a woman -- and they of course fall in love, slowly, boringly, painfully. Then the kids come in and the remainder of the book is like a couple dealing with kids, with no plot development. Yuck. She says on the back she's responding to a call for something like energy and thrills and sexy writing. Uh, not in this one. The only sexy scene is on page 138, and that's not very good either. The best part of the book is that it proves she really does need to go back and learn the craft of writing because either she never learned it or she forgot what she learned 0324224729:great--if_you_are_a_rich_capitalist:a._ofsevit_"ari_ofsevit" 0324224729 Principles of Economics Student Edition: Books: N. Gregory Mankiw books 17 of 62 1.0 August 25, 2004 A. Ofsevit "Ari Ofsevit" Saint Paul, MN Don't buy this book if you do not have to for a class. I did. As with most textbooks, it is a ripoff. Mankiw got a 1.4 million - MILLION - dollar advance for it. Who do you think pays that. What kinds of things does this text teach? Well, it contends that unemployment insurance and labor unions cause unemployment, because people do not want to look for work when they can fall back on the governmnet. This is the biggest load of hooey in the world. I guess when you are a rich, tenured professor it is quaint to see those people lining up who just lost their jobs because business major read your book. And minimum wage? Kills off jobs. Mr Makniw is now the chairman of the presidents council of economic advisors. What a job he has done. Worst jobs record since Hoover. Of course, if the capitalists honchos had their way, everyone else would be working for $2.75 an hour. Read this book, but go to the grocery store first. On top of the $100-plus you pay for this book, punk down 75 cents for a box of salt. You're gonna need every grain 0738705225:a_bit_misleading_in_the_title..:echo_stark_"dragonsecho" 0738705225 Speak With The Dead: Books: Konstantinos books 2 of 2 2.0 March 18, 2006 Echo Stark "DragonsEcho" Georgetown, KY USA You think you are getting something to help assist you in linking yourself with the beyond, but you are in all actuality getting something that reads more like something being explained that the author doesnt really believe instead. I love Konstatinos' other books, but this one left a bad taste in my mouth 0684859793:an_absolute_abortion:historian 0684859793 Lee's Lieutenants: A Study in Command: Books: Douglas Southall Freeman books 14 of 14 1.0 October 27, 2004 Historian NY, NY Dr. Freeman's justly esteemed "Lee's Lieutenants" -- a THREE VOLUME work -- still stands (despite the discovery of materials unavailable to Dr. Freeman when he first wrote in the 1930s and 40s) as the baseline for any study of the Army of Northern Virginia. The cheap attempt by a modern publisher to squeeze a few cents out of the franchise, offered here, throws out TWO of every THREE words Dr. Freeman wrote to allow for a one-volume "abridgement" for those presumably too intimidated by the thought of reading three entire books. The three-volume work, as Dr. Freeman wrote it, was reprinted fairly recently. If that is no longer available on Amazon, any decent sized used book store will have it in stock. WHATEVER you do, avoid this butchered, one volume version like the plague 0226321460:too_full_of_jargon_for_me:freya_m_mercer_"bibliophile" 0226321460 How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodies in Cybernetics, Literature, and Informatics: Books: N. Katherine Hayles books 3 of 10 2.0 May 21, 2003 Freya M Mercer "bibliophile" Phoenix, NY United States This is probably one of the hardest books I have ever read--with no background in either philosophy or cybernetics, much of what Hayles discusses is just plain incomprehensible. I also found it difficult to accept the idea of humans already being "post-human." If you are interested in deep philosophical writings on technology and the human condition, with links to literature, read this. If you don't really care about the post-human, skip it 1594770352:this_book_is_just_not_accurate:richard_s._mitnick 1594770352 Gnostic Philosophy: From Ancient Persia to Modern Times: Books: Tobias Churton books 6 of 8 2.0 June 11, 2006 Richard S. Mitnick Highland Park, NJ USA I have to agree with Stephen Haines. This guy drags in everything but the kitchen sink. He makes Boehme a Gnostic, the troubadors, the Knights Templar, William Blake, the Masons, Jung, and finally, any physicist worth his salt. I mean, some of these folks might not have been orthodox in their Christian practice, but being heterodox does not make one a Gnostic. How did he forget Meister Eckhart, and Sabbatai Tzvi? If he has Boehme as a Gnostic, then these also are Gnostic. He never distinguishes between Gnosticism as a group of sects, and gnostic practice, which pervades Kabbalah, Sufism,etc. This is just not a good book 0060840986:don't_buy_this_rotten_book!:a._m._white 0060840986 The Giving Tree Special Holiday Edition: Books: Shel Silverstein books 3 of 13 1.0 October 29, 2006 A. M. White This book deserves no stars. PLEASE stop buying and promoting this rotten book! This is a book about a rotten, selfish self-centered male who takes everything including the life of the female tree. Even at the end when he chops her down to sit on her as an old man, he's still unsatisifed and has a big scowl on his face! The female tree gives and gives and gives, and the male (from boy to old man) just takes and takes and takes and is never satisified, happy or thankful. What kind of story is that? This is truly a rotten story. Don't buy it! Don't give this to your children! 0593048148:predictable:anonymous_reader 0593048148 A Bend in the Road: Books: Nicholas Sparks books 1 of 2 2.0 September 28, 2006 Anonymous Reader I read the back cover of this book and immediately knew most of what would happen. As soon as I met the character who would turn out to be the driver, I knew the rest of the story. It was extremely easy to figure out and quite disappointing. The story's decent. The text flows nicely, and the suspension of disbelief is strong, but where did Nick's originality go? Where's the sweet and innocent charm of The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, and Nights in Rodanthe? It seems like he's run out of steam, or didn't care too much about this one. A decent book to read, but don't expect anything spectacular as you would with his earlier work 1590866622:pretty_poor_effort:ranger1 1590866622 Hard Truth (Anna Pigeon): Books: Nevada Barr,Joyce Bean books 2 of 2 1.0 August 24, 2006 Ranger1 Palo Alto, CA I'm a long time fan of the Anna Pigeon mysteries, and have read all the others. Unfortunately, "Hard Truth" does not live up to the quality of Ms. Barr's earlier works. It feels very contrived. It also appears to take advantage of stereotypes against religious groups. This book just does not meet the expectations I've come to expect from the series. 1740599683:mixed_feelings:steven_d._lydick_"stevelydick" 1740599683 Lonely Planet Ireland: Books: Fionn Davenport,Charlotte Beech,Tom Downs,Des Hannigan,Fran Parnell,Neil Wilson books 13 of 13 2.0 October 3, 2005 Steven D. Lydick "stevelydick" Grand Island, NE United States I've used the lonely planet guides on other trips before, and have always been very pleased, but this one left me with a different taste in my mouth. LP was the only guide we purchased, based on our previous experiences with them, but we had the chance to peruse others in the B&B's we stayed in throughout our trip. Of all of them, I'd rate the LP as the 2nd best for our interests - as they say, individual experiences may vary! Ireland has become a very expen$ive tourist destination, so upon reflection, we would have been happier with the Rough Guide. LP has just tried to hard to cover all levels of expense in one guide, and has ended up short-changing all of them in the process. I hate to say it, but I'd rather see them do one thing well than 3 things mediocre at best. I'd still put it above most of the other guidebooks though. Our first and foremost gripe is how out of date the price estimates on everything are. I realize it was published two years ago, but we gradually learned to depend on everything costing about 20% more than LP listed. That's quite a jump for 2 years, indicating to me either poor fact-checking for the 2003 edition, or some pretty crazy inflation and a need for another update. Our second gripe was the local maps. They failed to provide maps for a lot of the smaller cities, and only provided maps of the city-center areas in the larger ones. Given the rarity of Irish street signage, those maps would have been a God-send for navigation in towns. Also, and this may be a function of the 2003 printing, a lot of the towns in Ireland are instituting one-way patterns in their city-centers, and LP's maps rarely identified this. A third, again related gripe is with the existance, or lack thereof, of the various restaurants, b&b's, shops, etc. listed in the guide. Probably 30% of the restaurants in the guide just aren't there any more. I realize they must have been when it went to print, but that didn't help us any. Our last gripe is the rather uneven coverage of large areas of the country. Granted, it reflected perfectly the tourist patterns - heavy coverage of larger cities and popular tourist areas along the coasts, pretty awful coverage of less touristed interior areas. Unfortunately, we didn't just want to go where all the other tourists go, so this left our noses still further out of joint. Overall, I'd say if you want a guide that covers the sightes well, both LP and Rough Guide do that. If you want to keep the expenditures down, Rough Guide does it much better. If you want to go all out, um, there's probably a third option, but neither of these two will do it well. If you want to be thrifty in some areas and splurge in others, then this guide is the closest you'll get to filling your schizophrenic needs in one place - although, in that case, I'd really recommend getting two guides, one for each end of the spectrum. One last piece of advice - buy a heritage card when you get to your first castle/tomb/historic place! If you plan on visiting more than one or two historic places, its 20e cost will be recouped within days with all the free admissions it will get you for the rest of the trip B0006RTJK4:blach:karen_s._guard_"karen" B0006RTJK4 The giving tree: Books: Shel Silverstein books 1.0 November 21, 2006 Karen S. Guard "Karen" Chicago This is a childrens book and it is supposed to teach a positive message. It should have been tiltled the "jewish Mother " tree or something. So the message was Use me and use me and use me some more and after I'm all used up, use me some more and I will be happy. Thats something we want to convey to children 0967724805:one_sided_and_out_dated:james_m._barrett 0967724805 The Color of Oil : The History, the Money and the Politics of the World's Biggest Business: Books: Michael Economides,Ronald Oligney books 5 of 6 1.0 February 24, 2006 James M. Barrett Much of this book is very one sided. In particular the sections on the environment are distorted and now known to be incorrect. The book would be much better if they had not shown their bias 0385515308:stick_to_what_you_know:aglanz 0385515308 Love and Other Impossible Pursuits: Books: Ayelet Waldman books 6 of 14 1.0 May 23, 2006 AGlanz Chicago Ayelet Waldman is a graduate of Harvard Law School, so I assume she's an intelligent woman and a good lawyer. She should stick to what she knows. The fact that she's married to a famous author doesn't make her a writer. Her novel is poorly written, overly sentimental and, to put it bluntly, very dumb. What's next? Padma Lakshmi writing a novel because she's married to Salman Rushdie? 0060531134:what_forged_a_nation:douglas_stokes 0060531134 1812: The War That Forged a Nation (P.S.): Books: Walter R. Borneman books 1 of 6 2.0 March 14, 2006 Douglas Stokes Albemarle, NC I had read a book about the French and Indian war, one about the revolution and also the recent best seller,1776. I found The War That Forged a Nation an excellant addition to my understanding of this important period in American history. I would highly recommend it. Very readable 0393301583:civilized_discourse_leaves_discontented_reader:yan_timanovsky 0393301583 Civilization and Its Discontents: Books: Sigmund Freud,Peter Gay,James Strachey,Peter Gay books 4 of 15 2.0 August 15, 2004 Yan Timanovsky Brooklyn, NY There isn't much I can add to previous reviews of Civilziation and Its Discontents. My own reaction (after 2 cracks at it, one in college, and one post-) is one of bafflement and boredom. With academic, convoluted language, Freud discusses the role of the individual with his neuroses and his conflicts with socialization and civilization. Many of his jumbled sociological observations are better recorded by previous thinkers--Rousseau, for example. His psychological conclusions have more or less been explored at length in his previous works. Therefore, the redeeming value is found, perhaps, in Freud's closing passages, eery portends of Europe's ugly years 0440241901:good_book,_bad_reading:mrs_r 0440241901 Can You Keep a Secret?: Books: Sophie Kinsella books 1 of 2 1.0 March 29, 2006 Mrs_R Northern Nevada, USA Unfortunately some audio books are read in monotone-very dull indeed-but in this audio book the reader goes too far in the opposite direction by reading an adult book as if it's story time and she's a preschool teacher. My daughters and I loved the main characters in audio books such as Bridget Jones Diary, The Nanny Diaries, and Sammy's Hill because the reader made us sympathize with them. We knew that whatever the characters did they did with sincerity and whatever happened to them could happen to anyone. Emily Gray, the reader of Can You Keep a Secret, made the main character sound witless and very, very phony. All of the other characters sounded one dimensional. We listen to audio books on our frequent long car trips. Although we had nothing else to listen to at the time, we could only stand  of this book before we had to turn it off. A few weeks later I randomly read a few chapters of Can You Keep a Secret in a bookstore and thought that it was amusing. Perhaps Emily Gray didn't find the book amusing, so she thought that she needed to go "over the top" to add humor. If so, it didn't work. She took a lighthearted, enjoyable book and turned it into the equivalent of listening to nails on a blackboard. 061391645X:don't_buy_this_book._check_with_the_experts_instead.:jena_snyder_"jena_snyder" 061391645X Forensic Casebook: The Science of Crime Scene Investigation: Books: Ngaire E. Genge books 28 of 28 1.0 November 9, 2004 Jena Snyder "Jena Snyder" Edmonton, Alberta, Canada If you look at the March 2004 issue of the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts, you'll find a very negative review of this book. Given that the reviewer (Herbert Leon MacDonell, the Director of Laboratory of Forensic Science Bloodstain Institute of Corning, New York) and all members of IABPA actively work in the field of forensics, I'd take their word for it. Here's an excerpt from the review, which can be found on the web at http://www.iabpa.org/March2004News.pdf "Many fine books have been written on the general subject of forensic science but this is not one of them. It only takes reading the first page for the reader to discover that this book is not going to be a source of accurate forensic information." The reviewer goes on to say: "...the frightening aspect is that lay persons who purchase such garbage are unaware of how inaccurate the things they are reading really are. It is unfortunate that there are publishers out there who will print a manuscript without having some form of peer review to determine whether there are a few minor errors or is it so bad like this book, that they should trash it. 1570671044:puh-lease_._._.__felt_like_was_i_reading_an_erotic_novel:s._connell_"nicnsib" 1570671044 Spiritual Midwifery: Books: Ina May Gaskin books 3 of 14 1.0 July 4, 2006 S. Connell "nicnsib" Pasadena, CA United States First, I am a very open-minded person, raised by a hippy/Biker family. I really expected to identify with this book. While I appreciate the what Ina May's movement accomplished during its time, I felt like the book was almost a joke--verging more on detailing accounts of an occult community--A community of people living on old school buses in the woods, delivering each other's babies. The language is terrible---everything is described as "psychedelic," etc--one woman even referred to her female parts using the big "p" word. While they try to add a personal touch by including individual narrations, it sounds more like a compilation of uneducated people describing their birth stories the way they were pressured to believe---NOBODY mentions feeling pain during labor. Honestly, I feel that the pressure of the community was so intense they wouldn't have admitted to pain if they could. Also, many of the accounts were extremely erotic---couple are encouraged to fondle one another during labor to keep connected and relaxed. In some accounts, a couple would be making out, while a midwife would massage the birthing mother in her "laboring parts"--turning the woman on and keeping her relaxed. Not my cup of tea. I had so little respect for the lifestyle and the language of the people that I didn't get much out of the book 0440240778:what_happened_to_the_good_stuff??:jennifer_swaylik 0440240778 Miracle: Books: Danielle Steel books 1 of 1 1.0 June 25, 2006 Jennifer Swaylik Cape Cod, MA. I am soooo tired of Danielle Steel's books. They have lost all of the originality with which she used to write. Every book now has the same story line just different names for the characters. BORING! What happened to the good stuff - Thurston House, Ghost, Kaliedescope ........ I had stopped reading her books because I have been sick of the same old thing - I borrowed Miracle from a friend hoping it would indeed be a miracle and would be original Danielle Steel -I was completely wrong. I would guess her writing is suffering because she pumps out 2 to 3 books a year. Danielle if you are reading this (and I hope she is) PLEASE give us back something great to read - Quality instead of Quantity! Until then I won't be buying or borrowing any more of her books. 0781227658:one_of_the_most_deceptive_books_ever_written:john_blatt 0781227658 Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God (Notable American Authors): Books: Jonathan Edwards books 5 of 50 1.0 March 3, 2005 John Blatt There is no measure how harmful and disastrous this "sermon" has been to all who have read or heard it. The teaching of hell or everlasting damnation (eternal torment) is a pagan teaching that has been graphed into the teachings of Christianity over 1800 years ago. The first century church never believed in a "hell". The theory of hell was brought in by converts to Christianity from pagan religions of the world. "Hell" was embraced by the political/religious leaders of the church because they saw the controlling and "converting" effect of the pagan doctrine and thus it was adopted as "orthodox" centuries after the resurrection of Christ. Our English translations have all been used to continue this pagan teaching as fact, when it is actually fiction. Mostly all English versions except the Concordant Literal New Testament and Young's Literal propagate this fallacy. Do your homework. Go to www dot what-the-hell-is-hell dot com and www dot bible-truths dot com and read up. If you scoff then here is your challenge. Do the research from a non-traditional, non-pagan perspective and you might find incredible things to praise God about. Other HIGHLY recommended books are "The Inescapable Love of God" by Thomas Talbott (ISBN: 1581128312, not on Amazon, you must google it), "The Origin and History of the Doctrine of Endless Punishment" by Thomas Thayer, "The Bible Hell" by Dr. John Wesley Hanson. Go to the sites given above and finally get a better view of what "hell" is and where it came from. You will find answers to the many questions that arise from searching this out. All those who scoff and stop up your ears and move on, to you I say that the real hell is the one that your doctrine creates in the minds and hearts of all who have been indoctrinated by it and your view of God that it creates. THAT is hell indeed, and THAT is the ONLY hell that exists 1405041595:disappointing_mystery_thriller:blaine_greenfield_"eclectic_reader" 1405041595 Split Second: Books: David Baldacci,Damian Lewis books 1 of 1 2.0 July 4, 2006 Blaine Greenfield "eclectic reader" Belle Meade, NJ Sometimes I've enjoyed books by David Baldacci (WISH YOU WELL and THE WINNER come to mind); others, such as THE LAST MAN STANDING did little for me . . . add SPLIT SECOND, which I just heard, to that latter list . . . it was a disappointing mystery thriller about two disgraced Secret Service agents who come together to solve two campaign-trail crimes . . . I cared little about any of the characters, and there were far too many subplots floating around for my taste . . . the ending also didn't do much for me, as it brought too many separate threads together in too quick a fashion . . . lastly, I did not particularly "buy" the man behind the crimes; he just wasn't all that believable. 1400034639:unbelievable,_and_for_a_very_good_reason,_namely_it's_not_true:jill_malter 1400034639 War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning: Books: Chris Hedges books 16 of 58 1.0 December 9, 2005 Jill Malter jillmalter@aol.com This book belongs in the Fantasy section of the library. Let's start with the question of Israel's borders. Do some folks say that these borders ought to be the Nile and Euphrates rivers? After all, Israel is kind of small. Doesn't it need, um, a tiny bit more land? Well, Israel may need a little more land. But almost nobody is proposing anything like this. I see very few Israeli politicians demanding even all of the West Bank, let alone all of Jordan. And as for the Nile to the Euphrates, this is pretty much exclusively anti-Zionist propaganda. There's a nice article by Daniel Pipes in the March, 1994 issue of Middle East Quarterly that goes into this in some detail, in case anyone cares. Yes, we've seen propaganda before. In the 1930s, some Germans claimed that the Jews were planning to take over the whole world. Now, what do we see in this book? What we see in this book is Chris Hedges quoting someone as saying that Israel allows state-funded religious schools to preach that Jewish rule should extend from the Nile to the Euphrates. Is there any connection between this and truth? Yes, there's a connection. You see, in the Bible (in Deuteronomy), Moses says at one point that Israel's borders shall run from the river Euphrates to the "western sea" (presumably, the Mediterranean, but definitely not the Nile). Of course, someone might want to ask a Jewish authority about what the Bible says. It turns out that there's much more detailed material in the Book of Numbers, and that is what Pipes says religious Jews are taught is Biblical. And that specifies a much smaller Israel. In addition, it is quite a leap to go from Biblical borders, no matter how large or small, to preaching that Jews ought to rule such an area today. Hedges is doing us a big disservice here. You may want to check all this for yourselves. In addition, Hedges has an exciting description of the Battle of Khafji (which took place during Desert Storm). Some people who were really there dispute it, however. You may want to check that as well. We also see Hedges describe the behavior of Israeli soldiers in Gaza on June 17, 2001. Now, remember that these soldiers are trained to obey orders. Their superiors know that Israel can't afford unnecessary violence. The soldiers are there to protect lives, not to hurt or kill others. And in fact, it turns out to be true that in the fighting between Jews and Arabs, the Jews (as expected) have rarely been guilty of gratuitous violence. On the other hand, the Arabs, who have rather different goals and constraints, have displayed quite a bit of bad behavior. Nevertheless, in spite of logic and facts to the contrary, in this book, Hedges comes up with the following (as usual, I encourage you to verify for yourselves what the truth is, and you might want to start by finding out how many people died that day and who they were): "I had seen children shot in other conflicts that I had covered - death squads gunned them down in El Salvador and Guatemala, mothers with infants were lined up and massacred in Algeria, and Serb snipers put children in their sights and watched them crumple onto the pavement in Sarajevo - but I had never watched soldiers entice children like mice into a trap and murder them for sport." Well! What is it about Israelis that could lead them to behave in such a surprising manner? Hedges speculates that exposure to all sorts of nasty reading material about the Holocaust has perverted these unfortunate young men. Well, I'm perfectly prepared to believe that men and women from all nations have been exposed to all sorts of reading material. But I don't buy Hedges' absurd conclusion at all. Nor do I buy any of what he says about the behavior of the soldiers. And no, I'm not in denial. If you believe Hedges, I think you may be in denial, though! I'll stop here. Anyone capable of saying what I've quoted from Hedges so far is capable of saying anything. We readers do not need this. 0749926287:book_never_arrived_-_very_disappointed!:d._c._mcmanus_"disappointed" 0749926287 Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Books: T. Harv Eker books 0 of 8 1.0 November 5, 2006 D. C. Mcmanus "disappointed" SA Never received the book, so very disappointed at the delivery process and cost I have incurred 0066209447:a_so_so_novel:adriana_villanueva 0066209447 The News from Paraguay: A Novel: Books: Lily Tuck books 12 of 12 2.0 August 11, 2005 Adriana Villanueva Caracas, Miranda Venezuela The most disappointing thing about The News from Paraguay is the beginning, and not precisely because is a bad one, but because in the first chapters of Lily Tuck National Prize awarded novel, there's a hint that could have been better than it turn out to be. So I confess that for a few pages (those that engage a reader with a book) I found charming the decimononic story of Ella Lynch, a beautiful widow living in Paris well beyond her means. That even when Ella decided to follow hairy Franco -a paraguayan stud- not because his looks, not even for this foolish thing called love, but because he smelled like luxury and power in a faraway land; I still found it a joyable read, but right when she arrived to her privileged life of "querida" of the most powerful man in Paraguay and began to have one baby after another in tumultuous times, The News from Paraguay became boring and I began to skip entire paragraphes until I got to a previsible end. Based on true facts, the life of a Paraguayan dictator and his irish mistress; Tuck, who confessed that she never went and wasn't interested in ever going to Paraguay (i think she finally did) can't even get the spanish names right: Mauel, instead of Manuel, Rosaria, instead of Rosario; Iez, instead o Ins. What's the deal with the ? Maybe I lost something in my not so good english, but I still can't get why, a so so novel like The news from Paraguay, can win a National Prize 0575070269:should_get_zero_stars:andrew_t._gordinier 0575070269 Light (Gollancz SF S.): Books: M.John Harrison books 3 of 7 1.0 February 16, 2006 Andrew T. Gordinier Chicago, IL, USA This is one of the few books so bad that I couldn't finish it. There is no explanation of how things work,or in many cases what they really are. I feel like the only motivation for any of the characters was greed, sex, or guilt about greed and sex. Do not bother with this book 031287636X:a_sad_sf_renaissance:carol_lyn_desmon 031287636X The Hard SF Renaissance: Books: David G. Hartwell,Kathryn Cramer books 14 of 31 2.0 January 23, 2003 Carol Lyn Desmon NY Throughout my read, my head kept shaking with disappointment. If the "renaissance" of hard SF relies on stories a full decade, even two decades, old, then the genre's future is feebly fixated on its past. Not to say that some of the stories here aren't wonderful ... emphasis on "some." But dredging dead decades to claim a rebirth of hard SF fails to deliver on the title's promise. This is more nostalgia than renewal, and you should read a library-borrowed copy if you want to reminisce about great writers past/passing. But don't drop any real money expecting a glimpse into Sci-Fi's future 0553293354:read_because_it_considered_a_classic:k._macdonald 0553293354 Foundation (Foundation Novels (Paperback)): Books: Isaac Asimov books 1 of 21 2.0 July 23, 2006 K. MacDonald Baltimore, MD The book is written about an empire in the future. I'm not really sure why Asimov thought that the future galaxy would be ruled by an emporer, which is a dying system of government, instead of a democratic republic. I know this is nit-picking, but I didn't like this book. Apparently, the future can be predicted with a high degree of accuracy using math and statistics. Anyone who works as a mathematician or statistician, as I do, knows that it's difficult to predict what's going to happen in anyone's life tomorrow, much less the entire world 500 to 1000 years into the future using statistics. This book is intellectual worship, which is something I can't stand. Intellectual worship is when people think they are intellecually superior to everyone else, so feel they should rule over everyone else, if only you would listen to them. This idea drips off the page as event after event is predicted by some really smart dude. This smart dude predicted a collapse of civilization and treated it as inevitable. Another idea that's patently absurd- that any event that occurs is inevitable. If this guy was so smart as to predict, with a high degree of accuracy, the downfall of civilization, and the rising of a new one, along with the traumatic events this new civilization would go through, why wasn't he smart enough to avert the downfall of the original civilization. Surely, with his predictive ability people would listen to him, but he decides to let it crumble for whatever reason. And Asimov is a mediocre writer. The story is only moderately interesting because no character really gets developed. I read this book because as a sci-fi fan, I felt obligated 0060523921:big_samad_sefianes_honest_opnion_theft_of_other_peoples_work:samad_sefiane 0060523921 Selling Out: Books: Mark Green books 0 of 8 1.0 February 15, 2005 SAMAD SEFIANE My name is Big Samad Sefiane, I have been writing screenplays and making music since the age of 13. The only problem with that book which came out in feb. 2004 is very much a like my screenplay I have written and copyrighted before he released his book. I wouldn't rate a book, singer or songwriter who takes other peoples ideas and mixes it with his work. The book is too much similar to my screenplay Entitled HACKERS. After sept. 11, 2000 mail slowed down and it took me a year to copyright my screenplay. The screenplay as visible on the internet and also sent to strattford career institute for editing. The similar scripts will be reviewed by an entertainment attorney 1572439912:action_photos_please!!:a._c._bonsor 1572439912 Roar Restored: Detroit Tigers 06: Books: Detroit Free Press books 2.0 November 16, 2006 A. C. Bonsor Romford, Essex United Kingdom While this book put together by the Detroit Free Press has action photos, they are some of the most disappointing pictures i've ever seen in a book about a team's season. Where are the photos of Tiger players actually hitting a baseball? If you want to see photos of players celebrating and covered in champagne, talking to fans and media and blowing bubbles, then this is the book for you but if you want to see some actual fine baseball action shots from the diamond itself, be prepared to be frustrated. I much preferred the photograhy in the George Cantor paperback "Out of Nowhere" The Detroit Tigers' Magical 2006 Season. I know that this volume covers the Play-offs and World Series whereas the Cantor book doesn't, but it's photo collection is poor, the photos in the Cantor book are superb. If you are a Tiger fan you may enjoy this book very much, (the writing and articles are quite good at least)but my enjoyment was spoilt somewhat by hardly any pictures of Tiger players hitting baseballs or fielding grounders etc. Very disappointing, worth only 2 stars 0394428145:how_a_book_can_create_a_conflict,_said_and_his_gross_mistrepretations:allyson_rowen_taylor_"allyson_rowen_taylor" 0394428145 Orientalism: Books: Edward W Said books 2 of 27 1.0 October 8, 2006 Allyson Rowen Taylor "Allyson Rowen Taylor" USA Edward Said, created a proble and made a career of the Israel Palestine Conflict, and conviently died before he could also resolve the death and destruction he brought to the Arab Palestinians. He was a one man destruction derby under the guise of poetry, linguistics and hate and he helped stir up anti Israel and anti Jewish hatred on every University he spoke at. Hopefully, this "vintage" book will become no longer relevant, ans disappear 1568226616:help_please:suzanne_e._gray_"sgray" 1568226616 Words on the Vine: 36 Vocabulary Units on Root Words: Books: Claudia Vurnakes books 1.0 August 17, 2006 Suzanne E. Gray "sgray" w. jefferson, NC USA Can anyone tell me if the book words on the vine has an answer key with it? Thanks. sgra 0687018250:hilariously_melodramatic:my_condolences 0687018250 Tough Love: How Parents Can Deal With Drug Abuse: Books: Pauline Neff books 0 of 3 1.0 June 12, 2006 My Condolences The only thing this book is good for is getting high with your friends then reading the dialogue aloud. The thought that anyone actually believes or takes the "situations" in this crap serious is so befuddling it's scary. This is nothing more than propaganda for some strange religious cult. I don't know about you but if I'm going to buy a book to help me with my kids it's going to be by an expert, not some failed fiction writer 0743552601:this_one_misses_the_mark,_for_me...:william_e._adams 0743552601 Break No Bones: A Novel: Books: Kathy Reichs,Dorothee Berryman books 2.0 November 22, 2006 William E. Adams Hobbs, NM USA I've read five of the nine "Temperance Brennan" mysteries that Kathy Reichs has published, but this is my least favorite. I lost interest about two-thirds through. I felt the villains were not fleshed-out, the murder mystery too complicated and unlikely, the ending too neatly contrived, and the personal/romantic side story too awkward. This one was also too long, by about 50 pages. Reading it felt like eating a stew in which there were a multitude of ingredients, yet they did not blend into a successful flavor. The other four of her novels were fine. I love the TV series as well, although "Bones" allegedly shows Dr. Brennan much earlier in her career, with the supporting cast and the job duties and locations totally different than what is found in the books. In the TV series, "Dr. Brennan" has a steady cast of supporting characters who grabbed my mind and heart very quickly. In the books, her lesser characters all seem...lesser, indeed. Better luck next time out, Dr. Reichs 0321330625:not_so_good:quinn_d._hubbard 0321330625 The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter): Books: Scott Kelby books 1.0 November 23, 2006 Quinn D. Hubbard Bellevue, WA United States First off, so much of the copy is devoted to his horrible sense of humor, imagine a junior high school student "acting big" to impress his friends with jokes, that type of annoying bravura humor is simply unrelenting throughout the book. It is filler. The illustrations are sized so big the actual technical content of the book is quite low. Just more filler. Finally, all the techniques in the book can be found during normal operation of PS, or at worst a few internet searches. I think this book is over-priced and I wish I could return it. Caveat emptor 0739326244:harlequin_romance_!:c._h_mitchum 0739326244 The Mephisto Club: A Novel (Random House Large Print): Books: Tess Gerritsen books 1.0 November 23, 2006 C. H Mitchum Chelmsford, MA USA If Tess is going to continue to write books like this, she should switch her publisher to Harlequin Romance, it will give the unsuspecting buyer a "heads up." It is not possible to describe the many short falls of this rather long boring novel without giving the romantic subplots away, let just say that the ME does no pathology as she is way too busy whining about an unatainable romance and the detective does no detecting as she is totally wrapped up in her parent's pathetic lives. There is a bit of a mystery bouncing around in the book, but it is hardly worth wading through all those pages. Come on Tess, you can do better than this 1594830924:mary_mary:s._orfinik 1594830924 Mary, Mary (Alex Cross Novels): Books: James Patterson,Peter J. Fernandez,Melissa Leo,Michael Louis Wells books 1.0 November 22, 2006 S. Orfinik Dallas, TX Totally disappointing. From the beginning the novel read well, but like a Sherlock Holmes mystery at the end the person who committed the crimes came out of the blue . I, personally, do not like reading this type of mystery....I want clues. Alas, there were none. Also, the characters did not make sense.....most were too undeveloped.....Mr. Patterson needs to go back to the drawing board & try to forget the $$$ he is being paid up front by the publisher 0140077022:you_must_be_kidding.:michael_friedman_"bubikon" 0140077022 White Noise (Contemporary American Fiction): Books: Don DeLillo books 2.0 November 24, 2006 Michael Friedman "Bubikon" Delmar, NY USA I wish I could have back the numerous tedious hours slogging through White Noise to the bitter, bitter end. Not since Jane Smiley's Moo has such a dull tome been written aobut, among other things, Ameican academia. Little happens of note. No one cares about the cardboard characters. Someone gets shot in the belly, for no good reason. And yet this is fawnedover as a comic masterpiece by, among others, The New York Times. I ahve been told to read White Noise before I picked up Underworld. Have no fear. I'll undergo root canal without Novocain before I try that one on for size. I've been reading nothing but plumber's trade journals and German magazines just to try to get the taste of this novel out of my mouth for the past few days. I'm thinking of getting the definitive Curious George collection just so I don't have to read any words. At least that guy in the big yellow hat knew enough to keep his mouth shut, unlike that noncompoop Jack Gladney and his boring friends. If people prersist in thinking this is great literature, I suggest giving up reading altogether. 0399153578:is_there_a_sequel?:t._dubuisson 0399153578 Crisis: Books: Robin Cook books 1.0 November 23, 2006 T. Dubuisson Long Beach, Ms USA I didn't find the book too bad but it has no ending. Did he leave out the last chapter? I have always liked his books so hopefully he's got this out of his system 1559275561:the_worst_book_supposedly_about_philosophy_that_i_have_ever_read:j._miller 1559275561 Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values: Books: Robert M. Pirsig books 0 of 5 1.0 November 22, 2006 J. Miller nyc Pirsig mistakes mental illness for deep philosophical thought; he mistakes child abuse for some form of "real" child rearing. I just read his interview in the Guardian UK. Although it has been years since I have read this book, it still leaves an awful taste in my mouth when I think about it. I have read philosophy from classic to contemporary; I have lived in Japan and practiced Zen archery and Zen meditation - this book has only incorrect views of Western AND Eastern philosophy yet Pirgsig, to this day thinks he has contributed to the philosophical canon. This is proof that Pirsig remains deranged. Moreover, in the Guardian UK interview he still found the time to criticize his son who was brutally murdered; Pirsig then tries to elicit sympathy by mentioning his son's murder. Pirsig is a perfect example of someone with Narcisstic Personality Disorder. Pirsig's son should have sought court protection from his monstrous father and largely absent and/or capitulating mother. If you are one of the poor souls who finds something "deep" in this very large pile of verbal manure then I think therapy would be money well spent 039306123x:unfulfilled_promise:j._thomas 039306123x The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game: Books: Michael Lewis books 2.0 November 22, 2006 J. Thomas Slippery Rock, PA The premise of the store is interesting. How did left tackle become one of the most important positions in football? The first half of the book does a fair job of walking through the reasons. (West Coast offense, LT, etc.) Unfortunately, at that point Lewis runs out of things to write about, so he starts talking about Michael Oher, an O Lineman at Ole Miss. Oher's story is intersting, but it is too early to tell. He is a "superstar" but only a sophomore. I also think that Lewis overdoes how great Oher already is. I also don't really understand what Oher's story really had to do with the original premise of the book. Is Lewis saying that because left tackles now make millions, Oher wants to be one? I would think that if Oher had come around in the 70s people would still have thought of him as a football player. Last time I checked lineman were big and strong (and quick) in that era too. 1423310047:disappointing_and_lacking_something:s._c_go_"outdoors_family" 1423310047 Cover of Night: Books: Linda Howard,Joyce Bean and Dick Hill books 2.0 November 22, 2006 S. C Go "Outdoors Family" Stamford, CT USA I love Linda Howard books. I always look forward to her releases and this book was a gross disappointment to say the least. I think the characters are not developed well, and the relationship between Cal and Cate occurred too fast. The story was rushed and I'm sure Linda could have done much better writing on this book. 0687278325:liberal's_study_bible:robert_f._walters_"seraphim" 0687278325 The New Interpreter's Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version With the Apocrypha: Books: Walter J. Harrelson books 2.0 November 23, 2006 Robert F. Walters "Seraphim" Charlottesville, Virginia This is a liberal's study bible. The study notes show the best 'modern' scholarship, which doubts Moses wrote the first 5 books of the bible. Doubts the authorship of most of Paul's Epistles. Even doubts that the beloved disciple John wrote the Gospel of John. Believes Redactionary Interpretive Theory is valid. Falls right in line with most modern and so called 'higher' critisim of the Bible. Avoid this study bible, if you believe the Bible is really God's word from cover to cover 0881032476:only_read_half_of_it:scott_g 0881032476 The Stranger: Books: Albert Camus books 0 of 4 2.0 November 22, 2006 Scott G Vienna, Va I picked this book up at my public library because I had put it on my reading list a while back when I saw that the President(!) of the United States George Bush read it while he was on vacation too. I went to my local cofee place and got a MEDIUM regular cofee flavored cofee but in a LARGE cup (so theres room for plenty of milk which I like and also you only get charged for a medium even though its in a large). Anyway I am reading this book and it seems okay but then this guy with a laptop bumps into my chair where I have rested my cofee which is not at all my fault because thats why the chair has a little ledge there. So then this guy says he is sorry but that doesnt exactly unspil my cofee if you catch my meaning. And he offers to pay for a new cofee but it doesnt really matter its the principle of the thing. Anyway then he leaves and I notice my copy of the book has cofee spilled on it not just my pants as I thought previously. So I'm not about to read a book with cofee stains all over it so I take it back to the library. Now here I have to point out that I had a little incident a couple weeks back with the librarian and long story short they lost a book about a fireman that I returned and made me pay for it but not without a fight. Well you better believe that same librarian who yelled at me is watching me now whenever I go in there and she sees that cofee stain right off when I turn the book in. I explain that its still perfectly good and you can still read it and it wasnt even my fault and maybe they should get the $8.50 from the cofee house they made the cofee not me. But you can guess how this ended up. I am down another $8 dollars and change (I paid the .50 cents in pennies I got from the place I keep pennies in the car which got me a cross look since I counted them out one by one but it was worth it). And I never finished the book since it was ruined. But! I liked the parts I read "okay" and if the President likes it I guess it gets FOUR STARS only I made it TWO STARS because I only read half. Maybe I will read the second half later if that librarian retires and then I will come back and give this book it's missing TWO STARS if it ends well. Lesson learned is life is not always fair but you "keep on keepin on" like they say 0060675365:is_the_writer_a_real_believer_?:anthony_martel 0060675365 Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers In Exile: Books: John Shelby Spong books 7 of 40 2.0 August 8, 2005 Anthony Martel by money, pride, and selfishness To say Christianity will die is to say that one can see the end of the world. Purely craziness. Christianity will live as long as the world exists. What is died is the faith for many Christians, what has been changed is our faith (by money, pride, and selfishness) and consequently, our church and our societies. What dominants many US and European Christian churches is a worldly Christianity, a Christianity affected by the materialism, and world-view. The exact thing that Jesus repeatedly condamned. I feel extremely sad when I can see pasters and evangelists earn 6-figure salaries, live in luxury houses, air-travel in business class, or socialize with social elite. I feel extremely sad when I see young theology students without born-again experience and spiritual life become pasters and preasts. Jesus have given us great mission: to preach gospel to every corner in the world. But money, pride, and selfishness have consumed the hearts and sole of many Christians and today they love the world more than they love Jesus. Are they still Christians? Of course not. To say Christianity needs change is purely nonesense. Only person see himself greater than Jesus would say something like that. What needs to be changed is ourselves, not Christianity. Because we have embaked a wrong way, following the world and not following Jesus. 0739319868:great_read!:pat_black_"sam" 0739319868 Culture Warrior: Books: Bill O'Reilly books 1.0 November 22, 2006 pat black "sam" nebraska Bill O'Reilly has a good reason for his massive paranoia: Somewhere, deep in the recesses of his brain, he knows something's wrong. Only he's got it backwards: The "secular progressives" are doing just fine, but he's the one with the serious problem. Here's a guy who had to pay millions of bucks to settle a sexual harassment suit; yet, he's proclaiming himself the arbiter of the correct, "traditional" point of view. Only in an era of the stupid, undereducated and witless would Bill O'Reilly have a modest role to play. Save your money 0072503661:not_good_for_learning,_ok_as_a_reference_book:dqc_"dqc" 0072503661 Investments + S&P Card + Powerweb + StockTrak discount coupon: Books: Zvi Bodie,Alex Kane,Alan J. Marcus books 8 of 14 2.0 February 16, 2005 dqc "dqc" New York, NY i am currently subjecting myself to finance curriculum at a quant-heavy, top-5 bschool. this text was recommended for my Intro Cap Markets class (although the prof didnt exactly use it in the class). i often used it to gain understanding of what was taught in class. unfortunately, i found this book to be EXTREMELY painful. it was verbose, overly complicated, hard to read, poorly organized & full of jargon. while it is thorough in its coverage of Capital Markets & instruments, i found it to be nearly impossible to read. esoteric theories & mathematical proofs were introduced with little background, and often without insufficient detail to understand grasp. but the jargon & vocabulary are what made the book so unreadable ... trying to read a chapter in this book would literally consume 4-5 hours of my time. AND forget about trying to use this book to do problemsets OR assignments. i could go on, but trust me, this book is bad ... UNLESS you already have a good intro & just want to use this as a reference 0739340468:how_about_a_zero_star_rating!:membruto_"membruto" 0739340468 Thirteen Moons: A Novel: Books: Charles Frazier,Will Patton books 0 of 2 1.0 November 24, 2006 membruto "membruto" Mount Pleasant, SC United States Very disappointing and BORing! NO likeable characters, VERY uninteresting story. Could/Would not finish--too many "better" books waiting 1419394037:formulaic_and_unsatisfying:b._e._puleo_"polilla" 1419394037 Miss Julia Stands Her Ground: Books: Ann B. Ross,Cynthia Darlow books 2.0 November 24, 2006 B. E. Puleo "Polilla" Staten Island, NY USA I have enjoyed the Miss Julia books tremendously but this is my least favorite. Miss Julia is married to Sam Murdoch. Poor guy is sent to find the missing Hazel Marie in one part and is gone for a good deal of the story. Miss Julia does not even make a case of those missing hours! It is as if the author could really care less. There are so many little plots that you feel as if the author had several ideas and just took one and expanded it but left the others to show all the complications in this woman's life. There are times when Miss Julia seems to self-centered and the tongue in cheek mood of the other books in this series is really not present here. I found her less likable and also less believable. She has taken in her husband's mistress ad illegitimate child. Now, there is a question about the child's paternity and she is tolerating the whole thing!!!!! Perhaps other books in the series would be a better intro for the uninitiated 1585478563:forsythe_drops_the_ball:n._higgins 1585478563 The Afghan: Books: Frederick Forsyth books 1 of 1 1.0 November 23, 2006 N. Higgins Kabul, Afghanistan "Col Mike Martin" raised in Iraq, speaks fluent arabic......... The Taliban are Pashtoon, they are not arabs, they don't speak arabic, they don't even like arabs very much. They are a totaly closed tribal society. I spent a year living and working with the Pashtoon in 2005 in Helmand Province. There are no members of the Taliban who are not Pashtoon. The other ethnic groups in Afghanistan, the Tajik and the Hazara, are opposed to the Taliban. Mike Martin would not have the correct family, clan and tribal ties and background to carry this off. Sorry, but Forsythe has dropped the ball on this one. 0843955848:readable,_but_very_disappointing:yankee_puzzler 0843955848 The Colorado Kid (Hard Case Crime): Books: Stephen King books 2.0 November 23, 2006 Yankee Puzzler Don't let the cover fool you! Don't make the mistake of judging the entire Hard Case Crime series by this lackluster entry. I can imagine the publishers being overjoyed when Stephen King agreed to write a novel for them and then cringing when they received this manuscript. The writing is fine, as you'd expect from King, but there's nothing remotely hard-boiled or sexy in this novel. (Don't let the cover fool you!) It's simply the meandering story of an apparent murder that happened years before. There are a couple of interesting hooks, but they certainly don't lead anywhere. This one's for Stephen King completists only. 044657967X:where_has_the_magic_gone?:j._marbelous 044657967X Wild Fire: Books: Nelson DeMille books 5 of 9 2.0 November 22, 2006 J. Marbelous Arvada, CO PROS: 1. John Corey is still a funny, memorable character. CONS: 1. Very little suspense. The author's use of a doomed character's point of view--switching to third person--to tell the reader all of the hows and whys of the main villain's Dr. Evil-esque plan ("FIRE THE NUKE!"). Then, after we know everything, we get plopped back into the first-person, investigative head of Corey, who doesn't yet have the story solved. The result is predicatable and tedious. 2. The don't-look-behind-the-curtain (gratuitous?) use of the Ted Nash character, who makes a brief appearance at the end...despite having died in NIGHTFALL...and, uh, THE LION'S GAME. Why is Ted's appearance so brief here? Well, he admits to screwing Ms. Mayfield. Naturally, Ms. Mayfield opens fire and fills Ted with bullets. Presumably, Ted's dead for good now. 3. The politics of DeMille's novels has been present in other books, but it's never been this catty. Why is the nuke kook a right-winger? (Hey, why not?) I should have known when the jacket cover said the book "will challenge you to question everything you thought you knew about your leaders and your country." The only thing this book has made me question is how anyone can seriously be more worried about conservatives nuking L.A. and San Francisco than the real terrorists out there...the ones who want to slit throats and post the footage on the web. 4. Continuity problems from how the last book, NIGHTFALL ended...Corey and his wife seem way too disaffected by it all. Yep, they are bothered by 9/11, but they are both working their same jobs, apparently having gotten over the whole sickening coverup (witnessed via videotape) that the "accident" of the TWA flight 800 was really caused by a missile. There is passing reference to this, but not much. Apparently, a guy like Corey doesn't do much soul searching. He just keeps going to work. In realilty, it's hard not to notice that DeMille still doesn't know how to deal with the storytelling hole he got himself in with the last book. Corey is really all this book has going for it. And, while in his capable hands the world will be saved from kooky nuclear schemes from kooky Republicans, he can't save this book. I think I'm done with DeMille, for better or for worse 0805072136:insufficient_research:jo_friday 0805072136 Ask Not: The Inauguration of John F. Kennedy and the Speech That Changed America: Books: Thurston Clarke books 0 of 8 1.0 January 17, 2005 Jo Friday Ky, USA Clarke's glaring research error: Author of The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931), in an article titled "The New Frontier" wrote "Are you a politician asking what your country can do for you or a zealous one asking what can you do for your country?". Clarke sure missed this one, as have so many before him. Did Kennedy just paraphrase, or did he plagarize? I would have liked to have seen Clarke deal with this sticky issue. 0764108166:lukewarm_reception: 0764108166 You're Gonna Love This College Guide: Books: Marty Nemko,Deborah Zembe books 5 of 11 1.0 April 2, 2002 I was so excited when I initially bought this book and honestly, when I read it I was disappointed. I thought it was a bit dry and boring to read through, despite the useful tips. Although the authors try hard, they really don't convey the spirit and fun that college life has to offer 0306810115:scholarly_but_unpersuasive_--_and_heavy_with_details: 0306810115 Heisenberg's War: The Secret History of the German Bomb: Books: Thomas Powers books 5 of 9 2.0 February 16, 2004 While I found this book interesting and informative when it dwelled upon the personalities and contributions of the physicists who discovered and explored the field of quantum mechanics prior to WW2, I found two problems with the book as it entered the war. First, it spent too much time, at least for me, on the details of minor episodes and players. In this sense, I might have appreciated the treatment had I been a scholar researching the field - but I wasn't. Hence, I often found the reading dull. Second, I found Powers' ultimate thesis - that Heisenberg purposefully delayed the German atomic bomb program - unpersuasive. It appeared to me that Powers often strained his interpretation of the facts to make them conform to his thesis. For example, when reviewing Heisenberg's "Farm Hall" statement in August 1945 that two tons of U235 was required to make an atomic bomb, Powers suggests that because Heisenberg articulated the appropriate lesser amount a week later, and because he purportedly suggested at an earlier date that a bomb could be the size of a football, his "two ton" statement was a purposeful "error." Equally persuasive, if not more, is the simple thought that Heisenberg did indeed grossly overestimate what was required, thereby prompting him to tell Speer in 1942 that a bomb was impractical. This is not to say that Powers is necessarily wrong. I simply believe that based on the facts he presents, the issue remains debatable 0735202346:how_to_say_it:__choice_words,_phrases,_sentences,_and_paragraphs_for_every_situation,_revised_edition:karen_tanner 0735202346 How to Say It: Choice Words, Phrases, Sentences, and Paragraphs for Every Situation, Revised Edition: Books: Rosalie Maggio books 17 of 18 2.0 February 28, 2006 Karen Tanner This is not what I expected or wanted. The book is written for business senarios with very few suggestions of a personal nature. The description of the book does not indicate that it is mainly for business use 0001053116:a_real_slog:bonnie 0001053116 The Wings of the Dove: Books: Henry James books 6 of 12 2.0 July 7, 2005 bonnie port washington, NY usa I know H. James is considered one of the "Greats" of American literature and I question my taste for hating most of his writing. With few exceptions I think he is a pretentious purveyor of obscurantism. I read Wings of the Dove many years ago in the days when I would not allow myself to set aside books I did not enjoy. I recently picked up a collection of his short stories and remembered why I disliked him so much. Now in my old age I had no pangs of conscience when I happily closed the book before finishing it. If more of the stories had been like Daisy Miller I would have proceeded further but unfortunately much of the writing reminded me of Wings. I am currently seeking relief from Henry's turgid prose by reading Hemingway. I'd trade in a Henry for an Ernie any day. It's also difficult to like Mr. James' snobbish, shallow and unsympathetic characters. The more sympathetic ones were obscured by his heavy hand and my impatience with his style. 0596100620:not-so-fast_...:john_stevenson 0596100620 Photoshop Fine Art Effects Cookbook: 62 Easy-To-Follow Recipes for Creating the Classic Styles of Great Artists & Photographers (O'Reilly Digital Studio): Books: John Beardsworth books 24 of 25 2.0 May 4, 2006 John Stevenson Colorado Springs, CO U.S.A. Earlier this year I reviewed what many will see as the companion volume to this book ("Photoshop Blending Modes Cookbook for Digital Photographers"), written by the same author. Unfortunately, the newer publication is less useful. It seems to have been written on a pretext that it's clever to be able to duplicate what traditional artists can do. This seems - from my own personal viewpoint - to be greatly undervaluing the power of Photoshop (and similar software). Practitioners of digital fine art should (really, constructively) be looking to explore what the principles of prior and traditional art can mean within a new domain. Plus, the book gets off to a definitely poor start. The second and longer of two introductory sections is titled "The Tricks of the Trade". Well it would be better if just some of the "tricks" had been explained in full and more accurately. Say, how to make a selection in Photoshop from the best available precursor (a black-and-white alpha channel). Or say again, how to make tonal corrections to the original photograph using a luminance mask. Then again, the first (and shorter) of the introductory chapters, titled "The Artist's Eye", is just a teaser. This topic - pre-visualizing what can be achieved as an output image when composing the original photographic input - could have benefited from a much more detailed explanation/argument. Indeed, it could even merit an expansive concluding chapter (but the book doesn't have one of those at all ....). This is, after all, at the very core of what the user could harness to any given artistic objective. Additionally, I think that it's strange that a book such as this simply makes no reference at all to what could be printed from the recipes it contains. Some of the finished (output) images might look quite intriguing as 3 by 5 inch reproductions in the book - but does the methodology hold up if you're targeting a 20 by 36 inch output (say) on a large format printer? And what to do if that's not the case? Finally, and in common with the earlier companion volume, this book suffers from strange and inconsistent layouts of screenshots and text, plus all sorts of technical and editing omissions/errors (which include, for example, having the wrong screenshot in the wrong recipe - see p.108) 0804819130:not_a_good_martial_arts_book!: 0804819130 Filipino Martial Arts: Cabales Serrada Escrima: Books: Mark V. Wiley books 2 of 4 1.0 March 14, 2000 This book is not worth wasting your money on. The techniques that are represented look OK to the untrained eye, but if you examine them closely, you will notice many mistakes. The techniques are sparse, one per angle. They are also demonstrated with poor posture and attack. To the novice, this book may appear to represent the art of Cabales Serrada Escrima, but it does not. More than half of the book is unrelated to the system of Serrada. This book does nothing to show the effectiveness of Cabales Serrada Escrima 096555550X:where_are_the_references?: 096555550X The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines: Books: Bundesinstitut fur Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte (Germany),Mark Blumenthal,Werner R. Busse books 21 of 46 1.0 September 4, 1999 The monographs lack any sort of scientific references. A true reference manual should list references so the reader can verify the conclusions made 042520684X:enjoyable_but_not_recommended:m._strange_"michelleinmd" 042520684X Murder Uncorked (Prime Crime Mysteries): Books: Michele Scott books 4 of 15 2.0 February 21, 2006 M. Strange "michelleinmd" Takoma Park, MD USA Ultimately the ending was so outrageous that it took away from the rest of the story. I would not recommend it to anyone for that reason. I've already given my copy away. 0914053108:better_red_than_you:puguglyi 0914053108 None Dare Call It Treason - 25 Years Later: Books: John A. Stormer books 2 of 9 1.0 February 27, 2006 puguglyi red hook, NY USA i was more than willing to give None Dare Call It Treason a chance, as i found the scale of Stormer's research impressive. However, the fact that none of his predictions concerning a massive Communist takeover in America came to pass, coupled with his outspoken admiration for McCarthy and truly insane predictions like this: "Once the takeover comes, you, like millions of others, who believe in God and man's responsibility for his own actions, can be slaughtered like diseased animals or worked to death in slave labor camps or brothels for the Red Army." p. 20 have forced me to conclude that Stormer's thesis was overwhelmingly incorrect. Perhaps the most irritating part of the book was his suggestion that the American educative system was hopelessly pro-Communist. The fact that None Dare Call It Treason was distributed in American high school classes rather undermines his argument. the sad thing is, because None Dare Call It Treason is so exhaustively researched, it is far too dry to be amusing, even when read ironically. and ironic amusement is the only positive product of propaganda. in closing, i would take Communism over John A. Stormer's America any day 0735535302:"contract's"??: 0735535302 Casenote Legal Briefs: Contracts - Keyed to Farnsworth and Young: Books: Casenotes books 1 of 74 1.0 December 11, 2002 If the author's misuse of the apostrophe in the title is any indication of how they wrote the rest of the book, I would stay away 1588464180:no_creativity_and_not_very_lasting!:a._schneider 1588464180 Mage: The Awakening, A Storytelling Game Of Modern Sorcery (Mage): Books: Mage books 4 of 6 1.0 July 3, 2006 A. Schneider I recently picked up a copy of Mage: The Awakening not knowing quite what to expect. Since Ars Magica I've loved Mage. From GURPs I quickly switched over to White Wolf's editions of Mage: The Ascension, finally setting on the revised copy most commonly used on game sites today. Mage: The Ascension Revised was truly a delight, featuring a complexity never seen before in role playing games. A complexity that made working magic truly fun, sure there were flaws, without a good Storyteller you could easily abuse the open ended magic system to do absolutely anything you wanted... but it was a good price to pay for flexibility, interesting possibilities and an all around great RP system. Is it fair to compare Mage: The Awakening with Mage: The Ascension Revised? Of course not, the game has to be based on its own merits and flaws. The problem is that this game seems to suffer from a lack of creativity which pervades the RP modern RP market. It also seems to be marketed toward a very specific audience. With the exception of some really interesting RP books (White Wolf's translation of "Engel" from the German, a role playing experience distinct onto itself and wholly creative, and "Demon: The Fallen" - which was unfortunately a flop and still managed to be creative), RP books are typically very bland and all the same. Mage: The Awakening is no different. Unfortunately it tries to blend easy mechanics with simple spells as though past Mage books have been too complicated (which they haven't, unless the new World of Darkness market is much younger than they previously were... which is a possibility, or perhaps they aren't interested in realistic depth so much as they are just having quick fun). There is absolutely nothing culturally significant about the Mage: The Awakening game system. If you enjoyed the Buddhist, Hindu, the various forms of Christian, Judaic and other religious outlooks being present in your game system, Mage: The Awakening takes a step back from the pluralism/intellectually stimulating material found in its predecessors and offers a quick, fun system with no lasting appeal. The background story of Mage: The Awakening is simply terrible. Sure reviews constantly pick on Atlantis, but for a good reason: there's simply nothing else to pick on! The Awakening is simply devoid of any depth whatsoever, but what it does do is provide some interesting magic rotes (spells) instead. Another problem is that there are no antagonists. In previous Mage games there were antagonists you could use or not use depending on your game. In Awakening they don't even offer any choices. This game is obviously less popular online and more popular in tabletop settings (online, where depth is usually called for, Mage: The Ascension is still used quite frequently). Some positive qualities about the book are that it has an excellent production value and it provides a concrete game system to play with. Provided you had an excellent Storyteller present with lots of storyline ideas, you might have a fun tabletop session. But quite frankly aside from the production value I can't recommend this book. The largest problem of all is that it simply has nothing distinctive about it... nothing to make it stand out and be worth playing over previous game systems. In an age of simplicity please do yourself a favor and have a little patience and find yourself a good Storyteller. Go back and read the books that made this one sell like hotcakes - buy the "real" Mage books - if you still want to, pick up a copy of The Awakening and somehow incorporate it in your game 1588464180:awakening_is_inferior_to_ascension:brainbuz 1588464180 Mage: The Awakening, A Storytelling Game Of Modern Sorcery (Mage): Books: Mage books 4 of 7 2.0 April 7, 2006 Brainbuz Phildelphia PA White Wolf wanted to revitalize a mature product line by rewriting it and they had problems with the old system that deserved fixing. They did an excellent job on the core rules and the game mechanics are overall the best they've ever been. One of the flaws of MAGE:Ascension was that it is dominated by the struggle between the Technocracy and the Traditions, in a manner that reflected Vampire:Masquerade's clan structure and Sabbat vs Camarilla. One of the flaws of Vampire:Masquerade was that it had this whole history of "Caine as the first vampire and the Anti-Diluvians as the founders of the clans", that overshadowed the game. In Mage:Ascension, Mages saw themselves as having evolved over time and that history had been re-written by the technocracy, so who really knew about the past? In Awakening they took exactly what they were trying to jettison from Vampire and put it into Mage with the creation of Atlantis and the Exarchs. The Societies that replace the traditions are not as interesting. The replacement of Avatars with Towers doesn't make sense to me. The eternal struggle theme remains with the Exarchs but seems a lot less important than the struggle over the consensus in Ascension. Awakening is chock full or rotes. For, Mage in a LARP, rotes are essential, shifting emphasis to rotes improves the compatibility of table top and live action systems, but detracts from the table top experience where Mages can do almost anything. They split the Entropy Sphere into Death and Fate, which kind of makes sense, except that Death has too much overlap with Spirit. I'm going to use the new Mechanics with the old world in my new campaign. The new Mage setting doesn't inspire me like the old one did. While the new Vampire and Werewolf settings may catch on, I think the new Mage is going to be a flop -- after the core book I don't expect to purchase any more of the supplements. 0977457001:get_rid_of_the_glasses_:jay_marriott 0977457001 Forever Cool: How To Achieve Ageless, Youthful, and Modern Personal Style: Books: Sherrie Mathieson books 9 of 11 2.0 August 16, 2006 Jay Marriott I bought this book but should have listened to my gut feeling...look at the picture of the "Forever Cool" Ms Mathieson on the cover. She keeps saying GET RID OF THE GLASSES in the "before" pictures but she should take her own advice. The before pictures of women are so bad that "duh" the after pictures do look better. However the over-all impression is that the book "teaches" you how to dress so you blend in in suberbia, not how to be individually stylish or dress to look like anything except someone with a credit card who went to the local shopping mall and bought whatever was socially acceptable. 1559701269:not_a_worthy_successor_to_holy_blood_holy_grail:anton_b._kuzmanov 1559701269 The Temple and the Lodge: Books: Michael Baigent,Richard Leigh books 2 of 17 2.0 February 26, 2004 Anton B. kuzmanov new york, ny This is another offshoot of the commercially successful predecessor. The book traces the history of the knights templar and their supposed transformation into free masons. Much of the discussion focuses on free masonry, including its role in the American Revolution. I found the factual support lacking and the prose quite uninspired 0385509510:review:s._johnson 0385509510 Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith: Books: Jon Krakauer books 1 of 17 1.0 October 24, 2006 S. Johnson Florida, United States Krakauer is highly confused and I can tell that so are some of these reviewers. He cannot give insight into or shed light on something he knows little truth about himself. The church he is talking about is completley separate from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Jon Krakauer is nothing more than an sadly misinformed and idiotic person trying to enlighten his readers with things he has misinterpreted. Books like these are written on every religion with hopes of discouraging the believers and proving to those that don't believe -that their assumptions were correct 0393316041:yep_its_ok:foxytubachick_"<3_amanda" 0393316041 Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character): Books: Richard P. Feynman,Ralph Leighton,Edward Hutchings,Albert R. Hibbs books 5 of 20 2.0 April 16, 2006 FoxyTubaChick "<3 amanda" Mareitta Georgia Coming from a 16 year old girl that has to read this book for a school project...I would have to say that this book is kind of boring. If your into physics and science and all that jazz then you will most likely enjoy this book. But if you're going to read it just to read it, then I would suggest you not. I have to admit, that some of the stuff Richard Feynman says is funny but I found my self skipping pages at a time because of its boringness. Don't get me wrong, I really do admire Mr. Feynman as a man and he was a great physicist but this book was just ok. Sometimes he got into a lot of in-depth physics stuff that I just didn't care for. But sometimes i was interested in what he was saying. Have a nice da 0060545623:a_heartbreaking_disappointment:mary_beth_wright 0060545623 What Came Before He Shot Her: Books: Elizabeth George books 10 of 11 1.0 November 19, 2006 Mary Beth Wright Dryden, NY USA Elizabeth George, please come back. This book examines in sickening detail the events preceding the murder of our lovely Helen. I, for one, don't care. I get it. We all got it the last time. It's been a long time since I have abandoned any book after a few chapters, and this book truly deserves to be put down in every sense. Don't buy it 0896215695:disappointing:edward_a._olson 0896215695 Stengel: His Life and Times: Books: Robert W. Creamer books 3 of 7 2.0 May 3, 2000 Edward A. Olson I had read such glowing reviews of this book, and had enjoyed other Creamer works so thoroughly that I was suprised how uninspired I was while reading this. Perhaps I failed to be dazzled by Stengel the man. Perhaps I grew tired of the predictable retelling of Stengel's life, season by season, many of which held no remarkable events. Baseball in '41 is a much more rewarding book, full of wonderful anecdotes well recounted 0553380370:funny_book_but_too_many_grammar_mistakes:"jennifer_borgerding" 0553380370 Six of One: Books: Rita Mae Brown books 0 of 1 2.0 July 13, 2000 "jennifer_borgerding" Raleigh, NC USA I enjoyed the plot and the characters -- it was very funny. But there were too many grammar mistakes in the book, which I found too irritating and distracted from the book. Some conversations did not flow logically -- one person would answer herself, which didn't make sense. Also, the author switches from 1st person to 3rd person with the character of Nickel. And she used 'to' instead of 'too.' As a former copy editor and English major, this was very distracting! But overall, a great book. I plan on getting the next 2 0787952346:didn't_like_book_at_all:karyn_n=d 0787952346 I'm Chocolate, You're Vanilla: Raising Healthy Black and Biracial Children in a Race-Conscious World: Books: Marguerite Wright books 9 of 14 1.0 November 1, 2003 Karyn N=d Grand Rapids, MI United States I didn't care for this book at all. I think it is a very well written book, for TEACHERS, but not for a parent who is transracially adopting a child. I was looking for a book on how I would parent an African American child and this book was more of a textbook. I think it is very misleading to have it labeled as a "must read for parents and teachers" and it should be advertised as a book for teachers. I thought "Inside Their Voices" was much more informative about the experiences of a transracially adopted child 0071463097:i_can't_really_rate_this_item...:catalina_sanchez_"tatatiu" 0071463097 The Official Robosapien Hacker's Guide: Books: Dave Prochnow books 1 of 1 2.0 November 3, 2006 Catalina Sanchez "Tatatiu" Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico Why? because I was expectin something else, but first of all, I didn't expect that you have to open/make a hole in your Robosapiens to modify it, so forget it! i will not damage my Robot B0006DI3BE:way_too_long_and_repetitive: B0006DI3BE Promising community drug abuse prevention programs: Testimony (Testimony): Books: Robert York books 1 of 3 2.0 July 21, 2002 I was interested in the plot and characters for about half the book. After that it seemed that little new information was added, or the little that was new came in the midst of much repetition. There were so many different characters, and we had to hear the separate reactions of each of them to bits of news. The structure of the tale reminded me of the way a police procedural might be played out on TV 0743200926:big_book_of_grilling,_bbq_and_rotisserie_cookbook:tweety_"tweety" 0743200926 George Foreman's Big Book of Grilling, Barbecue and Rotisserie: Books: George Foreman,Barbara Witt books 2 of 3 2.0 May 30, 2005 tweety "tweety" OR Just bought a rotisserie and was hoping to find how to use it and good recipes. Only found about 4 or 5. I would've liken to know different types of meat you could cook in it and for how long you cook it for 0394536487:the_egotistical_master: 0394536487 The Spooky Art: Some Thoughts on Writing: Books: Norman Mailer books 3 of 6 1.0 January 13, 2004 Mailer tells us a lot we don't want to know about. It's the gloomy long tale of an egocentric writer's acceptance of the ups and downs of his metier. He gives his biased opinions on things he knows and things he doesn't know about. All the negative aspects of his persona are laid out. Still, it must have taken some bravery to lay out some of them. Or else he needed the money. Truth sells, even if it is a very mediocre unfocused book, and quite un-useful. It should have been titled "Me and My Books, Some thoughts on me and my writing" 0312328702:hardly_engaging:new_hubby 0312328702 The Blue Rose: An English Garden Mystery: Books: Anthony Eglin books 9 of 13 2.0 April 26, 2005 New Hubby I've read some of the other reviews, and I couldn't disagree more. This book is not a page-turner. I found myself skipping over whole sections of prose because they were boring and sometimes needless. The story is straighforward. Hardly any surprises. Hardly any twists or turns. Bad guys are always bad guys. Good guys are always good guys. There's no hidden agenda lurking through the story. The blue rose is a natural anomaly. The people who really want it -- the people willing to steal and kill for it -- are conveniently identified as people willing to steal and kill for the blue rose. There's no "mystery" here really. It's just a matter of getting to the end of the book 0962855057:yuck!!!!_just_a_bad_book!:bookeee 0962855057 The Four Ingredient Cookbooks (2002 Revised Edition): Books: Linda Coffee,Emily Cale books 0 of 2 1.0 August 7, 2004 Bookeee After trying 2 recipes, I thought that I was a pretty bad cook. So, I asked my friend, a very good cook, to try a couple more recipes. She had the same results. Disgusting!! These recipes must not have been kitchen tested. Mine as well just boil some chicken and dump a can of cream of mushroom soup on top. The results would be better. Stay away 0375410422:a_great_effort_sadly_lacking:harte_c._crow_"history_reader" 0375410422 Duveen: A Life in Art: Books: Meryle Secrest books 5 of 7 2.0 March 1, 2005 Harte C. Crow "History reader" Etna, NH, USA I held great hopes for this book--Duveen has long been of interest to me because of the pivotal role he played in the creation of some of the greatest art collections in this country. However, Secrest in her drive to capture the "essence" of the man has so mangled the story of his life and career that reading her work is more chore than delight. To say the book is disorganized is to deal in serious understatement. But worse than that are the inaccuracies, especially when she writes about Duveen's customers. Just for starters, apparently she didn't recognize the need to differentiate between John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and his father (or maybe she didn't know there has been more than one JDR!). You won't learn much from this tome that you don't know to begin, and getting through it will be a struggle. 1416509690:unbelievable:shirlee_lerner 1416509690 Julie and Romeo Get Lucky: Books: Jeanne Ray books 1 of 3 1.0 September 9, 2005 Shirlee Lerner The original Julie and Romeo was delightful. This book was utter nonsense. A great disapointment. Finished reading it only to find out if it might get better as you went along. It Didn't 0130619701:weak_and_disorganized:dr_j._scott_"scientist" 0130619701 Modern VLSI Design: System-on-Chip Design (3rd Edition): Books: Wayne Wolf books 2.0 July 13, 2006 Dr J. Scott "Scientist" Santa Rosa, CA United States After some years in the IC design business (mostly analog) I needed to teach a course on ASICSs. This book was the text specified by my predecessor. I did not like the book, and eventually read the Weste and Harris book in its 3rd edition. Wolf is not nearly as clear, complete and logically organized as Weste and Harris - no comparison 0670032506:ironic_--_an_unproductive_book_on_productivity:rundhc 0670032506 Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life: Books: David Allen books 11 of 17 2.0 February 19, 2006 Rundhc San Francisco The book is divided into 52 chapters that repeat basically the same points over and over again. So you have to read through the chapters and try to spot the occasional new idea. It seems strange that a book on productivity makes you waste time gleaning a few good ideas. (Come on, man, if you have 10 pages of good ideas, give them to me in 10.) But then again I guess most books in this genre make you do that. Sheesh 0826415717:an_opinion_on_hendrix_-_far_from_anything_new:t._walker 0826415717 Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland (Thirty Three and a Third series): Books: John Perry books 3 of 5 2.0 July 25, 2004 T. Walker Melbourne, vic, AUS If your into Hendrix enough to want to find out more about Electric Ladyland, your probably already going to know everything in this book. If you've read such great Hendrix books such as 'Electric Gypsy' then you won't get much from this book other than information obtained that you've read before from 'Electric Gypsy' coloured in this authors opinion on Jimi's music. The author lays down his opinion that reads like someone either not overly impressed by Jimi Hendrix, or someone that has trouble laying praise where it's due. The author makes big calls in this book which fall flat, for example expressing his view on how Jimi could of edited and recorded certain songs better in his opinion (not unlike like Alan Douglas made true) or ego trips like footnotes after mentioning 'Like A Rolling Stone' at Monterey can only be outdone by the rare hard to find Flamingo Club version in 1968 - where does he get that from? The Flamingo club version is near inaudiable for most of the recording with its vocals and the guitar very distorted at the very least and is no way a superior rendition than Monterey but the book has many little comments by the author like that which only makes you think, is this guy trying to brag about his Hendrix collection? Or does he just have to have a different opinion on everything to try and make his book, which really has nothing new, stand out from the pack? His opinions would be valid if he didn't try to go against the grain to just go against the grain! If you've ever heard or seen Jimi at Monterey you don't need to be told how so many people thought he played crap that night - the evidence that this is one of his greatest performances is right there on CD or on the screen as you watch it which just makes bringing up that negative side without balancing it with the many rave reviews he also got seem targeted. Why point out the bad things and not mention the good? If you want to learn the technical side of the recording or the technical side of Hendrix, you won't learn it from this book. You'll get the classic Hendrix bio for most of it with this Authors strange comments, some bad reviews for Electric Ladyland to show Hendrix was human after all i guess and an author bringing up all his 'friends' and 'visits' to people that are well documented in knowing Jimi. All in all, if you have no opinion on Hendrix and read this you probably won't think he's that great and get a distorted opinion on him, if you love Hendrix and read this you'll wonder why this Author bothered to write a book about Jimi in the first place other than to let us know he has so many friends that knew Jimi, was lucky enough to see him play a few times and the funniest of all, could of done some things better in his opinion. Two stars because there's many books out there with much more information about Electric Ladyland, let alone Hendrix, that aren't trying to re-write Jimi's history from one person's perspective and critique thou it's cheap and quite funny if you have a big Hendrix library anyway. 0836228111:overrated:k._lordan-morris_"morris" 0836228111 Making The "Terrible" Twos Terrific: Books: John Rosemond books 2 of 7 2.0 March 12, 2005 K. Lordan-Morris "MORRIS" Seattle, WA This is by far one of the least helpful parenting books I have read. I used numerous suggestions in this book and NONE of them proved to be effective. Using my own judgment and keeping calm with a positive attitude toward my toddler proved to be more effective then anything mentioned here. His suggestions for head banging are completely stupid and made my toddler bang her head harder during a tantrum. Not recommended 0415921139:abstractionist_in_disguise:terrance_shock 0415921139 What Painting Is: Books: James Elkins books 7 of 23 1.0 February 17, 2004 terrance shock rosebush, mi United States The book starts out captivating then it suddenly shifts to Elkinks views of painting, that are strongly bent to the favor of abstractionist. Elkinks thoughts on Jackson Pollocks creative energy is more than I wanted to know. He devots almost an entire chapter to this already to small book, to his idol. How Pollock flicks his wrist to get the effect of splated paint just right and Pollocks tourched stance over his works as the canvis is lying on the floor.To much! I Do not recommend this little book 0804831394:general_and_shallow_overview:zhorin@hotmail.com 0804831394 The Secrets of Giron Arnis Escrima (Tuttle Martial Arts): Books: Antonio E. Somera books 4 of 7 2.0 December 1, 1998 zhorin@hotmail.com Illinois This book is bad for beginner and practically useless for a master. There is no comprehensive description of training complexes, footwork drills and other important details, which were completely omitted. It gives just an overview of the system in general, so the reader can have some vague feeling of what Giron escrima is 1583483985:i_thought_i'd_come_away_with_useful_information...:m._ollila 1583483985 Beauty to Die for: The Cosmetic Consequence: Books: Judi Vance books 1 of 1 2.0 June 23, 2006 M. Ollila CO United States I bought this book thinking that I would learn something new about the cosmetic industry. Not only did I not learn anything, I came away from the book wondering just how someone could've accumulated all of that information without being able to present it in a better way. This book is packed with non-scientific fluff (using ill-defined terms such as "toxin" and making blanket statements with no evidence such as "Scientists involved [sic] mechanical science--as I like to call it--do not understand plant science, but scientists, who know plant science, understand both [grammar and punctuation left exactly as in the book].") About 60% of the book is packed with charts and glossaries. And I have to say that this is the worst-edited book I have ever read, with constant typographical errors, misspellings, and apostrophe problems. There just doesn't seem to have been a lot of thought put into the actual execution of this book. Look, I am certainly this book's target audience--I shop at Whole Foods, use organic skin-care products and potions, and work out six times a week. I care about my body and what I put into it. But this book is not a good use of anyone's time or money, as all of its information can be found quite easily (and in most cases with better grammar) on the internet. You're better off buying _Fast Food Nation_ if you'd like clear, concise information about what you're putting into your body 0306462427:horrible:meghan_e._danyew 0306462427 Advanced Organic Chemistry: Part A: Structure and Mechanisms: Books: Francis A. Carey,Richard J. Sundberg books 0 of 17 1.0 September 16, 2005 Meghan E. Danyew USA It is now more than a month after I was supposed to receive this book and I have not gotten it yet, what the hell is going on 0156013053:a_world_of_boring.__a_raging_sea_of_boring!:librum_"6nomad9" 0156013053 The Nautical Chart: Books: Arturo Perez-Reverte,Margaret Sayers Peden books 1 of 1 2.0 October 27, 2006 Librum "6nomad9" CA, USA 2 stars for decent writing (at least a decent translation), for an intriguing start, and for the occasional appearance of a melancholy dwarf. That's pretty much it. Negative stars aplenty for the protagonists -- Coy and Tanger (I listened to NC on 13 endless tapes, so perhaps am misspelling their names). The tortured metaphors they speak, think, and by which they -- and their insipid adventures -- are continually described, bore to tears. Aside from an occasional scrape between Coy and the aforementioned dwarf or his boss, all of the action in NC clusters at the beginning (promisingly so, I'll grant) and the end (all wimper, no bang) of this novel. As a salty seadog once said (no doubt anticipating this novel), "Ahoy matey, thar. She blows!" 0156013053:could_have_been_better:m._griffin_"viviankosiba" 0156013053 The Nautical Chart: Books: Arturo Perez-Reverte,Margaret Sayers Peden books 2 of 3 2.0 March 8, 2006 M. Griffin "viviankosiba" Central Islip, NY United States The Nautical Chart could have been a better book if, its author had eliminated about 50 to 100 pages. The story dragged. I read it at night in bed and I kept falling asleep. The book does have its merits. The information regarding navigational instruments and history was interesting and was exciting at times. The ending was good (the best part of the book). The relationship between the Coy and Tanger had shades of James Caine and Jim Thompson. Even so, I would hestitate about recommending this novel. 0891901736:disappointing,_slow,_clumsy:secret_squirrel 0891901736 South by Java Head: Books: Alistair MacLean books 3 of 4 2.0 August 1, 2004 secret squirrel hoy miami; manana buenos aires South by Java Head features fundamentals I find so promising: a nautical adventure set in Southeast Asia during World War II, written by a prominent screenwriter. Nonetheless, the story falls flat and I found it just barely compelling enough to finish; the plot moves slowly, punctuated by one clumsily executed plot twist after another, the descriptions of action are confusing, and the characters mere outlines devoid of development. I hoped this book would be as good as a 1950's nautical adventure i highly recommend, The Wreck of the Mary Deare, but unfortunately Java Head is just disappointment. For other SE Asia World War II fiction, Clavell's King Rat is also a good place to start 0736651047:no_flavor,_no_color,_no_good:andees 0736651047 Back Roads: Books: Tawni O'Dell books 1 of 4 1.0 May 8, 2006 Andees PA I read this book and hated it; I was sorry I wasted my money.... Normally, I would have donated the book ater reading it. But, in this case I was so disappointed, I threw the book away after reading it. I was disappointed with the author for scrubbing the language so clean that the area she set the book in could have been anywhere in the US. I was also disapponted in the Oprah book club selection committee. It seemed to me they found a "story" they liked, and that is where their critical thinking ended. It was the only and last Oprah book selection I ever bought. After reading it, it was obvious to me that whoever had chosen the book for the Oprah club had never been to western Pa. I am from western PA as is O'Dell and this book lacks local color. She either forgot or choose to ignore that language is also a part of the landscape of a locale. Landscape is just not about dysfunctional families, EatnParks and religious statues in the yards.... People in that area of PA say "ain't," "slippy," and "youns." This would be esp. true for someone like the main character, Harley. (There are people with college degrees from this area who still have "color" in their language.) O'dell is no Faulkner or Caufield. I find this lack of "local flavor" with a lot of modern authors. Unfortunately, our books are even becoming Mcdonaldized. There is nothing special about this book 0262524325:no_'real_world'_relevence:abbey_r._ehman_"always_learning" 0262524325 The HOME House Project: The Future of Affordable Housing: Books: Steve Badanes,David J. Brown,Ben Nicholson,Michael Sorkin books 1 of 4 2.0 March 20, 2006 Abbey R. Ehman "Always learning" Although interesting, these are designs and concepts that are not practical in the real world. But, if all you want are some pretty pictures.. 0439653665:this_book_should_be_called_occanumba,_not_heartland!:chloe_symes_"clo" 0439653665 Heartland #18: New Beginnings (Heartland): Books: Lauren Brooke books 3 of 8 2.0 April 8, 2005 Chloe Symes "Clo" Colorado, USA This book is not my favourite in the Heartland series. It is not even really about heartland, the main part of the book is based in Occanumba. Also, there are hardly any horses in this book, just Maverick (who is only a minor part) and a tiny bit of Spindleberry and Albatross. It is mainly about Carey and her mood swings. It is also a bit unrealistic, as Amy comes out eith long, involved, emotional speeches that no teenager i know would blab on about! The way she talks is more like a middle aged psychatrist! I also think that the most recent books have been targeted at a younger audience. At the start of the series i would class them as 'young adult' material, but now they are just for kids who like horses. She is supposed to be going out with Ty but they never seem to kiss much or do anything romantic. In this book he goes to Occanumba with Amy and they don't even get off together once! Even though they are in the forest all alone at one point, with no adults around. All in all this book is ok, but rather boring. Nothing much happens, i thought Amy might at least have an arguement with Joni when she takes over with Spindleberry, but no, Amy has gone middle-aged and doesn't do anything. I would only recommend buying this book if you are a total heartland fan. Carey is really annoying at the start and the horses hardly feature at all. I hope the last 2 books in the series are better, because this one was rather pants. 0851706231:tedious_film_school_psycho-babble.:m._packo 0851706231 Blade Runner (Bfi Modern Classics): Books: Scott Bukatman books 20 of 34 2.0 January 15, 2000 M. Packo Stratford, CT United States Replicant Alert! Avoid this book if you have any affection for the movie. Except for the last couple of pages, the author has little to offer other than the usual drivel about "Post-Modernism". You will be much better off buying the Director's Cut on DVD, and watching it several times! This series of books has its exceptions, this is not one of them. Unintentionally hilarious in parts, as only the academician can be. Pretentious, ponderous cinema-scholar jargon that offers little of value or insight. Read Sammon's The Making of Blade Runner instead! (Nice cover, though... 0786804165:not_for_4_year_olds:sarah_levinson_slosberg 0786804165 The Big Box (Jump at the Sun): Books: Toni Morrison books 1 of 1 2.0 July 25, 2004 Sarah Levinson Slosberg New York, NY The message meant more to me than to my young children. They didnt understand why the children were being locked in a box. They think playing in cardboard boxes is fun, not a punishment for exercising too much freedom. I could see using the book as a basis for discussion, but I think it may just scare children that they too could be locked up by their parents 0672326701:great_if_you_have_that_specific_model_blackberry:h._edwin_detlie_"ed_detlie" 0672326701 BlackBerry in a Snap (Sams Teach Yourself): Books: Michael Morrison books 1 of 2 1.0 February 24, 2006 H. Edwin Detlie "Ed Detlie" Ottumwa, IA USA The book was specific to one particular model of BlackBerry. They should have that in the title. It was of no use to me. After five minutes, I set it aside to gather dust. 1894963261:you'd_have_to_be_a_true_blue_devil_fan_to_like_this_book: 1894963261 Coach K's Little Blue Book, Revised and Updated: Lessons From College Basketball's Best Coach: Books: Barry Jacobs books 9 of 10 2.0 July 11, 2001 I got this book thinking it might give me some insight into how Coach K motivates his teams, organizes his practice sessions, and instills leadership qualities in his athletes. What I got was a less than thrilling re-hash of some of his best quotes as seen through the eyes of a local news reporter. You'd have to be a true Blue Devil fan to like this book. I didn't, so I gave it to one of my co-workers who graduated from Duke. He likes it 0897500598:ye_gods_and_little_children:todd_ellner_"biblioholic,_not_in_recovery" 0897500598 Basic Stick Fighting for Combat (Special Forces/Ranger-Udt/Seal Hand-to-Hand Combat/Special Weapons/Special Tactics Series): Books: Michael Echanis books 5 of 13 2.0 December 1, 2003 Todd Ellner "biblioholic, not in recovery" Portland, Oregon USA Leaving aside the fact that the author lied through his teeth (e.g. he never actually studied Hwa Rang Do - he offered the Lee brothers some ink and they gave him a faked history) this stuff is about as inefficient as any stick fighting book I've ever seen. Try Marinas' Panandata, Mark Wiley, the Presas brothers, Leo Giron or Ray Galang for stick stuff. You'll be much better off 9879397363:certainly_expected_more:e._abrams 9879397363 Elizabeth Costello (Spanish): Books: J. M. Coetzee books 2 of 7 2.0 October 9, 2005 E. Abrams Philadelphia, PA I really expected more from Coetzee, whom I had never read before picking up this book. I saw after finishing the book that it was originally published as separate stories or vignettes, and I'm not surprised. The title character spends all of her time giving speeches, which is strange for a novel--you think you will get a plot, but you just get lectured to. The writing is good, spare and cogent, but the book does not hang together well enough to be a novel, in my opinion. The best chapter, which is the last, has little or nothing to do with the prior chapters 1594860246:for_hardcore_fans_only:jacob_m._lampert 1594860246 License to Deal: A Season on the Run with a Maverick Baseball Agent: Books: Jerry Crasnick books 2 of 8 2.0 January 14, 2006 Jacob M. Lampert Valparaiso, IN Not the most exciting book out there. But if you like minor league baseball, this book's worth a quick read. 0744008263:a_soap-bubble_book:andrey_lenskiy 0744008263 Neverwinter Nights 2 World Editor: Books: BradyGames books 9 of 10 2.0 November 7, 2006 Andrey Lenskiy Moscow, Russia I was disappointed greatly at the time I opened this book. HUGE gaps between strings, LOTS of empty space on pages - all this is for masking the simple fact: this "200 pages book" contents could be easily printed on 80 pages or even less. And, more, these pages are filled with useless "interviews" (who wants to read an interview INSTEAD of explanations?!) and other empty words. The book is supposed to teach us how to make modules for NWN 2. But it doesn't. See, the chapter about scripts consists of 4 pages - is it REALLY enough for such a great theme? (These pages, I mentioned it already, are less than 2 pages...). This book is better than nothing. A bit. Because SOME useful information it provides. And that's all good that could be said about it 0879388323:great_efforts_but_lack_reality:dean_fannin 0879388323 The World War II Gi: Us Army Uniforms 1941-45 in Color Photographs: Books: Richard Winrow,Tim Hawkins books 4 of 10 2.0 March 29, 2002 Dean Fannin Texas Country I was not expecting this book to be a Sunday afternoon photo shoot for reanactors. It lacks reality and substance.I returned this book out of disapointment.Seeing the same faces in every picture but in diffrent uniforms takes a lot away from this book. However, the color photos were nice. Better luck next time but a A for effort B0006F54TQ:not_very_satisfying_at_all.:missy_w._"gatorgirl" B0006F54TQ The rapture of Canaan: Books: Sheri Reynolds books 0 of 4 2.0 June 2, 2006 Missy W. "GatorGirl" Florida I'm a pretty diverse reader, so I decided to give this one a go. It started out somewhat interesting, but then just sort of made me keep saying, "Okay...what's the point here?" I really like Ninah, the main character, but I keep waiting for her to break free from the chains of this commune she lives in. I guess the ending is somewhat a symbol of her doing this, but I closed the book wondering, "why did I read this?" I grew bored with a lot of the goings on in this community and found many of the "punishments" just ridiculous. I'm pretty open when it comes to accepting different religions, but this was just way out there for me. Ninah's relationship with her Nanna was the neatest one in the book. I'm glad I'm finished...now I can move on to something more fulfilling. 1594930635:half_of_story_is_missing:theresa_clare_"islandgrrrl" 1594930635 Writing My Love: Books: Claire McNab books 2.0 November 24, 2006 Theresa Clare "islandgrrrl" Winter Park, FL United States I am a long-time admirer of Claire McNab's writing -- despite the fact I have been disappointed in the direction (or lack of it) in which she has taken the Carol Ashton mystery series. Although she is more known in the U.S. for her mystery and espionage books, her novel "Under the Southern Cross" is a bang-up, great romance delivered in her typically spare (or is it stingy?) style. I was excited to see she had written another romance and not a mystery with a 10-second sex scene thrown in. But, when I got to the last line of this book I found myself closing it and thinking that I had once again been suckered by past memories of Claire McNab. This book has a lot of promise to it -- therefore the two stars I gave it -- but it's promise unfulfilled. There is a long setup of the writer Vonny Smith pining for the personal attention of her editor, Diana. But, why exactly is she in love with Diana? Darn if I know. The writing has great humor and spoofs the whole genre of romance novels. But the entire novel is a setup and, in the end, there is no delivery. It's annoying, frustrating, and feels like a cheat. Wasn't there an editor to say: "Claire, this story needs more!" Or was Bella Books just intent on cashing in on Ms. McNab's name? Who knows. But, this is one book I won't be rereading. I wish I hadn't paid full-price 0881925845:lots_of_not_what_not_to_do.: 0881925845 So You Want to Start a Nursery: Books: Tony Avent books 7 of 20 1.0 May 18, 2004 Having a plant nursery for 20 years I can tell you if this book is you only resource be in for a wild ride. He states many places what has cause him the most problems, but no one starts a nursey the same and workable ideas would be better than the work he calls stressful and more important than growing plants. Our nursery is the opposite of stressful and has so many happy rewards never mention in this book.........Very little help on selling and getting customers also 1405005017:way_too_long_and_repetitive: 1405005017 The Dark Room: Books: Minette Walters,Saskia Wickham books 1 of 3 2.0 July 21, 2002 I was interested in the plot and characters for about half the book. After that it seemed that little new information was added, or the little that was new came in the midst of much repetition. There were so many different characters, and we had to hear the separate reactions of each of them to bits of news. The structure of the tale reminded me of the way a police procedural might be played out on TV 1593555962:missed_the_bullseye_:-(:b._bentley_"readhotcook'" 1593555962 Hot Target: Books: Suzanne Brockmann,Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank books 1 of 7 2.0 March 21, 2006 B. Bentley "readhotcook'" Webster, WI USA I'm a huge Suz fan ... but I really think she missed the boat on this one. Her style has changed since she moved to hardcover & this book just fell flat for me. The secondary storyline or FBI agent Jules was much more enjoyable than the lead couple Cosmo & Jane. Didn't like her at all & Cosmo lost his "Seal-ness" somewhere along the way. Not a re-read for me B000FZDKQG:in_a_word,_ego:qwester_"queen" B000FZDKQG Grapevine : The New Art of Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Books: David Balter,John Butman books 1.0 August 26, 2006 Qwester "Queen" Indiana This book is simply an ego boost for the author. I found absolutely nothing I could use in my own business, but was vaguely impressed with the writers "word of mouth" business. I kept reading, expecting to find the secrets to starting my own word of mouth campaign any minute, only to feel that final book readers frustration in the end. No good ending, no secrets revealed, this book is a waste of time 1400062373:interesting_subjects_who_deserve_a_better_writer:karm_holladay,_a_reptile_enthusiast 1400062373 Why Do I Love These People?: Honest and Amazing Stories of Real Families: Books: Po Bronson books 13 of 26 2.0 March 7, 2006 Karm Holladay, A Reptile Enthusiast the West A book on the theme of having the courage to deepen family ties. That's a good theme. However, the author can't leave well enough alone. He really goes after people without kids as though they all, regardless of their circumstances, remind him of his former self: someone with too much cynicism and cowardice to raise a family even though that's obviously the "only" way to become a complete person. Each chapter introduces a family and a crisis. The people, who range from southern Americans to Turkish Muslims to Protestant Irish in Belfast, are terrific. But the author goes off the deep end on page 47: "Now there are cities full of professional women and men who wholeheartedly echo this feeling [not wanting children]. They go around saying things like I'm too selfish to be a mother, or I'm not a baby person, or my favorite, I love my life too much to do that to it. A friend of mine calls them the Petrified Forest - people who would freeze their life in time if they could. 'Manhattan's turning into a Petrified Forest,' my friend mocked. I [Bronson] winced when she said this, because I used to be one of them. When the Petrified Forest imagines parenthood, their hearts are flooded with the feeling of doors closing, not opening ... In our society today, parenthood is on trial." Well, hardly. Bronson is making a lot of assumptions about childless people. Everyone doesn't need to have a baby just because Bronson found it a refreshing alternative to preserving his immaturity. I'm all for individuals pursuing the particular life that makes them happy, but they should never push their specific solution upon the rest of us. In conclusion, read this book if you want to, but be aware of the bias. 1565123875:disappointment:wbjonesjr1 1565123875 Purple Hibiscus: Books: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie books 2 of 7 2.0 August 17, 2005 wbjonesjr1 S o Paulo, Brazil I bought this book because (if I recall correctly) it was long-listed for last years ManBooker Prize and also, (this I recall) because it had good reviews here on Amazon. Anyway, I was real disappointed. I quit paying attention after page 100 and quit outright a few pages later. I found the contrasting aspects of the Father's character interesting but after awhile so contrasting they felt way off reality. Character of aunt, cousin, priest, mom etc etc also grew gratingly "perfect." This may be excessive, but after a while I felt like I was reading a bit of sophisticated version of a teen romance novel. The comparisons with God of Small Things are seriously unflattering to Roy's great book. Comparisons with (the overrated) Memoirs of a Geisha or (also not finished) One Thousand Chestnut Trees would have been more appropriate 1594770875:disapointed:book_addict 1594770875 Founding Fathers, Secret Societies: Freemasons, Illuminati, Rosicrucians, and the Decoding of the Great Seal: Books: Robert Hieronimus,Laura Cortner books 7 of 21 2.0 March 6, 2006 Book addict Ottawa, ON Canada This book deals with some fairly rediculous topics. I'm not into mysticism or talisman's or that stuff, so perhaps I am biased. It did provide a useful history of the 'masonic' symbol on the American one-dollar bill, which I enjoyed. But Hieronimus puts forth far too much theory regarding supernatural powers for my taste 0807206822:junie's_rude_and_i_can't_find_anyting_that_redeems_her._:j._breederland_"cal_gal" 0807206822 Junie B Jones Collection Books 1-4: Books: Barbara Park,Lana Quintal books 5 of 7 1.0 September 29, 2006 J. Breederland "Cal gal" Michigan Why someone would chose these books is beyond me, especially when there are so many other good choices. Literature has an impact on people and the only impact I can imagine Junie having on others is negative. My daughter's first grade teacher is reading the Stupid Smelly School Bus to her class right now. Wanting to be an involved parent, I borrowed a copy from the friend and read it too. Junie is a brat. She thinks like a brat and acts like a brat. Our family says, "Thanks, but no thanks! 0807206822:not_a_great_role_model_for_kids:mother_of_two 0807206822 Junie B Jones Collection Books 1-4: Books: Barbara Park,Lana Quintal books 1 of 3 1.0 September 21, 2006 Mother of Two Cambridge, MA United States I agree with some of the negative reviews that the Junie B. Jones books often use language and depict behavior that are less than desirable. My son, who is a pretty sensitive boy, didn't like Junie B. Jones because he thought she was rude. I would much prefer that my kids read books with kids who, though they may get in trouble from time to time or may make mistakes, are generally nice people. We did love the Magic Tree House series, both for the adventure and the personalities of Jack and Annie 1857444027:poorly_organized:michael_d._archer 1857444027 Birds Opening: Detailed Coverage of an Underrated and Dynamic Choice for White (Everyman Chess): Books: Timothy Taylor books 4 of 9 2.0 May 2, 2006 Michael D. Archer Golden, CO United States I own perhaps 20 books on the Bird's and this is one of the worse. Mostly because the material is so poorly organized; no real attempt is made to sort through the (admittedly tangled) move orders/motifs/variations in this opening. Also, the author seems to have a 'bad attitude' even though he plays the opening and has several examples in the book. The section on the Leningrad Dutch-Reversed is better than the others but still lifeless. The entire Everyman opening series has deteriorated a great deal the past two years and I'm about done buying any new ones, especially if they are as bad as Bird's Opening. 1886513686:reviews_by_s._douglas_scotty_and_hardluck_stink:james_"james" 1886513686 What You Need to Succeed: Making Car Sales a Career Rather Than a Job: Books: Mike Radosevich books 1 of 5 1.0 January 11, 2006 James "James" Ohio Why is S Douglas "Scotty" slamming every car sales book on Amazon but Zig Zigler's? Do you work for Ziggy or maybe a friend and pushing this book for him. Take a look at all of S. Douglas "Scotty" reviews concerning car sales. He puts almost everyone of them down but praises Zigler's book. What's up with that? And then if you look at reviews from HARDLUCK It makes one wonder if he is selling a competitor's book on here because he is attacking books written by Douglas Hensley who is a really good writer. It makes me wonder if (S. Douglas Scotty and Hardluck) are the same person or are possibly in cohoots together pushing people away from pretty good books. Something stinks here. I wish I had time to play on the web all day and put bogus reviews on people. Something stinks in Denmark!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 0072229500:lacking_in_details:jb_kelly 0072229500 How to Do Everything with Your iPAQ Pocket PC (How to Do Everything): Books: Derek Ball,Barry Shilmover books 15 of 15 2.0 October 15, 2004 JB Kelly Denver, CO USA This book does a good job of telling you what your IPAQ can do but a very poor job of telling you how to do it. I wanted more information about how to set up my IPAQ to connect with the internet. The book told me it could be done and how wonderful it was, but lacked specific information about which screen to go to and how to actually make it work. I later purchased IPAQ for Dummies. This book told me what the IPAQ could do and specifically how to do it. It was great. The Dummies book also gave lots of information on programs that are very helpful to add to your IPAQ. I was disappointed with IPAQ Pocket PC but very happy to get my hands on IPAQ for Dummies! 0596008775:badly_out_of_date:c._copp 0596008775 iPod & iTunes (Missing Manuals): Books: J D Biersdorfer books 3 of 5 1.0 May 30, 2006 C. Copp Exeter, Devonshire, UK "Up to the minute".??? Hardly!! March 2005, the publication date, is a loooong time ago in ipod years, if you have one of the new models, video 60 Gig for example, you will be sorely dissapointed, it talks about the nano and photo i pod as the "latest edition to the ipod family", well they are now teenagers and probably due to be retired at any moment, ipod mini anyone? Those things are Neolithic now, yet are given too much space in this "up to the minute" book as if they had just been released! Go to Borders, look thru their ipod books and find the one with your ipod in it, if you have a brand new one as at May 2006. 141430725X:you're_advocating_illegal_acts.:diana 141430725X The New Strong-willed Child Pack: Birth Throught Adolescence: Books: James C. Dobson books 5 of 35 1.0 August 1, 2006 Diana TX I remove children from abusive parents daily. Legally, you cannot hit your child with anything but your open hand on any area but your child's buttocks. If a neighbor, friend, teacher or family member calls Child and Family Services because your child reports to them that you are doing what Dr. Dobson advocates, your child could be removed from your care. 0345441060:snake_oil:greg_sever_"erth2sever" 0345441060 Sugars That Heal: The New Healing Science of Glyconutrients: Books: Emil I. Mondoa,Mindy Kitei books 34 of 90 1.0 April 2, 2004 Greg Sever "erth2sever" Albuquerque, NM USA The book mentions Mannatech (notice the "manna"?) and its product Ambrotose. Snake oil, sugar pills! Not backed by scientific studies. All claims are anecdotal, i.e., are faith-based. Mannatech products are peddled to the hopeful, the desperate, the last-chance-for-me's, and so this is not only doing a disservice to others, but is preying on people's weakness. The company is set up like other pyradmid-schemed companies, using "associates" to pump its sugar pills, costing consumers a lot of money. Folks, there is no instant solution in a pill. The associates make claims for cleft lip, Down syndrome, obesity, all the terrible things human beings must bear in this world, and offer a pill made up of sugar to combat what is essentially a natural, human state. In New Zealand and Australia, the govts. are looking into Mannatech. Beware! The sugar pill recipe came in an inspiring moment to a scientist when in prayer to God. Excuse me, but while I believe in the power of prayer, I do not believe God drops manna-pills from heaven. God expects us to do our work, namely, don't overeat, live with that cleft lip, get some exercise, eat your vegetables and fruits, read good literature and enjoy the sunlight 0631168575:dry_and_dreadful:crystal 0631168575 From Memory to Written Record: England 1066-1307: Books: M. T. Clanchy books 2 of 28 1.0 December 23, 1999 Crystal Boston, MA It's no wonder that people look at me strangely when I explain a great love of history to them. It's books like this that persist in the ruination of history for many a student. If this book were more widely circulated, the need for sleeping pills would be drastically reduced. I have no idea how the author could take something this interesting and make it so boring that I would literally fall asleep reading it 0684187787:know_your_woods?_not_after_reading_this_book:alan_carroll 0684187787 Know Your Woods: Books: Constantin books 19 of 20 1.0 October 7, 2005 Alan Carroll I don't understand why anyone would publish a book anymore with black and white illustrations. I know this is supposed to be a classic and all that so it's my own fault for not checking when I read the description. I don't even know why I'm keeping it; I'll never read it. You have to wade through tons of technical jargon and lengthy chapters that would be much better served by some large color photographs. Maybe that makes me shallow, I don't know, but there are much more 'complete guides' out there on this topic these days 0465041914:what_a_dirty_trick: 0465041914 The Lost Museum: The Nazi Conspiracy to Steal the World's Greatest Works of Art: Books: Hector Feliciano books 0 of 1 2.0 June 9, 1997 I was seduced by the sinister cover and the synopsis on the inside cover into thinking this was going to be a chilling account- Account my foot! I gingerly turned the first page and instantly drowned in wave after wave of details. As if the rough draft was a series of scraps stapled together and mailed off to an impatient publishe 1857881680:what_drivel!:a_reader 1857881680 The 80/20 Principle: The Secret of Achieving More With Less: Books: Richard Koch books 2 of 6 1.0 January 10, 2006 A reader MI, US The 20% you need to know: This book is poorly written, and the author would do well to use the 80/20 principle in his writing. The 80% that will make up the rest of the review: I have never read such boring prose. I've had the concept fully explained to me. I fully understand what the principle is. I have heard it about 80 times now when 20 would have been enough (actually, once would have been enough). Now, what do I do with it? How do I implement it into my life? I am now on page 53 and he still hasn't gotten around to that part. It seems to me he should have used the theory when writing this book. Cut to the chase! Give me the top 20% of useful information so I can go ahead and use it to increase my productivity and effectiveness by 80%. Instead I get the feeling I'm wandering around aimlessly in the bottom part of his bar charts among the 80% of fluff to fill up his book quota. How many stories about economists and computer software do we really need? I don't know about you, but I wanted to increase my productivity by using my time better, and reading this book so far has been a complete waste of it 0156000776:no_way: 0156000776 Ugly Ways: Books: Tina McElroy Ansa books 1 of 2 1.0 May 13, 2002 Anyone who knows me would tell you I truly enjoy reading. I am an avid reader known to finish an interesting book within hours. It took me two weeks to get past the first seven chapters of this book. The story just could not keep my interest. I felt no real affinity to any of the characters. I have other books by this author and come away with an interst in what would happen next with her lead characters. She writes with real emphasis on how characters interact with each other and usually leaves you wanting more. In the case of this novel I just didn't feel it. Her other novels will not leave you dissapointed. Ugly ways is not a good example of the Ansa's true talent as a writer. If you have not done so try her other novels. I guarantee you will come away wanting to read more 0922356572:for_those_who_prefer_speculation_to_reason:joe_"joe" 0922356572 Conspirator's Hierarchy : The Committee of 300: Books: John Coleman books 18 of 29 1.0 September 20, 2004 Joe "Joe" NY, NY The subtitle to this review should have been "Glaring Inconsistencies & Outright Fantasies". I've found a large number of inconsistencies with history that should be obvious to anyone who has read this thing closely. For example, on page 7 Coleman says "the Club of Rome was established in 1968", but on page 17 he suggests that the Club of Rome played "a key role in the Cuban Missile Crisis" and "attempted to sell its 'crisis management'...progam to President Kennedy." Unless we've been misled, the Cuban Missile Crisis happened a full 6 years before this group was founded. What are careful readers to make of such a passage? Either it's a typo and he means 1958, or, as I heartily suspect, he doesn't have a grasp on his subject. On page 9 Coleman suggests Henry "Kissinger's role in destabilizing the United States by three wars, the Middle East, Korea, and Vietnam is well known..." However, Kissinger, working at Harvard from 1948, had no role in the U.S. government until the 1960's, working for the Kennedy Administration. The Korean War, as we are all aware, occured in 1950, and ended long before Kissinger had any influence on American foreign policy. If it were true that Kissinger had an influence on the United States' policy in Korea, for example, then Coleman would be wise to address that issue at this point in his text. However, he only leaves us with the cryptic "is well known". It is definitely NOT well known, and Coleman is just fooling those readers who think that a book which is difficult to read or which is discussing difficult subjects must be true. These are just a few of the inconsistencies that I could check in a short time that Coleman throws out at you. If you're not a careful reader, you'll be tricked into accepting some really ridiculous ideas. If you prefer speculation to reason, then by all means gorge yourself in the sickly sweet nectar of "what ifs". If you're looking for something based on reality, then, rider, pass by 0425181448:a_backlash_wolf_in_sheeps_clothing:l._saxon 0425181448 The Myth of Male Power: Books: Warren Farrell books 40 of 107 2.0 March 8, 2005 L. SAXON It would take a book to answer all that is wrong with Farrell's reasoning, but to make a few points: 1. He implies that female 'circumcision' is much the same as male circumcision which is astounding but points to his general ignorance. If male circumcision is about teaching males to endure pain (actually more about male tribal bonding) then what on earth is a little girl being taught when she has her external genitalia cut away and is left with a tiny hole and a life-time of pain and health problems?? It's for protection? What, or whose, interests are being protected? 2. He does not acknowledge that the shorter male life-span is due to testosterone and all its consequences for males. Castration is known to increase the male life-span. Why do men even want more testosterone rather than less? Surely illogical? 3. The male 'instinct' to protect females is actually to protect the bodies men need for sex and reproduction. As more than 50 million females have been killed recently in Asia simply because they were female should make us question this supposed 'instinct to protect'. And protecting females most often translates into ownership and control. This is a similar logic to that of men in certain cultures that use the pretext of honor to justify the murder of females. Why do women need protection form their protectors? Men need to explain their logic here. Is it something like the protection criminal gangs provide for people against other criminal gangs? 4. Powerless men are created by male-male competition for access to young females and again, the sacred testosterone drives this not women. 5. His views on rape are ridiculous. Young human females have permanent sexual signals whether they want sex or not. These external signals do not usually reflect the females internal desires and concerns and this causes the confusion. Men are responding to fake signals that females don't know how to override without becoming invisible altogether. 6. This book is basically about all the hoops males try and jump through in order to rise in the male hierarchy and ultimately get their DNA into numbers of females.The men who fail are the men without power. Farrell wants us to feel sorry for them which is as likely as men feeling sorry for, and diverting their monogamous sexual interest and resources towards, unnattractive old women. 7.Farrell does not explain the irrationality of men rejecting and being abusive about women who don't sexually reject most men (ie the easy women) at the same time as they complain about the pain of being sexually rejected so often by women. There must be some mysterious male logic to it - perhaps situated in a fantasy world of being the only male who isn't rejected. Duplicity is clearly a male trait that farrell failed to mention. 8. It is a suspect logic that concludes that the people who have been the lawmakers and political leaders for millennia ie males, have actually only been acting in the self-interest of females. For men to have evolved a lack of self-interest is impossible. To argue that they have is Farrell's most ludicrous argument. Of course women also have self-interest, intimately tied to that of their children. The very real difference is that because we evolved with a mating system where females moved to male-bonded kin groups to breed males had the advantages of size, kin-bonding, no real reproductive demands of offspring and time and cicumstances that enabled them to be the rule-makers which included the enforcement of ownership and control of females as they were exchanged between groups for breeding. They may have felt varying amounts of power within that system and they may have felt the power of their sex needs as female power but to say that this is actually women having and exercising power is absurdly illogical and contrary to reality. It is another fantasy to add to that of South Sea Island free sex and mermaids. This book is interesting for debate and as an example of male sexual frustration being blamed on women. Ultimately it is about how some men suffer trying to get sexual/reproductive access to females and might help us notice that the 'power' being defined is reproduction. In a market where the supply of sperm far outstrips the tiny market of eggs it does reduce the value of sperm and create massive competition in males and competition in females for better quality sperm and/or extras that improve the outcome for offspring. Embedded in Farrell's books is the manipulative attempt to solve this by encouraging young women to 'put out' more. It's the same old male longing for 'free' sex ie the usual reproductive behavior of male animals where post-copulatory costs are carried by females. In nature male animals experience far less or equal disposability as females when they are monogamous and concentrate more on parenting ie are symmetrical with female reproductive behavior. Can we look forward to this in the human male in the near future and solve the whole problem? Can we expect men might consider reducing the supply ie their sex-drive/seeking multiple partners and increasing their childcare. Reduce testosterone? Or is that blasphemy? The new question is What do men want? The answer is the same as ever - sex. The methods of trying to get it are the same even when put in a new wrapper such as Farrell's ie irrationality, deceit and manipulation. Perhaps the real myth is the myth of ADULT power and we should direct our anger and frustration towards our gametes, hormones, fetuses, infants and children that are the real reason males and females exist, are pulled together and driven apart. At least let's not create a new myth that the human male somehow managed to evolve a lack of self-interest. How gullible does Farrell hope we are 1573222666:over_rated!:j._maguire 1573222666 Blue Blood: Books: Edward Conlon books 0 of 3 2.0 May 11, 2006 J. Maguire Px, Az USA This is book was on the New York Best Seller's list because it's about New York, not because it's well written or even interesting. You run across a few gems throughout the book, but you have to be patient to get to them. I hate to buy, start and not finish a book... it seems like such as waste. I'd gladly skip the book if I had to do it over again. 0571226027:yawn:filth_reload_"fort_delilah" 0571226027 What Good Are the Arts?: Books: John Carey books 2 of 4 1.0 July 9, 2006 Filth Reload "Fort Delilah" Sweden This was expected. A fanatic relativist dismembers absolutist views into little irrelevant pieces. Our civilization has been jumping between absolutism/universalism and relativism ever since its decline, with only a few people realizing a third alternative. With this whole book based on a flawed definition, it is a pointless and utterly tedious read 0671693808:look_at_it_from_the_child's_point_of_view...:mjm 0671693808 Toilet Training in Less Than A Day: Books: Nathan Azrin books 0 of 5 1.0 November 4, 2006 MJM Baltimore, MD First off, I have not read this book myself, so disreguard this review if you want. I'm reviewing it because based on the reviews and what I can tell here, and from descriptions from my own mother, I believe this is the book she used in a failed attempt to potty-train me. I am 99% sure, but she does not remember the title so I can't be 100% sure. My mother described a system where she devoted one day to nothing but potty-training. She got everyone else out of the house, and removed all my toys from eyesight. Then she went through a detailed explanation using a potty doll and had me try to explain it back, using the doll. She then showed me what looked like a whole kitchen full of little toys and candy, and told me I would get rewarded for using the potty that day. I remember all that part. After that she said that we went through a process where she had to scold me for accidents and we did nothing but try to go potty all day. I was definately old enough to be doing this, because I actually remember it. (I am 25 now, so if this book was published in the late 70s or early 80s, I'm being accurate.) Now, let me tell you the results. I don't remember how I felt that day, but I do know that it started something that became a huge emotional battle for me. I was a very sensitive child, and I am a very sensitive adult. What mom and I remember was that potty-training became a war in our home- and it took YEARS. Because of my sensitivities and my mother's poor choice in training methods, I began holding my bowel movements. (I was able urinate in the potty at a normal age, not sure when.) I would hold bowel movements whenever I had the urge to go, even if she put me back in a diaper. I held for weeks at times, and sometimes this required a lot of pain for me (obviously). When it finally got to the point that I couldn't hold it anymore, the BM was so big that I needed physical help to go. Sometimes it would get so bad that the opposite result would happen- I'd have a sudden diarheaa because the muscles were fatigued. This went on for years, and the doctors kept telling mom that I'd eventually outgrow it. She tried suppositories, oil, fiber, and even started giving me adult doses of laxatives. Finally, when I was 5 (two years into this), Mom made a tape recording of me SCREAMING while trying to go to the bathroom. A doctor took pity on us and prescribed enemas. I used them on and off for two more years. I was finally fully potty trained- AT SEVEN. I am now 25, and occasionally I still notice some health problems that may be attributable to this. Now, obviously there is no way I can fully explain why all that happened, and I certainly can not blame all of that on the book. I was a very sensitive kid, and my mom picked a bad time to do it too (I had just had a baby brother). But I just want to describe the danger of using a insensitive method. And I'm not just talking about the pain I went through there- if we're to believe Freudian theories about the anal stage of childhood- well, let's just say I could be his poster child. I am now potty-teaching my own highly sensitive daughter, who will be 3 in a week. We have been working on this (no specific methods, just lots of sitting on the potty) for over a year now, and with NO results. But I'm not in a hurry, and thats because she's not ready, and we need to do this on her timetable, not mine 0679765603:too_sexually_explicit_for_my_taste:joanna_sanford 0679765603 The Wellspring: Poems: Books: Sharon Olds books 1 of 7 1.0 April 15, 2006 Joanna Sanford USA As I was reading this book, I came across many poems that were far too sexually explicit for my taste, to name a few: "The First," "Early Images of Heaven" and "Full Summer." I found these poems to be highly offensive, and improper for the general audience. Had I been warned of the book's sexually explicit content ahead of time, I would not have read it. I believe that it should be so marked on the cover so potential readers know what they are getting into 1580082335:why_are_reviews_same_for_revised_edition:bookloverfla 1580082335 How to Grow More Vegetables: And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine: Books: John Jeavons books 1.0 November 23, 2006 bookloverFLA Naples, FL I looked at the 2002 printing as well as this 2006 revised printing in order to see what has been updated and all the reviews are identical. why? which edition are people reviewing? I think Amazon is making a mistake by not alloting reviews properly. I don't plan to buy this book until I can see the 2006 version and see if it's worth it myself 0884861775:repulsive:annette_"kami" 0884861775 Dr. James Dobson on Parenting: Books: James C. Dobson books 5 of 8 1.0 April 11, 2006 Annette "Kami" Kentucky We have to do better than this for our children. Controlling and turning your kid into the perfect little, well behaved lemming is going to haunt you until you die. This type of abuse never has a good, long term effect on anyone. Put the paddles and belts down and talk to your kids. They deserve at least that much. 0767911733:misinformation_and_euro-centric:g._feng_"gary" 0767911733 Letter Perfect: The Marvelous History of Our Alphabet From A to Z: Books: David Sacks books 7 of 24 2.0 October 11, 2005 G. Feng "gary" durham, nc You can tell I don't pay attention to Wall Street Journal or New York Times. I picked up David Sacks' book from Borders' Linguistics stack because of the title. I should have known better. I started the first chapter and didn't have the time or intention to finish it. The book is a collection of charts and stories about the history of alphabetic writing that are to be expected from the title -- in some cases conviniently summarized things in tables and maps -- but lacks, in my opinion, systematic thinking on the reasons behind the origin and prosperity of alphabetic writing that is found in other scholarly works (scholarly it is not). Even within the first 20 pages or so, I was disawayed more than a few times by dubious claims, utter misinformation, and distastefully Euro/English-centric. Here are some examples: "The alphabet was not the earliest writing: Egypt, Mesopotamia, and probably China already had nonalphabetic systems. But the alphabet was the most efficient writing system ever found, before or since (p.1)" -- What about Hirogana for Japanese? Syllabaries can be much more efficient for languages that do not have a large inventory of syllables. "The 'spreadability' of an alphabet means that the future of our Roman letters looks very bright indeed. (p. 10)" -- He was speaking of languages that are written in multiple alphabets, such as Swahili, Serbo-Croatian, Urdu/Hindi, and Yiddish. And then came this proud comment on the prospect "our Roman letters". Immediately following the above quote, he gave examples of Azerbaijian and Tatarstan's decision to switch to Roman, as well as other "struggling nation"'s likewise decisions to "switch to Roman letters for native tongues, as a big to tie into global trade and communications and to better prepare their prople to learn English. Tragically, much that is venerable and spiritually sustaining while be lost. Yet that seems inevitable in the 21st century were are shaping. And it is sobering to reflect that our 26 letters wield such power." His view of the learnability of the alphabet is also uneducated, shall I say. The following superficial comment could have come from an old gradama who happened have NOT been a teacher for her lifetime. "An alphabet enjoys on huge advantage over any other writing system: It needs fewer symbols. No other sysmtem can get away with so few. This makes an alphabet easier to learn. Students need memorize only two dozen or so letters to begin building toward literacy, which typically takes about another five years of instruction". And -- he writes -- because of this simplicity, children can become literate before the working age. "This cricial fact has made the alphabet historically the vehicle of mass literacy. (p.5)" Well, "vehicle" is a very clevery way of framing it. At least he is not saying that where there is alphabet there is mass literacy. Mass literacy was nevery a goal before the inducstry revolution. Now Sacks joins the ranks of you-know-who's by implying that the Europeans and Western ideals were destined to take over the world because they had the alphabet and probably the mandate from God. (Guns, what guns?) Sacks also compared "our 26 letters" -- as if alphabetic writing is patented at the USPO -- to Chinese. "Today Chinese schoolchildren normally take three years longer than Western children to learn to read and write, with most of that extra time devoted to mastering the symbols." This is completely misinformation. Learning to read Chinese is not easy, but do a little research, you will find studies over studies and books over books on comparitive studies of literacy (including my own). I've nevery seen a credible study that substantiates the 3-year lag. By the way, Sacks almost never gives citations. I think that's enough. This explains my total disappointment with the book -- I sholdn't have any high expectation from the start, had I known who David Sacks is. 0451140001:i_kept_waiting_for_her_to_leave_him:pat_"readaholic" 0451140001 Fire Song: Books: Catherine Coulter books 4 of 4 1.0 December 4, 2005 Pat "readaholic" Atlanta,GA USA The hero is a cold,mean brute who does not deserve his gentle wife Kassia.He should have been made to marry Joanna the shrewish woman he was betrothed to.I couldn't get past Graelam raping Kassia,I really couldn't.I know this is medieval England and women were more or less treated like chattel,but come on.Kassia is a gentle sweet girl who does everything to please this philandering,brute of a man.He sleeps with one of the servants after he marries Kassia, when she confronts him he threatens to beat and rape her which he had already done(I shuddered again right there).There's not one but two women undermining Kassia's authority and she sits back and takes this,please!The servants and his own soldiers abhor his treatment of Kassia throughout the book.I prayed for her to runaway with Dienwald or for Guy to fall in love with her and take her away from Graelam.The women who made Kassialife hell were rewarded for their treatment of her,they are never made to pay for what they did to her which is another thing that put me off this book.I like to see the heroine giving as good as she gets even if she's not a particularly strong character.Kassia was far too soft and gentle for this brute as a result he walked all over her quite literally.I wanted him to really suffer for his treatment of her which he didn't,this is why I bothered to finish this book for him to get his comeuppance which hedidn't.She capitulated far too easily in the end when he came to get her at her father's castle.I know that he's a warrior but didn't knights have a chivalric code 0842369945:james_dobson_is_a_sadist_and_a_pervert:onlyinsf 0842369945 Temper Your Child's Tantrums (Pocket Guides): Books: James Dobson books 5 of 12 1.0 August 18, 2006 onlyInSF San Francisco Pinching a child's trapezius muscle? Hitting him or her with a belt or a stick hard enough for it to hurt? James Dobson should be put away. Raising children this way may make them obedient to their parents, but they will be prone to abuse others once they reach adulthood. Look at Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein. At best, children who are physically abused will grow up to practice BSDM. This book deserves no stars 0842369945:"strong-willed_child"?:james_c._talbot_"kidman" 0842369945 Temper Your Child's Tantrums (Pocket Guides): Books: James Dobson books 13 of 18 1.0 August 9, 2006 James C. Talbot "kidman" Dobson has this to say about the supposed 'strong-willed child'. "Even in infancy, he fairly bristles when his dinner is late and he insists that someone hold him during every waking hour. Later, during toddlerhood, he declares total war on all forms of authority...his greatest thrill comes from drawing on the walls and flushing kitties down the toilet." The "strong-willed child" has a "rampaging will." It should be pointed-out that James Dobson's training is in Educational Psychology, NOT Child Psychology, OR Child Development. I'm afraid he confuses 'strong-will' with anger, alienation, resentment, and contempt. These are behaviors that are commonly produced in children as a result of his (and his ilk) approach toward child-rearing. Like his right-wing christian compatriot, Ezzo, he would have parents believe that children are inherently evil. The implicit advise is to beat the devil out of them. 0743230116:california_al: 0743230116 Can't Find My Way Home: America in the Great Stoned Age, 1945-2000: Books: Martin Torgoff books 12 of 43 1.0 June 23, 2004 I wanted to be interested in this book, but it became pretty boring ater a while. There is an undercurrent of romanticism that pervades the authors purpose. He claims to be neutral, yet his descriptions and conversations with many of the people slant towards idol worship. Although the author claims to be in recovery, I did not get the sense of how drugs and alcohol can ruin peoples lives. I felt that his narrative was self serving, and glorifying the wonders of drugs and experimentation. There is a price to pay. What was good was hearing his father's take on the whole down side of watching his son grow up loaded. That was interesting. I'm getting weary of the proselytizing about how epochal the 1960's, 70's and 80's were. I didn't like his picture either 0060188782:my_brother's_experience_with_the_perricone_prescription:c._henning 0060188782 The Acne Prescription: The Perricone Program for Clear and Healthy Skin at Every Age: Books: Nicholas Perricone books 9 of 16 1.0 January 5, 2005 C. Henning My brother had severe acne a year or so ago that he inherited from my Dad's side of the family. He had tried antibiotics with no success and wanted to go on Accutane. Having heard bad things about the side effects, my Dad wanted my brother to try the diet for a couple months before deciding to take the medication. He faithfully followed it with no results whatsoever. Some of the ideas in the book are absurd - as a diabetic with a horrible eating habit and no teenage acne, I can tell you that the focus on dieting and insulin spikes as a direct cause of of the condition is preposterous. When I was a teenager, I'd go on serious candy binges that required insulin doses bordering on the irresponsible, and I got through high school with only the occasional zit. I've read that for a small number of people, diet can be a factor for acne, but obviously our experience points to something else as the primary cause (this assumes you eat reasonably well - malnutrition isn't sexy). Since medication should always be a last resort, a change of diet is probably a good first approach for those with minor blemishes, but those with a serious condition should look elsewhere. For the curious, while my brother had some strong side effects from the Accutane (none dangerous, primarily incredibly dry skin and eyes), it certainly succeeded in clearing up his skin 0446677698:falco_falters:c._h._backus 0446677698 One Virgin Too Many: Books: Lindsey Davis books 2.0 November 12, 2004 C. H. Backus Quilcene, WA This is a fine series so when I began this volume I had hopes that it would be of the same standard as the others. Ms. Haney has a genuine gift in giving readers the "texture" of everyday life in imperial Rome (at the time of Vespasian and Titus in this one). The dialogue and the characters are both engaging. So what went wrong? A young girl appears to speak with Falco believing someone in her family wants to kill her. And away we go, on and on and on! I was weary by the time I got to the rather flat conclusion and felt that a good editing would have been most helpful; the length of this book (326 pages) really cannot support so thin a story. I was left wondering what had happened and if somehow I had missed something as there was so little going on 1411627679:boring....don't_bother_with_it.:a_reader 1411627679 Poker Without Cards: A Consciousness Thriller: Books: Ben Mack books 5 of 11 1.0 September 29, 2005 A reader NY, USA Very disappointed with it. Was expecting something groundbreaking, but it failed to deliever. An easy read and quite honestly, boring. Don't waste your time. Read something more worthwile like Robert Anton Wilson. 0898747929:sounds_like_the_author_reviewed_this_himself:long_b._hoang 0898747929 Diffusional Mass Transfer: Books: A. H. P. Skelland books 0 of 3 1.0 June 1, 2000 Long B. Hoang Atlanta I am pretty sure that the author sent the only positive review. That is pretty pathetic. This book was written with no rhyme or reason. There is no good progression of information or understandable sense to it all. One star is stretch. Plus, i am asian, and it was still hard for me-that is when you know it is bad 044921687X:raising_a_feminist:m._e._schmidt 044921687X How to Father a Successful Daughter: Books: Nicky Marone books 6 of 8 2.0 March 23, 2005 M. E. Schmidt Charlotte This book, by the way, was published in 1988, NOT 1998 as the notes above indicate. It is also reflected in the books theme and attitude. I have read three chapters so far and this is what I have gleaned from the book: 1) Your daughter will only be "successful" if she chooses male oriented occupations. 2) Your daughter will only be "successful" if she is a doctor, NOT a nurse. Heaven forbid she be a nurse, housewife, teacher. 3) Your daughter won't be "successful" if she goes to a coed school. Send her to a female only institution, that way she only has to compete against other girls. 4) Your daughter won't be a success without playing poker, chess or other strategy games. Don't even think of pulling out Dora or some other "girl" game. Surely there must be better books for Dads to gain some info on theie daughters and ways to help them along as they grow. I could go on with more examples from this feminist rant, but frankly don't have the time. My daughter and I are going to kick the soccer ball. And BTW, don't even let her enjoy an english class or play with dolls. Force her into that science and math slot. Sign her up for computer camp because we all know that PC's are designed strictly for boys. I really feel this book is outdated, both in examples and most importantly, attitude. Try something different. 0964135876:a_bad_way_to_spend_bucks:nahuel_ricardo_garavaglia 0964135876 Ultimate V-Twin Motorcycle Chassis: Forks, Shocks, Brakes, Wheels and Tires: Books: Tim Remus books 2 of 3 1.0 January 10, 2001 Nahuel Ricardo Garavaglia Buenos Aires, Capital Federal Argentina I have read this book only once time, it tooks me about 1 hour, It is very basic, have not any important info, else that you can get from a free catalo 1578519497:try_that_again?:r._j._mccabe 1578519497 Got Game: How the Gamer Generation Is Reshaping Business Forever: Books: John C. Beck,Mitchell Wade books 10 of 16 1.0 February 22, 2006 R. J. McCabe First a little background... I'm 53 with a preteen son. I'm not quite a Luddite. I make my living from an online business that I own and operate. Our "big" present to our son last Xmas was a computer -- one he and I were going to build from scratch. The main use of the computer was going to be video games and school work. We gave our son a budget (not big by gamer PC standards) to shop for the parts. I've read a few books recently on the gaming "culture" to better understand it. This book came highly recommended from reviews here, so I read it. My reaction to the book? It took a while, but I finally realized it felt like I was reading a study paid for and prepared on behalf of the video game industry. There are lots of great statistics, but rather flimsy rational defending extensive video game playing and how it's successfully preparing gamers to succeed in the future. I did learn a few things. I got a dose of reality about why it seems like everyone under 35 plays video games extensively. I see that the *gamer generation* has a lot to offer. I also seriously wonder about the gaps in what they have to offer. A main thesis of the book is that gamers learn how to think and figure things out, because video games are about figuring out how to beat the game. Interesting, since by the examples cited, it mostly appears to be trial and error with no significant logic involved. I call it learn by trying anything, as opposed to learn by thinking. Both have their place. Supposedly, gamers are more willing to take (theoretically controlled) risks as well. Somehow the authors see the dot.com boom (and bust) as an endorsement of the future of business in the hands of gamers (who largely ran the dot.coms). I see a different story than the authors from those days of yore. I could go on, but I think you get the point. The book says little (nothing?) about how video games are helping gamers learn math, science, or reading. Personally, I believe those skills/knowledge are MUCH more important to a person's future than the ability to learn thru trial and error. Maybe the conclusions of the authors will prove to be correct. I hope so. But personally, I'm concerned for any business that runs on the pure gamer mentality that I understand to be endorsed by the book. 0743492560:poorly_researched,_and_not_accurate_for_many_drugs:mary 0743492560 Worst Pills, Best Pills: A Consumer's Guide to Avoiding Drug-Induced Death or Illness: Books: Sidney M. Wolfe,Larry D. Sasich,Peter Lurie books 24 of 34 1.0 March 29, 2005 Mary Washington, DC Unfortunately, Sidney Wolfe and the whole "Worst Pills" business enterprise is riding on the reputation of Public Citizen as a champion for consumers, but has failed to live up to it with this guide. In some cases, warnings are included regarding various drugs that are not based on scientific reports, but rather, are based on the marketing literature and information from the pharmaceutical companies themselves -- hardly an unbiased, consumer-oriented source of information. Consider as one example the book's "Do Not Use" warning regarding the prescription drug, Armour Thyroid. Rather than offering any research to support this severe recommendation (because there ISN'T any research), the "guide" instead quotes the AMA and the American Thyroid Association, two groups that greatly enjoy the largesse of the thyroid drug makers who want to put Armour -- a far less expensive drug -- out of business. If this is the sort of "unbiased information" you want about the drugs you take, you might as well go ahead and just read the pharmaceutical company pamphlets. If millions of thyroid patients taking Armour Thyroid were to follow the advice in "Worst Pills," the only thing that ends up for the worse is our health. I definitely do NOT recommend this book in any way. -- Mary J. Shomon, Thyroid Patient Advocate and Autho 999466008X:a_poor_effort....:raymond_b._clark 999466008X Where Eagles Dare: Books books 2 of 6 2.0 March 14, 2006 Raymond B. Clark Aberdeen, Idaho United States I read this as a thirteen year old boy and enjoyed it. A re-read twenty years later gave me a different perspective. MacLeans dialogue between his characters is comic book variety at best. There are also a few glaring errors that I am surprised that his editor did not pick up on, two of note: Shaffer (supposedly from Montana) is credited with a Mid-West accent?? Montana is far west not 'mid' west. Secondly, Nazi helicopters? This is just plain sloppy. MacLean should have known much better. This one belongs on the bookshelf of a teenage boy. For a better read of MacLeans better works I reccomend; HMS Ulysess and Bear Island. The characters are far more credible and provide a better story by far. A poor effort by Mr MacLean 0842305076:violence_begets_violence:jo_york 0842305076 The New Dare to Discipline: Books: James Dobson books 4 of 15 1.0 October 5, 2006 Jo York Dobson has it wrong. Children's susceptibility to God and the attributes of God has to do with rearing them with the love of God in their hearts from the beginning, praying and relying on God, and being taught to please God. Violence begets violence. To spank and be violent toward children is proof of the perpetrator's ignorance of modern scientific evidence that spanking is detrimental to the emotional, physical and spiritual evolution of children. Ignorance begets ignorance, and if you're in charge of children, feeding your mind with ignorance is no benefit to your child 0782142605:somewhat_disappointed...:robin_cobin 0782142605 MCSA/MCSE: Windows Server 2003 Environment Management and Maintenance Study Guide (70-290): Books: Lisa Donald,Suzan Sage London,James Chellis,Lisa Donald,James Chellis books 2 of 3 2.0 October 24, 2003 Robin Cobin Philly I agree with one of the earlier reviewers headlines, that was something like "just ok, not great." I've been working w/ Server 2003 for a while now, and from my work experience, I knew certain things in the book were kind of being glossed over that really needed more coverage. I would read each chapter, read the summaries, take all the practice questions, and be left with this nagging feeling that the book was not really preparing me completely for what I'd face on the exam. Unfortunately, I was right, and I just missed passing the exam. This book isn't terrible, but just be sure you use some additional resources and that you have some good work experience also 0842384375:why_continue_to_be_deceived?:truth_"in_yeshua" 0842384375 The Last Disciple: Books: Hank Hanegraaff,Sigmund Brouwer books 1 of 12 1.0 June 28, 2006 Truth "in Yeshua" Colorado Hank Hanegraff is a blatant replacement theologian where the nation of Israel is concerned. He is further from the truth where prophecy is concerned than most groups, to include pretribulationists. Indeed, his "scholarship" is no scholarship at all; it is pure propaganda.... To see real scholarship, get Tim Cohen's materials (see below): Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins, and others in the Pre-Trib circle, such as Ed Hindson, Tommy Ice, Chuck Missler, Zola Levitt, Thomas McCall, John Hagee, Grant Jeffrey, Marlin Maddox, Perry Stone, Texe Marrs, John Walvoord (deceased), etc., continue to put forth the same deceptions that Hal Lindsey popularized decades ago. The notion of a pre-tribulation rapture is foreign to scripture, it is foreign to the teachings of the early Church, and it is grooming the Church for destruction through ignorance and lack of preparation for what is really coming. These men are novices and not prophecy "experts" or "scholars" by any stretch of the imagination; they are those who tickle the ears of gullible Christians. Why continue to be deceived? Tim Cohen, in his excellent book, "The AntiChrist and a Cup of Tea," provides biblically sound and testable evidence to show that the coming AntiChrist is known NOW. Not only that, the same author (Tim Cohen) has now put out the strongest presentation on the whole issue of the rapture EVER offered to the saints of God in Christ: "The REAL Rapture". If you really want to know the truth about the timing of the coming rapture, then you need to hear Tim Cohen's "The REAL Rapture" (based on a volume in his forthcoming "Messiah, History, and the Tribulation Period" series (see Prophecy House's site for details on these items, which are also available via Amazon) 0674301188:an_effort_too_far_in_repetitious_jargon:mrs._g._pollock_"balding_red-faced_sprog" 0674301188 Figuring Jasper Johns (Essays in Art and Culture): Books: Fred Orton books 1 of 9 1.0 September 23, 2004 Mrs. G. Pollock "balding red-faced sprog" Under-Fred's-Skin, UK I found this book to be pretentiously over complexified. The relationship between object and surface has been aptly documented by many other art historians of the late 20thC. I think that Fred has in this case over analysed too few works by the great artist, flag to me and many of the people I have discussed it with is far too complex a work for a man like Orton to even vaguely comment on critically. He appears to my other academic associates and I to be slightly out of his depth at this level, and in future would do well to perhaps abandon the bottle of Gin which he is widely known to keep under his desk, and to consequently write something worthwhile and not liquer-induced. Mr Orton, I am not your fan. 0803728476:this_book_stinks!!!: 0803728476 Bird: Books: Angela Johnson books 0 of 1 1.0 November 13, 2005 this book hardly has any conversation in it and hardly goes into detail about anything. i didn't even like the story. i would give this book a big fat ZERO if i could!! 0151005346:a_world_of_boring.__a_raging_sea_of_boring!:librum_"6nomad9" 0151005346 The Nautical Chart: Books: Arturo P rez-Reverte,Margaret Sayers Peden books 1 of 1 2.0 October 27, 2006 Librum "6nomad9" CA, USA 2 stars for decent writing (at least a decent translation), for an intriguing start, and for the occasional appearance of a melancholy dwarf. That's pretty much it. Negative stars aplenty for the protagonists -- Coy and Tanger (I listened to NC on 13 endless tapes, so perhaps am misspelling their names). The tortured metaphors they speak, think, and by which they -- and their insipid adventures -- are continually described, bore to tears. Aside from an occasional scrape between Coy and the aforementioned dwarf or his boss, all of the action in NC clusters at the beginning (promisingly so, I'll grant) and the end (all wimper, no bang) of this novel. As a salty seadog once said (no doubt anticipating this novel), "Ahoy matey, thar. She blows!" 0765316315:there's_really_no_age_group_for_this_book:travis_a._pelt_"freelance_guru" 0765316315 The Ice Dragon: Books: George R. R. Martin books 10 of 22 2.0 October 10, 2006 Travis A. Pelt "Freelance Guru" Currently somewhere warm with plumbing, USA I hold Martin's Song of Ice and Frie series in high regard; the man is a talented writer. For adults. The problem with this book is that it reads exactly like whay you'd expect a chlidren's book written by George R.R.Martin to read like. By this I mean violent imagery and the occasional immolation of soon-to-be-dearly-departed-uncles. (And as an uncle I object to this wanton anti-uncle setiment running rampant in children's literature!!!) There seems to be no age group for this book. The story isn't that engrossing, and a kid I'd feel comfortable buying a book for containing this level of violence would most likely want something more substanial. Though for adults I strongly recommend Martin's other books over Mr. Pratchett, when it comes to books for kids about this age level I've gotta go with Pratchett's Wee Freemen over this. Or, for slightly younger kids, The Persistent Gappers of Firth. Hell, eveybody loves the Gappers of Firth. 1565844157:history_by_conjecture:"jrolfe" 1565844157 The Abandonment of the Jews: America and the Holocaust 1941-1945: Books: David S. Wyman books 20 of 51 2.0 January 19, 2000 "jrolfe" Silver Spring, USA This is a highly influential book. Roosevelt has had many enemies growing out of his presidency. No one has had the same negative impact on Roosevelt's name to equal Wyman's attack. But, although Wyman, a professional historian has well-documented his research, much of the indictment of the Roosevelt Administration is based upon conjecture incapable of proof. The litmus test of his proposals was the bombing of Auschwitz. He asserts that the failure to bomb was due to a lack of caring. Thousands of Jews could have been saved. But there is no way to prove this. Many Jews could also have died because bombing was inaccurate and Jewish prisoners lived close to the crematoria. Too much in his charges is based on too little evidence. Peter Novick in his book, The Holocaust in American Life, calls Wyman's thesis a "comfortable morality tale" and "bad history." In addition to Novick, Henry L. Feingold, Frank W. Brecher, and William Rubinstein have written critically about Wyman 1933110171:in_way_over_her_head:alexandra_wolfe_"the_wry_writer" 1933110171 In Too Deep: Books: Ronica Black books 3 of 4 1.0 October 13, 2006 Alexandra Wolfe "the Wry Writer" Canada Cover Blurb: When undercover work requires working under the covers, danger is an uninvited bedfellow... Erin McKenzie, a newly promoted homicide detective, lands the assignment of her career when she is chosen to investigate Elizabeth Adams, the number one suspect in a slew of serial murders. Adams, elusive and devastatingly beautiful, is not only an accomplished seductress but also a lesbian. * * * I have just finished reading this book after struggling with it for two months and, quite frankly, it is probably the worst book I have ever taken the time to finish. The only reason I prevailed to the bitter end was I wanted to see if it truly was as bad to the last page as it was from the first--and let me tell you, it was. Not only was this slow-paced, stilted, plodding excuse for suspence peppered with paper-thin characters who all sounded vaguely familiar, but two of the three main protagonists are thinly disguised Xeroxes of two beloved TV characters, minus the breast-plate, sword and loin-cloth skirt. I leave you to work out who I'm refering too. This book desperately struggles with flat, stilted language that has neither voice nor colour, giving the descriptions of place and people about as much life as a body on the morgue slab awaiting autopsy. Add to that is the fact that at least 50-60 pages could easily have been cut from the length by a good Editor, thereby maybe adding a smidgen of tension to the over-worked plotline. However, it is the three main protagonists who irritated me the most, the Author seemingly unable to decide on personality traits and character, which vacillate in a jarring way. I was left totally unsympathetic to any of them and the situations/circumstances they found themselves in. A very unsatisfying read 0316608521:tiptoeing_around_a_teen_in_training:tb_"mommy_to_3_great_kids" 0316608521 My Girl: Adventures with a Teen in Training: Books: Karen Stabiner books 1 of 1 2.0 September 13, 2005 TB "Mommy to 3 great kids" Danville, CA I thought this book was a waste of my reading time. I saw a review on the Today Show, and read several postive reviews as well, and it piqued my interest. What I thought may be a book about how to deal with and accept the coming changes/challenges of a mother/pre-teen daughter relationship was a book about a mother seeming to tiptoe around her daughter's emotional state. What is Sarah going to think about this, what is she going to say about that, etc.? The only reason I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 is that I applaud the time spent Karen and Sarah spent together. Something that should be done in all parent-child relationships. I would like to think there are better books on this subject. 0399129030:you'd_think_the_book_would_be_about_natalie...:caitlin_m._guhl 0399129030 Natalie: A Memoir by Her Sister: Books: Lana Wood books 7 of 7 1.0 November 25, 2003 Caitlin M. Guhl Hamilton, NJ ...but Lana Wood has a very autobiographical writing style. I found Wood's memoir to be incredibly gossipy. She speaks for pages upon pages about her own feelings during pivotal times in Natalie's life. Every here or there, it's nice to have an eyewitness account of what happened at certain times, but I'd rather read about the Academy Awards for which Natalie was being nominated instead of the powerful men in Hollywood with whom Lana was sleeping. There is a lot of name-dropping as well as a lack of substance in the book's context. After reading this, I read Suzanne Finstad's NATASHA and found it to be very thorough and much more detailed about both her personal and professional life. I was not a fan of this book in any respect 0712657592:very_weak_and_unsupported_theory_of_happiness:game_fan 0712657592 Flow: Books: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi books 3 of 11 2.0 October 1, 2006 Game Fan CT I appreciate anyone's attempts to examine the deeper nature of life and share that with the rest of us. However, I could see a hole in Csikszentmihalyi's attempt from the beginning. "In the course of my studies I tried to understand as exactly as possible how people felt when they most enjoyed themselves, and why. My first studies involved a few hundred "experts"--artists, athletes, musicians, chess masters, and surgeons, in other words, people who seem to spend their time in precisely those activities they preferred." I'm surely not alone in wondering why on earth one would presume the above professions are strictly happy and "optimal experience". Particularly the reference to artists and musicians, who typically have severe struggles with life, and aren't on cloud nine just because some professors might like them in a couple hundred years. That is what I felt was the very weak point of the book--a study of happiness with almost no reference to unhappiness. It goes on to talk about ways to find flow in our ordinary life, while dodging the bullet continually about why if flow was all those great people needed, did they still encounter countless problems and unhappiness. 0696212226:repackaged_prepared_foods:michelle_kinslow 0696212226 Simply Homemade Food Gifts: Books: Jennifer Darling books 1 of 1 2.0 January 26, 2006 Michelle Kinslow North Carolina I was INCREDIBLY disappointed with this book purchase - especially because I paid FULL PRICE for it. I have absolutely NO USE for it. Why? Why pay money for a book that simply takes prepackaged cookie and cake mixes, and adds a handful of nuts or dried fruit, (thus, making it "homemade") to give away? Anyone with the smallest amount of natural creativity could do this on their own, without the instruction of a cookbook. Let me give you an example: One of the "recipes" in this book is for lollipops. You melt down other lollipops or pieces of hard candy and drop a stick in the puddle. WOW. That is CRAFTY. How ridiculous. Even worse, - as you will see by the illustration, - the "homemade" 'lollipop' looks disgusting. The stick is about four times as thick as the paper-thin puddle of liquified old hard candy. I wouldn't DARE give such a thing away as a GIFT. Only a handful of recipes in this book are actually scratch-made from ingredients. The premise of this book is dressing up premade prepackaged foods from your local grocery store, and slapping some notions from the craft store on a glass jar or paper box. While some of the presentation ideas are original and attractive, in general it will prove a grave disappointment to an experienced cook. I have given this book two stars because it does present lovely photo illustrations of every "recipe", and may give you inspiration for packaging and presenting your best recipes as gifts...... but if you have any creative talent and cooking skill whatsoever, - I advise you to seek out another book on this subject. It is not worth the cost of the book. Should you be interested in the simplicity and economical value (the craft notions to dress the package will cost more than the food you are preparing)found in this book, - PLEASE- buy a USED copy, - it isn't worth more than $3 bucks. This is definitely a publication for a very inexperienced cook - and it is only for such a one I would recommend this book 006039319X:a_bit_disappointed!!!: 006039319X The Shabby Chic Home: Books: Rachel Ashwell books 6 of 6 2.0 June 11, 2002 I must admit I usually write only positive reviews as I buy books very carefully. This is unfortunately a wrong buy. I like the Shabby Chic style and since she's the person to get inspiration from on this style, I immediately bought this book without hesitation. I must say I wasn't inspired at all not even on one item and I am usually quite easily inspired by just reading a mag, browsing through ebay or simply walking around the market. The pics are big but on flowers?? I think I should've got the first book instead 0740761811:diy_cover_up:julia_lupton_"design-your-life.org" 0740761811 The Apron Book: Making, Wearing, and Sharing a Bit of Cloth and Comfort: Books: EllynAnne Geisel books 0 of 1 2.0 October 14, 2006 Julia Lupton "design-your-life.org" Irvine, CA USA I too eagerly anticipated reading this book, since I went through an apron-sewing blitz this summer. I was a bit disappointed, however. Although the photos and instructions are helpful (for seamsters more accomplished than myself), the tone of the book is reactionary, with negative statements about working mothers and a lot of nostalgia for the Ozzie and Harriet era. Although Geisel celebrates the rebirth of the domestic arts, she praises the home-as-nest (enclave of traditional domesticity) rather than the house-as-studio (a DIY workshop involving every member in open-ended acts of engagement with economy, history, and culture.) Still, there's some interesting history and some great photos 0786713992:i_make_movies_and_travel_extensively._my_life_is_great._:aco 0786713992 In the Moment: My Life as an Actor: Books: Ben Gazzara books 2.0 October 3, 2005 Aco This is not very good. That is to say, the writing and the fluidity of Gazzara's life become bland and uninteresting quite fast. I initially picked it up because as an actor I find biographies or autobio's about somewhat lesser known people more curious than approaching someone like Paul Newman or Brando, who each have several books...And Gazzara's career has been an intruiging one. As a member of the Actors Studio, which produced the aforementioned actors along with countless others, his rise to Broadway and Hollywood was quick. He originated Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and played his first film for Otto Preminger-opposite James Stewart and George C. Scott, among others-in Anatomy of a Murder. But his approach to acting, which is of primary importance to me, was not chronicled. Instead he regales with stories of what and who the people he worked with were like. What the particular country he was shooting in was like, etc., etc. One of his primary sources of regard is his work with John Cassavetes, and it is clear Cassavetes was a major influence and close friend, someone Gazzara owes much, and the process by which they created Husbands and other films is investigated more than any other. Cassavetes too comes out as a more interesting, Larger Than Life guy, while Gazzara's tales of living in Italy, or being in Spain, New York, Hollywood, the Philippines, etc., etc. just made me jealous... I guess I wanted to know more about the life of an Actor who has worked as long as Gazzara has, is still relatively known-but never became a "star," and continues to work, without feeling he is a hack who doesn't take his work seriously.. 1885593171:there_are_better_choices.:a_homeschool_mom_"saturum" 1885593171 Knights & Castles: 50 Hands-On Activities to Experience the Middle Ages (Kaleidoscope Kids): Books: Avery Hart,Paul Mantell,Michael Kline books 20 of 23 2.0 June 1, 2003 A Homeschool Mom "saturum" Lake Orion, MI USA I found this book sadly lacking in substance and quality activities. Spend your money on Days of Knights and Damsels by Carlson 0596101732:miserable_dictionary_of_doublespeak:m.i.b. 0596101732 Active Directory, 3rd Edition: Books: Joe Richards,Alistair G Lowe-Norris,Robbie Allen books 0 of 4 2.0 September 13, 2006 M.i.B. Tokyo, Japan Not recommended for native speakers of the English language. When trees == forests and top-level directories are instead 'naming contexts' .... The desirable format would be "This feature, which MS call 'X', is 'Y' plain english", but instead the Y feature will only ever be called X. This is not a helpful book 0385514573:a_nice_place_to_visit....:nina_shishkoff_"mycologist" 0385514573 Deadly Slipper: A Novel of Death in the Dordogne: Books: Michelle Wan books 5 of 10 2.0 February 25, 2006 Nina Shishkoff "mycologist" Mount Airy, MD If I had been an editor and received "Deadly Slipper", I would have said the following: "Dear Ms. Wan, Your book is unacceptable for the following reasons: 1) The Setting. One hazard of writing about the place where you spend your summers is that you end up writing through the eyes of a visitor rather than a native. Dordogne sounds delightful,and I'd certainly like to visit it based on your descriptions of delightful pigeon coops and sheep scattered across the landscape, but it is disturbing that you have cicadas singing in May. It suggests you are only familiar with the setting during the vacation months when you habitually visit. To really describe a place, I think you need to know it better. 2) The characters. Because you spend your summers in Dordogne, you appear to know only other wealthy foreigners. All your main characters are expatriates with irritatingly bourgeois occupations. I don't know if you realize that all the native-born French characters you portray are ugly, boorish, sexually depraved, mentally defective, criminal, or terminally quaint, and they all appear to make cheese. Surely this isn't a realistic portrayal of the French. 3) The Orchids. Actually, the orchids are fine, but the idea that orchid fanciers are maniacal and possibly homicidal is a questionable one; most orchid fanciers are fairly tedious. Also, the idea that a lady slipper mutant would spontaneously occur and allow the orchid to live outside its native habitat is idiotic. Anyone would tell you that a hybrid is a better bet. 4) The Dogs. One cute dog is sufficient; two are too much. Puppies are inexcusable. 5) The Romance. Most mystery writer are aware of the hazard of including a romance in a mystery, but you walked in innocently, unaware that your two characters are unpleasant, self-involved and have no chemistry (and that's not even mentioning their unspeakable dogs). You set a big obstacle in their path by having one think the other is a deranged serial killer; a great writer might be able to pull this off, but you can't. 6) Trendoid aspects. Epistolary novels are *so* 18th century. But having a NY psychiatrist profile the serial killer by email is so LAST WEEK. You will be sorry you did this, sooner rather than later. 7) The Ending. Ridiculous and melodramatic. Georges Simenon wrote about crime with great psychological acuity. You should read one of his books. 0385514573:boring:o._gonzalez 0385514573 Deadly Slipper: A Novel of Death in the Dordogne: Books: Michelle Wan books 2 of 3 1.0 July 30, 2005 O. Gonzalez Ashburn, VA This book is very disappointing. The writing is terrible and rather amateurish. The writer bored me, maybe something's lost in translation from French, I don't know. I already knew the killer the first time he was introduced in the book, although the writer tried to create red herrings which did not work. Mara sounds stupid, immature and inconsistent. Skip this book, it's not worth your time. Peter Mayle's mysteries set in France are way much better that this. At least his novels have sense of humor, suspense, very interesting characters and most important, they are very well written 097160200X:lacking:m._roman_"matt1234567" 097160200X Sitting Pretty: Looking and Feeling Better With Good Posture in Ten Easy Steps: Books: Gregg J. Carb books 7 of 7 1.0 May 3, 2005 M. Roman "matt1234567" I was extremely disappointed by this book/pamphlet, being misled by the other favorable reviews. It is completely lacking in information. It has 51 6"x8" pages with huge font and too many cartoons. It successfully defines what is good and bad posture, but does not provide excercises to improve it (it simply states to "practice" good posture). There are much much better alternatives. I have read "Posture Alignment" and recommend that, and have heard of great reviews for "Posture, Get It Straight!" 1564147363:okay_for_ideas:stacy_e._burrell_"stacy's_blog_(see_stacyburrell.typepad.com)" 1564147363 The 100 Best Businesses to Start When You Don't Want to Work Hard Anymore: Books: Lisa Rogak books 22 of 22 2.0 March 23, 2005 Stacy E. Burrell "Stacy's Blog (See stacyburrell.typepad.com)" Detroit, MI USA This book is the typical package of business ideas. The book gets 2 stars because the few pages devoted to entrepreneurship has very little substance and the information under each idea is sparse and in many cases not helpful. In addition, there are numerous ideas that require a tremendous amount of work. The author does state that what may be work for one person, may be play to another. However, this relates to doing something you enjoy or having a passion where you don't mind putting in the time or work. The title suggests that the business ideas listed in the book will not require a great deal of time or effort, which is not the case for many of the ideas(Masonry, Restauranteur for example). This book has some value for those that have not read similar books of this type. Otherwise, I would take a pass on this one 0312273193:it's_just_"reefer_madness"_:r._johns 0312273193 The Hunting of the President: The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton: Books: Joe Conason,Gene Lyons books 8 of 62 1.0 August 13, 2004 R. Johns CT And you shouldn't inhale. Several reviewers have ecstatically proclaimed this book and movie to be an eye-opening, truth-revealing work, but those who are credulous enough to think they learn history through agenda-focused books and films like "Hunting" need to go back and see other "documentaries" like "Triumph Of The Will", "The Eternal Jew" or "Reefer Madness". Let's be honest, people. This book was written by a strongly pro-Clinton columnist and the movie was produced by well-known FOB (Friend Of Bill) Harry Thompson. It's about as objective as the factually challenged "Fahrenheit 9/11", a work that Moore himself now calls "satire". (By the way, I'll bet you didn't know that many Middle Easterners who have seen Moore's movie are outraged at the shallow, stereotypical and racist image he presented of their people and culture.) The point is, whether intentional or just laziness these dime-a-dozen political books typically contain significant misrepresentations. If you're already a member of the author's congregation, you won't care. You'll shout "hallelujah!" and say that "Hunting" has given the world Great Truths. But clear thinkers understand that it's foolish to uncritically accept the representations in either this book or the followup movie. B00064LJVE:one_of_the_worst_movies_i_have_ever_seen.:fer360 B00064LJVE The Village (Widescreen Edition) (Vista Series): DVD: Jayne Atkinson,Adrien Brody,Frank Collison,Jesse Eisenberg,Brendan Gleeson,Judy Greer,Charlie Hofheimer,Bryce Dallas Howard,William Hurt,Cherry Jones,John Christopher Jones,Fran Kranz,Joaquin Phoenix,Michael Pitt (II),Pascale Renate Smith,Scott Sowers,Zack Wall,Sigourney Weaver,Celia Weston dvd 0 of 4 1.0 October 29, 2006 Fer360 New England, USA This entire movie could have run in only 20 minutes and you wouldn't miss anything and might even enjoy it. Unfortunately it ran 88 minutes too long and I couldn't wait for it to end. I saw it in the theater and the people all around me were all complaining how boring it was. At least a quarter of them walked out before the end. It's that bad. It's a shame, I love a good suspense/horror movie and the decent actors in this movies were waisted B0000TG9E2:another_classic,_ruined_by_disney:poopear_"i_eat_$h!7" B0000TG9E2 Alice in Wonderland (Masterpiece Edition): DVD: Kathryn Beaumont,Ed Wynn,Richard Haydn,Sterling Holloway,Jerry Colonna,Verna Felton,J. Pat O'Malley,Bill Thompson,Heather Angel,Joseph Kearns,Larry Grey,Queenie Leonard,Dink Trout,Doris Lloyd,James MacDonald (II),Bill Lee (IV),Thurl Ravenscroft,Max Smith,Bob Hamlin,Don Barclay,Wilfred Jackson,Clyde Geronimi,Hamilton Luske dvd 2 of 25 1.0 July 1, 2006 poopear "i eat $h!7" Acidville, CA If you are looking for a good movie to buy for your child, pass on this one. This movie has so many drug references, i can't even begin to explain.(trust me, I just so happen to have taken acid before) This is a movie that NEVER should have been directed toward children. If you want your child to be drug free when he/she grows up, do not buy this B000BYA4F6:fun_to_watch:t._cole_"mrsavidreader" B000BYA4F6 Sabrina Bryan: Byou - The Hot New Dance Workout: DVD: Sabrina Bryan dvd 9 of 12 2.0 March 28, 2006 T. Cole "mrsavidreader" Woodbridge, VA Fun to watch but my 9 1/2 yr. old daughter could not follow the moves. Neither could I for that matter. We tried to learn the moves through "breaking it down" but there is just not enough repetition. Too complicated. B00006IUJ1:did_we_see_the_same_movie?:kelly_turner_"saucybetty" B00006IUJ1 The Diamond Arm: DVD: Yuri Nikulin,Nina Grebeshkova,Andrei Mironov,Anatoli Papanov,Stanislav Chekan,Vladimir Gulyayev,Nonna Mordyukova,Svetlana Svetlichnaya,Roman Filippov,Grigori Shpigel,Igor Yasulovich,Leonid Kanevsky,Maksim Nikulin,Aleksandra Lisyutina,Aleksandr Khvylya,Nikolai Romanov,Andrei Fajt,V. Ostrovskaya,Lev Polyakov,Nikolai Trofimov,Leonid Gaidai dvd 3 of 25 2.0 February 16, 2005 Kelly Turner "Saucybetty" Palos Verdes Estates, CA Every review I've read about this movie pops and fizzes with praise and I just don't get it. No one speaks until practically 10 minutes into it, and by then you're so confused by the random scenes thrown together and the cyrilic letters, it makes it hard to enjoy what comes next. If you like extremely BROAD slapstick humor and find that totally charming, then I guess I can see the appeal. Everyone talks about how this movie spawned so many catch phrases. I have to wonder what they could be: "Damned Melon!" or "I passed out when I broke my wrist, and when I woke up, the cast was already on!"??? I will say listening to the dubbed english and having the english subtitles on at the same time does add some humor, because they say completely different things, or omit speech altogether. In sum, don't waste your time B000GFLKF8:not_too_impressed:jeffrey_a._thompson B000GFLKF8 Inside Man (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Denzel Washington,Clive Owen,Jodie Foster,Christopher Plummer,Willem Dafoe,Chiwetel Ejiofor,Carlos Andr s G mez,Kim Director,James Ransone,Bernie Rachelle,Peter Gerety,Victor Colicchio,Cassandra Freeman,Peter Frechette,Gerry Vichi,Waris Ahluwalia,Rafael Osorio,Rodney 'Bear' Jackson,Daryl Mitchell,Ashlie Atkinson,Spike Lee dvd 0 of 1 2.0 November 8, 2006 Jeffrey A. Thompson Iowa City, IA USA The acting was very good. The pace was adequate. However, the plot was predictable. The movie just reeks of the intelligent thriller syndrome. Clive's character kept calling this the perfect robbery. The characters talk about the relative intelligence of the other characters or how the other characters can't possibly know what is going on. I'm still not sure what Jody Foster's character brings to the plot. Any way, they do stupid things. The bank robbers dig a latrine in a storage closet. You don't know the hole is a latrine until the end of the movie. However, they do call it a "s--thole during the movie. They spent hours on this hole. Why not use a bucket instead of a hole in the floor for a latrine? They even brought buckets in with them. They were disguised as painters. Why couldn't Clive's character use a bucket with chemical treatments instead of a hole in a floor of a bank for a latrine. Finding plot holes in this movie is like shooting fish in the barrel. Furthermore, the plot is so predictable that it made the movie drag. I have to be honest, I didn't guess the ending. I kicked myself for they gave plenty of clues. For example, a big one is the title of the movie. However, the lame clues (the s--thole) acted like red herrings. They threw me off the scent. B000BKVQS4:not_much_for_laughs_and_even_less_for_plot:bryhil_04 B000BKVQS4 Wedding Crashers - Uncorked (Unrated Widescreen Edition): DVD: David Dobkin,Owen Wilson,Vince Vaughn,Christopher Walken,Rachel McAdams,Isla Fisher,Jane Seymour,Ellen Albertini Dow,Keir O'Donnell,Bradley Cooper,Ron Canada,Henry Gibson,Dwight Yoakam,Rebecca De Mornay,David Conrad,Jennifer Alden,Geoff Stults,James McDonnell,Jesse Henecke,Lou Cutell,Sparkle dvd 2.0 November 13, 2006 bryhil_04 Ontario, Canada Wedding Crashers is the kinda film alot of people will love because it is stupid but alot of others like myself, won't enjoy. two womanizers fall in love, one because he finds out that his gf is not actually a virgin, like first off, what does virginity have to do with love? & second, who would actually believe that she was telling the truth when she said that she was a virgin? & then Owen Wilson's character fall in love with Rachel's McAdams character and well, that's the usual predictable romance plot. the problem with this film is it's not that funny. it seems to think it's better then it is. I don't think I hardly laughed during this film. the part about the "supposive" gay guy like people think he is gay so therefore of course, because it's this kind of film, he ends up being gay and of course, he tries to hit on Vince Vaughn's character in a scene that is beyond creepy. lets just say that "gay" guy is prob one of the worst actors I've seen. & then we get a cameo from Will Ferrell, alot of people I know find this guy "so" funny. but I don't get it. it just wasn't funny to me. u know, I loved the classic, "American Pie" that was just stupid for its own good but it delivered the goods to make it a great comedy! this film wasn't so much funny as stupid. & for the most part, I'm not going to remember this film in 5 years from now because it's just an average film B00009OOFA:more_"lost_cause"_mythology:robert_m._dawson B00009OOFA Gods & Generals: DVD: Jeff Daniels,Mark Aldrich,Stephen Lang,Robert Duvall,George Allen (III),Mira Sorvino,Keith Allison,Royce D. Applegate,Kevin Conway,C. Thomas Howell,Matt Letscher,Mac Butler,Frankie Faison,Robert Byrd (II),Jeremy London,William Sanderson,Shane Callahan,Kali Rocha,Stephen Spacek,Brian Mallon,Ronald F. Maxwell dvd 6 of 12 1.0 September 19, 2006 Robert M. Dawson San Francisco, CA USA It's amazing how Hollywood and the publishing industry have bent their knees to Secession mythology, from Birth of a Nation to the present example of melodramatic falsification. This is a very dull, shapeless, stilted movie. I wouldn't bother to denounce it on artistic grounds, but since it is above all a piece of propaganda, I'm compelled to condemn it as history. What it presents is the "War between the States" version of the Civil War, in which the gallant Southerners defend their homes,their beloved hills and dales, their cultured lives from the inexplicable invasion of the rude hordes of the North. There are only two Black characters, both sentimentally loyal to their Southernness and their masters; otherwise, slavery is beside the point. The generalship of Lee and Jackson, of course, is idolized, while the Northern officers above the rank of colonel are portrayed as fools. The battle scenes are perfectly predictable; guys charge on foot, other guys shoot, the fields are littered with bodies. Wouldn't a little exposition of the logistics of those battle been more interesting? How real is it to show only one train, and that Southern, in a war won more by transportation than by musketry? If you are a believer in the myth of the Lost Cause and the justice of Secession, if you have ever cottoned to the notion that the War wasn't really about slavery, then I challenge you honor! I defy you to read just one heavy, scholarly book, Arguing About Slavery by William Lee Miller, a professor at the University of Virginia. It retells the debates that occurred in the House of Representatives, over slavery, in the 1830s, twenty-five years before the election of Lincoln. The uncompromising sectional hatred expressed in those debates will surely convince you that the Civil War had deeper roots than you thought, and that slavery Was indeed the central issue for both sides, Blue and Grey B00006ADFO:sex_in_quarantine:m._rausseo_"come_to_the_dark_side...we_have_cookies!" B00006ADFO 40 Days & 40 Nights: DVD: Josh Hartnett,Shannyn Sossamon,Paulo Costanzo,Adam Trese,Emmanuelle Vaugier,Lorin Heath,Aaron Trainor,Glenn Fitzgerald,Monet Mazur,Christine Chatelain,Keegan Connor Tracy,Michael C. Maronna,Vinessa Shaw,Stefanie von Pfetten,Stanley Anderson,Griffin Dunne,Jarrad Paul,Terry Chen,Kai Lennox,Chris Gauthier,Michael Lehmann dvd 3 of 5 2.0 June 29, 2005 M. Rausseo "Come to the dark side...we have cookies!" Planet Earth Maybe for some people, to spend 40 days without sex is not big deal, but in Matt Sullivan's case, it could be a total nightmare. After his girlfriend Nicole leaves him, Matt spends about six months devouring girls, until he starts to hallucinate. Advised by his brother, Matt decides that celibacy is the answer to his problems, and proposes to go through lent without sex. For Matt's friends, this odyssey is as absurd as impossible, and immediately they take advantage of the situation to make bets about how long will last Matt's abstinence. He doesn't have it easy, as many temptations will make him suffer, and even smell the possibility of a new love. 40 days and 40 nights is a movie that tries to get the most comedy possible out of the sexual frustration of his leading character. In a similar way that other grotesque comedies have try to explode in the past years, this film tries to sell us the idea that relationships based only in sex are less satisfactory than those based on love. OH. WHAT A SHOCKING DISCOVERY! B00003CXA1:the_firm:robert_alan B00003CXA1 The Firm: DVD: Cruise,Hackman dvd 0 of 6 1.0 August 14, 2005 Robert Alan Great movie but CD not perfoming in the last few scenes. It gets stuck or restarts itself. Very frustrating and more frustrating to have to return new CD B000BYA4FG:movie_reviews_crossed:_kitty_foyle_&_johnny_belinda:daniel_winter_"aka_vicky_vogue" B000BYA4FG Kitty Foyle: DVD: Brooks Benedict,Tyler Brooke,Helen Brown,Julie Carter,Spencer Charters,Eduardo Ciannelli,Gladys Cooper,Ernest Cossart,James Craig,Pat Flaherty,Mary Gordon,Kay Linaker,Helen Lynd,Anna Mills (II),Dennis Morgan,Hattie Noel,Ginger Rogers,K.T. Stevens,Ray Teal dvd 2 of 8 1.0 February 18, 2006 Daniel Winter "AKA VICKY VOGUE" BUFFALO, NY, USA Editorial Reviews Amazon.com essential video After initially rejecting the role as too sentimental, Ginger Rogers found the title character of Kitty Foyle to be an Oscar winner and a career breakthrough. Released in 1940, only a year after her nine-picture partnership with Fred Astaire ended, Kitty Foyle helped establish Rogers as a nonmusical box-office star. The film portrays a white-collar working girl who receives a warm and welcome marriage proposal from Mark (James Craig), a kindly but humble doctor. As soon as she accepts, however, she receives a different proposition, this one from her former love, wealthy socialite Wyn (Dennis Morgan), who plans to flee his life and his wife and asks Kitty to join him and live in unwedded bliss in South America. Kitty then recounts her life in flashback to help her choose which man to love. Rogers gives an appealing performance as the feisty yet vulnerable Kitty, who makes up in moxie what she lacks in social status. Did she really deserve the Best Actress Oscar over Bette Davis in The Letter, Joan Fontaine in Rebecca, Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story, and Martha Scott in Our Town? Well, evidently Rogers had real-life moxie too. --David Horiuchi Product Description Known for light comedies and her partnership with Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers stepped off the dance floor and into 1940's Oscar spotlight with her Best Actress turn as Kitty, an indomitable working-class girl who endures the rejection of Philadelphia society, makes her own way as a single woman and ultimately chooses between an unmarried arrangement with Main Line scion Wynnewood Strafford VI (Dennis Morgan) or marriage to a struggling physician (James Craig). Rogers' deserved Academy Award confirmed she was more than a dance star - a fact humorously underscored when she returned to the studio and was greeted by staffers and actors in top hats and tails. Jane Wyman won the Best Actress Academy Award for her sensitive portrayal of Belinda, capturing the girl's affecting isolation, awakening desire to learn and ultimate triumph. Directed by Jean Negulesco and co-starring Lew Ayres, Charles Bickford and Agnes Moorehead (all four Oscar nominees* for their fine work), Johnny Belinda (nominated for a total 11 Oscars including Best Picture) blends atmosphere, nuance and high drama into a heartbreaking classi 0790731940:is_''cringe-worthy''_a_word?:william_smith 0790731940 Maverick: DVD: Mel Gibson,Jodie Foster,James Garner,Graham Greene (II),Alfred Molina,James Coburn,Dub Taylor,Geoffrey Lewis,Paul L. Smith,Dan Hedaya,Dennis Fimple,Denver Pyle,Clint Black,Max Perlich,Art LaFleur,Leo Gordon,Paul Tuerpe,Jean De Baer,Paul Brinegar,Hal Ketchum,Richard Donner dvd 2 of 7 2.0 January 25, 2006 William Smith Fontana, CA United States I'm surprised by all the praise this movie gets here at Amazon and beyond. There really wasn't much here I liked. The soundtrack was the usual "pap" you'd expect from a family friendly movie, though the sets were nice. It seems this movie was just miscast. Mel just doesn't do comedy all that well, at least for a lead role. Jame Garner, the reason I bought this seems more like a bystander. And Jodie is Jodie and I never bought for a moment she was her character. Although the cast is a powerhouse (on paper), sadly the chemistry never really works and the jokes are just cornball. An example: There was a sequence when Bret asks his friends (who are standing behind him) to whistle to reveal themselves to some bandits he was confronting; which as it turns out they are unable to do. Instead Jodie and James, blow madly, just like the movie. This movie reminds me a HELL of a lot like ''The Three Amigo's''; on paper you would think it couldn't miss, but on film it's painful to watch B00008R9KD:blah,_blah,_blah...:rion_x._"bry-boy" B00008R9KD It's My Party: DVD: Margaret Cho,Bruce Davison,Lee Grant,Devon Gummersall,Gregory Harrison,Marlee Matlin,Roddy McDowall,Olivia Newton-John,Bronson Pinchot,Paul Regina,George Segal,Eric Roberts,Steve Antin,Dimitra Arliss,Christopher Atkins,Dennis Christopher,Ron Glass,Lou Liberatore,Victor Love,Peter Murnik,Randal Kleiser dvd 1 of 14 1.0 October 3, 2005 rion x. "bry-boy" lake's illionis, usa this has got to be the WORST film I've ever seen. its not sad. Its not funny, jest over blow mellow dramatic garbage. I don't have any sympathy toward nick in this movie, because he does give you anything to work with or want to keep him. the actor is the worst of all. i cant tell if he's sad in some seens, or angry or jest retarded. I've seen some sad movies but this one jest sucks, I guess its aimed at a different time of homosexuals instead of the present. it probably worked better back in 96'. but this movie is SO SO SO BAD. its embarrassing. do not rent it or buy it or view it on television. NOTE'S: THIS FILM HAD SOME GREAT TALENT A song from Olivia Newton Jon, and (one of my most personal favorites) Mila AND my favorite comedians Margaret Cho. She's to good but...why this film, she (and Mila ) are to good for some want to be tearjerker movie like this. B000CDGVOE:for_fans_of_miyazaki,_not_for_fans_of_the_book:terri_johnston B000CDGVOE Howl's Moving Castle: DVD: Chieko Baisho,Takuya Kimura,Akihiro Miwa,Tatsuya Gashuin,Ryunosuke Kamiki,Mitsunori Isaki,Yo Oizumi,Akio tsuka,Daijiro Harada,Haruko Kato,Jean Simmons,Christian Bale,Lauren Bacall,Blythe Danner,Emily Mortimer,Josh Hutcherson,Billy Crystal,Jena Malone,Crispin Freeman,Mark Silverman,Hayao Miyazaki,Rick Dempsey,Pete Docter dvd 5 of 10 1.0 October 12, 2006 Terri Johnston Shinjuku, Tokyo Japan I was very excited about this film as a fan of both the book and Ghibli Studios previous works. All the greater the disappointment then, when less than half way through, the story becomes something utterly unrecognizable from the original, several key characters are lumped together most confusingly, and others lose all their complex charm. What a shame. If you have never read the book and are a fan of Miyazaki, by all means buy this. You're very likely to enjoy the excellent animation and yet another unusual story from him. If you are a fan of the book, steer well clear. You're likely to want to poke Miyazaki with a stick and see if his head turns into a turnip or his turnip into a head. B00007976T:and_who_could_that_be_stalking_us_now?:e.j. B00007976T One Hour Photo (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Robin Williams,Connie Nielsen,Michael Vartan,Dylan Smith (III),Erin Daniels,Paul H. Kim,Lee Garlington,Gary Cole,Marion Calvert,David Moreland,Shaun P. O'Hagan,Jim Rash,Nick Searcy,Dave Engfer,Jimmy Shubert,Eriq La Salle,Clark Gregg,Andrew A. Rolfes,Carmen Mormino,Izrel Katz,Mark Romanek dvd 3 of 12 1.0 December 30, 2005 E.J. San Diego, CA Along with the nanny, the stepdad, the cable guy, the 14-year-old girl with a crush... we now have the PHOTO PROCESSING CLERK to fear! Yes, everyone is out to get us.. or at least that's what Hollywood would have us believe. I am getting sick of films like this that constantly contort normal healthy human interaction and community relations into perverse horrors that are far from reality. No wonder we live in a culture of such exagerrated suspicion, mistrust, fear (and the resulting isolation) when we have films like this constantly stoking these fears of people around us. Yes, films like these have their place. However, I think Hollywood has taken it a bit too far and needs to pull itself back into reality. B0002JUXDS:no_title:c._l_wilson B0002JUXDS The War Room: DVD: James Carville,George Stephanopoulos,Heather Beckel,Paul Begala,Bob Boorstin,Michael Donnilon,Jeff Eller,Stan Greenberg,Mandy Grunwald,Harold Ickes,Mickey Kantor,Mary Matalin,Mitchell Schwartz,Sam Donaldson,Mark Halperin,Joan Silverstein,Tipper Gore,Jerry Brown (II),Dee Dee Myers,Betty Currie,D.A. Pennebaker,Chris Hegedus dvd 1 of 2 1.0 March 13, 2006 C. L Wilson Elmhurst, Illinois United States Well, I sure could have skipped this one. I well remember the critics raving over this on television, but why is beyond me. Mostly, I was just plain bored. There simply was no depth at all, just bunches of short takes and wise cracks. Bush was just downright dirty, making insults and slurs all over the place, something I do not consider an appropriate attitude in a man who would be President. And it is interesting that in one of the reviews it was noted that Mary Matalen, the deputy manager of Bush's campaign and very acid-tongued (maybe she wrote some of the slurs Bush used), is now the wife of James Carville, top strategist for Clinton's campaign, and basically the star of the movie. But all the scenes were focused on the funny quip, the bon mot, no long scenes of the nitty-gritty work, or any answers to any questions about Clinton either, for that matter. B00008973C:where_is_the_salsa?!?!?:cristina_klosterman_"ny_salsera" B00008973C Salsa - The Motion Picture: DVD: Robby Rosa,Rodney Harvey,Magali Alvarado,Miranda Garrison,Moon Orona,Angela Alvarado,Loyda Ramos,Valente Rodriguez,Daniel Rojo,Humberto Ortiz,Roxan Flores,Robert Gould,Deborah Chesher,Joanna Garcia (II),Leroy Anderson,Bobby Caldwell (II),Chain Reaction,Willie Colon,Celia Cruz,Mavis Vegas Davis,Boaz Davidson dvd 6 of 8 1.0 September 5, 2006 Cristina Klosterman "NY Salsera" Upstate, NY So I bought this movie because some of the reviews said that the acting was terrible but the dancing was amazing. Well, anyone who thinks that the salsa dancing in this movie is amazing, awesome, good, or ok, has never actually SEEN salsa dancing!! I am a salsa dancer, and this movie was HORRIBLE!!! I have seen amazing dancing, and good dancing. This was TERRIBLE dancing! And there was hardly any salsa! It was 80s dancing to salsa music! That's IT. The only time there was actually salsa dancing was when the main character was training with the club owner. Other than that, it was just 80s dancing to salsa music. That's it. If you want to see salsa dancing, I DEFINITELY DO NOT recommend this movie. If you want to see horrible acting, and old 80s dancing, then I recommend this movie... There was only one thing that I liked about this movie. The appearances made by Tito Puente and Celia Cruz. That was great to see, but not worth buying the movie for.... Oh, and the story line? What was it again???? Yeah... I love movies, good ones and bad ones. But this one??? The WORST movie I have seen so far... To the best of my knowledge, there aren't actually any movies with really good salsa dancing. Hopefully, someday, there will be B000BM7Z3W:terrible_movie:coolmomarp B000BM7Z3W Don't Touch If You Ain't Prayed: DVD: Jenkins,Jean,Brooks dvd 2 of 2 1.0 July 6, 2006 coolmomarp Springfield, MA United States From start to finish a total waste of time. I viewed this movie with some of the single women from my church including a recently married woman, we were all appalled at how desparate this "Pamela" was note to the director not all women waiting on God are that desparate. The so called Christian principals in this movie were laughable. At the end of the movie I found myself apologizing to my guests for wasting their time B000BM7Z3W:no_diamonds....just_rough:sugafree_"walkinnewness" B000BM7Z3W Don't Touch If You Ain't Prayed: DVD: Jenkins,Jean,Brooks dvd 12 of 12 1.0 January 20, 2006 SugaFree "walkinnewness" Chi-Town This movie was so horrible I don't know where to start. Maybe I could start with the fact the actors were so horrible it was as if the director picked them randomly off the street. Or maybe he just casted his own family...at any rate they were untrained and stale. Secondly, I had a serious issue with this movie not following basic christian principles. If Tyler Perry manages to tone down the swearing in his semi-christian plays, why wouldn't this movie director have enough sense to follow suit...If you're trying to actually sale to a christian audience. Furthermore, I thought the bible said a little something against divorce; like it wasn't permitted unless your spouse commits adultery/fornication. This movie seems to say it's okay to go against the word of God if you're in love. In fact, christianity was more of a theory in this movie than it was a practice....by even the protagonist! I laugh as I think of the scene where Ce-Ce Peniston's character says seductively, "I'm looking for a man with his mind on Jesus" Yet she's dressed like a hooker. Speaking of clothing, why did Ce-Ce seem to change outfits even in the middle of scene. They go on a date and she's dressed one way, by the time they come home she has on something different; with no logical explanation. And please explain why they had someone's grandfather playing the role of Rico Suave. Maybe the movie would have actually been worth while had he looked more like the man of any woman's dream. I felt more like telling him about AARP than I did falling in love with him. In addition, the soundtrack, IT-WAS-JUST-ANNOYING. At some parts it was even hard to hear what the characters were saying because of the music. I just wanted the maddness to stop! Lastly, It seems as if the director tried to portray single church women as being overwhelmingly desperate (although some are) However, having pamela fall so quickly for bryant was just, well, almost juvenile...perhaps even a disrespect to women at large. Overall, this movie made me want to puke. PASTOR Larry "Flash" Jenkins really needs to get some true insight on the conditions of the church and maybe even go back and read the bible for himself for clarity B000F3UA6Q:this_one_deserves_a_big_fat_zero:kelly B000F3UA6Q Julie Johnson: DVD: Noah Emmerich,Bill Golodner,Patrick Fitzgerald,Courtney Love,Lili Taylor,Gideon Jacobs,Mischa Barton,Spalding Gray,Kelly Hill,Dana Chaifetz,Gina Merchan,Samara Harris,Welker White,Donna Hanover,Chuck Montgomery,Jimmy McQuaid,Denise M. Kelone,Ali Marsh,Patricia O'Connell,Frank Hopf,Bob Gosse dvd 1 of 3 1.0 September 6, 2006 Kelly this has got to be one of the WORST, most unrealistic movies to date. i never have high expectations for lesbian flicks--rarely are they done well. this one, however, takes it to a whole new level. what was courtney love thinking?! you'll regret wasting your money on this. i can't even fathom why it's gotten decent reviews so far B000F3UA6Q:nothing_i_liked_about_it:p._c._minde-nyland_"459gurl" B000F3UA6Q Julie Johnson: DVD: Noah Emmerich,Bill Golodner,Patrick Fitzgerald,Courtney Love,Lili Taylor,Gideon Jacobs,Mischa Barton,Spalding Gray,Kelly Hill,Dana Chaifetz,Gina Merchan,Samara Harris,Welker White,Donna Hanover,Chuck Montgomery,Jimmy McQuaid,Denise M. Kelone,Ali Marsh,Patricia O'Connell,Frank Hopf,Bob Gosse dvd 0 of 2 2.0 August 8, 2006 P. C. minde-nyland "459gurl" arizona This movie didn't do anything for me...Didn't care for the characters or the plot. The ending was disapointing also. B00028HBSE:fun_interviews,_but_no_song_shown_in_entirety:g._px_"badbearla" B00028HBSE Cheap Trick - From Tokyo to You: DVD: Cheap Trick dvd 6 of 6 2.0 June 16, 2004 G. Px "badbearla" Los Angeles, CA United States Cheap Trick is undoubtedly one of the best live acts around today. They have such great stage charisma, top notch talent, and they consistently get better with age! What other band sounds better 30 years later? After my disappointment with the Special One CD, I was excited to hear about this DVD; I heard most Special One songs live, and couldn't understand why they translated to tape poorly. Having these songs stripped and performed live would be exactly the hot product to put out. And the songs DO sound much better now, such tremendous intensity Robin has live, the guitars and bass sound great, and there's a great build up to the climax of each song. However, what's really the downer about this DVD is that although you get fun fictious anecdotes and silly interviews of the band between every track, you then get 2/3 of each live song. NOT A SINGLE SONG APPEARS HERE IN ITS ENTIRETY. It's like a Behind the Music (without drama or drugs) based around a new live show. The banter is great, but this clip-show format KILLS the replay value of this disc. The closest comparison I can give is the 2-DVD version of Silver, how the second DVD has fun clips and chat between tracks and then overlays into the songs. That's exactly what this is like, however, you do not get the benefit of the complete uncut show. Bonus features are fun, with the band and their families visiting Japan, although the two live special appearances they played are again not shown in their entirety. Perhaps someday we'll get the Budakan show on DVD or an updated Every Trick in the Book DVD. Update 6/14/05: Exactly a year later, I've still yet to pop this into my DVD player for a second watch, and Cheap Trick's still my favorite band. B0007XG02W:too_sympathetic_towards_da_vinci_code,_one-sided_experts,_still_debunks!:bryan_e._leed_"jesus_says,_'go_and_sin_no_more!" B0007XG02W Beyond the Da Vinci Code (History Channel): DVD: Beyond the Da Vinci Code dvd 23 of 54 1.0 August 31, 2005 Bryan E. Leed "Jesus says, 'Go and Sin No More!" Dayton, OH USA This DVD gives documentary coverage concerning such DA VINCI CODE topics as Rosslyn Chapel, the Priory of Scion, the Knights Templar, the Gnostic Gospels, Le Dossier Secrets, Da Vinci paintings, and Opus Dei. This DVD, BEYOND THE DA VINCI CODE seems to bend over backwards, measuring every narrated word, to try to support and be sympathetic towards the Dan Brown allegations made in his novel--despite the evidence and expert interviews that they themselves provide in this documentary, they still seem to be in favor of what Dan Brown has written in the DA VINCI CODE. Out of a half dozen expert interviewees, the most notable are two "big" names who are MAJOR influences on THE DA VINCI CODE book. Margaret Starbird, author of THE WOMAN WITH THE ALABASTER JAR; and Richard Leigh, one of three authors of HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL, (which was a NY Times Bestseller in 1982), both appear throughout this program. These two are probably the biggest proponents of the Jesus/Magdalene conspiracy today, after Dan Brown himself. So it is especially meaningful when Richard Leigh and Margaret Starbird disagree with what Dan Brown has written! According to expert interviewee Richard Leigh, though THE DA VINCI CODE book says that the Knights Templar found documents to prove the Jesus/Magdalene conspiracy, in reality, NOBODY knows what, if anything, was found by the Knights Templar in Solomon's Temple. Leigh also says the whole business about the pentagram, pentacles, 5-pointed stars as mainly representing the "sacred feminine" is NONSENSE--that symbol has been used throughout history to represent other things just as often! Richard Leigh also explains that the original Priory of Scion was last referenced in 1619, but the modern day Priory of Scion people from the last 50 years are "bonkers," trying to present a hoax of the LE DOSSIER SECRETS, to try to gain political influence for themselves. This LE DOSSIER SECRETS, which appears on the bogus "FACT" page at the beginning of THE DA VINCI CODE book attempts to show a traceable genealogy of descendents of Jesus, but has been debunked for decades in France. It does NOT belong on a page titled "FACT" in the DA VINCI CODE book! That is very misleading, not factual. Brown says the LE DOSSIER SECRETS were discovered, but leaves out the fact that they are commonly known to be phoney! Margaret Starbird, another major influence on the Dan Brown novel, says that even though she believes in the Jesus/Magdalene bloodline, there is NO PROOF of the bloodline lasting into the French Merovingian line of kings, circa the first millenium A.D. The documentary, using other expert interviewees and location footage, goes on to debunk the ridiculous claim of the Rose Line alignments being found in significant locations throughout THE DA VINCI CODE novel; as well as showing there is no evidence that Leonardo Da Vinci was a member of the Priory of Scion, let alone the Grandmaster; the rose is NOT the symbol for the Priory of Scion; and Opus Dei has NO INTEREST in the "secret" bloodline of Jesus/Magdalene because they don't believe it even exists. Sadly, most of the debunking occurs towards the end of the show, in brief statements, before quickly moving on to the next topic; while most of the screen time is spent romanticizing and retelling what Dan Brown's DA VINCI CODE book claims about the Jesus/Magdalene conspiracy. Overall I was disappointed by this HISTORY CHANNEL DVD for presenting such seemingly wishful support while showing that so much just ain't so in the DA VINCI CODE book--though I am not surprised, the HISTORY CHANNEL usually sides against Christianity on issues to support atheism in their shows, in my opinion. A much better DA VINCI CODE debunking DVD is BREAKING THE DA VINCI CODE, which more clearly presents the evidence without romanticizing the novel's lies about history and Jesus B0001DCYUU:only_mildly_interesting,_and_no_"classic":susan_trexel_"almond_cakes" B0001DCYUU A Room with a View (Two-Disc Special Edition): DVD: Maggie Smith,Helena Bonham Carter,Denholm Elliott,Julian Sands,Simon Callow,Patrick Godfrey,Judi Dench,Fabia Drake,Joan Henley,Amanda Walker,Daniel Day-Lewis,Maria Britneva,Rosemary Leach,Rupert Graves,Peter Cellier,Mia Fothergill,Kitty Aldridge,Brigid Erin Bates,Isabella Celani,Luigi Di Fiore,James Ivory dvd 5 of 24 2.0 May 12, 2006 Susan Trexel "almond_cakes" Near the great state of Idaho I saw this at the library and brought it home, thinking it might be interesting to watch. I very rarely watch films made after the 1950's, but this one looked as if it could be enjoyable. It ended up being only mildly enjoyable, and a bit boring. I felt that within all the time it ran, we didn't really get a good understanding of the inner being of the main characters; seemed to remain in shallow waters all along. The film was sort of good...pretty photography,and for the most part it seemed like the costumes, hair, way of speaking, etc. were accurate for the time period (so often such movies are so obviously modern people dressed up and pretending to be from way back when) but something just wasn't quite right, and it is hard to know exactly what it was. I was surprised and disappointed that there was quite a long scene with male nudity which to me was quite unnecessary and inappropriate. I think the whole swim scene could have been done effectively without showing full nudity. I am grateful the women in the film remained properly clothed. So I would not recommend this film for families with young children, because of the nudity. B000H7I6CU:this_disney_release_was_rushed.:m._ross B000H7I6CU Cars (Spanish Language Widescreen Edition): DVD: Cars dvd 2.0 November 18, 2006 M. Ross I'm a language teacher and I have a number of DVDs that I use at school as language tools. DVDs are great because they're inexpensive teaching aids when it comes to foreign languages...but only when the DVDs actually have other tracks than English. Nowadays practically every released movie has language tracks and sometimes subtitles in other languages but this DVD seems like a hearkening back to the dark ages when people were lucky just to get a movie on this format and no extra effort whatsoever was put into a movie's release on DVD. I was pretty disappointed to discover just as the DVD was shipping that it wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I suppose it's my fault for assuming, but I feel ripped off just the same B0006D3HGA:the_cell_phone_is_the_main_character:granite B0006D3HGA Cellular (New Line Platinum Series): DVD: Caroline Aaron,Brenda Ballard,Kim Basinger,Will Beinbrinck,Jessica Biel,Chase Bloch,Chelsea Bloch,Chantille Boudousque,Robin Brenner,Richard Burgi,Paige Cannon,Nikki Christian,John Churchill,Greg Collins (II),Valerie Cruz,Marco DiMaio,Eddie Driscoll,Tagert Ellis,Noah Emmerich,John Ennis,David R. Ellis dvd 0 of 6 2.0 April 17, 2006 granite Kim Basinger The most interesting part of this action movie is the centrality of the cell phone. The movie is a Nokia product placement, highlighting what awful danger you are in if you are not connected and, conversely, what a phone can do for you if you have one. The plot centers on Jessica (Kim Basinger) who is abducted because the bad guys think she has something that they need. Mystery #1: What is it? After lots of running/driving in various parts of L.A. the bad guys round up Jessica's family, while on the other end a pretty guy turned superhero and a would-be day spa owner cop are trying to help them. Mystery #2: how will the cell phone save the day? Mystery #3. Watch for the credits at the end of the film. They show up on a...? Yep, you got it B00006FDAU:horrible_dvd_transfer:chuckju B00006FDAU Exodus (1960): DVD: Paul Newman,Eva Marie Saint,Ralph Richardson,Peter Lawford,Lee J. Cobb,Sal Mineo,John Derek,Hugh Griffith,Gregory Ratoff,Felix Aylmer,David Opatoshu,Jill Haworth,Marius Goring,Alexandra Stewart,Michael Wager,Martin Benson,Paul Stevens,Betty Walker,Martin Miller,Victor Maddern,Otto Preminger dvd 6 of 8 1.0 January 22, 2006 chuckju Los Angeles, CA USA This is the WORST transfer of a movie (that is not a tape-to-tape before DVD bootleg) that I have ever seen. Many scenes in the daylight show a jiggling reflected lights, or so it appears, and lines dance around with the sound. It was so bad I thought it was in individual damaged DVD, until I read other reviews here and on IMDB. This is far worse than most cheapie transfers that are no longer owned but are in the public domain. At least in those instances they usually have the excuse that the print they are working from is old and worn. I have a much better video of Exodus on VHS tape in EP! And this movie is currently being offered at Amazon for $14.95. Don't bother! Tape it off TCM and you'll have a far higher quality visual record. As for the movie itself, despite good actors and one of the most wonderful music scores, it's very flat. Kirk Douglas would have been a far better choice than Newman, who acts like he just came off a binge after a losing pool streak. Nonetheless, it should not be sold with in lousy visual copies B0007ZHNBC:watered_down_unanswered_questions:b._graf B0007ZHNBC Ramtha: Create Your Day - An Invitation To Open Your Mind from Mark Vicente, director of What The Bleep Do We Know!?: DVD: Mark Vicente,Ramtha the Enlightened One dvd 10 of 15 1.0 August 24, 2006 B. Graf I unfortunately bought 4 of the ramtha dvds at the same time.. this was the best of them.. the others were pure wastes of money. While this one didnt answer many questions and ramtha takes forever to make a point. if you've seen "what the bleep" dont waste your time or money on these ramtha dvds. B0007ZHNBC:an_invitation_to_open_your_wallet...:joel_j._drouet_"zendude" B0007ZHNBC Ramtha: Create Your Day - An Invitation To Open Your Mind from Mark Vicente, director of What The Bleep Do We Know!?: DVD: Mark Vicente,Ramtha the Enlightened One dvd 12 of 25 1.0 August 17, 2006 Joel J. Drouet "Zendude" Cambridge Wow! Practice a few vapid platitudes and wield some handy aphorisms and woo-woo sounding phrases, change your voice, and you, too, can be a CHANNELER! For money! I'm definitely in the wrong occupation. Has anybody ever thought to question "Ramtha" on a few specifics that a 35,000 year old being from "Atlantis" should know? Did Ramtha's ancient society speak Indian-accented English? What an amazing stroke of luck! What did Ramtha's people do for agriculture and diet, how was his/her society structured, what tools did they use, and where was "Atlantis" precisely located? I'm certain that archaelogists and anthropologists could benefit from such knowledge that such a wise being could impart after miraculously surviving 35 millenia--or how many years precisely, and in what reckoning? Could Ramtha show us some writing samples in Atlantean script? Linguists could help here. Or--is it just possible that JZ Knight and her kind are great at pulling one over on us because we WANT and NEED to believe? Isn't that a more realistic explanation? What does that say about those who buy into this? B00003CXFV:pretty_woman_meets_toxic_tort:m._clemmensen_"mary" B00003CXFV Erin Brockovich: DVD: Julia Roberts dvd 4 of 10 2.0 January 23, 2006 M. Clemmensen "Mary" River Grove, IL United States Even though I would agree that "Erin Brockovich" is an entertaining movie, Julia Roberts performance in it is no more Oscar-worthy than was her performance of a prostitute in "Pretty Woman." I am second to no one in enjoying a good "David and Goliath" story, but this movie has such shaky roots in reality, it is more of a tall tale, than the "true" story of a historic class action suit that, I would imagine, left more unhappy plaintiffs, than it did satisfied ones. However, as the movie title implies, this is indeed Erin Brockovich's story, in the same way that the "Xena" character is the main attraction in "Xena: Warrior Princess" (though it should be noted that Xena's wardrobe is considerably more modest than that of the Erin Brockovich character). Erin Brockovich is a vain, brassy, boorish, single mother of three young children, with no marketable work skills, a transparently opportunistic manner, who dresses very much the same way as the prostitute character Roberts played in "Pretty Woman" (prior to Richard Gere's character taking her on the infamous Rodeo Drive shopping spree). The movie's beginning finds Erin unemployed and pursuing a personal injury lawsuit in connection with an automobile accident; her lawsuit is lost, primarily thanks to her own disastrous testimony (swearing, cursing and shrieking from the witness stand) while being questioned by opposing counsel. Unbelievably, Erin parlays the failed lawsuit into a job at her attorney's (played by Albert Finney) firm, mainly by pushing her way into the office and ensconcing herself at a desk. Later, while handling the paperwork for a run-of-the-mill, pro bono, real estate sale, Erin discovers the file contains the seller's medical records, that, for reasons she (correctly) does not understand, seem to be of particular interest to the buyer, the mega utility company, Pacific Gas and Electric. Erin independently embarks on her own personal investigation of the case and discovers that PG&E had (for decades) negligently contaminated the ground water (surrounding one of their power plants in/near Hinkley, CA on the edge of the Mojave Desert) with toxic, hexavalent chromium. This discovery leads to the queen mother of all class-action lawsuits (at least in terms of the award), in which hundreds of Hinkley residents sue PG&E (by and through the representation of Erin's boss) in a toxic tort action that eventually nets a 330 million dollar settlement for the plaintiffs. Roberts gives a photogenic, if not especially gifted, performance in her role as Erin. The movie contains a plethora of flattering shots of Roberts (literally gushing out skin-tight, low-cut, bustier-inspired "work clothes" that would never be permissible attire for any employee of a law firm on this planet) as she engages in warm and fuzzy discourses with the unsuspecting and unsophisticated Hinkley residents. While there is much to be said for Erin's apparent drive and tenacity as she pursues the plaintiffs in the suit, she is not an especially likeable character; rather, she is rude, verbally abusive and only conciliatory and kind when and if it serves her interests. Albert Finney is considerably more appealing and believable as Ed Masry, the aged and weary attorney who is Erin's boss. The bantering that occurs between the two is generally amusing; unfortunately thanks to the inept direction and camera work, the focus for these scenes seems to be more on Roberts (strutting about in short leather skirts and noisy, five-inched-heeled mules) than on the sometimes-interesting personality dynamics that seemingly exists between the two characters. Aaron Eckhart plays the affable, gentle biker and next-door-neighbor, George, who becomes Erin's boyfriend-by-convenience. The "convenience" factor is totally one-sided and for Erin's benefit exclusively; she unabashedly uses George for free, live-in childcare, thereby giving her the necessary freedom to assist Masry as they put together the historic case. Erin eventually winds up receiving a staggering two million dollar "bonus" check (from Masry) when the tort action case settles; contrastingly, George gets a "thanks" for his nanny services from Erin and his walking papers. The plaintiffs in the case are an assortment of simple individuals with unpretentious outlooks on life, who have been dealt a dirty hand by the utility giant. Though the Hinkley residents are sympathetically portrayed, make no mistake-this movie is about Erin Brockovich (indeed, I do not think there is a single scene in which the chacracter is not present) and less about the brave struggles with life-threatening, generation-spanning illnesses that the real-life plaintiffs were forced to face, due to the toxicity in their water source. Erin Brockovich is presented to the viewing audience (in typical Hollywood fashion) as a sort of heroine; but in fairness it would seem more accurate to say that she was a woman who indiscriminately used people, walked on others when necessary and seized opportunity after opportunity until she eventually struck it lucky and got rich. Is the movie entertaining-absolutely. Inspiring- not even slightly. B00009V7Q4:worst_workout_ever:m._williams B00009V7Q4 Crunch - Cardio Salsa: DVD: Giselle Roque de Escobar dvd 0 of 1 1.0 November 10, 2006 M. Williams Griffin, GA This is the worst Workout tape that I have ever purchase, the trainer switches moves to quick and doesnt explain what she is doing like she expects you to know before hand what she is about to do. I am personally gonna smash my copy of it. Only reason I gave it 1 star is because the ratings dont go lower B0001XAPY2:liked_this_one_the_least......:johnny_b._good B0001XAPY2 Porco Rosso: DVD: Sh ichir Moriyama,Tokiko Kato,Sanshi Katsura,Tsunehiko Kamij ,Greg Ellis (II),Akemi Okamura,Akio tsuka,Hiroko Seki,Rob Paulsen,Bobby Edner,Osamu Saka,Dee Bradley Baker,David Ogden Stiers,Kimberly Williams,Mickie McGowan,Jeff Bennett,Brian George,Frank Welker,Aimee Roldan,Bradley Pierce,Hayao Miyazaki,Tony Bancroft dvd 1 of 9 2.0 June 7, 2006 Johnny B. Good Seattle, WA maybe because I didn't like Porco. Everything was sub-par for me. Animation is definitely not as good as his later movies. Not enough weirdness, tried too much for the plot. Everything was just too ho-hum. As if he tried to carry the whole movie on Porco's shoulders. But once you got past the fact that everyone else was human and Porco was a pig there wasn't anything else there. B00020H9NO:gave_it_a_chance_but...:stone_"stone" B00020H9NO C.S.I. Miami - The Complete First Season: DVD: Mihai Mihalache dvd 1 of 5 2.0 May 7, 2006 Stone "Stone" I really did give this a chance but I can't say I like the show. It focuses more on the "police" aspect and less on the science, which differentiates the CSI series from most of the other garbage out there. I know David Caruso has his fans but I just can't appreciate him in this vehicle... B0006SGYL0:that's_the_grudge,_huh?:b._markey B0006SGYL0 The Grudge: DVD: Sarah Michelle Gellar,Jason Behr,William Mapother,Clea DuVall,KaDee Strickland,Grace Zabriskie,Bill Pullman,Rosa Blasi,Ted Raimi,Ryo Ishibashi,Yoko Maki (II),Yuya Ozeki,Takako Fuji,Takashi Matsuyama (II),Hiroshi Matsunaga,Hajime Okayama,Yoshiyuki Morishita,Kazuyuki Tsumura,Taiki Kobayashi,Junko Koizumi,Takashi Shimizu dvd 2.0 November 3, 2006 B. Markey Iowa This was not very good, in my opinion. The Ring scared the bejeezus outta me. This was not scary. Two weeks afterwards, I still find my mind wandering about one thing...why the heck didn't they just kick that little boy in the head and send him accross the room? If I walk into my house and see a half-naked boy meowing and hissing at me, I'm gonna flip him over my knee and give him a good spankin B000HA4WT8:you've_got_to_be_kidding_me:ka_"bearman" B000HA4WT8 The Fast and the Furious - Tokyo Drift (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Lucas Black (II),Brandon Brendel,Zachery Ty Bryan,Daniel Booko,David V. Thomas,Amber Stevens,Chris Astoyan,Ashika Gogna,Danny Ray McDonald II,Nikki Griffin,Lynda Boyd,Nathalie Kelley,Joey Crumpton,Bow Wow,Leonardo Nam,Jason J. Tobin,Keiko Kitagawa,Brian Tee,Sung Kang,Caroline de Souza Correa,Justin Lin dvd 3 of 11 1.0 October 21, 2006 KA "BearMan" NYC Metro While some movies require that you throw out your disbelief, I had a very hard time doing so with this movie. This movie was just plain stupid. They should have kept this film story in the states. Once everything moves over to Tokyo, the film plummets into inauthenticity the likes of which I haven't seen in a long time. I would have respected the film 1,000 times more had it ended when the main character goes to Japan. So let's get this straight, Japanese high school students act like American high school students? Lucas Black's character is simply told to go to a Japanese high school where he will simply pick up the language and make do? Everybody speaks English ? His father lives in a tiny apartment yet has a garage that's about double the size of his apartment? I would have much preferred subtitles and a story that felt, looked and sounded more Japanese. Japanese students are among some of the most polite students you will ever meet. The Japanese culture is steeped and immersed in being respectful, polite and dutiful. Real Japanese high school students would be embarassed by the way their culture was represented here. Actually they probably wouldn't be embarassed, they would laugh at the film's poor attempt in showing true or even remotely true Japanese culture. Japanese culture is not steeped in American hiphop and egocentric behavior and it's a pity so many Americans will see this film and actually think that Japanese students are just like American students. There would be nothing further from the truth. Japanese students do not act, look or sound like what was filmed here. Not by a long shot. Given my dislike of how the Japanese culture was handled in this film, it left me finding the plot irrelevant. The plot was OK but it would have been much better if they had either stuck to a more authentic representation of Japanese culture or kept the story in the states. 6305907110:downright_abyssmal:icactingstudent 6305907110 Down to You: DVD: Freddie Prinze Jr.,Julia Stiles,Selma Blair,Shawn Hatosy,Zak Orth,Ashton Kutcher,Rosario Dawson,Henry Winkler,Lucie Arnaz,Lauren German,Zay Harding,Chloe Hunter,Amanda Barfield,Granger Green,Joseff Stevenson,Jed Rhein (II),Bradley Pierce,Elizabeth Levin,Robin Nance,Lola Glaudini,Kris Isacsson dvd 2 of 4 1.0 February 19, 2004 icactingstudent Ithaca, NY United States I'm making an exception to my usual practice of not reviewing anything on amazon, due to the utter vileness of this movie. I saw it when it came out in theaters and hated it, and then a friend purchased the DVD and convinced me to give it a second chance... all in all, this movie ended up taking about four hours of my life that I will never get back. The performances are thin and uneven, the plot is inconsistent, and the dialogue sounds like it was pulled from fortune cookies made by the cast of Friends. To be fair, this movie does face several major obstacles. It has the misfortune to depend on the "acting" of glorified Ken doll Freddie Prinze, Jr. and the vastly overrated Julia Stiles, and in addition to trying to rise above these challenges, it also attempts to survive the intrusion of Ashton Kutcher. It fails on all counts. I do not hate the whole romantic comedy genre; nor do I hate the "teen" movie sub-genre, under which some would place "Down to You." (In fact, "Can't Hardly Wait" is one of my favorite movies.) I simply hate BAD movies, and this movie is a true abomination. If you enjoy the experience of wanting to drill into your own skull, then by all means, buy this DVD. If, however, you value your sanity, then please do not make the same mistake I did; stay far, FAR away from this movie B0007PIDB6:treasure_fans_beware!:baruch_weiss_"baruch" B0007PIDB6 Classic Cartoon Favorites - Extreme Music Fun: DVD: Pinto Colvig,Florence Gill,Walt Disney,Clarence Nash,Firehouse Five Plus Two,Burt Gillett,Jack Cutting,Wilfred Jackson,Jack Kinney,Jack King,Charles A. Nichols dvd 3 of 9 1.0 May 18, 2005 Baruch Weiss "Baruch" Chicago IL Many of these shorts on this DVD (as well as the other DVD's in this series) have been on the treasures allready so i recomend passing on these DVD's besides all the dirt and the bad restoration you'll see on the cartoons B000A2XCOY:pretty_revealing:jason_salamone B000A2XCOY WWE - The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior: DVD: Eric Bischoff,Ted DiBiase,Ric Flair,Bobby Heenan,Hulk Hogan,Chris Jericho,Jim Johnston (III),Jerry Lawler,Vince McMahon,Gene Okerlund,Bruce Pritchard,Jason Reso,Jim Ross (III),Randy Savage,Sergeant Slaughter,Warrior,Kevin Dunn (III) dvd 1.0 November 20, 2006 Jason Salamone This DVD exposes the Ultimate Warrior as 25% postitive and 75% negative. I do believe that Jim Hellwig does suffer from narcissm in relation to his ongoing identity crisis. Just another case of a wreslter who couldn't seperate himself from the character, and even still till this day as he is retired give speaches to colleges. The only thing that bothers me is that Jim Hellwig wasn't involved in this dvd to give his perspective and opinions. He was offered to participate and again offered to make his story heard before and after the fact. Jim Hellwig declined, & used it as another opportunity to initiate a lawsuit. This guy did make an impact in the wrestling world, but it was too shortlived. Fans can chalk it up as a cool memory, but unfortunately not one linked with any high level of respect like we can with Flair, Piper, Hogan, and the most respected of all The Undertaker B0002WZTDY:loaded_deck_shoots_blanks:elliot_james B0002WZTDY Ace High: DVD: Eli Wallach,Terence Hill,Bud Spencer,Brock Peters,Kevin McCarthy,Tiffany Hoyveld,Federico Boido,Livio Lorenzon,Armando Bandini,Steffen Zacharias,Remo Capitani,Bruno Corazzari,Enzo Santaniello,Franco Gul ,Riccardo Pizzuti,Edoardo Torricella,Roger Beaumont,Antonietta Fiorito,Maril Carteny,Aldo Sala,Giuseppe Colizzi dvd 9 of 10 1.0 August 6, 2004 Elliot James Miami Florida Considering the sensational cast (Eli Wallach, Terrence Hill, Bud Spencer, Kevin McCarthy and Brock Peters), the Euro-western era it was made in and the locations where it was shot, Ace High is a major disappointment. The plot is uninvolving and incoherent, the cinematography is cramped and completely lacking in style, the music is weak during a time that spawned so many memorable soundtracks and the direction lacks any focus whatsoever. The editing looks like it was performed with a butcher's knife. After the first ten minutes, I knew I'd made a mistake buying it. A boring 120 minute piece of junk, Ace High is hopelessly outgunned by any number of great Italian westerns including Corbucci's The Mercenary or Parolini's Sabata series. Save your fistful of dollars for a better film B000059PQ1:the_character_of_martha_dunstock:christabel_ermintrude_"sickbed_anarchist's_mum" B000059PQ1 Heathers (Limited Edition Tin): DVD: Winona Ryder,Christian Slater,Shannen Doherty,Lisanne Falk,Kim Walker,Penelope Milford,Glenn Shadix,Lance Fenton,Patrick Labyorteaux,Jeremy Applegate,Jon Shear,Carrie Lynn,Phill Lewis,Ren e Estevez,John Zarchen,Sherrie Wills,Curtiss Marlowe,Andrew Benne,Kevin Hardesty,Josh Richman,Michael Lehmann dvd 4 of 23 2.0 February 8, 2006 Christabel Ermintrude "sickbed anarchist's mum" London, UK Rather than give another general review as others have kindly done, my review focuses on one aspect of the film, indeed one character, that of Martha. Martha Dunstock is known throughout the film as Martha Dumptruck. Even the film credits include the nickname `Dumptruck' besides the character's surname (evidently feeling the need to labour the point). Portrayed as unattractive and pathetically grateful for any attention she is given, she unwittingly provides the Slater character with information enabling him to murder a student. Later, when the cult status of the `suicides' (that is, murdered students) becomes apparent, Martha attempts her own suicide by walking into the path of traffic. But her attempt is shown as a failure. At the end of the film Martha is bruised and now disabled, in an electric wheelchair. Ryder's character, having finished her voyage of self-realisation, rejects the school Prom night and instead invites Martha to stay in with a video and popcorn. Martha gratefully accepts and the closing scenes show Ryder walking along the corridor while Martha encircles her like a planet around the sun. The image of Martha in her wheelchair, an object of pity for Ryder and for the audience, signifies to us fears of being different, of not being beautiful, of not being loved and respected. Martha is the person we are all frightened of becoming. She is given no means of solving her predicament by the film maker. And though some of us in the audience may be fat, or disabled, or both, we may yet still fear Martha, and are invited to consider Ryder's protagonist's journey of self discovery as our own, even is in physical and social reality, we are more like Martha. For this reason, `Heathers' fails as an exploration of the `Hell' of High School ( a description often used by Buffy/Angel/ Firefly's Joss Whedon). Those in the audience NOT as thin and complying with Western standards of `beauty' as the protagonists (probably the majority of us) ultimately may find the so-called subversion of cruel hierarchy in this film just that little too shallow, leaving a bitter after-taste. The way `fat' people are portrayed in films such as these unfortunately often reflect the predictable, transparent and absurd fixations of the film makers. Sadly this is happening even today - in some ways it has gotten even worse since the Western World decided to wage a 'war on fat' (to quote Paul Campos) - and even at best it is lazy film-making. B00074CBDS:one_starr_is_far,_too_much:katherine_ludt_"bookstress" B00074CBDS Ring of Darkness: DVD: Colin Bain,Matt T. Baker,Adrienne Barbeau,Greg Cipes,Eric Dearborn,Jaclyn Gutierrez,Josh Hammond,Lil J,Jeremy Jackson,Stephen Martines,Jeff Peterson,Margarita Reyes,Ryan Starr,Mink Stole,Irina Voronina,Suzanne Whang,John Wynn (II),Jon Prutow,Jamisin Matthews,Michael Haboush,David DeCoteau dvd 2 of 4 1.0 July 29, 2005 katherine ludt "bookstress" madison, wisconsin United States Those of you who remember Ryan Starr from American Idol know why she quickly became "has been" material for VH1's the Surreal Life. Ryan Starr also happens to be the worst actress I have ever watched on film, television and or commercials. The director must have agreed with me becaue there are very few shots of Ryan that last more than 10 seconds at a time. Her dialogue is kept short and simple, and when she does have more than 3 lines at once, the complete lack of feeling, expression & emotion in her voice makes you consider turning off the movie and doing something worthwhile, like cleaning out the fridge or picking at your hang-nails. That is all I can say, I would really like to put this movie behind me and never speak of it again B0009Q0EMY:disingenuous_tripe:robert_m._penna_"dr._bob" B0009Q0EMY Girl Play: DVD: Robin Greenspan,Lacie Harmon,Mink Stole,Dom DeLuise,Katherine Randolph,Lauren Maher,Gina DeVivo,Shannon Perez,Dominic Ottersbach,Julie Briggs (II),Peter Ente,Graham T. McClusky,Skye Emerson,Jessica Golden,Lynn A. Henderson,Sara Bareilles,Lanre Idewu,Sean Thomas Russell,Brian To,Katlin Rivers,Lee Friedlander dvd 11 of 12 1.0 August 23, 2006 Robert M. Penna "Dr. Bob" Albany, NY Whatever else the GLTB community may find laudable about this waste of a video disk, the undeniable fact is that the cover blurbs coyly and disingenuously suggest that it is a comedy, and that is a boldfaced lie. Featuring world famous funny man Dom DeLuise, the movie is described as what happens when he casts real life lesbians in the roles of two on-stage lesbians...and "sparks fly." As it is, the only sparks that probably flew occurred when someone with greater sense tried to set fire to the master reels and destroy this boring piece of tripe. From the movie's self-proclaimed description, and with DeLuise in a major role, the comic possibilities that suggest themselves to the potential viewer are endless: Does DeLuise KNOW that the actresses are lesbians? Do the production's other members? Does that derail the production? What mayhem ensues? In point of fact, however, the single attempt at "comedy" comes from DeLuise's portrayal of the director as a prissy, fastidious old queen, pampered and catered to by his boy-toy assistant each time he gets the vapors and overheats. The bulk of the movie is essentially dull documentary monologue, as the "actresses" explain to the camera their respective experiences in being cast in the roles of on-stage lovers. Unfortunately, there is nothing endearing or even slightly interesting about either character and the result is a great bore. The few flashback scenes where the viewer actually sees the two characters practicing their on-stage roles under DeLuise's fevered direction come across as uncomfortably voyeuristic. There is an inescapable feeling that the camera, the viewer, AND DeLuise, are intruders. About the only thing that CAN be said about this film is that Director Lee Friedlander mercifully eschewed the usual Hollywood practice of casting preternaturally beautiful women in the lead roles, thereby adding at least a touch of reality to this otherwise banal effort; the lead actresses look like just any two women off the street. Other reviewers have commented on the bad, infomercial level acting of the two lead characters. Whether or not that is accurate depends upon whether the leads, Robin Greenspan and Lacie Harmon, are actually lesbians simply playing themselves. If so, then this IS bad acting. If the women are straight, however, one has to at least give them credit for convincing performances. Sadly, there is not much other credit to be given to anything else about this film. B0002HDXTQ:the_perfect_prescription_for_insomnia:regina_mcmenamin B0002HDXTQ Outfoxed - Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism: DVD: Cal Thomas,Jon Stewart,Steve Doocy,Christiane Amanpour,Laurie Dhue,Peter Jennings,Brian Kilmeade,Alan Colmes,Al Franken,Geraldo Rivera,Carl Cameron,David Brock (II),Richard Clarke (XII),Harry Belafonte,Roger Ailes,Eric Alterman,Martin Sheen,Dan Rather,Bill O'Reilly,Linda Vester,Robert Greenwald dvd 1.0 November 19, 2006 Regina McMenamin New York, NY Normally I love documentaries. I've watched hundreds of them and with one exception I have loved them all. However, OUTFOXED is the single most boring film I have ever seen. A relentless rant against Rupert Murdoch's cable news station, this film could possibly interest someone who is singlemindedly obsessed with Fox News, but I cannot imagine that anyone on earth is interested enough in Fox News to remain awake while watching this movie. Watching OUTFOXED makes me realize what a genius Michael Moore is. Whether you love him or hate him, whether you agree with him or not, you have to admit his films are entertaining. This film, however, is a major bore. - Regina McMenami B000068MA1:don't_be_"con"_vinced_into_watching_this:"kaykaybutterfly" B000068MA1 Con Express: DVD: Sean Patrick Flanery,Arnold Vosloo,Ursula Karven,Eyal Podell,David Lea,Joel West,Tim Thomerson,Ed Cameron,Michael Kagan,J. Patrick McCormack,Rodney Eastman,Chato,Loren Dennis,Michael Flynn,Frank Gerrish,Alisa Harris,Stevie Johnson,Sean Marble,Ken McConnell (II),Steve O'Neill,Terry Cunningham dvd 0 of 2 2.0 February 24, 2003 "kaykaybutterfly" collins, ny United States To be honest with you I thought the movie was really bad. the acting was ok but the only good part about the movie was that ricky (Rodney Eastman) was in the movie. (for about 5 mins) but i would not suggest renting this movie and waisting 4 dollars B000068MA1:insert_pun_with_word_"con"_here...:l._varnau_"nerff20" B000068MA1 Con Express: DVD: Sean Patrick Flanery,Arnold Vosloo,Ursula Karven,Eyal Podell,David Lea,Joel West,Tim Thomerson,Ed Cameron,Michael Kagan,J. Patrick McCormack,Rodney Eastman,Chato,Loren Dennis,Michael Flynn,Frank Gerrish,Alisa Harris,Stevie Johnson,Sean Marble,Ken McConnell (II),Steve O'Neill,Terry Cunningham dvd 2 of 2 2.0 January 23, 2003 L. Varnau "nerff20" Indy "Con Express" has lots of action in it, which is great because this hides the poor writing and uninteresting characters. Unfortunately, the action isn't enough, and in between stunt pieces and shoot-outs, the audience is tempted to doze off. City Heat Productions isn't really known for producing films of the highest quality, so usually I go easy on them. If this were a big-budget company producing this, I'd be inclined to pan it entirely. But I wasn't expecting much and got a little more than I bargained for. The action is, for the most part, pretty good but nothing competitive with your usual dumb action movie. Flanery and Vosloo are perfectly casted, but everyone else seems to stiff to add any more flow to the movie. Vosloo especially appears to be enjoying himself as an over-the-top bad guy hijacking a train containing deadly chemicals. The film moves fast and contains shades of better movies like Under Siege 2, Con Air, Spy Game, and Speed. If you liked those, you probably won't mind this one too much. Just go easy on it B00005JNEI:a_very_long_political_attack_ad:sox2004 B00005JNEI Fahrenheit 9/11: DVD: John Ashcroft (II),James Baker III,James Bath,Khalil Bin Laden,Stephen G. Breyer,Dan Briody,Richard Clarke (XII),Tom Daschle,Robert De Niro,John T. Doolittle,Byron Dorgan,Charles Gibson (II),Abdul Henderson,Peter Jennings,Matt Lauer,Lila Lipscomb,Ricky Martin,Tim Russert,Jack Webb dvd 2 of 5 1.0 October 3, 2006 Sox2004 New York I was trying to think of the best short description of what this is. Sure it's a propaganda film but that doesn't mean much to most people. However, most people have seen attack ads around election time. That's what this is, a very long political attack ad, full of all the things we commonly see in such ads: distortions, sarcasm, scary close ups, mood music, mocking tone, glaring omissions, out of context quotes, etc. That said, the most rewarding review so far must be the one by AT "DL" (New York), who basically condemns Michael Moore as pro-Bush because Fahrenheit 9/11 doesn't say Bush engineered 9/11 himself. What's next? A review that condemns AT "DL" (New York) as pro-Bush because his review didn't say that Bush flew the planes himself? Or that Bush is an alien who gave birth to Saddam and Osama on a UFO? Just when you think you've seen the craziest conspiracy theory .. B00026L75E:"golden_coach"_ruined_by_bad_mastering_at_end:l._irwin_"loicloic" B00026L75E Stage and Spectacle - Three Films by Jean Renoir (The Golden Coach / French Cancan / Elena and Her Men) - Criterion Collection: DVD: Anna Magnani,Odoardo Spadaro,Nada Fiorelli,Dante,Duncan Lamont,George Higgins,Ralph Truman,Gisella Mathews,Raf De La Torre,Elena Altieri,Paul Campbell,Riccardo Rioli,William Tubbs,Jean Debucourt,Lina Marengo,Giulio Tedeschi,Alfredo Medini,Renato Chiantoni,Rino,Alfredo Kolner,Jean Renoir dvd 8 of 10 1.0 August 6, 2004 L. Irwin "loicloic" Reston, VA USA The DVD for "The Golden Coach" is for the most part fine, but the final minutes, which are crucial to the full impact of the film, are ruined by deplorable mastering. The scene appears to be out of focus and the colors are washed out to the point of barely being able make out what is happening. I believe Criterion made some kind of mastering error, because Martin Scorsese's introduction to the film explicitly refers to the wonderful restored ending of the film. Criterion should withdraw the DVD and offer a replacement B000EQ5V8Q:not_worth_the_money,_or_the_time:d-sheri4 B000EQ5V8Q Steve Harvey - Don't Trip... He Ain't Through With Me Yet!: DVD: Steve Harvey,Rickey Smiley,Leslie Small dvd 1 of 3 2.0 August 21, 2006 d-sheri4 STEVE I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH STEVE'S PERFORMANCE. EVENTHOUGH IT TOOK A LOT OUT OF HIM TO REFRAIN FROM SWEARING, HIS MATERIAL TOWARDS THE END OF THE SHOW BEGAN TO DWINDLE TO THE POINT THAT IT JUST BECAME PLAIN IGNORANT, ESPECIALLY IN THE PART WHERE HE WAS EXPRESSING HOW HE WOULD "KILL SOMEONE", ETC., AND GLOATING BOUT IT. AFTER I BOUGHT IT, I LATER CAUGHT IT ON A CABLE NETWORK. GOD MAY NOT BE "THROUGH WITH HIM YET", BUT IT WILL BE UP TO HIM (STEVE) TO REPENT ON HIS OWN. THIS MAY BE GOOD HUMOR FOR A MORE COMPLACENT CHRISTIAN AUDIENCE B0000TG492:this_movie_is_a_clunker:dexbet_"dexbet" B0000TG492 I'll Be There: DVD: Joseph Alessi,Ravi Aujla,Marion Bailey,Ralph Brown,Charlotte Church,Dominic Cooper,Kieran Creggan,Louise Delamere,Poppy Elliott,Tom Ellis (II),Anthony Head,Phyllida Law,Ian McNeice,Spud Murphy,John Naismith,Stephen Noonan,Jemma Redgrave,Imelda Staunton,Danny Webb (IV) dvd 1.0 November 16, 2006 Dexbet "dexbet" Colchester, Vermont United States Wasted talent. None of the characters are believable in the roles they are portraying. Some funny stuff. Craig Ferguson can do better. Charlotte Church should stick to singing as acting is not her forte. Every thing in this movie seems forced and there is no chemistry between the characters B000C65Z1G:monumental_issues,_but_fails_to_convince:h._schneider B000C65Z1G The Constant Gardener (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Fernando Meirelles,Ralph Fiennes,Rachel Weisz,Hubert Kound ,Danny Huston,Daniele Harford,Packson Ngugi,Damaris Itenyo Agweyu,Bernard Otieno Oduor,Bill Nighy,Keith Pearson,John Sibi-Okumu,Donald Sumpter,Archie Panjabi,Nick Reding,Gerard McSorley,Juliet Aubrey,Jacqueline Maribe,Donald Apiyo,Pete Postlethwaite,Samuel Otage dvd 1 of 6 2.0 October 21, 2006 H. Schneider Liederbach, Germany I have been a Le Carre fan until the end of the Cold War. I somehow still managed to follow him later for some time. But now it is over, definitely. I disliked this novel, and the movie is obnoxious. Rachel Weisz is quite ridiculous in her part. Which idiot nominated her for her Oscar is beyond the point. Zellweger got an Oscar for an even more horrible performance recently, in the otherwise quite acceptable Cold Mountain. And even the otherwise great Blanchett had to turn in an awful performance in The Aviator to get one. (Why can these nice girls not get one for one of their good movies?) My conclusion: this world is strange. It has no idea what is good and what not. B000777I88:profoundly_unfunny_and_completely_unwatchable_film.:j._lee_"conservative_catholic" B000777I88 Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead: DVD: Tom Stoppard,Gary Oldman,Tim Roth,Richard Dreyfuss,Livio Badurina,Tomislav Maretic,Mare Mlacnik,Srdjan Soric,Mladen Vasary,Zeljko Vukmirica,Branko Zavrsan,Joanna Roth,Iain Glen,Donald Sumpter,Joanna Miles,Ljubo Zecevic,Ian Richardson,Sven Medvesek,Vili Matula,John Burgess,Serge Soric dvd 2 of 27 1.0 February 19, 2006 J. Lee "Conservative Catholic" Palisades Park, NJ Completey and utterly unfunny performances by Oldman and Roth. Stoppard may be a brilliant playwright but a filmmaker he is not, having botched a great potential for his play on the big screen. We get instead a literal and utterly uncinematic treatment of his much-touted play. Watching the first fifteen minutes of "heads, heads, heads, heads, heads, heads, heads, heads, heads," is colossal torture, like status elipticus. It's suited to the stage maybe but can never play well on the big screen. Having hopes it might pick up, that was dashed as the entire film seem to lack any momentum or any type of cinematic sensibility whatsoever. A classic blunder of failing to recognize two different mediums. Don't take my word for it, watch it yourself and see. B00005RFGP:the_incrowd_is_out.....:john_q._public_television_"pbs_supporter" B00005RFGP The In Crowd: DVD: Susan Ward,Lori Heuring,Matthew Settle,Nathan Bexton,Tess Harper,Laurie Fortier,Kim Murphy,Jay R. Ferguson,A.J. Buckley,Katharine Towne,Charlie Finn,Ethan Erickson,Erinn Bartlett,Peter Mackenzie,Daniel Hugh Kelly,Heather Stephens,Joanne Pankow,Taylor Negron,David Reinwald,Scot M. Sanborn,Mary Lambert dvd 2 of 3 2.0 January 20, 2005 John Q. Public Television "PBS supporter" USA Susan Ward,coming out of daytime and primetime soaps on TV, gave movie acting a try with this rather lame picture from AOL Films. Director Mary Lambert tries and fails to give us a Basic Instinct story with zero script and while this was a studio pictures, it looks like Warners gave them a fairly low budget to work with. As the lack of film sets show. If you like Susan Ward, then give this a movie a try, if you want to hope that she gets better film roles in the future, DON"T FIND IT HERE B000A6T2KS:the_tyler_pery_collection:tlr_in_pa_"tlr" B000A6T2KS The Tyler Perry Collection (I Can Do Bad All By Myself/Madea's Class Reunion/Meet the Browns/Madea's Family Reunion): DVD: Tyler Perry Collection dvd 0 of 2 1.0 November 3, 2006 TLR in PA "TLR" Chester County, PA I ordered these, and several other movies from the Tyler Perry Collection, only to find that they were not actual movies but on-stage plays. I returned them and was charged a high restocking fee. Not OK! No where in the description was mention of them being stage plays. I will order my CD's and DVD's from another source in the future. B000CEV3VE:is_the_dvd_cover_familiar_to_you?:tomer_cooper_"tomercoop" B000CEV3VE Twilight Live: DVD: The Twilight Singers dvd 1 of 26 1.0 June 19, 2006 Tomer Cooper "tomercoop" Givat-Shmuel,Israel This is a pure Rip-Off from the cover of Aerosmith's Live Bootleg album from 1978...Where's the shame? Too bad Twilight are not original enough to come up with their own cover. In another words, this DVD is pretty suck and the originality here is nowhere to be found...Especially on the cover art that they stole from a much bigger band. B0009KQOOM:dead_movie:michael_butts B0009KQOOM Dead Women in Lingerie: DVD: John Romo,Maura Tierney,Jerry Orbach,Dennis Christopher,June Lockhart,Lyle Waggoner,Maria Strova,Teresa Gonz lez (II),Dakota Sal,Laura Harring,Ken Osmond,Frazer Smith,James Evan Arnold,Peter Devaney Flanagan,Travis McKenna,Erica Fox dvd 1.0 November 16, 2006 Michael Butts Martinsburg, WV USA Shame on talented actors like Maura Tierney and Jerry Orbach for their involvement in this laughably bad mystery movie. Uninspired direction with a trite and convoluted script combine with terrible acting to make a movie that has little to recommend it. "Star"/co-writer John Romo is one of the worst leading men to come around the bend in some time, and this is his only film, and I can see why. He plays a private investigator who finds himself looking into the murders of several lingerie models whose underwear was designed by Tierney, who also works in a local factory run by Orbach. Dennis Christopher shows up as a seedy illegal alien investigator; and June Lockhart and Lyle Waggoner lend their names to supporting roles as Tierney's estranged parents. The movie professes to make some statement on the poor treatment of immigrants but it's so shoddily included, it makes no statement at all. Little heard of movie; I can see why B000EGDAM0:fake_"dog_whisperer"_-_studious_ignorance:celticraven7 B000EGDAM0 Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan - Stories from Cesar's Way: DVD: Cesar Millan,Mark Cole (II),Jim Milio,SueAnn Fincke dvd 1 of 25 1.0 September 17, 2006 CelticRaven7 also with a great problem solving section Cesar Milan, the so-called 'dog whisperer', bases his training methods on a dog behavior model that is so out of date as to be archaic - from the dinosaur age. He teaches that dogs base all their behavior on their pack status, and that you need to use painful 'corrections' to convince them that you are Alpha. This idea hasn't the slightest shred of evidence going for it. Yes, dogs do have dominance roles, but that hasn't the slightest thing to do with problem behaviors. Dogs do 'bad' doggy behaviors because they work. Dog guards his food bowl? Dog wants to keep food and knows that growling keeps you away. Dog pulls on the leash? Dog wants to get somewhere faster and knows that pulling speeds things up. The dog doesn't care whether or not you're alpha; he only cares that what he's doing works to get him what he wants. Technically, Cesar's methods work. But they use force, fear, and pain to teach the dog, when you can teach the same things faster with the proper positive motivation and non-forceful techniques. I have three hyper, active, highly driven Border Collies, and they're all very obedient and mannerly. They don't haul me around the leash, nor do they leap at guests, nor do they ignore me when I tell them something. And I don't need to be 'Alpha' to get them that way; neither does anyone else. I strongly suggest that you don't buy this item. Good books to start with are Karen Pryor's 'Getting Started: Clicker Training for Dogs', Melissa Alexander's 'Click for Joy!' (also with a great problem solving section), and Jean Donaldson's 'The Culture Clash'. You can easily have a happy, obedient, well behaved dog without causing him fear and pain B000FZETIE:agree_with_should_have_stayed_lost:adel_altamimi_"carrie" B000FZETIE Chappelle's Show - The Lost Episodes (Uncensored): DVD: Chappelle's Show dvd 1 of 1 1.0 August 21, 2006 Adel AlTamimi "Carrie" Qatar I agree, these were not used in the first two seasons for a good reason, they are not that good. OK, there is maybe one or two slightly funny sketches but it is not worth buying. I love Charlie Murphy and the Ashy guy and I think they could have done more with these guys to make it funny. Dave, come back to TV B0001CNQX0:movie_great,_dvd_substandard:c._lash B0001CNQX0 My Family: DVD: Jimmy Smits,Edward James Olmos,Esai Morales,Eduardo L pez Rojas,Elpidia Carrillo,Jenny Gago,Enrique Castillo,Rafael Cort s,Ivette Reina,Amelia Zapata,Jacob Vargas,Emilio Del Haro,Abel Woolrich,Le n Singer,Rosalee Mayeux,Alicia del Lago,Thomas Rosales Jr.,Anthony Gonzalez,Cassandra Campos,Michael Gonzalez (III),Gregory Nava dvd 1 of 1 2.0 February 2, 2006 C. Lash The sound on this DVD is absolutely horrible. The dialogue is at a much lower volume than the music and sound effects, making it impossible to view without constantly tinkering. I also have the VHS, on which the sound is perfect, so I can still watch this wonderful movie. But I would sure like to get my money back for the DVD B00006CXGF:this_review_is_more_about_the_movie_transfer_than_the_movie:w._alcaraz_"just_a_guy" B00006CXGF Panic Room (Superbit Collection): DVD: Jodie Foster,Kristen Stewart,Forest Whitaker,Dwight Yoakam,Jared Leto,Patrick Bauchau,Ann Magnuson,Ian Buchanan,Andrew Kevin Walker,Paul Schulze,Mel Rodriguez,Richard Conant,Paul Simon (II),Victor Thrash,Ken Turner (IV),Nicole Kidman,David Fincher dvd 1 of 1 2.0 October 17, 2006 W. Alcaraz "Just a guy" San Diego, CA This review is more about the "SuperBit" transfer of the movie to DVD than the movie itself. The movie itself is great and I highly recommend it. However, the transfer on to this 2002 "SuperBit" version is very lacking in several areas. The SUPERBIT idea is a good one that is poorly executed on this transfer. The original intent was to maximize video and audio quality by limiting or even eliminating extra features (like trailers, documentaries, featurettes, and "Making-Of" snippets) to reserve space such that the movie can be presented in the highest quality. They have failed to do that here. The video and audio quality are not what they could be. First, the movie is encoded onto a DVD-9 RSDL disc. This means the DVD is capable of storing 9.5 GB of data. However, not even 6 GB is used. As a result, the video and audio quality is not what it could be. "Panic Room" is a 112 minute movie. Any movie that is 2 hours long or less should be able to easily fit on a DVD-9 disc at maximum encoding rate, provided no extra features are placed on the disc. The maximum video encoding rate to fit a 2 hour (or less) movie onto a DVD-9 disc is 9.8 Mbps. However, this SuperBit version averages only 6.5 Mbps. This SuperBit version offers audio encoding in 3 types: Dolby 2.0 Surround 192kbps, Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS 5.1. At first glance this is great news, until you discover that the DTS encoding isn't as high quality as it could be. The DD 2.0 Surround is presented at a bitrate of 192bkps as expected. So is the DD 5.1 at the expected 384kbps rate. DTS 5.1 can go as high as 1536 kbps, but on this disc is presented at only 768 kbps. This is unsatisfactory given the fact that one-third of the available disc space of the DVD-9 isn't even used. The DTS encoding rate should be at least 1024 kbps for a movie like this. This would represent a 33% increase in filespace for the audio portion, but a much larger increase in audio quality to the human ear. The filespace increase would be only about 256 MB, which is very reasonable when you have over 3 GB of space not even being used. If they had encoded "Panic Room" on this SuperBit disc at an average video bitrate of 9.5 Mbps, and removed the trailers and features, they would have had enough space to present all three audio encodings above, especially the DTS 5.1 encoding at the 1024 kbps rate I stated. Such an encoding process would have used 9.4 GB of the 9.5 GB of available space. A much better way to fill up the DVD-9 disc and adhere to the spirit of the SuperBit ideal. The result would have been a movie encoded to DVD-9 at a much higher video and audio quality than what was presented on this disc. I notice that they will be offering a repackaged SuperBit version in October 2006. Hopefully that version will fix the flaws I just mentioned and present the movie in the highest encoding rate both video-wise and audio-wise. It might even offer the better DD-EX 6.1 and DTS-ES 6.1 audio encodings for that extra rear center channel that many A/V receivers can process now. Another thing I am noticing is that many times, for popular movies, they are released them in 2-disc editions. The first disc contains only the movie and the second disc is all the extra stuff. If the movie contains both DD and DTS encodings on the first disc, with a very high video bitrate of 9.0 Mbps or greater, it is already in the SuperBit mold. B00006CXGF:zero_stars:_fincher,_what_exactly_were_you_thinking?:tyler_finlheir B00006CXGF Panic Room (Superbit Collection): DVD: Jodie Foster,Kristen Stewart,Forest Whitaker,Dwight Yoakam,Jared Leto,Patrick Bauchau,Ann Magnuson,Ian Buchanan,Andrew Kevin Walker,Paul Schulze,Mel Rodriguez,Richard Conant,Paul Simon (II),Victor Thrash,Ken Turner (IV),Nicole Kidman,David Fincher dvd 1 of 10 1.0 March 28, 2006 Tyler Finlheir Nevada I got nothing to say. Was this supposed to be intense? Was this supposed to be a thriller? It was boring. Horrible acting, except for Forest Whitaker: but even he couldn't save this one. Pure Fincher? Pure trash. Horrible, horrible, horrible. Quite possibly one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I am just too upset to type, I can't believe I actually waisted my time with this B000089QF3:femme_fatales_or_very_lame?:film_noir_fedora B000089QF3 8 femmes: DVD: Fran ois Ozon,Danielle Darrieux,Catherine Deneuve,Isabelle Huppert,Emmanuelle B art,Fanny Ardant,Virginie Ledoyen,Ludivine Sagnier,Firmine Richard,Dominique Lamure dvd 1 of 14 1.0 May 1, 2006 Film Noir Fedora Terrible direction, terrible writing, it almost feels like the director didn't know what he was working with. Although this movie wanted to be in the same race and quality of the movie CLUE, it fails to realize that the plot and characters are incredibly riculous and not funny ha ha but funny stupid. It was a total watse of good celluloid B0001V6ZJ8:pan_and_scan_-_dvd_is_not_letterbox!:can_can't_"can_can't" B0001V6ZJ8 Moulin Rouge: DVD: Jos Ferrer,Zsa Zsa Gabor,Suzanne Flon,Claude Nollier,Katherine Kath,Muriel Smith,Mary Clare,Walter Crisham,Lee Montague,Jim G rald,Georges Lannes,Harold Kasket,Maureen Swanson,Tutte Lemkow,Jill Bennett,Theodore Bikel,Peter Cushing,Charles Carson,Walter Cross,Colette Marchand,John Huston dvd 4 of 5 1.0 September 25, 2004 Can Can't "Can Can't" Redondo Beach, CA The film deserves 5 stars but the DVD only gets 1. Why: no letterbox format. After waiting years for this fabulous film to come out on DVD, why would they give us full screen / pan & scan? Yes, the quality and color are great but oh, what we're missing on the sidelines B0001HAGSI:dissapointed:tara_innes B0001HAGSI The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love: DVD: Laurel Holloman,Maggie Moore,Kate Stafford,Sabrina Artel,Toby Poser,Nelson Rodr guez (II),Dale Dickey,Nicole Ari Parker,Andrew Wright,Katlin Tyler,Anna Padgett,Chelsea Catthouse,Stephanie Berry,Babs Davy,John Elsen,Lillian Kiesler,Maryette Charlton,Maria Maggenti dvd 6 of 11 2.0 September 26, 2005 Tara Innes Washington DC USA Many people had reccomended this movie to me but it failed to live up to its reputation. The quality of the film-making was aweful, the acting bad to the point of utter ridiculousness, and the script read like a cross between a psychotherapists analysis and one of those pulp romance novels about angsty teenagers. It gets some credit toward the end for showing some self-awareness of how silly and dramatic the whole thing was. There were some cute moments, and it was interesting to see the humble roots of one of the big L word ladies, but don't go into this movie expecting a highly polished end product 6305428263:sorry,_spy_hard_is_a_waste_of_time:j._g._laws 6305428263 Spy Hard: DVD: Leslie Nielsen,Nicollette Sheridan,Charles Durning,Marcia Gay Harden,Barry Bostwick,John Ales,Andy Griffith,Elya Baskin,Mason Gamble,Carlos Lauchu,Stephanie Romanov,Joyce Brothers,Hulk Hogan,Ray Charles,Roger Clinton,Robert Culp,Fabio,Robert Guillaume,Pat Morita,Alexandra Paul,Rick Friedberg dvd 3 of 12 2.0 October 8, 2005 J. G. Laws Decatur, AL USA I love Leslie Nielsen, but this movie is not funny. His better movies are Wrongfully Accused and the Naked Gun movies B00009Y3QE:quack,quack!:david_baldwin B00009Y3QE The Hospital: DVD: George C. Scott,Diana Rigg,Barnard Hughes,Richard A. Dysart,Stephen Elliott,Andrew Duncan,Donald Harron,Nancy Marchand,Jordan Charney,Roberts Blossom,Lenny Baker,Richard Hamilton,Arthur Junaluska,Kate Harrington,Katherine Helmond,David Hooks,Frances Sternhagen,Robert Walden,William Perlow,Bette Henritze,Arthur Hiller dvd 5 of 16 2.0 January 7, 2005 David Baldwin Philadelphia,PA USA "The Hospital" as well-crafted as it is is a wholly unpleasant viewing experience. It is not so much a dark comedy but a mean-spirited one. I was a fan of Paddy Chayefsky's "Network" and at least that film had a little bit of light to compensate for the darkness. I'm led to believe that Chayefsky must have had a bad experience with the medical profession and this resulted in him skewering it as a whole. If George C.Scott's character is supposed to be the voice of reason why is it that when he's not brooding, drinking, or contemplating suicide he's off on some rant? Diana Rigg is completely wasted in this film. Her whole purpose here seems to be to sport a short mini-skirt and be ravaged by Scott's character. The film is also not helped by the lead-footed direction of Arthur Hiller. The medical profession can be lampooned but don't look for it in this uneven tirade of a film B0007OCG6U:big,biggest_bigot!:bobby_g_"bob" B0007OCG6U All in the Family - The Complete Fourth Season: DVD: Jason Wingreen,Vincent Gardenia,Brendon T. Dillon,Bill Quinn,Allan Melvin,Danny Dayton,Walter C. Miller,Norman Lear,Bud Yorkin,Norman Campbell,Hal Cooper,Michael Kidd,Bob Livingston,Bob LaHendro,Wes Kenney dvd 1 of 1 2.0 July 24, 2006 Bobby G "Bob" Cape Town,South Africa I live in South Africa where the series appeared 20 years ago.Thanks to Amazon I was able to relive the wonder of Archie Bunker where each episode provides laughs from one of the family,each of whom is brilliantly cast.I have series 3&4 and now want 1&2.Don't wait any longer,24 episodes of absolute delight await you B00003CWLI:there's_no_person_like_this_person:brian_throckmorton B00003CWLI Annie Get Your Gun: DVD: Howard Keel,Betty Hutton dvd 5 of 21 2.0 January 14, 2005 Brian Throckmorton Lexington KY Betty Hutton has a colossal amount of energy. She seems to be doing everything she possibly can to be entertaining. She's a good sport about a funny but unflattering getup in her early hayseed numbers. Her voice is sturdy, durable, indestructible. But oh my God, her acting choices ... She and the Indians are stampeding around with performances far too broad for the medium of film (whereas Buffalo Bill, allegedly a larger-than-life character, looks like a corpse by comparison, and Howard Keel, in only his second film, must manage to act like these are human beings he's relating to). Take a look at Betty Hutton's reaction upon seeing Howard Keel for the first time -- the mugging would be considered "a bit much" if seen from the back row of an amphitheater. At best, her performance is clownlike; at worst, it's apelike. Little of her performance overlaps with what we know as humanity. It's a magnificent effort, and a stunning testimony to her desire to please, but her comedy has no reality, no nuance, no connection to any sincere emotion. She seizes on "hick" and drives that into the ground, then she plays nothing but "infatuated" for a while before toggling to "resentful" and so forth ... It's a series of masks and set pieces, but it's not a character. Judy Garland was in sad shape at that point in her life, but even then she would have been able to find the vulnerability flickering behind Annie's rootin'-tootinest moments, and she wouldn't have neglected Annie's grit even in the melting sentimental scenes. Nobody can do vulnerability like Judy, and yet few are identified so strongly as survivors -- both qualities that would serve this character. Annie could be a wonderful character, a great self-conflicted mess of strength, longing, guts, femininity, skill, naivete and worldiness, all trying to cohere into a woman who can win her man -- but instead Betty Hutton makes her a pop-eyed, crude cartoon with the subtlety of an iron skillet. I am surprised that Hutton didn't insist on doing the role with a couple of teeth blacked out. Maybe they just wouldn't let her. The scenes where she tries to read out loud are compelling for the way they illustrate someone playing for a cheap laugh, oblivious to any further potential the character and situation might provide. I kept replaying scenes over and over in awe before moving on, and the memory of Betty Hutton's performance is branded on my brain, but it's because this performance seems like it's following the traditions of some other culture, some other world. It's like going to a sideshow. That said, the tunes are a non-stop parade of hits -- there probably isn't any other show in which the composer so successfully nails so many numbers one after another, in wildly different styles, with effective melodies worth remembering. The classic tunes just keep coming. The movie works as spectacle and songfest, and as a startling specimen of what audiences would swallow in the days before political correctness. But if you're looking for a portrayal of a woman with genuine feelings and motivations, you might be distracted by the gorgeous blonde chimpanzee who steals all her scenes. B00004Y6A6:embarrasing_to_watch.:gordon_c._tait B00004Y6A6 The Stuff: DVD: Michael Moriarty,Andrea Marcovicci,Garrett Morris,Paul Sorvino,Scott Bloom,Danny Aiello,Patrick O'Neal,James Dixon,Alexander Scourby,Russell Nype,Gene O'Neill,Catherine Schultz,James Dukas,Peter Hock,Colette Blonigan,Robert Frank Telfer,Brian Bloom,Harry Bellaver,Beth Tegarden,Ann Dane,Larry Cohen dvd 0 of 1 1.0 October 5, 2006 Gordon C. Tait OSNABRUCK, OSNABRUCK Germany I have to disagree with the reviews above and say that I watched this movie on dvd having watched it as a kid twenty years ago. Unfortunately I couldn't find anything about this film I remember enjoying. It's a cross between The Blob, The Thing and a really crap detective movie. Moriarty's character is pretty smooth but the film culminates in a farce reminicent of an 80's kiddy movie. This film is definetly not for intelligent adults and you'll lose interest halfway through I guarantee it. No suspense, few laughs, and way to hokey to watch twice. If you love this movie you need to get out more. B00004Y6A6:a_b-movie_with_a_little_more_substance:risa_reif_"ninja_chick" B00004Y6A6 The Stuff: DVD: Michael Moriarty,Andrea Marcovicci,Garrett Morris,Paul Sorvino,Scott Bloom,Danny Aiello,Patrick O'Neal,James Dixon,Alexander Scourby,Russell Nype,Gene O'Neill,Catherine Schultz,James Dukas,Peter Hock,Colette Blonigan,Robert Frank Telfer,Brian Bloom,Harry Bellaver,Beth Tegarden,Ann Dane,Larry Cohen dvd 3 of 3 2.0 April 25, 2005 Risa Reif "Ninja Chick" Denver CO America Michael Moriarity is my hero! He is just one of the coolest actors in my opinion. He has done such great B-movies as this, Q, and It's Alive 3: Island of the Alive. How awesome is he?? Anyways, I think that this movie was hilarious! I think a lot of people take this movie too seriously, thinking that it is going to be your typical movie. But you shouldn't because not only is this a B-movie, but IT IS supposed to be funny. My favorite part is when "the stuff" started bubbeling out of the ground and that old hick guy just starts eating it. Who would do that?? I just started laughing by butt off when that happened. So if you watch this movie, just sit back and enjoy it for what it's worth, don't be too critical on it. What I learned from The Stuff: Dairy products are evil! Especially if they come from with in the earth! If you like The Stuff, I recommend: Watching other B-movies, such as Island of the Alive 3, Zombi 3 and 4, etc B00004U8JV:what_a_letdown!:brian_maki_"imaki" B00004U8JV The Lost World - Jurassic Park (Widescreen Collector's Edition): DVD: Ian Abercrombie,Richard Attenborough,Camilla Belle,Vanessa Lee Chester,Thomas F. Duffy,Jeff Goldblum,Arliss Howard,Harvey Jason,Joseph Mazzello,Julianne Moore,Ross Partridge,Pete Postlethwaite,Ariana Richards,Thomas Rosales Jr.,Robin Sachs,Richard Schiff,Peter Stormare,Cyndi Strittmatter,Vince Vaughn dvd 3 of 4 2.0 January 16, 2006 Brian Maki "iMaki" Eagan, MN I love Jeff Goldblum, but he didn't carry this film. The film was ruined for me the second Julane Moore (yuck!) and the ridiculous, lame token Black daughter of Goldblum showed up no doubt to satisfy nauseating political correctness in Hollywood all at the expense of this bust of a film. It's obviously too much to ask for a white protagonist to actually have a white daughter. What a concept. It just added to the disbelief of the characters (stay Goldblum), the storyline, and the ultimate letdown of this much anticipated sequel. Jurassic Park III wasn't much better B00005JNTX:great_visuals_but_couldn't_stomach_the_horrible_dialogue:d._wells_"the_black_tortoise" B00005JNTX Sin City: DVD: Robert Rodriguez,Frank Miller (II),Jessica Alba,Devon Aoki,Alexis Bledel,Powers Boothe,Rosario Dawson,Benicio Del Toro,Michael Clarke Duncan,Carla Gugino,Josh Hartnett,Rutger Hauer,Jaime King,Michael Madsen,Brittany Murphy,Clive Owen,Mickey Rourke,Nick Stahl,Bruce Willis dvd 1 of 3 2.0 November 8, 2006 D. Wells "the Black Tortoise" New York I am a big fan of Frank Miller's work and I loved reading the graphic novels the movie was adapted from. When I saw this film I was blown away by the visuals. It had an amazing graphic style that was very different than anything I had seen in a movie before. Having mentioned it's good points I have to say I was enormously disappointed with the dialogue and some of the story adaptation to screen. It seems to me those involved in the screenplay and production were too concerned with adapting this in an overly faithful manner from the graphic novel to the big screen. For the most part the bad dialogue and some of the terrible acting in parts were just too painful to sit through. I had to keep checking to see if my ears were bleeding yet. Each extraordinarily bad line or horribly acted sequence made we wince like I was being mugged. What works in a graphic novel doesn't necessarily work as well when adapted directly to screen without a bit more adaptation than you'll see here. All the characters were severely and tragically 2-dimensional with none of the depth you get from reading the graphic novel and very little attention was paid to developing better dialogue suitable for a big screen experience. Also, many of the big name actors in this movie were capable of much better performances than they displayed here. Purists and rabid fans of the graphic novel may be capable of somehow finding a way to look past all the terrible acting and awful dialogue that is rife throughout the film. However, my bottom line opinion is it's a good film to watch for the visual look only, but you will almost certainly enjoy it far more if you keep the 'mute' button on. This film had the potential to be truly great but it is extremely disappointing that it fell so far short of that mark B00004RYAR:big_name_cast_adds_up_to_unfocussed_dud._the_worst_movie_of_this_genre.:benito_vasquez_"benji" B00004RYAR A Time to Kill: DVD: Joel Schumacher,Matthew McConaughey,Sandra Bullock,Samuel L. Jackson,Kevin Spacey,Oliver Platt,Charles S. Dutton,Brenda Fricker,Donald Sutherland,Kiefer Sutherland,Patrick McGoohan,Ashley Judd,Tonea Stewart,Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly,Darrin Mitchell,LaConte McGrew,Devin Lloyd,John Diehl,Chris Cooper,Nicky Katt,Doug Hutchison dvd 1 of 3 2.0 August 6, 2006 Benito Vasquez "Benji" Naperville, Il Incredible does describe this movie- incredibly bad! This movie doesn't know what it wants to be. At times one can see attempts to recreate and milk the genuine rage and drama of "Mississippi Burning" or the anger and impunity of "Ghosts of Mississippi", or a hybrid of those and bits and pieces of other movies of this genre. At other times it looks like its just trying to draw from the sex appeal and cheesy interaction of 2 of its main actors, Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock. As a result this movie picks up the rear in that genre's list of movies for lack of originality, and the scattered hodge podge statements it tries to make. Some of my favorite actors are wasted, either by being given cliched dialogue, over acting, or being put there merely for their brand name with no script to support their presence. If this script is considered a great adaptation of a great book, then I have no interest in reading the book. I'm sure the idea and the premise looked good on paper. But the direction doesn't guide the story with any coherence or identity of its own. Bullock is mere cheesecake and is unbelievable in her role, proving she's only worthy of b-grade "Miss Congeniality" type crud. McConaughey over acts so much (as can be said for Keifer Sutherland and others) that it can be said he balances out the under acting of Patrick McGoohan, Kevin Spacey and Donald Sutherland. Samuel L. Jackson should be ashamed of himself of not only his worst performance ever, but also easily his worst choice of movies to participate in. Even the extras in this movie are horrible. Enough can't be said about the terrible direction in this movie, equating elongated facial shots with drama to a fault, making Sergio Leone westerns look much more authentic by comparison. This is not "a powerful film." It's a powerful attempt at using a big name cast, a brand name book and a capable director to use material that they know would easily jerk the emotions of its audience, and in doing that they resort to all the cliches of this genre scattering the story line in so many directions, culminating in an over the top, pleading hunk of cheese summation scene by McConaughey that wouldn't hold water in any real court of justice. Maybe people claim greatness to this movie out of guilt, or because they haven't seen quality comparisons and classics like "Mississippis Burning," that has both a great script and fabulous acting. I don't know. All I know is it tugs from so many hokey directions it takes the final scene to remind everyone how it started. Among the top of my most over rated movies B00005KH30:sucks!:cryptoemt B00005KH30 Basket Case (20th Anniversary Special Edition): DVD: Chris Babson,Ilze Balodis,Beverly Bonner,Diana Browne,Kerry Buff,Joe Clarke,Bill Freeman,Sean McCabe,Ruth Neuman,Maria T. Newland,Lloyd Pace,Richard Pierce (II),Tom Robinson,Florence Shultz,Mary Ellen Shultz,Terri Susan Smith,Dorothy Strongin,Kevin Van Hentenryck,Robert Vogel dvd 2 of 6 1.0 June 11, 2006 cryptoEMT Cajun Country Unless you enjoy movies that are not funny, not scary, and have the worst actors this side of rodeo clowns, DO NOT WATCH this series of horrible flicks. Putrid! Not even "so-bad-it's-funny". Absolutely the worst films in the history of mankind! Heed my warning! SUCKS!! B00005KH30:cult_classic...please,_a_waste_of_my_childhood:syed_"syed" B00005KH30 Basket Case (20th Anniversary Special Edition): DVD: Chris Babson,Ilze Balodis,Beverly Bonner,Diana Browne,Kerry Buff,Joe Clarke,Bill Freeman,Sean McCabe,Ruth Neuman,Maria T. Newland,Lloyd Pace,Richard Pierce (II),Tom Robinson,Florence Shultz,Mary Ellen Shultz,Terri Susan Smith,Dorothy Strongin,Kevin Van Hentenryck,Robert Vogel dvd 3 of 5 2.0 February 21, 2006 Syed "Syed" NJ i actually saw this movie when i was 7 and it freaked me out abit, but i mean the brother was basically a blob with a face and the story was as bad as the acting. The ending was garbage and it had nothing to offer in todays world.Dont even rent this, i dont even know why you are considering the film. I only give it a 2 star rating because t managed to scare a seven year old and i havent forgot how dumb the film was since. B0000C9JFO:unbelieble_bluff:b._g._erico_"carbonero33" B0000C9JFO L'Auberge Espagnole (The Spanish Apartment): DVD: Kevin Bishop,Cristina Brondo,Javier Coromina,Federico D'Anna,C cile De France,Xavier De Guillebon,Martine Demaret,Romain Duris,Judith Godr che,Iddo Goldberg,Paulina G lvez,Jacno,Barnaby Metschurat,Irene Montal ,Christian Pagh,Olivier Raynal,Kelly Reilly,Audrey Tautou,Wladimir Yordanoff dvd 1 of 9 1.0 August 28, 2006 B. G. Erico "carbonero33" Miami, Florida USA I read some good reviews about this movie. In adition, I respect french's cinema, they usually gives us interested and unconventional movies. So, I bought "Spanish Apartment". A big dissapointment. Hughe one. It's candid, it's "naive", it's boring, with poor ideas, poor acting, very predictable. There's a lot of good movies around you, don't waste your time in this one B00008978O:bette_and_woody?:m._j._moore B00008978O Scenes from a Mall: DVD: Woody Allen,Michael Brown (II),Augustin Bustamante,Leonel Cruz,Daren Firestone,David Frye,Jonathan Guss,Telmo Hern ndez,Bill Irwin,Darrell Mason,Bette Midler,Gregory Moore,Rebecca Nickels,Steve Ortiz,Ramon Ponce,Fernando Quinones,Marc Shaiman,Joseph Warren (II),Brian Warren dvd 1 of 1 2.0 August 20, 2002 M. J. Moore Chicago, Illinois United States Bette Midler and Woody Allen together would make one think of a movie that is very funny and pleasing. Instead here we get one that has more romance and drama than comedy as Bette and Woody play a couple who is celebrating their wedding annivesary as their children have both left for school. They also discover that they have been cheating on one another. The movie gets boring rather fast as Bette and Woody are the only ones we get to see as there are very few supporting characters. I would have expected better from these two B0000CBY1V:i_hated_this_film:bukmdano3 B0000CBY1V The Last Kiss: DVD: Stefano Accorsi,Giovanna Mezzogiorno,Stefania Sandrelli,Marco Cocci,Pierfrancesco Favino,Sabrina Impacciatore,Regina Orioli,Giorgio Pasotti,Daniela Piazza,Claudio Santamaria,Martina Stella,Luigi Diberti,Piero Natoli,Vittorio Amandola,Marcello Daciano,Vanessa Sampaolesi,Elisabetta Rocchetti,Carmen Consoli,Emanuele Cincis,Giulia Steigerwalt,Gabriele Muccino dvd 3 of 9 1.0 March 5, 2006 bukmdano3 those of you who regularly depend on reviews for movie choices know exactly what I mean here! ....for several reasons. Apparently, the other online reviewers are extremely over-analytical in their critiques of this film. The DVD's jacket has a quote from Rolling Stone..."Think 'Sex and the City' with men!" Well, I say, "Think again." As an avid watcher of "Sex and the City", this film has little if any comparison to SATC. Firstly, this film is not a comedy. There were very small instances when I kind of chuckled, but could barely muster a real laugh. Actually, towards the end of the film there is so much constant screaming and fighting that I kept hitting FAST FORWARD on the remote (those of you who regularly depend on reviews for movie choices know exactly what I mean here!). The characters are presented in a confusing fashion with only snippets and glimpses into each person's life. These disjointed glimpses don't give the viewer time or depth to care what happens to any of the spoiled rotten characters. Yes, they are all bored whether they are in their 30's or their 50's. Yes, they all want to break away from the mundane by running away or having affairs. I usually enjoy movies with this breaking-away-from-boredom type of plot for example...Pane e Tulipani (Bread and Tulips), Facing Windows (also starring Giovanna Mezzogiorno and a MUCH better film), Under the Tuscan Sun, Shirley Valentine, A Month by the Lake, etc. The Last Kiss does not deliver anything near what these other films do, however. The viewer is left with no warm feelings about life's decisions, only a twist ending that will make you furious and sick for having spent two hours watching this film B0001I55OC:not_worth_your_time:shadowman B0001I55OC Timeline (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Gerard Butler,Mike Chute,Billy Connolly,Matt Craven,Marton Csokas,Ethan Embry,Anna Friel,Steve Kahan,David La Haye,Neal McDonough,Jayson Merrill,Frances O'Connor (II),Patrick Sabongui,Michael Sheen,Rossif Sutherland,David Thewlis,Paul Walker,Lambert Wilson,Richard Zeman dvd 1 of 3 1.0 August 8, 2006 Shadowman USA I was unfortunate enough to have stumbled across this in 2004. I was thinking it would be a good sit down and watch type of movie, but it was really lackluster. The acting is wooden, the script is very lame, and worst of all, the action isn't very exciting. I expected a much better movie from director Richard Donner. There is a battle scene, and there are action scenes, but they just aren't exciting. When the action isn't exciting, you better have a good story. The story here is alright, but certainly not enough to save the movie. I don't hate any of the actors, they are decent when they have something to work with. Here they had nothing to work with, so they obviously didn't do too well this time. This really isn't worth your time. I gave this to the thrift shop after I got it, and I feel sorry for the person who bought it there B00005JN5T:fock_you!:robert_t._asseng_sr._"dj_honeybear" B00005JN5T Meet The Fockers (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Robert De Niro,Ben Stiller,Dustin Hoffman,Barbra Streisand,Blythe Danner,Teri Polo,Owen Wilson,Spencer Pickren,Bradley Pickren,Alanna Ubach,Ray Santiago,Tim Blake Nelson,Shelley Berman,Kali Rocha,Dorie Barton,Jack Plotnick,Wayne Thomas Yorke,B.J. Hansen,J.P. Manoux,Myra Turley,Jay Roach dvd 1 of 1 1.0 October 13, 2006 Robert T. Asseng Sr. "DJ Honeybear" Modesto, Ca This movie was AWESOME! Ben Stiller is a comic GENIUS, he's the new Jerry Lewis! DeNiro, AWESOME! Hoffman, AWESOME! Streisand, AWESOME and still very sexy for an old liberal ho! I thought the sight gags were priceless, and the plot line serene! This was Hollywood movie watching heaven! This film should have won some Academy Awards! I mean if Marisa Torme can win for My Cousin Vinnie, these A-1 actors should've at least been nominated! This is a highly entertaining film, and I recommend it to every and anyone to see, but wear your Depends, because you might pee yourself from laughing so hard! Dubya 99, you don't know what in the FRIGGIN' H E L L you're talking about! Yeah like we're suppose to take the opinion of an anti-social loser, that complains about going out to the movies? Stay home, I'm sure Dateline NBC will be calling soon about that episode they had recently B0009FU0ZG:a_horrible_movie_attempting_to_use_snipes_name:brian_hawkinson B0009FU0ZG 7 Seconds: DVD: Wesley Snipes,Tamzin Outhwaite,Deobia Oparei,Georgina Rylance,Pete Lee-Wilson,Serge Soric,Elias Ferkin,Bogdan Farkas,Tomi Cristin,Adrian Lukis,Stephen Boxer,Adrian Pintea,Corey Johnson,George Anton,Tamer Hassan,Lisa Lovbrand,Dan Badarau,William Armstrong,Martin Wheeler (III),Warren Derosa,Simon Fellows dvd 3 of 4 1.0 October 10, 2005 Brian Hawkinson San Jose, CA This truly is a horrible movie. 7 seconds, huh, yeah 7 seconds to realize I made a mistake in renting it. The acting is horrible, the plot is horrible, the filming is horrible... Everything is horrible! I was hopeful because of Snipes, which is why I rented it despite not ever seeing the movie anywhere before in the theaters. The guy at the store even told us that he was told it was a good movie! Snipes couldn't even do the fight scenes and make them look real. The ending is a car chase that ends so abruptly that you suddenly see them sitting next to a pond behind their house completely in love! Huh, they were a romantic interest? They hinted at it, but never showed this happening. Do not rent or buy this movie. Stay away, or you will be sucked into it shaking your head wondering why you rented this movie B000BBOUU4:a_big_waste_of_time!!!!:poohlicous_"book_maven" B000BBOUU4 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition): DVD: Johnny Depp,Freddie Highmore,David Kelly,Helena Bonham Carter,Noah Taylor,Missi Pyle,James Fox,Deep Roy,Christopher Lee,Adam Godley,Franziska Troegner,AnnaSophia Robb,Julia Winter,Jordan Fry,Philip Wiegratz,Blair Dunlop,Liz Smith,Eileen Essell,David Morris (XVI),Nitin Ganatra,Tim Burton dvd 0 of 3 1.0 November 5, 2006 Poohlicous "book maven" Los Angeles, CA I loved the original movie, and I love Johnny Depp so I thought this movie would be awesome.Wrong wrong wrong!! First of all, the child actors were horrible, well the Charlie and Mike characters were ok, but the two girl actors were the worst I've seen in a long time. And what did they do to Johnny Depp? He was so creepy and weird. I took my nine year old to see it in the theater, and even she almost fell asleep. If you really want a treat watch the original with Gene Wilder B0000BWVMO:why_did_they_bother?:nicolas_s._martin B0000BWVMO Eloise at the Plaza: DVD: Julie Andrews,Jeffrey Tambor,Sofia Vassilieva,Christine Baranski,Brittany Gray,Kenneth Welsh,Jonas Chernick,Stephanie Mills,Debra Monk,Gavin Creel,Jessica Beitchman,Sheree Smith (III),Eve Crawford,David Sparrow,Raymond Miller (II),Kintaro Akiyama,Dennis Akayama,Gerry Quigley,Corinne Conley,Genelle Williams,Kevin Lima dvd 2.0 August 21, 2006 Nicolas S. Martin Indianapolis, IN United States The books are witty and charming. This, in stark contrast, is formulaic schlock. Americans -- and much of the world's consumers -- prefer their entertainment predigested so it doesn't require chewing, so they consume the same nutritionless movieland cliches endlessly. In the land of limitless equality, everything is reduced to equal tastelessness. If you want impart the capacity for discernment to your child, you could start by avoiding this twaddle. The Eloise books are special, while this movie is mere product B000ERVK4E:very_biased-_a_huge_disappointment:k._kumar B000ERVK4E National Geographic - Is It Real? Da Vinci's Code: DVD: Is It Real? Da Vinci's Code dvd 3 of 6 1.0 June 11, 2006 K. Kumar USA When I purchased this DVD, I was hoping to get the complete picture- an unbiased presentation. From scratch I could sense what was to come. Bad presentation coupled with one sided propaganda forms the crux of this DVD. It is not well researched and very important issues have been completely omitted. What little was discussed appeared to be very tainted. I definitely did not expect National Geographic to come up with this kind of a DVD. I will definitely think TEN times before I purchase anything from them. Maybe they should just stick to wildlife/geography/ecology and leave history/religion/spirituality alone B000FSME2Y:some_good_stuff,_but_lots_of_uninspired_episodes_as_well:music_fan_jeff B000FSME2Y South Park - The Complete Eighth Season: DVD: South Park dvd 3 of 11 2.0 September 5, 2006 Music Fan Jeff San Francisco, CA United States Though I'm still a big South Park fan, I do think that the quality of the show has progressively declined over the past three seasons. This season has its standouts, most notably the truly demented Christmas Critters episode, but it also has incredibly lame episodes like the dance off and election episodes. To make matters worse, Matt and Trey put next to no effort into providing any extras for fans who pony up top dollar for the dvd collections. A show like the Simpsons not only has more episodes per season and sells for the same price but the people involved in the Simpsons go the extra mile to satisfy fans: full episode commentaries with writers, producers, directors, voice actors, etc as well as deleted scenes and other special features. Matt and Trey provide generally uninteresting "mini commentaries." No doubt about it, the boys are just generally "phoning it in" at this point, seemingly caring only about continuing their franchise and maximizing their profits for as little effort as possible B00005JNP4:damaged:m._luttrell B00005JNP4 The Upside of Anger: DVD: Joan Allen,Suzanne Bertish,Dane Christensen,Erika Christensen,Kevin Costner,David Firth,Stephen Greif,Tom Harper (II),Magdalena Manville,Richard Mylan,Owen Oakeshott,Arthur Penhallow,Robert Perkins,Keri Russell,William Tapley,Danny Webb (IV),Alicia Witt,Evan Rachel Wood,Rod Woodruff dvd 0 of 1 1.0 November 9, 2006 M. Luttrell Roanoke, VA I hear this is a good movie, but can't play it as the DVD is visibly damaged. So what about Quality control? This disc should never have gotten out the door, but the odd thing is, I ordered 2 DVD's from Amazon - different titles, both damaged. Are you guys buying 2nds and pawning them off on us? "F B000HEWEE4:spaced_out_reviewers:barbara_bumgardner B000HEWEE4 The Lake House (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Keanu Reeves,Sandra Bullock,Shohreh Aghdashloo,Christopher Plummer,Ebon Moss-Bachrach,Willeke van Ammelrooy,Dylan Walsh,Lynn Collins,Mike Bacarella,Kevin Brennan (II),Frank Caeti,Scott Elias,Lori Ann Gerdisch,Michael Andrew Gorman,Jennifer Kern,Cynthia Kaye McWilliams,India Neilan,Nora Newbrough,Mia Park,Peggy Roeder,Alejandro Agresti dvd 0 of 3 1.0 November 16, 2006 Barbara Bumgardner OK United States I usually trust Amazon reviewers on movie reviews, but this time ....NO WAY! This silly, totally predictable film left us playing with the cat for our evening entertainment, hoping the movie would liven up. Sadly, it didn't. To those who rave about the film...you must be in another dimension or something. Thumbs DOWN. B0006Q93CO:a_little_dissappointed:thomas_a._desautel_"tommy_d" B0006Q93CO Chappelle's Show - Season 2: DVD: Liz Beckham,Anthony Berry,Billy Burr,Dave Chappelle,DJ Cipha Sounds,Yoshio Mita,Paul Mooney,Randy Pearlstein,Melle Powers,Donnell Rawlings,Rudy Rush,Adam Sietz,Andre Allen (II),Bill Berner,Todd Broder,Rusty Cundieff,Bob Goldthwait,Peter Lauer,Scott Vincent dvd 0 of 8 2.0 April 21, 2006 Thomas A. Desautel "Tommy D" Bloomington, MN United States I liked the shows when the 1st ran on tv; the unrated didn't quite live up to my expectations B00003CXHJ:painful_to_watch...:n._strickland B00003CXHJ U-571 (Collector's Edition): DVD: Matthew Mcconaughey,Harvey Keitel dvd 6 of 8 1.0 July 7, 2006 N. Strickland mid West, USA Another product of Hollywood's "Karaoke Culture". In an age where we see cinematic remakes of every kind, we have in "U-571" an outrageous attempt to borrow from the success and acclaim of "Das Boot". But instead of a gripping war drama that reveals the tragic waste of war, we get a cheap flag-waving pile of Hollywood propaganda. The lighting, camera angles and claustrophobic set are obviously inspired by DB. But the bigoted innacuracies (German submariners machine gunning helpless sailors) and absurd scenarios (an incredibly lucky stern shot sinks a destroyer in hot pursuit) put this ridiculous movie in its own category. U-571 is just another thin, over-promoted, throw-away movie you'll forget the day after you see it B00003CXHJ:u_won't_care_for_this_one:michael_n._ryan B00003CXHJ U-571 (Collector's Edition): DVD: Matthew Mcconaughey,Harvey Keitel dvd 9 of 20 1.0 May 10, 2006 Michael N. Ryan Bel AIr, Maryland USA Sat down and saw this one on televion. Only good service was that now I know buying the DVD would be a waste of money. What was actually achieved by the British is portrayed as an American achievement. Slanders the U-boat men portraying them as heartless marauders. Other than allied Propoganda pieces, There are no incidents of U-boats machinegunning people in lifeboats. The movie itself I have little respect. Basicly Plotless and unrealistic. Action scenes unbelievable. Characters Two Dimensional. This film Awful. 6305077487:fatally_flawed:lowell_prescott 6305077487 The Andromeda Strain: DVD: Robert Wise,Arthur Hill,David Wayne,James Olson,Kate Reid,Paula Kelly,George Mitchell (II),Ramon Bieri,Peter Hobbs,Kermit Murdock,Richard O'Brien (II),Eric Christmas,Mark Jenkins,Peter Helm,Joe Di Reda,Carl Reindel,Ken Swofford,Frances Reid,Richard Bull,John Carter (IV),Emory Parnell dvd 2.0 October 20, 2006 Lowell Prescott Minneapolis, MN United States Sure, this movie is a classic. But is it any good? Frankly, I found it to be tedious in the extreme. It's certainly pleasant to look at. The sets are quite amazing, and the cinematography is absolutely beautiful. The story (as described in detail in many other reviews here) has potential as both a thriller and a thought-provoking essay (ultimately it is neither). The acting is top notch, as are all of the special effects. Those of us who cut our teeth using teletype machines always get a kick out of seeing them in all their anachronistic glory. In fact, all of the computer stuff is believable for the era and pleasantly nostalgic. But the whole thing never rises to its premise. Its "thriller" aspect is artificial and not tied to the central plot line, and entirely predictable from the moment our friend is handed THE ONLY KEY THAT CAN STOP THE NUKE! The resolution is an afterthought (a quick fix in the extreme), and barely even mentioned in about two lines of dialogue after the artificial danger is (narrowly, whew!) averted. The characters are thin at best, and stock at worst. This movie is really a slow survey of what people in the early 70s thought technology would be like in the mid 70s. Yawn. (I must laugh at the whole bell/paper bit. It means nothing to the plot, and is the ultimate contrivance.) If a deadly virus actually came back from space, there would certainly be action on many fronts, with plenty of interesting conflict to go around. Some people would try to understand it, others would want only to kill it. There's some potentially interesting tension right there. Some people would argue to keep the danger hidden from the public, others would want to warn them. Again, that could have been a good source of tension. Someone would surely have suspected that the military wanted to harness it as a biological weapon (mentioned in passing, but never developed), while others would try very hard to prevent that. More tension. I'm just saying that this movie is littered with missed opportunities for something more than the collection of boring experiments and pointlessly slow-moving scenes which it actually contains. This movie is the poster child for boring science fiction, and it would not have had to be that way. I haven't read the book, but I bet it's a lot better. At its core, this movie is a boring dud. B00005QW5T:worst_lesbian_film_of_the_decade:punk_girl_"brittany" B00005QW5T Lost and Delirious: DVD: Piper Perabo,Jessica Par ,Mischa Barton,Jackie Burroughs,Mimi Kuzyk,Graham Greene (II),Emily VanCamp,Amy Stewart,Caroline Dhavernas,Luke Kirby,Alan Fawcett,Peter Oldring,Grace Lynn Kung,Stephen Mwinga,Lydia Zadel,No l Burton,Felicia Shulman,Gabrielle Boni,Sheena Bernett,Meaghan Rath,L a Pool dvd 11 of 20 1.0 February 26, 2006 Punk Girl "Brittany" Florida, USA Not only was the dialogue of the film trite and the plot much like a pornographic after school special, but the movie unfortunately reinforces a worldview which anti-homosexual groups been touting for years--If you're thinking turning your female frienship into a relationship, don't. The lesbian always goes crazy and dies in the end. If you're interested in finding out what I'm talking about, Lisa Duggan explains how this ideology gets transimitted and reinforced in her book Sapphic Slashers. Also, If you're interested in watching a film about first-time lesbian love, please do yourself a favor and check out The Incredible True Story of Two Girls in Love or But, I'm a Cheerleader. Support movies that actually advance queer causes instead of making all of us look like freaks B000HC2LHQ:shamefully_dissappointing_dvd.:just_call_me_annie_"atlaswinks" B000HC2LHQ The West Wing - The Complete Seventh Season: DVD: Alan Alda,Stockard Channing,Kristin Chenoweth,Dul Hill,Allison Janney,Moira Kelly,Rob Lowe,Joshua Malina,Mary McCormack,Janel Moloney,Richard Schiff,John Spencer,Bradley Whitford,Jimmy Smits,Martin Sheen,Jason Ensler dvd 8 of 8 1.0 November 13, 2006 Just Call me Annie "AtlasWinks" Austin, Texas The shows themselves are wonderful, but the people who put together this DVD set should be ashamed of this paltry effort! There are NO cast or staff interviews about the ending of such a wonderful series. NO commentaries. No English sub-titles. NO John Spencer honorarium of any kind. They didn't even take the time to include the 1 hour re-showing of the original pilot they aired before the finale! The only "extras" are two not-special-at-all special features dealing with the debate. This DVD set is definately NOT worth the money to buy it brand new. B000AOEPN4:unsuitable_for_european_dvd_players:j._krskova_"jana" B000AOEPN4 The Martha Stewart Cooking Collection - Martha's Favorite Family Dinners: DVD: Martha Stewart dvd 1 of 5 1.0 February 13, 2006 J. Krskova "Jana" UK Unfortunately this MS collection is not compatible with European DVD players. The cover of the DVD actually tells you this as well as that it is 'not for sale or rent outside the US and Canada'. Save yourself a lot of trouble and don't buy this if you are from the EU! B00020HDFI:total_disappointment..!!!:d._khatib B00020HDFI Crunch - Fat Burning Dance Party: DVD: Jennifer Galardi dvd 3 of 5 1.0 March 2, 2006 D. Khatib Cheesy instructor the instructor's voice covers the music in the background which turns you off going on with the exercize, the music itself is monotonous and the beat is not inline with the moves. the instructor is too fast to follow..to cut it short i do not recommend this for anyone ..totally not professional B000A6T1LS:too_fast:c._fulkerson_"beginner" B000A6T1LS Hit the Spot - Pilates: DVD: Denise Austin dvd 0 of 1 2.0 November 10, 2006 C. Fulkerson "Beginner" KY I have always like Denise Austin, however; this was tape was way too fast for a beginner. I thought it was for beginner and on up. Denise went way to fast and she did not explain the poses at all. I will not be using this tape. I was disappointed because normally I love her videotapes and her. B00004YA6G:yuck,_yuck,_yuck:luella_"luella" B00004YA6G Kids: DVD: Leo Fitzpatrick,Sarah Henderson (II),Justin Pierce,Joseph Chan,Johnathan Staci Kim,Adriane Brown,Sajan Bhagat,Billy Valdes,Billy Waldeman,Javier N ez,Luis N ez (II),Christian Bruna,Alex Glen,Chlo Sevigny,Rosario Dawson,Julia Mendoza,Gillian Goldstein,Priscilla Forsyth,Francine Fuertes,Deborah Draper,Larry Clark dvd 2 of 22 2.0 July 12, 2006 Luella "Luella" CT I hated this movie. SO unrealistic. Sure, maybe there are some little freaks running around raping and drinking and beating. But I AM a teenager in a city. NOBODY acts like this! What the hell is the point of this movie? To scare the crap out of parents? Also, the rape scene was vile. At first I respected the director for showing it and not shying away. A FULL MINUTE LATER, I started feeling awkward and uncomfortable. It wasn't even artistic, it was just disgusting and truly disturbing B00005N912:scarlett:colleen_whalen B00005N912 Scarlett: DVD: Joanne Whalley,Timothy Dalton,Barbara Barrie,Stephen Collins,Annabeth Gish,George Grizzard,Julie Harris,Melissa Leo,Esther Rolle,Jean Smart,Elizabeth Wilson,Paul Winfield,Sara Crowe,Rakie Ayola,Ray McKinnon,Pippa Guard,Ann-Margret,Bruce Boa,Helen Burns,Margaret Courtenay,John Erman dvd 3 of 5 2.0 October 1, 2006 Colleen Whalen Sacramento Margarett Mitchell must be rolling in her grave. She wrote a masterpiece in the 1930's, then Alexandra Ripley bought the rights to her book by conning Margaret Mitchell's heirs to sell out the legacy of their relative. Alexandra Ripley's novel was an embarrasing pile of mush, even worse than a Barbara Courtland romance novel. Beautiful costumes and a good cast - but the script is a soap opera and very poorly written with too many cliche's. The TV movie version is even worse than Alexandra Ripley's book. I would have given this movie zero stars - but gave it 2 stars solely for the world class acting of Sean Bean as the deliciously evil Lord Fenton. Sean Bean heats up the screen as a sexy, feral villian along the lines of "The Man You Love to Hate" as an unsafe sex symbol. Unless you are a Sean Bean fan, there is nothing worthwhile about this film. The script is trite, cliche'd and very slow moving. Sean Bean is only in Disc 1 and his character is eliminated and the movie slides downhill from there. Disc 2 is overwrought with very boring, drawn out courtroom scenes...I was almost rooting that Scarlett would be hanged for the murder just to see an end to this movie! I've always liked Joanna Whaley-Kilmer and Timothy Dalton. They are excellent actors wasted in this pile of mush movie. Ann-Margaret's performance as Belle Watling is so bad I wanted to slap her. Do yourself a favor and watch the original Gone With the Wind starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh if you want to see a wonderful film B00005N912:technical_problems:kyna_rhinn B00005N912 Scarlett: DVD: Joanne Whalley,Timothy Dalton,Barbara Barrie,Stephen Collins,Annabeth Gish,George Grizzard,Julie Harris,Melissa Leo,Esther Rolle,Jean Smart,Elizabeth Wilson,Paul Winfield,Sara Crowe,Rakie Ayola,Ray McKinnon,Pippa Guard,Ann-Margret,Bruce Boa,Helen Burns,Margaret Courtenay,John Erman dvd 1 of 1 2.0 August 23, 2006 Kyna Rhinn Waco, TX I've loved this movie ever since I saw it on CBS years ago so I was really excited to own it on DVD. Unfortunately the experience was ruined when I discovered that there are big sound problems on the second disc. Loud popping sounds completely cover up the dialogue in an entire scene. I was very dissapointed. The movie is great but the sound problems aren't worth the purchase. Stay away B000BVM1S2:thoroughly_predictable_"thriller":douglas_b._moran_"dbmpaca" B000BVM1S2 Red Eye (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Tina Anderson,Brian Cox,Carl Gilliard,Mary Kathleen Gordon,Laura Johnson,Max Kasch,Loren Lester,Jayma Mays,Rachel McAdams,Amber Mead,Cillian Murphy,Brittany Oaks,Angela Paton,Philip Pavel,Robert Pine,Suzie Plakson,Theresa Press-Marx,Jack Scalia,Dey Young dvd 2 of 3 2.0 October 21, 2006 Douglas B. Moran "dbmpaca" Palo Alto, CA USA The only thing that kept this from being ABSOLUTELY predictable was that a dead bad guy did NOT spring back to life. I found myself saying "Oh come on" to one plot point after another (previous reviewers have covered these absurdities). The underlying scenario was unconvincing and un-involving (previous reviews in this thread provide details) B0001GF2BA:very_boring:e._brown B0001GF2BA Wild Things 2: DVD: Susan Ward,Leila Arcieri,Isaiah Washington,Michael Chieffo,Linden Ashby,Joe Michael Burke,Katie Stuart (II),Dorit Wolf,Brett Gilbert,Chad Gordon,Anthony John Denison,Kathy Neff,Ski Carr,Dylan Kussman,Kimberly Atkinson,Faith Salie,Allan Havey,Eric Fleeks,Ron Dean,Adriana Banovich,Jack Perez dvd 2 of 2 1.0 February 21, 2006 E. Brown St. Petersburg, FL The plot to this movie or so called sequal is horrible. I rented this movie expecting something good and I end up falling asleep. I actually had to watch it several times just to find out what really happened. Don't even buy it, it is a waist of your money B0007LEMQA:the_most_biased_movie_i've_watched_in__long_long_time:arthur_j. B0007LEMQA The Corporation (2-Disc Special Edition): DVD: Jennifer Abbott,Mark Achbar,Mikela J. Mikael,Maude Barlow,Pope John XXIII,Martha Stewart (II),Kofi Annan,Michael Moore (II),Susan E. Linn,George W. Bush,Jonathan Ressler,Nelson Mandela,V.I. Lenin,Jane Akre,Martin Luther King,Noam Chomsky,Winston Churchill,Ken Starr,Smedley Darlington Butler,Frank Gifford,Mahatma Gandhi,Winnie Mandela dvd 2 of 2 1.0 November 16, 2006 Arthur J. Hollywood, FL USA Whatever ills are in the world, it's all the fault of the corporations. That's the basic premise of this terribly misguided one-sided and totally non-objective movie. For example, instead of saying how terrible it is for companies paying people in the developing world peanuts for their work, they forget that these people's alternatives ARE EVEN WORSE and that's why they took that job in the first place! These jobs provide them with one of the few options they have and, if they chose that job freely, it must be their BEST option, no matter how crazy it seems to us. As people's skills rise, as opportunities increase over time (by having MORE corporations and not less, to create more competition for these people's labor), and as the country becomes wealthier, these people's wages will rise automaticaly and in fact, the wages of the whole country on the average. There are no shortcuts to his. A famous story comes from Nepal where anti-child labor laws, at the urging of the UN, turned thousands of kids overnight into prostitutes as those jobs, as sad as it may be, were their best options to avoid starvation and feed their families. It's a slow process, but all the industrialized nations went through that process. Government-mandated "shortcuts" usually produce results which are even worse. However, the results speak for themselves: in VERY short period of time, for example, HUNDRDS OF MILLIONS of people were lifted out of poverty in China, India and around the world thanks for the "evil" capalism & its corporations. No other system has ever done it so quickly as in the past 15 years in China and India alone. Also, cost of living is very low there, so these pennies really can go a long way, don't measure it to the cost of living in the West. What is the filmmakers alternative they offer for these people? I guess to let people starve to death, then the makers of this movie don't have have anyting to complain about!? Other examples of stupidity include showing that a company is like a person who's a psychopath. A corpoartion is a legal entity yes, and may act like a separate "being" as far the law in concerned, but does a corporation have a nose, feet, stomach? Can it eat apples or sneeze or have arthritis? Of course, not, than how can you attach a human idea like a psychopath to it?? Several of the main "spokepersons" in the movie, Chomsky, Michael Moore, Rifkin and others are renowned for their off-the-wall comments which frequently have NO basis in any kind of economics or reality. To correct the inaccuracies in the statements made by these and other people in the movie, you'd have to stop it every 5 minutes and explain to the audience how profoundly wrong the statements are. Throughout the whole movie, you're basically bombarded by one-sided arguments with VERY little of the other side presented, despite the director's claim of the opposite 9they claim 1/2 & 1/2, it's more like 80%-20%). Just look at Chomsky's comments about how the consumers are so stupid, they don't realize that all the things they buy they don't really need. I mean we don't need fashionable clothes (hey, let's all dress as boring as Chomsky!), DVD players, or any new gadgets that make life easier or more fun. Who is the judge of what you REALLY need? Chomsky, of course. He is the final arbiter of what you really need or what you don't. You're too stupid to know what you want, according to him. He says that you should do "more important things", like...perhaps studying lingistics (which he teaches but which very few care about). The movie DOES make some correct and good observations, especially regarding polution, however, I'd say that 80% of the movie is factually and logically flawed. It's also FULL of economic fallacies. It's worth watching I guess, just to see how many errors one can make in just 1 movie. Despite all the ranting in the movie, it fails to mention THE biggest reason of most of the problems it brings up - too much governement interference is every facet of life. For examples, how could a Government of Brazil forbit the people of collecting rain water! How could the U.S. government do so many things for private companies with public funds? Just forbid the governments from playing favorites with companies, forbid government corporate welfare of ANY kind, forbid subsidies to companies, cut the suffocating red tape and regulation (esp. in developing countries but in the West too), cut corporate taxes to 5 or 10% (and see unemployment rate go to almost nothing, give people all around the world a better life, increase competition, etc.) If these and other governments (and not corporations') problems were eliminated, the vast majority of ALL the problems which the movie brings up will simply go away. An interesing film for anyone to see how the truth can be twisted by mindless people with an agenda to go back to 15th century rural lifestile (spoken about with much admiration), people with NO understanding about economics, how the world really works and how to REALLY raise the billions out of poverty who this movie does the biggest disservice for. B000I2KJR4:the_chopped_it_up:v._snyder B000I2KJR4 The Da Vinci Code (Special Edition Giftset): DVD: Tom Hanks,Audrey Tautou,Ian McKellen,Jean Reno,Paul Bettany,Alfred Molina,J rgen Prochnow,Jean-Yves Berteloot,Etienne Chicot,Jean-Pierre Marielle,Marie-Fran oise Audollent,Rita Davies,Francesco Carnelutti,Seth Gabel,Shane Zaza,Andrew Clark,Fausto Maria Sciarappa,Joe Grossi,Denis Podalyd s,Harry Taylor,Ron Howard dvd 1.0 November 20, 2006 V. Snyder We saw the movie in the theatre and loved it. The DVD we just purchased was horrible. They chopped out so much of the movie it made it un-watchable. It is only good for a coaster under my drink now B00092ZLLM:teri_hatcher_naked?_big_deal_-_where's_the_curves?:wayne_racine B00092ZLLM The Cool Surface: DVD: Robert Patrick,Teri Hatcher,Cyril O'Reilly,Matt McCoy,Shannon Dobson,Ian Buchanan,Howard Spiegel,Cassian Elwes,Saul Janson,Lisa Marie Kurbikoff,David Niven Jr.,Anthony Pena,Rolf Englehardt,Brian Currie,Paul Timms,Michael Brochard,Brian Regalot,Gary Grossman,Michael Sladek,Elizabeth Hayden,Erik Anjou dvd 0 of 2 1.0 August 15, 2006 Wayne Racine Ottawa, ON Canada She's built like a 12-year-old boy... give me Vida Guerra anyday B000FBFYX2:logo_imprint_compromises_presentation:mr._terry_l._hartzell B000FBFYX2 MLB Vintage World Series Films - Baltimore Orioles 1966, 1970 & 1983: DVD: Jim Palmer,Frank Robinson,Cal Ripken Jr.,Earl Weaver,Brooks Robinson dvd 0 of 1 2.0 November 7, 2006 Mr. Terry L. Hartzell I was thrilled when I first read that MLB Productions was finally issuing a DVD version of highlights of the Baltimore Orioles' three World Series victories. I already owned the VHS versions, one of which (the 1970 World Series) had a major flaw in the audio synchronization (watching the last third of the highlights was like viewing a badly dubbed foreign film). Finally, I could own all three highlights reels on one disc and without the sync error on the 1970 World Series. Much to my dismay, the MLB logo is permanently, and obtrusively, displayed on the upper right corner of all three programs. What's that all about? Does MLB Productions think I'm going to illegally copy and distribute stills? Thank goodness I don't own a plasma TV or I'd be staring at that stupid logo for the next five years! Sound and picture quality are okay otherwise. But....that logo is really annoying B000089RTN:orientalism_on_demand:matt_p B000089RTN Kandahar: DVD: Nelofer Pazira,Hassan Tantai,Sadou Teymouri,Hoyatala Hakimi,Mollazaher Teymouri,Monica Hankievich,Zahra Shafahi,Safdar Shodjai,Noam Morgensztern,Mohsen Makhmalbaf dvd 4 of 13 1.0 July 3, 2006 Matt P no reference to who threw them doll bombs or who mined their country; who deprived them of education and knowledge. the West is represented by beautiful, blonde nurses, a nice American guy who just pretend to be a doctor and help them with his "everyday Western knowledge of medicine" in the midst of total ignorance, and the helicopters that threw on them fake legs. such a nice way to civilize! the movie directors in the ME, particularly Iranians, are responding to demands by the West for certain type of movies. They produce what is demanded from them; in turn, they receive awards. cultural industry empowers these demands; they are the ones who will ensure that such movies will be received the Western audiences and they are the ones who decide who is awarded. There is no single ME movie which depict the story of Western imperialism in the ME and then awarded for doing so. ME movies must show that ME women are in need of emancipation; ME cultures are presented as in need of getting civilized. civilization itself is presented in vertical sense; there is a civilization somewhere out there all MEasterners are expected to reach; yet, it was that same civilization that threw doll bombs on them. (no reference to who threw them doll bombs or who mined their country; who deprived them of education and knowledge. the West is represented by beautiful, blonde nurses, a nice American guy who just pretend to be a doctor and help them with his "everyday Western knowledge of medicine" in the midst of total ignorance, and the helicopters that threw on them fake legs. such a nice way to civilize!) the story of Afghanistan is real. however, the movie does not render a fair job in reflecting the background of it. rather, it does an excellent job in meeting the cultural demand; in producing a product that can sell well. the situation is miserable; but what caused such misery in Afghanistan? your answer after seeing the movie will be that it is Islam; it is that Islamic culture; that backward culture of those people with wonderful eyes. such a conclusion is strongly demanded in the absence of other factors. there is no single implying in the movie, a smallest reference, that Afghanistan has suffered centuries old imperialism at the hands of the British and then the Russian and now Americans who played their Great Game on the chessboard of Eurasia. There is a passage in the movie to the effect that somebody will come to liberate them. those imperialists came in the name of civilization; French did to Algeria, the British did to India; all in the name of bringing them civilization. It was White Man's Burden to do so. Yet Makhmalbaf needs more awards. he has to compete in the cultural circus and perform well for the pleasure of Western audiences, in order to continue to be in demand. you did a nice job, applauses; go on. (anyone who is interested in cultural imperialism should read Foucault's works and Edward Said's Orientalism. B0001GH5TW:really,_truly,_awful:s._seifert B0001GH5TW 3 Women - Criterion Collection: DVD: Shelley Duvall,Sissy Spacek,Janice Rule,Robert Fortier,Ruth Nelson,John Cromwell,Sierra Pecheur,Craig Richard Nelson,Maysie Hoy,Belita Moreno,Leslie Ann Hudson,Patricia Ann Hudson,Beverly Ross,John Davey,Dennis Christopher,Robert Altman dvd 6 of 21 1.0 October 26, 2005 S. Seifert Between time zones In the film commentary, Director Robert Altman said he thought a really good film should leave people saying, 'I don't know what it was about but I really liked it.' (That's a paraphrase). And I think that's the key to why this film is so bad: The director didn't know what it was about. The weird, atonal score by Gerald Busby was an annoyance throughout, often drowning out the dialog. It's the kind of creepy music that comes in most horror movies just before the space aliens are going to appear, or in a psychological thriller, just as the nutcase is transforming into a psycho. Only in this film, the creepy music played on and on. That was it. No nuances, no alteration, no variance, no imagination. Just the same creepy atonal 'psycho' music all the time. Duvall and Spacek did a good job but the writing and directing were abysmal. Lots of shots where the camera stays on the actor for a loooong time, and dream-like sequences, conveying... mystery? suspense? drama what? Ah..I got it, they convey CONFUSION! That's it! The writer/director was confused! A waste of talent, and a waste of my time watching it. It is one of those films I watched thinking it HAD to get better. It didn't. B0001IXT36:what's_up_charlie_brown?:hound_of_the_bookservile_"jw" B0001IXT36 Uncovered - The Whole Truth About the Iraq War: DVD: Chas Freeman,Ray McGovern,Joseph Wilson,David MacMichael,John Brady Kiesling,Clare Short,Henry Waxman,Rand Beers,Peter Zimmerman,Karen Kwiatkowski,Mel Goodman,Robert Baer,Milton Bearden,Mary Ann Wright,Graham Fuller,Philip Coyle,David Albright,John Dean (III),Bill Christison,Stansfield Turner,Robert Greenwald dvd 0 of 5 2.0 September 20, 2006 Hound of the BookServile "JW" Central, MN United States This was a wishy washy attempt at the truth. The facts are there in parts and pieces, but it was not really put together well. Some of the choices of material are questionable as being truly valuable to the topic. This DVD had an agenda and is not unbiased, and I think it failed at it's overall agenda. There is more than enough information pre-9/11 and post-9/11 to put together something more worthy and accurate than this DVD has attempted to do. If this is the best contrasting evidence to the bush administration that can be produced after all that has happened in the white house and beyond, we are truly in trouble. The truth is out there, and I think this DVD tripped over them and kept walking without looking down and gathering all the facts together. There were plenty of important facts and things said worth listening to on this DVD, but this DVD is maybe worth a glance, but not a long hard look. 6304821832:ratner_is_a_lousy_film_maker....:john_q._public_television_"pbs_supporter" 6304821832 Money Talks: DVD: Chris Tucker,Larry Hankin,Robertson Dean,Marty Levy,Mark Benninghoffen,David Lee McLain,Victor Ferrerira,Gary Briggs,Charlie Sheen,Nathan Anderson,Damian Chapa,Richard Noyce,Faizon Love,G rard Isma l,Ralph W. Odum,Frank Bruynbroek,David Warner,Doug Llewelyn,Paul Guyot,Jeff Brockton,Brett Ratner dvd 1 of 8 1.0 April 2, 2006 John Q. Public Television "PBS supporter" USA This man is like Michael Bay. Using high speed action sequences and terrible casting and script writing, the fact that Chris Tucker appears in this and almost every movie that the man makes signals a trend to do these as not so much movies as they are music video comedys only it's patheic and not funny, and that is also why the man who is now making X-Men 3 will cause that movie franchise to die a quick death at the movies. The man is a joke 6304821832:movie_for_morons:john__aquilegia 6304821832 Money Talks: DVD: Chris Tucker,Larry Hankin,Robertson Dean,Marty Levy,Mark Benninghoffen,David Lee McLain,Victor Ferrerira,Gary Briggs,Charlie Sheen,Nathan Anderson,Damian Chapa,Richard Noyce,Faizon Love,G rard Isma l,Ralph W. Odum,Frank Bruynbroek,David Warner,Doug Llewelyn,Paul Guyot,Jeff Brockton,Brett Ratner dvd 3 of 9 1.0 June 8, 2005 John Aquilegia Holmen, Wisconsin This movie is an insult to merely bad comedies. Gee, another movie with a fast-talking, potty-mouthed, black guy (hello Eddie Murphy) who, because it's perfectly fine in ultra-lib, pc Hollyweird, calls Charlie Sheen (and everyone else who is not Black) a host of nasty, racially-oriented names. The movie is a mess. Let's see. The protagonist (Tucker) plays a con men who after being falsely suspected of being a cop-killer, is chased around by cops and the bad guys. The McGuffin is a sack of diamonds. Sheen is supposed to be a co-star, but like most of his other movies, he sleepwalks through it. Clearly this movie is meant to be a vehicle for Tucker. The sceenwriters were obviously making it up as they went along. First "screenwriter":" Hey Bob, what will we have Tucker do next? Hey I know, let's have a car chase and have him call some people some names" Second "screenwriter" "Hey, great idea Fred, I sure don't have any ideas". Apparently there are many people who think this guy is funny even though the movie is a rip-off of Murphy the Trickster flicks. Basically the plot is Tucker runs around dodging bullets and calling everyone a name. If that's your idea of humor, I pity you. 6304821832:sorry:s._douez-smith_fox_"dreadlock_goddess" 6304821832 Money Talks: DVD: Chris Tucker,Larry Hankin,Robertson Dean,Marty Levy,Mark Benninghoffen,David Lee McLain,Victor Ferrerira,Gary Briggs,Charlie Sheen,Nathan Anderson,Damian Chapa,Richard Noyce,Faizon Love,G rard Isma l,Ralph W. Odum,Frank Bruynbroek,David Warner,Doug Llewelyn,Paul Guyot,Jeff Brockton,Brett Ratner dvd 1 of 10 2.0 January 2, 2005 S. douez-smith fox "dreadlock goddess" Lusby, Md usa This movie is so freakin stupid. Yes its funny...but so very dumb. Not good dumb; bad dumb. Terribly, painfully stupid. Funny at times. Best avoided or taken in small doses B00029RT2G:pul-eese._why_did_they_have_to_make_this_movie?:megan_reaves_"obsessed_hot_guy_fan" B00029RT2G Ella Enchanted (Full Screen Edition): DVD: Patrick Bergin,Aimee Brigg,Jim Carter,Steve Coogan,Hugh Dancy,Donna Dent,Minnie Driver,Cary Elwes,Vivica A. Fox,Anne Hathaway,Jennifer Higham,Eric Idle,Joanna Lumley,Ankita Malkan,Aidan McArdle,Jimi Mistry,Parminder Nagra,Lucy Punch,Sally-Ann Tingle dvd 3 of 8 1.0 August 31, 2006 Megan Reaves "Obsessed Hot Guy Fan" Rogersville, Mo United States I have only one question about this movie. And that is, Why in the world did they change so many things that were in the book? If you haven't read the book than you don't know what I'm talking about. But if you have, then you do. I can't even begin to explain how good of a movie this would've been if it had been adapted correctly. Half the time while watching this, I felt as if I was watching Teletubies or something, the colors were so bright. If this movie had been placed in the correct time period with correct costumes, locations, characters, and details from the story,then EVERYONE would love it. Not just 5 year olds. It makes me so angry when I watch this movie. Yes, its funny and charming but it is so embarrassing. Everytime I loan someone the book, I have to explain to them that it is nothing like the movie at all. In fact, it is a hundred times better. More even. I am really disappointed. I just don't get how Gail Carson Levine would agree to all the changes that were made. If someone ever gets the courage to adapt the book into another movie, than I suggest they do it right. And if they do, then I'll be very thankful. I just don't get it. The book is soooooooooooooooooooooooooo much better. You wouldn't believe how much better it is. I am truely ashamed that this movie is even related in any way to the book. Next time, please, please, do it right B000ACQXJU:not_worth_it:j._anderson B000ACQXJU The Biggest Winner - How to Win by Losing - Shape Up Complete (2-Disc DVD Set - Front & Backside): DVD: Rosa Maria Sard ,Elvira M nguez,Albert Dueso,Dani Padr ,Profesor Mart n,Mariona Perrier,Rosario Santesmases dvd 3 of 5 2.0 August 20, 2006 J. Anderson First of all, 1 hour worth of workouts is not sufficient for 20 bucks. Second of all, I missed the section that explained the requirement of a workout bench and dumbells to do most everything in the video so that was a pain. Also, regardless of the fact that one girl does a beginners version of the excercises, it is still moderately difficult B000957O82:praying_for_engine_trouble!:scott_ny B000957O82 Hitch (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Will Smith,Eva Mendes,Kevin James (III),Amber Valletta,Julie Ann Emery,Robinne Lee,Nathan Lee Graham,Adam Arkin,Michael Rapaport,Jeffrey Donovan,Paula Patton,Philip Bosco,Kevin Sussman,Navia Nguyen,Matt Malloy,Maria Thayer,Ato Essandoh,Marlyne Afflack,Jack Hartnett,David Wike,Andy Tennant dvd 2.0 November 1, 2006 Scott NY NYC Saw this as an inflight movie. Boy, did I pray for engine trouble, so we'd have to land and I could get away! Sucks or what? I liked Smith in 'I, robot', 'Independence day', etc, but this was awful. It's a one-joke movie. Problem is, the one joke was the one plastered all over the TV spots and trailers (the jet ski incident). The highlights involved the subplot of him teaching a guy to be cool - wish that'd been the main storyline instead - far, far superior! Will not be adding this to my wishlist 0780629167:awful,_horrible,_ridiculous.:gary_d._murray_"garyinaz." 0780629167 Trick: DVD: Tori Spelling,Christian Campbell,John Paul Pitoc,Brad Beyer,Lacey Kohl,Abbey Hope,Becky Caldwell,Kate Flannery,Steve Hayes (III),Will Keenan,Joey Dedio,Ricky Ritzel,Lissette Gutierrez,Lorri Bagley,Kevin Andrew,Bobby Peaco,Kevin Chamberlin,Eric Bernat,Missi Pyle,Debbie Troche,Jim Fall dvd 0 of 25 1.0 January 13, 2006 Gary D. Murray "garyinaz." sun city, az. i cannot get thru this one. i started fast-forwarding but there didn't appear to have any good spots. when i saw that christian cammpbell was in this, i thought, this has to be good. i had just finished a movie where he starred. can't remember the name of it. i guess a person should never buy a movie because of who stars in it. tori spelling is well known, but not to me. someone should have put her out of her misery right from the start. she does not play a flake very well, and i don't know what to call her except a flake. i stopped this dvd in about the first 1/2 hour and will go back and give it another shot, but with tori spelling as one of the leads, i already know this one does not have a prayer. i would say; save your money on this one unless you are under 13. i have a ton of straight and gay movies that tell a story and a couple or few that don't. this one falls into this category. one that came with this one was "the broken hearts club" and while not my cup of tea it was far superior to this piece of garbage. B000069DOB:trite:nodice B000069DOB All About the Benjamins: DVD: Julianne Beres,Kevin Bray,Evelyn Brooks,Bob Carter,Carmen Chaplin,Jeff Chase,Dominic Chianese Jr.,Antoni Corone,Ice Cube,Mike Epps,Tommy Flanagan,Anthony Giaimo,Anthony Michael Hall,Eva Mendes,Valarie Rae Miller,Gino Salvano,Roger Guenveur Smith,Joan Turner,Tony Ward (III),Bow Wow dvd 2.0 April 2, 2006 nodice Manchester, Ga United States The Fridays gang steals some diamonds. Mike Epps is not Chris Tucker no matter how hard he tries to be. His constant whinning is enough to ride my last nerve. Plus, everything about the movie is just campy and just wholly unbelieveable that I don't know where to begin. Whatever you do don't buy or rent this garbage-wait to catch it on TBS or something B0001ME5GC:how_bad_can_a_movie_be?:rah B0001ME5GC 2 Days: DVD: Paul Rudd,Donal Logue,Mackenzie Astin,Adam Scott,Karl Wiedergott,Joshua Leonard,Caroline Aaron,Graham Beckel,Lillian Lehman,Kristen Marie Holly,Adam Sztykiel,David R. Curtis,Chad Einbinder,Lourdes Benedicto,Mark Phinney,Marina Black,Libby Hudson,Nicole Stevens II,Melissa Stone,Marguerite Moreau,Sean McGinly dvd 1 of 3 1.0 September 12, 2005 RAH Beaverton, OR Wow. It's rare I consider a movie absolutely horrendous, but this one qualifies. We are given absolutely no reason whatsoever to care for this guy, and halfway through this tedious excuse for a movie, I found myself yelling "DIE already". When he doesn't kill himself in the end, all I wanted to do was shove him face down in the ocean and drown him. A dumb stupid awful "indie" movie that is a waste of film, time and effort B0001ME5GC:sean_mcginly_fan_disapointed:jason_schwartz_"the_ovulater" B0001ME5GC 2 Days: DVD: Paul Rudd,Donal Logue,Mackenzie Astin,Adam Scott,Karl Wiedergott,Joshua Leonard,Caroline Aaron,Graham Beckel,Lillian Lehman,Kristen Marie Holly,Adam Sztykiel,David R. Curtis,Chad Einbinder,Lourdes Benedicto,Mark Phinney,Marina Black,Libby Hudson,Nicole Stevens II,Melissa Stone,Marguerite Moreau,Sean McGinly dvd 2 of 7 1.0 December 8, 2004 jason schwartz "the ovulater" michigan im a huge fan of writer Sean Mcginly, his classics include Venomous starring Treat williams and Sonic Impact with Ice-T. Mcginly's films are the topic of discussion at film schools all across the world, he is a renowned talent and i have to say that i was appalled when i saw his latest film Two Days. i think he should stick to writing as the film was virtually without direction and the cast (which included hacks like Paul Rudd) was not in the same league as superstars Traci Bingham and Ice-T who have graced some of his previous work. Please Sean, stick to doing what you know best and stay away from the intellectual stuff, leave that to idiots like Capra, Wenders, Scorcese etc. They are not in your league. B00005OKQT:free_to_be_you_and_me_-_as_long_as_you_are_like_me:stormcrow B00005OKQT Free to Be You and Me: DVD: Marlo Thomas,Alan Alda,Harry Belafonte,Mel Brooks,Rita Coolidge,Billy De Wolfe,Roberta Flack,Michael Jackson,Kris Kristofferson,Tom Smothers,Cicely Tyson,June Angela,Rafer Johnson,Ron Marshall,Roosevelt Grier,Diana Sands,Carol Channing,Bobby Morse,Bill Davis (VI),Fred Wolf,Len Steckler dvd 9 of 51 2.0 April 17, 2006 Stormcrow North Carolina I rented this on a whim and it brought back a lot of memories from my 1970s days in elementary school. This video made its rounds in the public schools. The songs are catchy and the film quality is good. But make no mistake, this is propaganda aimed at children. I will not be showing it to my kids. Despite the freewheeling title, the message is that girls will find happiness only if they mimic boys. Case in point: Atalanta, a princess, finds happiness when she competes with men in a footrace and when she rejects marriage so she can travel the world (on her father's horse). She also designs and fabricates rocketships in her spare time. Juxtapose that story with another cartoon where a femine girl in a pink dress and curls is devoured by tigers when she follows the custom of "ladies first." The tigers abide her request and throw her into a boiling cauldron. The narrator advises us that the boiling girl makes a very tasty meal. Our "hosts", infant puppets voiced by Mel Brooks and Marlo Thomas, are revolting. There should be a law against using Mel Brooks' voice for a baby. Apparently, I repressed memories of these creatures, but seeing them again brought back the horror. Needless to say, I fast forwarded through the disturbing puppetry. Overall, this DVD is fun for thirtysomethings but should be kept away from children B00005JM4Z:not_even_worth_finishing:logan_"films_'r'_us" B00005JM4Z 2 Fast 2 Furious (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Paul Walker,Tyrese Gibson,Eva Mendes,Cole Hauser,Ludacris,Thom Barry,James Remar,Devon Aoki,Amaury Nolasco,Michael Ealy,Jin Auyeung,Edward Finlay,Mark Boone Junior,Matt Gallini,Roberto 'Sanz' Sanchez,Eric Etebari,John Cenatiempo,Troy Brown,Corey Michael Eubanks,Sam Maloof,John Singleton dvd 0 of 1 1.0 August 25, 2006 Logan "Films 'R' Us" Dallas, TX Saw the previews of the first movie, but I wasn't expecting too much from that. I tried to finish both the first and the second, but that didn't work out too well...I felt these films didn't deserved to be watched all the way to the end. I don't know how some of y'all were able to sit through this poor excuse of a movie, and that includes the first. All I really have to say is you if you like this movie or maybe a better version of it...Y'all should really consider watching Cops and those insane police chases shown on TV. After all this is just another episode of Cops with guest actors in it B00003CXCW:pathetic:lotte B00003CXCW Sunset Boulevard (Special Collector's Edition): DVD: William Holden,Gloria Swanson,Erich von Stroheim,Nancy Olson,Fred Clark,Lloyd Gough,Jack Webb,Franklyn Farnum,Larry J. Blake,Charles Dayton,Cecil B. DeMille,Hedda Hopper,Buster Keaton,Anna Q. Nilsson,H.B. Warner,Ray Evans,Jay Livingston,Creighton Hale,Roy Thompson,Archie Twitchell,Billy Wilder dvd 1 of 5 1.0 September 4, 2006 Lotte Baltimore, MD USA Can't remember when I've seen a film with more depraved and pathetic characters than this. A has-been silent screen star who lives in a sinister dark house surrounded by a gzillion of her own photos and a weirdo butler essentially kidnap a holiday screen writer, down on his luck. The writer wanders onto what appears to be deserted property, and hides his car trying to escape a Finance Co. The threesome make the creepiest trio you could ever imagine. In one early scene they have a funeral, casket and all, for a monkey. Yuk. Gloria Swanson was directed to play a woman who still thinks she can make a come back by writing her own script, though she despises movies that "talk". She waves her hands about, and makes strange corny expressions with her face in every scene. She falls for the screen writer, William Holden, and won't let him out of her sight. The film was made in 1950, and Swanson is supposed to be playing a woman of only 50, not exacty over the hill (if we look at many of today's movie stars.) But she's treated in the film as though she much, much older. I thought she was supposed to be about 75 or so, but her age is mentioned towards the end of the film. My heavens, at 50 she could still be in movies, and from the amount of money she apparently had, didn't need to be living in such a dark, creepy house. Film didn't make sense. Sorry I bought it. It was ridiculous. B0002MQFGY:i_also_was_mislead_by_the_title!_now_i_have_to_ship_back!:sally_bordman_"net_shppr_mom" B0002MQFGY The Dog Whisperer: Beginning and Intermediate Dog Training: DVD: Dog Whisperer dvd 1.0 November 20, 2006 Sally Bordman "Net Shppr mom" Minneapolis, MN I just opened a box with a Cesar Millan book and THIS DVD. Imagine my surprise. I don't like the pairing of this book with Cesar's stuff either! Now I have an extra errand and cost to ship back. If anything like this ever happens again, there are other sites to order from online. I don't want it to be too much work to browse and "study" the copy...I feel a bit cheated B00005JKIV:don't_say_a_word__(2001):the_tweeder_"tweeder16" B00005JKIV Don't Say a Word: DVD: Michael Douglas,Brittany Murphy dvd 1 of 4 2.0 January 1, 2006 The Tweeder "tweeder16" Indianapolis, Indiana Director: Gary Fleder Cast: Michael Douglas, Sean Bean, Brittany Murphy, Skye McCole Bartusiask, Guy Torry, Jennifer Esposito, Shawn Doyle, Victor Argo, Conrad Goode, Paul Schulze, Lance Reddick, Famke Janssen. Running Time: 113 minutes Rated R for violence, including some gruesome images, and language. Every fall, Hollywood trots out their latest thrillers, attempting to cash in on the college crowd who wants to bring their dates to a dark theater and take advantage of the squeamishness of the content on the screen; there is a hidden connection in the biting of nails and the changing of the leaves, yet without fail every year there are enough thrillers to keep manicurists in business. Nothing sums up the quintessential fall thriller quite like "Don't Say A Word", a suspense romp as routine as they come. Diverting enough to fool you into a good time, "Don't Say A Word" makes one wish for a leap in time to the holiday Oscar contenders already. Dr. Nathan Conrad (Michael Douglas) is a successful psychiatrist with a beautiful wife (Famke Janssen) and a cherubic daughter. On Thanksgiving morning, a group of bad guys, lead by Patrick Koster (Sean Bean), break into Nathan's apartment and kidnap his daughter. What the men want is a jewel they lost 10 years earlier in a botched robbery that is being held in a secret place by Elisabeth Burrows (Brittany Murphy), a mentally unstable young girl rotting away in a hospital. Since Nathan seems to be the only medical professional she trusts, Patrick uses him as a pawn to recover the jewel. Nathan is soon at the mercy of the kidnappers, but as he gets deeper into Elisabeth's mind, he realizes the young girl could be helped after all. It's perfect casting to place Michael Douglas in the lead role, as no one could play yuppie paranoia quite like he can. Douglas has perfected this type of performance into an art form with his work in "Fatal Attraction" and "A Perfect Murder; Douglas is a little more subdued than normal in this film, as his aging seems to be wearing away his ability to play the hot, rich stud who gets in over his head. The film does contain many moments of pure distressed Douglas (his forte), with his hair glistening, teeth clenched and his eyes scanning the room, etc. Douglas, at least in the first act of the film, makes an attempt to carry the picture with his expected bag of tricks. Soon enough, director Gary Fleder places too much narrative nonsense on Douglas's shoulders, and the actor eventually just gives up and lets the genre's conventions take him to the safety of the end credits. Director Gary Fleder is no stranger to the fall thriller game, having directed both "Kiss The Girls" and the rollicking "Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead." Not really an imaginative director, Fleder nevertheless can be counted on to get the job done. With "Don't Say A Word," Fleder isn't working with a particularly good script, so he falls back on what has worked for him before. This plan of attack from Fleder leaves the picture stale and overtly familiar. The film is not interested in adding new elements to the plot to keep things at least appearing fresh. The end result making "Don't Say A Word" more boring than exciting. The thriller, which is set in New York City, uses the city and apartment locations well, creating a nice sense of claustrophobia. It is when the action suddenly leaves the confines of the city and moves to a cemetery in a nearby island that the picture loses quite a bit of tension and interest. Moving to an obviously-a-soundstage cemetery ruins the fun of seeing the character freak out in their narrow apartments and office spaces. The film must end with a clichd showdown, which is the reason for the move to a different location, but Fleder makes a big mistake taking the story away from the grip of the big bad city. The one element that Fleder does get right is the casting of actress Brittany Murphy. A powderkeg of emotions, Murphy is the perfect choice to play the deranged Elisabeth. Murphy is a grand talent (where is her Emmy for her voice work as Luanne Platter on "King Of The Hill"?), and the only actress in Hollywood that truly achieves success as both a tormented patient and a cute, little princess ("Just Married", "Uptown Girls"). Unpredictable and bristling with untapped passions, Murphy makes a vivid impression in "Don't Say A Word." You've seen this type of film before, and just because it's the time of year when apples taste the best doesn't make this barely alive thriller any more enjoyable. For fans of the genre, "Don't Say A Word" is another solid installment in the Michael Douglas versus New York crime saga. Just don't expect any surprises B000056H27:i'm_is_sequal_hell._:nathan_porrata_"the_man" B000056H27 All Dogs Go To Heaven 2: DVD: Ernest Borgnine,Bebe Neuwirth,Charlie Sheen,Hamilton Camp,Steve Mackall,Dan Castellaneta,Dom DeLuise,Tony Jay,Jim Cummings,Wallace Shawn,Sheena Easton,George Hearn,Adam Wylie,Kevin Michael Richardson,Pat Corley,Marabina Jaimes,Bobby Di Cicco,Annette Helde,Maurice LaMarche,Paul Sabella,Larry Leker dvd 0 of 1 1.0 April 13, 2006 Nathan Porrata "THE MAN" Crestview Florada U.S.A What is the deal. Cant Hollywood leave well enough alone. How many classic animated movies are they going to ruin with sequels? Let me think, their was Balto 2, Little Mermaid 2, Aladdin 2 and three, Secret of Nimh 2, Land before time 2,3,4,5,6,7 etc. enough already. Next thing you know they'll be making a Lion King 2, and a Buity and the Beast 2. O wait, they already did that didn't they. All the movies I have named were great originals but God awful sequels. ADGTH 2 is just as bad. If you loved the original, STAY AWAY FROM ITS SEQUAL. B00005JKG5:what_a_soundtrack._too_bad_the_movie_couldn't_keep_up.:neujack_design B00005JKG5 Flashdance: DVD: Jennifer Beals,Sunny Johnson dvd 2 of 4 2.0 September 12, 2006 Neujack Design check out "the Limey" next time you want a headache. This movie is one of cinema history's seminal examples of a soundtrack carrying a movie to success. "Saturday Night Fever" from a few years before is another example, but that movie could actually stand on its own. Jennifer Beales' torn neck sweater and table dancing routine aside, I don't think this one could. I understand this movie is near and dear to the hearts of a lot of 80's children, and I will agree this is one of the all-time great soundtracks of cinema. The problem is, the movie's plot is a slow-moving, wasted opportunity. Physically, Beales is sexy enough to keep your attention, and her portrayal of working-class girl in a man's job striving to express herself was a pretty novel idea when this movie was made. But her unsympathetic personality and mediocre acting undermine her character. Come to think of it, the acting all around is a bit weak. But that's not the problem. The movie suffers from two fatal let-downs. The first is the plot itself. Feminism-affirming depictions aside, it's pretty simplistic, unimaginative stuff, even for a dance movie. What's worse is how slow it all moves. The drama sequences in-between dances drag on, straining your patience and sympathy for the character's plights. The other more tragic flaw, since it is a movie about dance, is the cinematography. While it's certainly not the worst cinematography ever, (check out "the Limey" next time you want a headache.) the dance sequences look like they've been salvaged from scraps on the cutting room floor. We're supposed to be moved by Beales' character's natural talent, but for most of the movie we never get to see her do much except walk and pose in a crazy mashup of bad edits. By the time the final dance scene finally comes along, the drama of her audition performance is ruined by drawn-out, bad editing. It almost seems the judges let her into Juliard simply because she was able to stay in the air for longer than a minute. Perhaps I'm a purist for asking for good dancing onscreen to consist of more than rapid-fire editing. But if it's a movie about dancing, one would think the least they could do is show dancing. Many movies before and after Flashdance managed to get this right ("Saturday Night Fever" certainly did, to its great success), but maybe nobody told this movie's director. It's a shame B00005JKG5:hindsight_is_20/20:discerning_reader B00005JKG5 Flashdance: DVD: Jennifer Beals,Sunny Johnson dvd 0 of 1 2.0 March 8, 2006 discerning reader I watched _Jacob's Ladder_ because I remembered an intriguing preview on a VHS cassette I watched as a kid and learning that it was a significant influence on _Silent Hill_ sealed the deal; My girlfriend owns a copy of Lyne's version of _Lolita_; _Fatal Attraction_ was a girlfriend induced rental; I watched the TV version of _Indecent Proposal_; I haven't seen _9 1/2 Weeks_ but I read the book. Believe it or not, I actually wanted to watch this movie. I've seen almost everything else Adrian Lyne has done and respect his shallow talent enough to be interested in his early efforts. (I watched _Jacob's Ladder_ because I remembered an intriguing preview on a VHS cassette I watched as a kid and learning that it was a significant influence on _Silent Hill_ sealed the deal; My girlfriend owns a copy of Lyne's version of _Lolita_; _Fatal Attraction_ was a girlfriend induced rental; I watched the TV version of _Indecent Proposal_; I haven't seen _9 1/2 Weeks_ but I read the book.) Flashdance is also one of those pieces of pop culture that are so influential that you recognize references even if you've never seen it. And I always wanted to hear the song "Maniac" in its original context, so when I found it on an acquaintances shelf I popped it in. So, how was it? Not too bad. Not great by any means, or even really that good (_Lolita_ and _Jacob's Ladder_ are both quite good) but interesting enough to keep me awake after a long day of work. The plot is a by-the-book "believe in your dreams" story with really lame dialog, but its development is intercut with extended dancing sequences that are so long and frequent that at times it felt like I was watching an abstract silent film. I don't know squat about dancing, but the choreography seemed innovative, at least for its time. I can't even remember the names of the characters, but all in all, I have to admit that it was kind of neat. Also, if you watch it with the subsequent 20+ years of movies in mind, _Flashdance_ can be seen as sort of an omen of all bad things to come from Hollywood: It's a movie by a director whose only previous experience was in music videos and commercials, one whose screenplay was an early effort by hack Joe Esterhasz and was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer! Taken collectively these elements are probably responsible for about 60% of all crap movies made since B00007J5VN:shirley_maclaine's_best_movie?:old_movies_fan B00007J5VN Sweet Charity: DVD: Shirley MacLaine,John McMartin,Chita Rivera,Paula Kelly,Stubby Kaye,Barbara Bouchet,Ricardo Montalban,Sammy Davis Jr.,Suzanne Charney,Alan Hewitt,Dante DiPaolo,Bud Vest,Ben Vereen,Lee Roy Reams,Al Lanti,John Wheeler,Leon Bing,Marie Bahruth,Charles Brewer,John Frayer,Bob Fosse dvd 2 of 20 1.0 September 6, 2005 Old movies fan This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. The characters are unlikeable except for Charity's two friends. The songs are far too long and I had to fast forward through most of them because they were so dull. I was especially disappointed with Big Spender because I love the song and expected a spectacular dance number from Bob Fosse and all they did was stand there draped over the bar. The only redeeming factor was that Sammy Davis Jr. was in it. He's awesome even though the song was fairly stupid. This was my first Shirley MacLaine film and on the back it said that Sweet Charity was her best movie. I have no desire to see her other movies then B00005RRJZ:doesn't_hold_a_candle_to_the_original:nandy B00005RRJZ Love Affair: DVD: Warren Beatty,Annette Bening,Katharine Hepburn,Garry Shandling,Chloe Webb,Pierce Brosnan,Kate Capshaw,Paul Mazursky,Brenda Vaccaro,Glenn Shadix,Barry Miller,Harold Ramis,Linda Wallem,Meagen Fay,Ray Girardin,John Hostetter,Elya Baskin,Boris Lee Krutonog,Saveli Kramarov,Oleg Vidov,Glenn Gordon Caron dvd 1 of 5 1.0 February 27, 2005 Nandy NY, NY This is a remake of An Affair to Remember with Cary Grant and Deborah and it does not work. Some movies just should not be remade. The ONLY thing good about this movie is Katharine Hepburn's appearance. Get the original B00007BK2N:a_disappointment:wildernessofpain B00007BK2N 24 Hour Party People: DVD: Steve Coogan,John Thomson,Nigel Pivaro,Lennie James,Shirley Henderson,Martin Hancock,Mark Windows,Chris Coghill,Paddy Considine,John Simm,Ralf Little,Dave Gorman,Andy Serkis,Danny Cunningham,Paul Popplewell,Ron Cook,Raymond Waring,Peter Kay,Mark E. Smith,Naomi Radcliffe,Michael Winterbottom dvd 3 of 13 2.0 June 27, 2005 wildernessofpain California, United States First of all, I am a Joy Division and New Order fan; therefore, I tried to like this. Really, I did. Sadly, this film stinks. The focus is not on the bands themselves, but on the obnoxious character known as Tony Wilson. What a monster! Either it was the actor's depiction or he does truly have a horrid personality in real life. Maybe I'm not British, but I did not find 24 Hour Party People to be very funny. Only a few scenes made me grin. The randomness added very little to the overall quality of the film. In addition, the camera work was very jerky. Looked like it was done by a novice (and yes, I'm one myself, having made two movies) The only redeeming aspect has to be the scenes with Joy Division. Too bad the members of this band are minor characters. I can only hope that the biopic of Ian Curtis currently in production will be much, much better B00007BK2N:don't_waste_your_money_on_this_one:m._l._smith B00007BK2N 24 Hour Party People: DVD: Steve Coogan,John Thomson,Nigel Pivaro,Lennie James,Shirley Henderson,Martin Hancock,Mark Windows,Chris Coghill,Paddy Considine,John Simm,Ralf Little,Dave Gorman,Andy Serkis,Danny Cunningham,Paul Popplewell,Ron Cook,Raymond Waring,Peter Kay,Mark E. Smith,Naomi Radcliffe,Michael Winterbottom dvd 3 of 51 1.0 February 26, 2005 M. L. Smith Florida Talentless people and garbage music torture you in this turkey-in no time flat,you'll be driven to pure insanity as you run screaming "MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" out into the yard.Do not spend money on this product unless you want to wind up beating your head against the wall and babbling nonsense 0780622561:waggy_mcwaggster:bwight_kitten_"bwight_kitten" 0780622561 Wag the Dog (New Line Platinum Series): DVD: Dustin Hoffman,Robert De Niro,Anne Heche,Denis Leary,Willie Nelson,Andrea Martin,Kirsten Dunst,William H. Macy,John Michael Higgins,Suzie Plakson,Woody Harrelson,Michael Belson,Suzanne Cryer,Jason Cottle,David Koechner,Harland Williams,Sean Masterson,Bernard Hocke,Jenna Byrne,Maurice Woods (II),Barry Levinson dvd 0 of 7 1.0 March 11, 2006 Bwight Kitten "bwight kitten" Man! this movie is soooooo boring. I literally slept through this movie. If I die not having watched it again ill be happy. i dont even know what its about cuz i watched it when i was like 5 yrs. old, but i dont care cuz just thinkin bout it makes me wanna cr 0790729660:big_name_cast_adds_up_to_unfocussed_dud._the_worst_movie_of_this_genre.:benito_vasquez_"benji" 0790729660 A Time to Kill: DVD: Matthew McConaughey,Sandra Bullock,Samuel L. Jackson,Kevin Spacey,Oliver Platt,Charles S. Dutton,Brenda Fricker,Donald Sutherland,Kiefer Sutherland,Patrick McGoohan,Ashley Judd,Tonea Stewart,Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly,Darrin Mitchell,LaConte McGrew,Devin Lloyd,John Diehl,Chris Cooper,Nicky Katt,Doug Hutchison,Joel Schumacher dvd 1 of 3 2.0 August 6, 2006 Benito Vasquez "Benji" Naperville, Il Incredible does describe this movie- incredibly bad! This movie doesn't know what it wants to be. At times one can see attempts to recreate and milk the genuine rage and drama of "Mississippi Burning" or the anger and impunity of "Ghosts of Mississippi", or a hybrid of those and bits and pieces of other movies of this genre. At other times it looks like its just trying to draw from the sex appeal and cheesy interaction of 2 of its main actors, Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock. As a result this movie picks up the rear in that genre's list of movies for lack of originality, and the scattered hodge podge statements it tries to make. Some of my favorite actors are wasted, either by being given cliched dialogue, over acting, or being put there merely for their brand name with no script to support their presence. If this script is considered a great adaptation of a great book, then I have no interest in reading the book. I'm sure the idea and the premise looked good on paper. But the direction doesn't guide the story with any coherence or identity of its own. Bullock is mere cheesecake and is unbelievable in her role, proving she's only worthy of b-grade "Miss Congeniality" type crud. McConaughey over acts so much (as can be said for Keifer Sutherland and others) that it can be said he balances out the under acting of Patrick McGoohan, Kevin Spacey and Donald Sutherland. Samuel L. Jackson should be ashamed of himself of not only his worst performance ever, but also easily his worst choice of movies to participate in. Even the extras in this movie are horrible. Enough can't be said about the terrible direction in this movie, equating elongated facial shots with drama to a fault, making Sergio Leone westerns look much more authentic by comparison. This is not "a powerful film." It's a powerful attempt at using a big name cast, a brand name book and a capable director to use material that they know would easily jerk the emotions of its audience, and in doing that they resort to all the cliches of this genre scattering the story line in so many directions, culminating in an over the top, pleading hunk of cheese summation scene by McConaughey that wouldn't hold water in any real court of justice. Maybe people claim greatness to this movie out of guilt, or because they haven't seen quality comparisons and classics like "Mississippis Burning," that has both a great script and fabulous acting. I don't know. All I know is it tugs from so many hokey directions it takes the final scene to remind everyone how it started. Among the top of my most over rated movies B000ESSUL4:failed_miserably:pung_yai B000ESSUL4 The New World: DVD: Terrence Malick,Colin Farrell,Q'Orianka Kilcher,Christopher Plummer,Christian Bale,August Schellenberg,Wes Studi,David Thewlis,Yorick van Wageningen,Raoul Trujillo,Michael Greyeyes,Kalani Queypo,Ben Mendelsohn,Noah Taylor,Brian F. O'Byrne,Ben Chaplin,Jamie Harris,Janine Duvitski,Eddie Marsan,Joe Inscoe,Jake Curran dvd 1 of 2 2.0 November 10, 2006 Pung Yai The Butt-End of the Cosmos I went into this movie thinking it would be great to see a film set in the turbulent but interesting history of first settlements in the far north of Northern America. Having only really seen Pocahontas through the eyes of Disney, I felt this would be a good chance to see something more significant and engaging on one of histories more interesting events. Like other reviewers, I found the photography and the scenery to be simply stunning. Visually, the film wows the viewer. The scenes simply amaze with their beauty, the sets with their majesty and also rustic simplicity. Coupled with the musical score, this was some of the best camera work I have seen in a long time. This was, in my opinion, the sole redeeming feature of the film. While the filme attempted to contemplate serious and deep issues of love, allegiance and so on, it succeeded in only boring the tears out this viewer with the monotonous monologues of the characters done as long lengths of naration. In one part, the plot lost some continuity and needed reviewing to get to grips with what had happened. For actors of the calibre of Colin Farrell and Christian Bale, this film did not show them at their best. Certainly not the worst I have seen by any stretch, but definitely not the best I have seen from either one of these actors. Tread with caution on this one, and hire it before you buy it. I am glad I did not spend good money purchasing it. Quite frankly, it is a great cure for insomnia B000ESSUL4:surprisingly_slight_and_insubstantial:trevor_willsmer B000ESSUL4 The New World: DVD: Terrence Malick,Colin Farrell,Q'Orianka Kilcher,Christopher Plummer,Christian Bale,August Schellenberg,Wes Studi,David Thewlis,Yorick van Wageningen,Raoul Trujillo,Michael Greyeyes,Kalani Queypo,Ben Mendelsohn,Noah Taylor,Brian F. O'Byrne,Ben Chaplin,Jamie Harris,Janine Duvitski,Eddie Marsan,Joe Inscoe,Jake Curran dvd 4 of 8 2.0 October 19, 2006 Trevor Willsmer London, England The New World is the least of Terrence Malick's limited filmography to date, and could be best described as a monotone poem. It's not exactly bad, just mundane and rather forgettable even while you're watching it, more of a self-indulgence than a genuine attempt to communicate with an audience. Visually it often seems surprisingly flat and uninspired, while the script comprises of far too many trite voice over questions s-p-o-k-e-n v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y i-n h-u-s-h-e-d t-o-n-e-s against selections from his classical music collection, which doesn't magically render them profound but simply makes the film evenly paced to the point where nothing can stand out: even the battle sequence takes time out for more musings. Another big problem is the miscasting of the inexplicably prolific Colin Farrell, a nice enough lad offscreen I'm sure but an extraordinarily limited actor who just cannot carry a picture no matter how many chances he's given. True to form he trots out his two `important picture' expressions - the Bambi-caught-in-the-headlights-of-an-oncoming-car one and the one he thinks looks serious but simply makes him look like he's not been getting enough roughage in his diet. The fact that he's outshone by Q'orianka Kilcher in her first speaking part speaks volumes of his inadequacy, although to be fair he has been worse. Indeed, among the male leads Christian Bale does much, much more with much, much less in the last third of the film, as does a typically underused Christopher Plummer in the first third. Malick is very good at the madness and mutiny that infects the deluded settlers of Jamestown, but because it happens to people we've barely been introduced to it carries no emotional or dramatic weight. If anything, it just made me think of how much more Herzog could have made of it all. Moments work, most notably the expulsion of the `Naturals' from their land and the brief latter sequences in England, but on the evidence of the 135-minute version I very much doubt Malick's promised longer cut will solve the problems. I know it's meant to be a work of art, but I just came away with the feeling that I'd watched an old and very average Universal International 50s Western redubbed by first-year philosophy students. The only surprise was that Jeff Chandler and his bouncing Basques didn't crop up. B000ESSUL4:lots_of_visual_style.......little_substance:n._halberg B000ESSUL4 The New World: DVD: Terrence Malick,Colin Farrell,Q'Orianka Kilcher,Christopher Plummer,Christian Bale,August Schellenberg,Wes Studi,David Thewlis,Yorick van Wageningen,Raoul Trujillo,Michael Greyeyes,Kalani Queypo,Ben Mendelsohn,Noah Taylor,Brian F. O'Byrne,Ben Chaplin,Jamie Harris,Janine Duvitski,Eddie Marsan,Joe Inscoe,Jake Curran dvd 4 of 13 1.0 October 17, 2006 N. Halberg me and my partner are both real open minded people who enjoy a huge range of films. And we do really like The Thin Red Line. But this was a real boring piece of film making.....The whole film was just one huge poetry reading and I prefer to read poetry from a book.....It just doesn't goe anywhere and we found the love scenes even worse than those directed by George Lucas.Even the battle scenes were just poetry readings..........Watch Thin Red Line instead if you are interested in this director's work...That film is a masterpiece....This isn't B000ESSUL4:crammed_a_1_hour_movie_into_3_=_bored_out_of_my_mind!!!:tina_m._griggs_"foxglove666" B000ESSUL4 The New World: DVD: Terrence Malick,Colin Farrell,Q'Orianka Kilcher,Christopher Plummer,Christian Bale,August Schellenberg,Wes Studi,David Thewlis,Yorick van Wageningen,Raoul Trujillo,Michael Greyeyes,Kalani Queypo,Ben Mendelsohn,Noah Taylor,Brian F. O'Byrne,Ben Chaplin,Jamie Harris,Janine Duvitski,Eddie Marsan,Joe Inscoe,Jake Curran dvd 3 of 10 1.0 October 16, 2006 Tina M. Griggs "Foxglove666" Seattle WA This movie is quite possibly the biggest waste of Christian Bale and Colin Farrell to date. It was boring, overblown and incessantly long. It's one of those movies where you keep hoping it will get better, but it never does - and then it just ends. Don't waste the time or the money 0767810856:really_really_really_bad:charles_de_plume 0767810856 It Could Happen to You: DVD: Nicolas Cage,Bridget Fonda,Rosie Perez,Wendell Pierce,Isaac Hayes,V ctor Rojas (II),Seymour Cassel,Stanley Tucci,J.E. Freeman,Red Buttons,Richard Jenkins,Robert Dorfman,Charles Busch,Beatrice Winde,Ginny Yang,Rene Rivera,Angel David,Anna Lobell,Claudia Shear,Jimmy Sabater,Andrew Bergman dvd 1 of 13 1.0 August 12, 2005 Charles de Plume Fullerton, CA Off-hand, I can't think of a worse movie. (And I think Nicolas Cage has done some truly awesome work in other films--hey, he's making a buck, here.) That's all. 1/32 star, if possible B000063UR2:never_received_product.:kenneth_c._howard B000063UR2 Legend (Ultimate Edition): DVD: Tom Cruise,Mia Sara,Tim Curry,David Bennent,Alice Playten,Billy Barty,Cork Hubbert,Peter O'Farrell,Kiran Shah,Annabelle Lanyon,Robert Picardo,Tina Martin,Ian Longmur,Mike Crane,Liz Gilbert,Eddie Powell,Mike Edmonds,Ridley Scott dvd 0 of 1 1.0 November 9, 2006 Kenneth C. Howard I never received product as they never shipped it. Amazon sent me an email stating that they couldn't complete my order as it was "non-deliverable".. Not sure what that means if every other item I purchase is "deliverable" 6304493681:ugh:then 6304493681 Ghost in the Shell: DVD: Atsuko Tanaka,Akio tsuka,Tamio ki,Iemasa Kayumi,K ichi Yamadera,Tessh Genda,Michael Sorich,George Celik,Kazuhiro Yamaji,Richard Epcar,Tom Wyner,Mitsuru Miyamoto,Joan Mason,Toni Burke,Shinji Ogawa,Christopher Joyce,Skip Stellrecht,Shigeru Chiba,Maaya Sakamoto,Y ji Ueda,Mamoru Oshii dvd 1 of 10 1.0 September 22, 2006 Then Point Lookout, Missouri United States This is an extremely dry anime. The manga version by Masamune Shirow is filled with bits of humor. Not so for the anime. The character Batou was especially funny in the manga, but, for reasons unknown, he is the driest character in the already humorless anime version. Expect long scenes filled with monotonous talking. These really make the movie crawl. One minute there's action, next you're listening to Matoko or Batou go on and on about existentialism. Seriously, these little talks, take up 3/4 of the movie. The visuals are awesome, no question about that. Even so, they do not fulfill the need for SOME kind of thread of a story. Altogether, not much actually, HAPPENS during the movie. If you must see it, rent it first to be sure you want it 6304493681:what's_all_the_fuss_about?:timstuff_"tim16733" 6304493681 Ghost in the Shell: DVD: Atsuko Tanaka,Akio tsuka,Tamio ki,Iemasa Kayumi,K ichi Yamadera,Tessh Genda,Michael Sorich,George Celik,Kazuhiro Yamaji,Richard Epcar,Tom Wyner,Mitsuru Miyamoto,Joan Mason,Toni Burke,Shinji Ogawa,Christopher Joyce,Skip Stellrecht,Shigeru Chiba,Maaya Sakamoto,Y ji Ueda,Mamoru Oshii dvd 1 of 17 2.0 February 18, 2006 Timstuff "tim16733" Connecticut, USA Before I review, I'd like to clear something up: I am a very latecomer in seeing this movie. I was introduced to the Ghost in the Shell franchise through the new Anime series airing on Adult Swim, Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex. I absolutely love that show, and so I figured eventually I'd have to get around to seeing the movie, which I knew full well shares no connection with the show. They're both seperate interperetations of the comic series of the same name, (which I have not read, so I don't know which is more accurate) but the TV series is exponentially better than this movie in almost every concievable way. There are many things I don't like about this movie, the biggest being poor pacing. The plot for the movie is actually surprisingly straightforward once you cut away all the filler, but that's the biggest problem. There's not really enough story to last a full-length feature, because it seems almost like it was originally written with the intention of being a 30 minute short. And since they didn't have the budget to load the movie up with action scenes (there are barely any, and they aren't very impressive for the most part) they had to slow the story down with drawn out conversations that you won't understand more than 60% of, and camera shots that last for what feels like minutes where we're looking at either nothing, or a woman's nipples. That's not cinematic artistry, that's being either lazy or perverted. The animation itself isn't even that good, especially considering that this is was a theatrical release from only 10 years ago. It's choppy, and there's not really a whole lot of detail (except when it comes to women's nipples). Looking at just the animation, if I didn't know better, I'd have thought this movie was an OVA from the 1980's. The only thing I can really say I liked about this movie was that it was Ghost in the Shell. It's probably kind of like how I didn't see the 1989 Batman movie until years after I'd been spoiled by Batman the Animated Series, and couldn't bring myself to like it for any reason other than that it was Batman. Everything about the TV series is superior to this movie: the animation, the stories, the character developement, the production values... I could go on for an entire page about how much better the TV series is. In short, if you're you're at all interested in the GITS franchise, do yourself a favor and rent the DVDs of the TV show instead. You'll find a lot to love, but I can't say the same about the movie. My dream is that someday Alex Proyas will give us a GITS movie that lives up to what I would hope for after watching Standalone Complex B0002OXVBO:death_of_common_sense:t._a._hansen_"sturmandordrang.blogspot.com" B0002OXVBO Super Size Me: DVD: John Banzhaf,Bridget Bennett (II),Ron English (III),Don Gorske,Mary Gorske,Samuel Hirsch,Dr. Daryl Isaacs,Alexandra Jamieson,Michael Jordan,Ronald McDonald,Marion Nestle,John Robbins (III),Laura Sandy,Dr. David Satcher,Kymme Simchak,Jacob Sullum,Tommy Thompson (XVII),Dr. Lisa Young,Lisa R. Young dvd 1.0 November 19, 2006 T. A. Hansen "sturmandordrang.blogspot.com" eagan, mn USA It's hard for me to believe that so many people think this is a brilliant and startling film. How could you not know that eating so much fast food is unhealthy? If this film is considered groundbreaking then I fear for our Republic B00005NRNG:difficult!:dani B00005NRNG Pilates Workout for Dummies: DVD: For Dummies dvd 5 of 5 2.0 July 24, 2006 Dani Australia Am I the only one who found the basic workout difficult? The pace was too quick for me to get the right technique in the poses and even though I have done this workout several times now, my back almost always is very painful for at least 24 hours afterward. I have found that, apart from a few exercises, the intermediate workout is easier B00009AV9W:a_good_ole_rebel,_new_orleans:h._webb_"a_good_ole_rebel" B00009AV9W Andersonville: DVD: Jarrod Emick,Frederic Forrest,Ted Marcoux,Carmen Argenziano,Jayce Bartok,Frederick Coffin,Cliff De Young,Denis Forest,Justin Henry,Tony Higgins,Kris Kamm,Andrew Kavovit,Olek Krupa,William H. Macy,Matt McGrath,Peter Murnik,Gabriel Olds,Tim Parati,William Sanderson,Gregory Sporleder,John Frankenheimer dvd 14 of 58 1.0 August 13, 2004 H. Webb "A good ole Rebel" New Orleans I will not watch the movie "Andersonville" until they make a movie called "Elmira"(the camp in Elmira, N.Y., the worst of the Union prison camps had 35% death rate) B00009YXAS:here_we_go_again:j._jones B00009YXAS Roger & Me: DVD: James Bond (IV),Pat Boone,Anita Bryant,Karen Edgely,Bob Eubanks,Ben Hamper,Dinona Jackson,Timothy Jackson,Tom Kay (II),Ted Koppel,Dan Rather,Ronald Reagan,Richard Earl Sawdon,Barbara Schroeder,Robert Schuller,George Sells,Roger B. Smith,Guy Williams,Sue Zelenko dvd 4 of 9 1.0 January 26, 2006 J. Jones I gave this movie 1 star because it is not a true documentary. It falls more along the same fodder as "Spinal Tap". It is missing a counter point from GM. One could argue that Roger had chances to talk with Moore, but choose not to. One the other hand, Rogers missing interview is what gave the movie such an emotional hold. I believe that Moore counted on not being granted air time at GM for the production of this film. An interview would have killed the tone. Watch the nightly news NOW. Last night, March 22nd 2006, GM offered a one time buy out to some of it's employees. The news reported that GM cannot afford to maintain its relationship with the UAW (Just like what caused the Flint situation in the film). This same thing happened in the late 1980's and brought forth this extremely biased movie. This film is entertaining in a strange way, but should not be considered to be the absolute truth. Watch it with a grain of salt. For what it's worth, Under close examination, Careful consideration and Keen intellect, you will see a undercover message You might need to examine closely the content. Outwardly, things are not what they seem Until you look more closely. Many times the basic concept is Misread in the dialog Once you see this, and Open your mind to it, Rational thought will Emerge B00003CXH1:the_lisbon_suicides:alaka_lalia_r._"aly" B00003CXH1 The Virgin Suicides: DVD: Kirsten Dunst,Hayden Christensen dvd 4 of 15 2.0 July 14, 2006 Alaka Lalia R. "Aly" San Francisco, CA Therese, Lux, Mary, Bonnie and Cecilia make up the five Lisbon girls, ages 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. Cecilia, the youngest, lives in her sisters shadows because they are all older and of much more interest to their male neighbors. As a cry for help, she slits her wrists and lays down in the bathtub, she survived the incident. After a psychiatrist highly impresses upon the strict Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon that it would be benificial for Cecilia to be exposed to environments which have boys her own age, Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon decide to allow the girls to throw the one and only Lisbon party. Some of the neighborhood's boys are invited over and while the party is in session, Cecilia is pretty inanimate, sitting on the couch while her sisters flirt, talk and laugh. Midway through the party, Cecilia asks to be excused and Mrs. Lisbon - though somewhat reluctantly - allows it. Cecilia goes up to her room (on the second floor of a two-story house) and jumps out the window, landing on the spiked fence on the front lawn of the Lisbon house. In this way, Cecilia Lisbon commited suicide. Only four girls remain. The act which Cecilia committed did not go at all unnoticed. The father saw her immediately, the party ended there and all of the boys went home rather glum. Four of the Lisbon's neighbors, four young boys, suffered a rapidly growing obsession with the Lisbon girls, who were beautiful and a total mystery to the outside world. They got hold of Cecilia's diary and tried to explain why she committed suicide. The eldest decided Cecilia was a dreamer, and she did not think she would fall when she jumped out her window, she thought she would fly. With their youngest sister gone, the remaining Lisbon girls grow closer to each other, stranding themselves further from the outside world. When school starts again, they attempt to go on acting as if nothing happened, not ever mentioning their youngest sister. The run-of-the-mill awkward act is taken part by the rest of the school however. The usual profuse apology to the mention of the word "death" and the like. Trip Fontaine is the most popular guy in school, the object of desire to all of the girls at school... Except for the Lisbon girls, which is of no importance to Trip until he sets eyes on Lux. Trip cannot help but be enchanted by her flawless beauty. In the beginning, he is unsuccessful in his quest to even catch her attention for she bluntly shows she's not interested. But after his consistent courtship, Lux falls for his charming ways. Trip then attempts to convince Mr. Lisbon to let him and three of his football team pals take the Lisbon daughters to Homecoming. After Mr. Lisbon talks to his wife, he agrees to Trip's request, knowing nothing but Trip's sincerity and claimed honorable intentions, on the understanding that Trip have all of the Lisbon girls returned to the house by curfew. After Trip explains the situation to his football peers, he gives in to those who bribe him the most handsomely. Meanwhile, the Lisbon girls are picking out fabric for the dresses they shall wear to the Homecoming Dance. Though one pattern is used for all four dresses, each dress looks unique when concentrating on detail. Once they pick up the girls, they stop midway to the Homecoming in order to smoke, Lux being the only girl volunteering to smoke. They then drive to the dance. Trip and Lux sneak away and sneak swallows of alcohol. Another one of the Lisbon sisters and her date follow, but leave soon afterwards, not being as wild nor daring as Trip and Lux. At the time they all decided to meet back at the car so they could make the girls curfew, they are all there... Except for Trip and Lux, who at that time were alone in the middle of the football stadium field. Deciding they must make their own curfews, Therese, Bonnie, Mary and their dates leave without them. After fooling around, the intoxicated Trip and Lux fall asleep in the middle of the football stadium. Trip awakens in the middle of the night and leaves Lux there alone. When Lux wakes up early the next morning she is confused as to why Trip is not there. She takes a taxi home and her parents were worried sick (of course). But they take measures as far as pulling the girls out of school and stranding them inside the Lisbon residence. The girls, in a desperate attempt to hold onto a connection to the outside world, begin using morse code to interact with the four boys who so closely follow their lives. One of which boys lived across the street and the rest which came over daily after this in order to contact the girls. Soon following, the boys begin talking to the Lisbon girls via phone. One day, the girls invite the boys to come over once Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon are asleep. The plan being that the boys were to drive the girls somewhere, the boys hastily agree. They sneak over and Lux invites them to wait inside for her sisters and Lux goes to wait in the car. The boys wander down to the basement while waiting for Therese, Bonnie and Mary, verbally expressing their hopes for the night. But then they realize they have stumbled upon one of the sisters. She had hung herself. The boys, scared to death, run all the way home. Time passed, things changed, girls came and went... But no matter what, those four boys NEVER forgot the Lisbon suicides. Ultimately, the movie was nothing short of queer. When trying to sum up the story in a few lines (such as "Follow the lives of the Lisbon sisters and how they connect to their neighbors. A story full of obsession, gossip, lust, love, desire and isolation.") the story sounds quite unique and intriguing, but the story fell short of that for me personally. Partly because the Lisbon sisters really committed suicide for a reason not much deeper than isolation. The movie, in places, is also extremely flawed. I do not believe Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon could've removed their daughters from school for so long without their daughters being taken from them by social services. In many parts of the movie, they should've used upbeat music to fill the deafening silences. The whole movie was filmed in a style that I can truthfully say makes me rather bored. I would only suggest this film to, perhaps, people who like movies such as "Elizabethtown" which Kirsten Dunst is also in. But I personally disliked this movie which was not very tasteful and will not be watching it again in the future B00014NF02:great_acting_ruined_by_politics:jim58327 B00014NF02 Runaway Jury (Full Screen Edition): DVD: John Cusack,Gene Hackman,Dustin Hoffman,Rachel Weisz,Bruce Davison,Bruce McGill,Jeremy Piven,Nick Searcy,Stanley Anderson,Cliff Curtis,Nestor Serrano,Leland Orser,Jennifer Beals,Gerry Bamman,Joanna Going,Bill Nunn,Juanita Jennings,Marguerite Moreau,Nora Dunn,Guy Torry,Gary Fleder dvd 8 of 14 1.0 May 3, 2006 Jim58327 Connecticut Stellar performances by all actors and actresses involved in this movie are ruined by the sheer ignorance of the topic. Not one single "fact" about guns contained in this movie was true and at the end of the film I had nothing but an overwhelming feeling that the bad guys had clearly won. What a crock B00004RCK1:the_can_be_written_for_a_democrat,_or_republican:daniel_hayes_"d.r._hayes" B00004RCK1 Wag the Dog: DVD: Dustin Hoffman,Robert De Niro,Anne Heche,Denis Leary,Willie Nelson,Andrea Martin,Kirsten Dunst,William H. Macy,John Michael Higgins,Suzie Plakson,Woody Harrelson,Michael Belson,Suzanne Cryer,Jason Cottle,David Koechner,Harland Williams,Sean Masterson,Bernard Hocke,Jenna Byrne,Maurice Woods (II),Barry Levinson dvd 0 of 15 1.0 March 17, 2006 Daniel Hayes "D.R. Hayes" Clermont, FL. For that matter it can be written for any party candidate that wants the truth of his/her dirty secrets covered up. I feel that it's the most insulting film to be released. It hides the fact that we as citizens, and our government don't really care about who we stick in office. If the party lines up with what we believe in screw the fact he had to cover something up. I can't fathom why we continue to fall for this all the time, and believe me I don't feel it's right to air it all over the news either. I feel that it comes down to the man, and if he does have the values his/her party believes in then he will do the honorable thing, and own up to his/her mistake. This movie is just another nail to drive into the justification that it's alright to cover things up, and there are no absolutes, or rights or wrongs. Wht happens when we tick off the wrong person who's rich? Do we wait until then to change the moral? That's Pathetic, and so is this movie B0001GWBOG:ugh!:henry_iii B0001GWBOG The Praise Baby Collection: Praises and Smiles: DVD: Praise Baby Collection dvd 1 of 4 1.0 November 3, 2005 Henry III LA I got this video thinking it would be like the baby faith videos with fun and creative elements for learning development. My baby watched about two mintues and was gone. I think this is pitched as a baby video but it's really more geared toward older children. None of the elements have anything to do with the music, making is virtually useless as a learning development product. I give it a big "thumbs down". Try any one of the baby faith products like God Made Me, God Made Music and God Made Animals. They're awesome! B00005JNTU:another_disappointing_marvel_movie:a._patel B00005JNTU Fantastic Four (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Ioan Gruffudd,Jessica Alba,Chris Evans,Michael Chiklis,Julian McMahon,Hamish Linklater,Kerry Washington,Laurie Holden,David Parker (IV),Kevin McNulty,Maria Menounos,Michael Kopsa,Andrew Airlie,Pascale Hutton,G. Michael Gray,David Richmond-Peck,Penelope Corrin,Aonika Laurent,Jason Schombing,Jason Diablo,Tim Story dvd 0 of 2 1.0 November 6, 2006 A. Patel Edison Who's idea was it to put Jessica Alba as Sue Storm? Chris Evans's portrayal of Johnny Storm was somewhat disappointing too, although not as bad as Jessica Alba's portrayal of Sue Storm. Why do they cast Hollywood big names in these movies just for the sake of having big celebrities in these movies? They really need to cast people who actually fit the roles and have talent for portraying the characters. This movie was somewhat good, but it didn't feel all that great. So far, this movie is just another of Marvel's somewhat disappointing movies along the lines of Elektra, The Incredible Hulk, Xmen 3, Daredevil, and The Punisher. I was so happy to see Marvel characters getting their own movies, but after seeing what Hollywood does to them, I would rather see Marvel's chracters go back into hiding. Special effects were good in this movie, and so was the story. Michael Chiklis as the Thing was great, and his The Thing character makeup was done very well, and he played the character well too, as did Ioan Gruffud with Mr. Fantastic. Jessica Alba and Chris Evans definitely demoted this movie B00005NTNQ:dated_and_dull:p._schulz_"pschulz" B00005NTNQ Robin and the Seven Hoods: DVD: Frank Sinatra,Dean Martin,Sammy Davis Jr.,Bing Crosby,Peter Falk,Barbara Rush,Victor Buono,Hank Henry,Robert Foulk,Allen Jenkins,Jack La Rue,Robert Carricart,Joseph Ruskin,Phil Arnold,Harry Swoger,Bernard Fein,Richard Bakalyan,Sonny King,Phillip Crosby,Al Silvani,Gordon Douglas dvd 1 of 2 2.0 March 1, 2006 P. Schulz "pschulz" Cincinnati The central idea of this movie is the activities a 1920's Robin Hood and his band of gangsters. Unfortunately, even the Rat Pack cannot save this movie. The script is slow, dated,and dull. Barbara Rush's scenes are especially confusing. Her scenes almost seem to be part of a different movie. Nothing comes of her apparent interest in Sinatra or Martin which makes me wonder why they made the final cut. The main actors seemed to be bored, and with the exceptions of Bing Crosby and Peter Falk, walked through their performances. (Maybe they were hung over most of the time?) Save your money and borrow it from your local library. B00005UE6T:well_that_was_tedious:general_zombie B00005UE6T Requiem for a Dream: DVD: Darren Aronofsky,Ellen Burstyn,Jared Leto,Jennifer Connelly,Marlon Wayans,Christopher McDonald,Louise Lasser,Marcia Jean Kurtz,Janet Sarno,Suzanne Shepherd,Joanne Gordon,Charlotte Aronofsky,Mark Margolis,Michael Kaycheck,Jack O'Connell (II),Chas Mastin,Ajay Naidu,Sean Gullette,Samia Shoaib,Peter Maloney,Abraham Abraham dvd 2.0 November 7, 2006 General Zombie the West Well folks, looks like we may have the most over praised movie of the current millennium right here. ("Crash" comes close, but that film has a lot more detractors than this one, and many of those who liked it seemed to do so because they imagined, somehow, that it would "change the world".) My beefs are not the same as most of those who don't like the film: I don't much care that it may show an unrealistic picture of drug abuse, nor do I find it overly depressing. Fact is, it isn't depressing at all cause I didn't care. It's just boring and annoying, sometimes at different moments, sometimes simultaneously. This not a good combination. All right, here's a plot summary: Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans, Jennifer Connelly and Ellen Burstyn all do drugs, and this really messes up their lives. I hate to give it all away like that, but there it is. The fundamental flaw is this: I don't like any of these people, so their pain doesn't mean anything, and since that is all there is to this movie it absolutely fails to have any sort of effect. Maybe if Aronofsky had put more time in to characterization it would've worked, but now there just isn't anything there. As far as what's actually in the movie, we've got Jared Leto as a stupid chunkhead who has inane conversations with his equally chunkheaded girlfriend Jennifer Connelly, who wants to be a fashion designer, or something. Beyond this we've got Jared's mother, Ellen Burstyn, who is a weird old woman and Marlon Wayans as Leto's friend who deals drugs with him at times and appears headed towards the big leagues. I particularly love how there's no real attempt to make Wayans into a person. He's got one flashback about how he wanted to make his mom proud and that's it. The doubly sad fact is that he's the most likable of the three. He at least displays a little life. Connelly and Leto apparently just wandered here from a Bergman film and are so dull and slow that it's a wonder that the smack doesn't cause them to cease to exist entirely. (Well, Connelly actually does coke, I think, but it fails to liven her up any. Also, I actually *like* the Bergman films I've seen, so that's not really a fair comparison.) They love each other, apparently, but since I don't even like either of them I'm not much interested. Finally, Burstyn is mostly just creepy though her performance does take a turn for the hilarious as she goes off the deep end. Perhaps it wouldn't have been funny if I cared about her, but we've been over that... And I want you people to know that I'm not utterly heartless when it comes to movies. I can care about the characters, but none of these people did anything for me, so the movie's dead in the water. For good counter examples watch "Trainspotting", which has drug-addict characters with enough humor and life to be likable and interesting and "Bubba Ho-Tep", a film which displays the plight of the lonely elderly 50 times better than this film despite being a silly horror-comedy with a mummy in a cowboy outfit in it. On the other hand, neither of those movies is nearly as pretentious as "Requiem For A Dream", so watching them will do nothing to stroke your ego. Still, if that's all you want to kinda find plenty of films better than this one for that purpose. "Requiem For A Dream" isn't helped any by Darren Aronofsky's repetitive, derivative over-direction. The trouble is, this movie hasn't got any plot to distract you from how redundant the visual style is. There's nothing inherently wrong with any of his tactics, but they're hopelessly driven in to the ground, as we see fast-motion a thousand times, quick-cut montages a million times and plenty of wonky camera-attached-to-the-actor junk, and they are, again, impossible not to notice cause the plot sure ain't drawing me in. I imagine that the overdone, repeating visual style is meant as a representation of the endless cycle found in drug use, but that doesn't make it any more pleasant or entertaining to watch. The score suffers from the same problem as they use the same handful of themes over and over. Truth be told, I thought this movie was pretty okay for about the first half, but then it really started to grate on me. It became evident that no, Aronofsky wasn't going to introduce any new visual tricks and no, these characters weren't going to get any more interesting. I looked at the timer continuously for about the last 40 minutes of the film, and was so uninvolved that the supposedly horrifying conclusion where all the characters really get it bad was utterly ineffective. It was kind of uplifting, really: Now that these tedious characters have finally hit rock bottom I can go do something else. Now that's a good ending. Grade: D+ PS This is 500 reviews. I doubt if I will write 500 more, but who knows B00005UE6T:a_celebration_of_hopelessness:r._connolly_"boston-galadhrim" B00005UE6T Requiem for a Dream: DVD: Darren Aronofsky,Ellen Burstyn,Jared Leto,Jennifer Connelly,Marlon Wayans,Christopher McDonald,Louise Lasser,Marcia Jean Kurtz,Janet Sarno,Suzanne Shepherd,Joanne Gordon,Charlotte Aronofsky,Mark Margolis,Michael Kaycheck,Jack O'Connell (II),Chas Mastin,Ajay Naidu,Sean Gullette,Samia Shoaib,Peter Maloney,Abraham Abraham dvd 3 of 16 1.0 August 24, 2006 R. Connolly "boston-galadhrim" BOSTON, MA United States I give this film one star for the acting, which is often very good. However, the plot and message of this film revel in hopelessness, and debase every aspect of lower income, urban people. In all honesty, I've seen more joy in an African famine. I sat through this film, against my better judgement. Still, if you're truly interested in investigating the dark underbelly of urban American misery and frailty, then I recommend "A Streetcar Named Desire", "KIDS", "Last Exit to Brooklyn", and "Traffic". B00009Y3NA:pretentious:beth_"bethiejw2" B00009Y3NA Images: DVD: Susannah York,Rene Auberjonois,Marcel Bozzuffi,Hugh Millais,Cathryn Harrison,John Morley,Barbara Baxley,Robert Altman dvd 2 of 12 2.0 December 31, 2003 Beth "bethiejw2" Glendale, AZ United States The only reason why I saw this was because of Susannah York. This shows she was more capable of the dix she played in "The Killing of Sister George" and was a fine actress. Otherwise this movie is blah. It's okay to make a surreal other world but you have to make it interesting. The men in this movie are so disgusting one can't blame her for getting mad anyway. For another pointless film of this caliber see Secret Ceremony B00008DDVV:it_is_worth_seeing,_but_michael_morre_missed_the_point:adobe_princess_"laura" B00008DDVV Bowling for Columbine: DVD: Michael Caldwell,Dick Cheney,Dick Clark,Bill Clinton,Byron Dorgan,Leon Errol,Joe Farmer (II),John Harris (XXII),Rob Huebel,Dick Hurlin,Tom Mauser,Evan McCollum,Carey McWilliams,Dennis Morgan,Dinh Diem Ngo,Oliver North,Chris Rock,Jessica Savitch,Matt Stone dvd 3 of 5 1.0 October 9, 2006 adobe princess "Laura" New Mexico He thought the columbine incident was about gun control. It was not. It was about anger and bullying. That is the problem. That is what would have fixed that problem. We need to help children be better to eachother or problems like this will keep going on. It is worth seeing because it is interesting, but he is wrong on this one. Micahel Moore is a good director but people are not always right B0006FO5LO:a_wild,_wild_gimmick:j._anderson B0006FO5LO Deadwood - The Complete First Season: DVD: Davis Guggenheim,Michael Almereyda,Timothy Van Patten dvd 4 of 23 1.0 October 19, 2006 J. Anderson CA United States You want realism of the Old West? Try showing people frequently blowing big wads of snot out their nose and hawking green loogies onto the floor or into their sleeves because they didn't have tissues. Try having the actors and actresses go for a couple of months without washing their hair, and not brushing their teeth with toothpaste, so their hair is oily and their mouths are scuzzy and black. THAT would be realistic, but it's a LOT more repellant to television audiences than gratuitous profanity. So this "realistic" show has characters with clean, fluffy hair and pretty teeth spew garbage langauge constantly -- and sucker viewers and reviewers buy this as "realistic"!!! Every great writer of every age and era, be it Mark Twain, Owen Wister, William Shakespeare, or John Steinbeck, or any other storyteller whose works have survived for generations, told "realistic" stories of their era but who understood what realistic trivia to keep in, and what to leave out, in order to TELL THE STORY. That is WHY their work has remained timeless. Deadwood's writing shows a huge insecurity complex in choosing to rely on a gimmick (and a juvenile one at that) like over-the-top profanity. Whether or not the Calamity Janes of the time actually used the words "ignorant f****ng c***s" is something we will never know and is also absolutely irrelevant. There are an awful lot of sheeple in TV land B000H30B2C:now_a_longer_version_of_a_movie_that_was_too_long?:rich_yan_"rich_yan_33" B000H30B2C King Kong (Three-Disc Deluxe Extended Edition): DVD: Peter Jackson,Naomi Watts,Adrien Brody dvd 11 of 56 2.0 November 13, 2006 Rich Yan "Rich Yan 33" Westmoreland City, PA United States OK, the original is a classic and is what...90...100 minutes long? Jackson stretches it out to 3 hours and adds very little to the story. The native were scary. The quiet scenes with Kong were welcome additions, they actually made him into a character...something that can't be said for any of the human characters. The insect scenes are ridiculous!! The dinosaur stampede was idiotic. Anything with the young cabin boy almost seemed like it was clipped out of another movie. Now Jackson is adding 38 munutes to a movie that is grossly over padded to begin with?!? Peter Jackson is a hack director that has no idea how to tell a story efficiently.Remind me to skip his next 15 3 hour long epics B0000505GX:no_habeas,_not_much_corpus,_and_definitely_not_delictus:james_stephen_garrett_"teep" B0000505GX The Firm: DVD: Tom Cruise,Jeanne Tripplehorn,Gene Hackman,Hal Holbrook,Terry Kinney,Wilford Brimley,Ed Harris,Holly Hunter,David Strathairn,Gary Busey,Steven Hill,Tobin Bell,Barbara Garrick,Jerry Hardin,Paul Calderon,Jerry Weintraub,Sullivan Walker,Karina Lombard,Margo Martindale,John Beal,Sydney Pollack dvd 2 of 11 1.0 December 14, 2005 James Stephen Garrett "Teep" Arkham Asylum I hate lawyers. What is a lawyer, anyway? Basically: it's a telemarketer in a decent suit, a guy who would be hawking the latest Ronco Hair-in-a-Can super-duper late night special to folks in Akron over his plantronic headset, only he won the genetic lottery and got shot out of an upper-middle class womb. Shakespeare said it first and best: "First, let's kill all the lawyers!". Former Enron uber-dealmaker John Wing put a little fast-times Houston spin on that one: "get all the lawyers in a room---and shoot 'em!---in the mouth, so you *can't* miss!" Exactly. Anyway, "The Firm" is a flick that purports to make the world of high-priced yappers jaw-rippingly exciting, so I was probably all amped up to despise it. But not really: back before I dug into a gig with the Dark Side in high finance, back when I was hefting a backpack over the sodden campus of my old alma mater, I briefly considered going into law: briefly, for about an hour. It was a desperate time, and I needed money. Why did I consider walking Hell's Highway, if only for an instant? Because John Grisham, boring lawyer-turned-ripping-potboiler-writer-turned-back-into-boring-lawyer, a kind of Tom Clancy for the paper-pusher and green-eyeshade set, made it all sound pretty damned funky (and lucrative! Hey, dig that BMW 7 series, baby, beep beep!) in his engrossing little novel "The Firm": granted, I've read better prose on the backs of cereal boxes, but it held my attention. I mean, seriously: you're 19, and the whole flying out on the corporate Lear to Grand Cayman and switching out briefcases full of cash sounds kinda cool. And strippers, man, plenty of strippers. Oh, and did someone mention a BMW? What's the difference between a lawyer and a snake? The snake at least has the decency to hiss before it sinks its fangs into your a**. Now it's true: Grisham writes like Kim Jong Il sings, but---in "The Firm", anyway---he was a master craftsman at moving things along at a bristling pace, from the pedestrian---hotshot Law School whiz kid gets picked up by a Memphis white-shoe law firm---to the Pretty Damned Atrocious, all while keeping the pressure ratcheted up with a dense, suffocating sense of malice. Grisham, like Michael Crichton, isn't a prose genius: he's not even mediocre. But he writes for film, and "The Firm" cried out for cinematic treatment. So it's baffling that, with all the right Stuff---Tom Cruise as winsome lead Mitch McDeere, Gene Hackman doing his chain-drinking Gene Hackman thang as the corrupt (but ultimately worn-out and pathetic) senior partner, and Sydney Pollack helming it up---that the big-screen treatment of "The Firm" is such a yawner. Talk about contempt of court. Pollack takes all that intricately woven little Grisham-plot and barfs big ugly chunks of it up on the screen. At its guts, really, "The Firm" was really nothing more than the Big Career Nightmare: I've bet the farm on this gig, I'm getting big money, I'm working like a fiend, my wife is having trouble remembering my name, and evidently I'm not doing tax-deals for loaded clients---I'm doing money laundering for The Mob. Pollack just mangles the whole thing, convolutes the simple, and renders up a flick that will have you checking your watch and yawning. Casting is part of the problem: Cruise does his thing, running around Memphis with his briefcase. Hackman drinks a lot and exudes pure Armani-clad sleaze: "The Firm" is all funny-wrinkles when he's onscreen, but hey, a man can only do so much. Jeanne Tripplehorn (Cruise's squeeze), who plays Lara San Giacomo when she's not playing Tripplehorn (seriously, google the two of 'em: astounding!) is a bitter old battleaxe who made me want to stick forks in my eyes. Wilford Brimley is just plain wrong as The Firm's security chief: too bald, too cracker, too rotund, too silly, too low-end, to do the role justice. Holly Hunter is even worse: Hunter is one of those eighties thangs who got pumped up as Something Sexy, which is baffling, given that she's about 3'8, and has all the sex appeal of an Oompah-Loompah. It doesn't help that she's a big, ugly Southern stereotype, the caricature most denizens of dumpy Michigan towns imagine Southerners to be. You want her to die: she doesn't. Pollack wants us to think she's clever and funny. She isn't. Ed Harris, I think, is in this movie. So is Hal Holbrook, which kinda ruins everything, because everytime Hal Holbrook is in a movie you know you're dealing with a bunch of friggin' crooks. Anyway, the coup de grace to the stupidity is the entrance, Deus Ex Machina, of Paul Sorvino (Don Morolto---what kind of Goombah name is dat, anyway? Somebody call Tony Soprano!), who takes this juggernaut of boredom from the merely stupid to the totally ridiculous. If you wanna see Tom Cruise running around Memphis with his briefcase for two hours, by all means belly up to the bar. Otherwise, case dismissed. JS 0783235380:did_we_see_the_same_movie??:tess_roberts_"saoirse" 0783235380 Forces of Nature: DVD: Ben Affleck,Sandra Bullock,Maura Tierney,Steve Zahn,Blythe Danner,Ronny Cox,Michael Fairman,Richard Schiff,Athena Maria Bitzis,Afemo Omilami,David Strickland,Jack Kehler,Janet Carroll,Meredith Scott Lynn,George Wallace,Steve Hytner,John Doe,Anne Haney,Bert Remsen,Julie Ivey,Bronwen Hughes dvd 2 of 4 1.0 March 2, 2005 Tess Roberts "saoirse" Dallas, TX Okay, the script is not the most imaginative I've ever seen, but I like the actors (especially Ben's best man) so I was friendly with this movie for the most part. I didn't even mind the obvious holes in the plot, such as...why do these characters not have credit cards or cell phones? Or at least, why don't they use them? Oh no, much more plausible that Ben will have to strip dance in a gay bar for $150 to buy a car to drive to NC. I didn't even mind the fact that the whole "We're married and my husband's a doctor." charade was so predictable. Oh Gee, he's pretending to be a doctor and he's on a tour bus with a bunch of elderly people. D'ya think someone might have a heart attack and "Dr. Holmes" might have to step up? And uh, they're pretending to be married and Oh! surprise there's the best man and maid of honor! D'ya think they're gonna get busted? What killed it for me was that ridiculous ending. It was obviously supposed to be a surprise (and it was) but there seemed to be no other reason for it than to pull a fast one on the audience. I felt cheated. I spent the entire movie getting emotionally involved with the relationship between Sarah and Ben, and I really cared about how they would handle things with the fiance and Sarah's little boy and all that. I cheerfully became disengaged from the relationship between Ben and Bridget, I totally believed neither one of them was ready to get married or right for each other. The film spent an inordinate amount of time showing me they're not right for each other and that this wedding was not meant to happen. RIGHT UP TO THE LAST MOMENT, we think he's breaking it off with Bridget. Instead, what the heck let's just go ahead and get married after all. Huh? He left Sarah sitting out there waiting for him in a HURRICANE!!! after making her promise that she would still be there when he got back. This man obviously doesn't have a clue what he wants in life, and I'm expected to believe they lived happily ever after? Not only that, but what does it teach us about taking this commitment seriously? It teaches us that if our instinct is telling us "don't do it!" and our genitals are yearning for someone else and even Mother Nature seems to be working hard to prevent this marriage, aw heck go on ahead and do it anyway. It's just marriage. It's romantic! You could get lucky and live happily ever after! It's been my experience, when things aren't feeling just right as you approach that wedding, turn and run. The last thing you should do is close your eyes, grab your balls and take the leap B000F7CMRM:confusing,_too_many_characters,_difficult_to_follow_story_line:a._vegan B000F7CMRM Syriana (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Kayvan Novak,George Clooney,Amr Waked,Christopher Plummer,Jeffrey Wright,Chris Cooper,Robert Foxworth,Nicky Henson,Nicholas Art,Matt Damon,Amanda Peet,Steven Hinkle,Daisy Torm ,Peter Gerety,Richard Lintern,Jocelyn Quivrin,Mazhar Munir,Shahid Ahmed,Bikram Singh Bhamra,Roger Yuan,Stephen Gaghan dvd 2.0 November 19, 2006 A. Vegan Ontario Canada Simply put: the movie is boring. Clich upon clich is confirmed and story lines never come together. It seems as if the director was unsure whether to make a movie or a documentary. The main plot is very thin (a CIA agent is ordered to kill an oil prince, gets caught and then warns the prince (why?)) and therefore some elements were added to make the movie more interesting. So, a kid dies, which results in the "natural" response of the father: freely advising the person indirectly responsible for his son's death. The lawyer has a drunk "friend" and keeps him around, why, no one knows. Some kids become suicide terrorists and blow up a ship. All in all, this is one of the worst movies I have seen in quite a while. I was neither entertained nor intellectually challenged. I neither laughed nor cried, I did not gain an understanding nor was I compelled to learn more or take up a cause. It meant nothing to me, which in my eyes is the worst one can say about a movie. Save your money, save your time, choose another movie. B00008UAMZ:not_for_the_beginner:mtlimber B00008UAMZ Israel: A Nation Is Born: DVD: Abba Eban dvd 5 of 5 2.0 February 9, 2006 mtlimber Orlando, FL I rented this DVD because of the glowing reviews here and because I wanted a better understanding of the origin of the modern problems in the Middle East. Overall, I was disappointed by this offering because it didn't give sufficient background and seemed to speak primarily to those who already had a knowledge of the subject. (It also seems to me to be *a bit* biased in Israel's favor vis-a-vis the Palestinians, but that flaw could be accepted and filtered appropriately.) For instance, the documentary jumps right into the last Zionist Congress in 1939 (or whenever it was), but they never define what the Zionist movement is or where it came from. I know some of this from my reading, but it would be nice to have a summary here -- especially as it relates to the main players in the rest of the documentary. I wish the documentary would have at least started with WWI and the British occupation of Palestine after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, rather than picking up at WWII and mentioning some of the WWI details later. Doing so would have answered questions like, "Why are the British so important here?" Another example is keeping track of the people, places, and organizations, which are often named in Hebrew or Arabic and are unfamiliar to the uninitiated. It made the sequence of events hard to follow because we had a hard time keeping track of who was doing what and where. Using more text on the screen, more maps, more recaps, and perhaps more English translations would have improved things greatly, methinks. The film certainly has value, not least because it is told by a participant and first-hand observer, but it is not for those without much familiarity with the people, places, and issues at hand B000068MBI:not_better_than_channel_surfing:siredge B000068MBI High Crimes: DVD: Ashley Judd,Morgan Freeman,James Caviezel,Adam Scott,Amanda Peet,Bruce Davison,Tom Bower,Juan Carlos Hern ndez,Michael Gaston,Jude Ciccolella,Emilio Rivera,Michael Shannon,John Billingsley (II),Dendrie Taylor,Paula Jai Parker,John Apicella,Dawn Hudson,Samuel Sheng,Florence Regina,Julie Remala,Carl Franklin dvd 0 of 3 1.0 June 13, 2005 siredge Boise, ID Other reviews rant about Ms. Judd; frankly, after Double Jeopardy and High Crimes, I'm not seeing the superb actress, but that's aside the point. This movie has one point that can be summed up in this review so you can spend your time better on something else-- Search for truth, not innocence. Especially if you are an attorney B000068MBI:another_one_of_them_ashley_judd_thrillers:michael_bolts B000068MBI High Crimes: DVD: Ashley Judd,Morgan Freeman,James Caviezel,Adam Scott,Amanda Peet,Bruce Davison,Tom Bower,Juan Carlos Hern ndez,Michael Gaston,Jude Ciccolella,Emilio Rivera,Michael Shannon,John Billingsley (II),Dendrie Taylor,Paula Jai Parker,John Apicella,Dawn Hudson,Samuel Sheng,Florence Regina,Julie Remala,Carl Franklin dvd 1 of 5 2.0 May 31, 2005 Michael Bolts superior, wiusa Ashley Judd's (Normal Life, The Locusts) husband, played by Jim Caviezel (The Passion Of The Christ, Frequency) gets arrested and put on the guilty bench for a slaughter in El Salvador a bunch of years ago. So, Judd hires the always superb Morgan Freeman (Unleashed, Million Dollar Baby) to help her out on the case and to find out the truth while she tries to get her husband out of imprisonment. Judd then has threats on her life after. The opening sequence pulls you in, the thrills are a mixed bag (car crash scene for example was good) and the outcome, well, I really saw coming anyway. Ashley Judd's thrid thriller but its her second one with a murderous manipulative husband(Double Jeopardy). Twisted and Kiss The Girls had a killer running after her or playing games with her noggin. Also starring Bruce Davison (X-Men, Dahmer), Amanda Peet (The Whole Nine Yards, The Whole Ten Yards) and Tom Bower (Die Hard 2 B000FUTVLY:good_movie.:elaine_martin B000FUTVLY Take the Lead: DVD: Liz Friedlander,Antonio Banderas,Rob Brown (VI),Yaya DaCosta,Alfre Woodard,Dante Basco,John Ortiz,Laura Benanti,Marcus T. Paulk,Jenna Dewan,Katya Virshilas,Jonathan Malen,Jasika Nicole,Shawand Mckenzie,Elijah Kelley,Brandon D. Andrews,Lauren Collins,Alison Sealy-Smith,Phillip Jarrett,Jo Chim,Volodymyr Vynogradsky dvd 1.0 November 11, 2006 Elaine Martin Sydney, Australia Funny and very inspirational. Good way to encourage young teenagers to build self esteem. If there's a will, there's a way. Anyone can dance B00003CXP1:a_celebration_of_hopelessness:r._connolly_"boston-galadhrim" B00003CXP1 Requiem for a Dream - Director's Cut: DVD: Burstyn,Leto,Connelly,Wayans dvd 3 of 16 1.0 August 24, 2006 R. Connolly "boston-galadhrim" BOSTON, MA United States I give this film one star for the acting, which is often very good. However, the plot and message of this film revel in hopelessness, and debase every aspect of lower income, urban people. In all honesty, I've seen more joy in an African famine. I sat through this film, against my better judgement. Still, if you're truly interested in investigating the dark underbelly of urban American misery and frailty, then I recommend "A Streetcar Named Desire", "KIDS", "Last Exit to Brooklyn", and "Traffic". 630469623X:maybe_it_just_hasn't_aged_well...:s._yates 630469623X Menace II Society: DVD: Allen Hughes,Albert Hughes,Tyrin Turner,Larenz Tate,June Kyoto Lu,Toshi Toda,Samuel L. Jackson,Anthony Johnson,Brandon Hammond,Glenn Plummer,Reginald Ballard,Khandi Alexander,Eugene Lee (III),James Pickens Jr.,Nancy Cheryll Davis,Jullian Roy Doster,Jada Pinkett Smith,Marilyn Coleman,Arnold Johnson,Saafir,Pooh Man,Mc Eiht dvd 1 of 2 2.0 January 5, 2006 S. Yates Bath, UK ok, I've only just seen this film for the first time, so it's hard to really judge the social impact it had 13 years ago and its importance in that respect, but this is not a particularly good film. I mean, it has its choice moments where it really comes together. the shot of caine downing a 40 in the korean grocers is imaginitively directed. any scene with o-dog is almost guaranteed classic status. samuel jackson's in it. and if you're a fan of dave chapelle's tyrone biggums crackhead character, the token crackhead in this film is worth a few laughs for his to-the-tee similarity. but that's really my problem with this film. serious issues are reduced to a series of ham-fisted archetypes straight out of central casting. and they're ALL here: the homey black grandparents, the nation of islam convert, the socially conscious mother whose son is starting to go down caine's road... all characters that might fare better in a different film that treats these issues with more subtlety and depth. take the french film 'la haine', for instance. it clearly took a lot of inspiration from menace 2 society, boyz n tha hood, etc., but its characters actually feel tormented, instead of just having lots of scenes written FOR them to show their torment. rather than just running through a laundry list of problems, one-by-one, scene-by-scene, it really gets to the heart of something bigger, some grander alienation that urban youths feel, which is what menace 2 society would like to be able to do. plus, if you can believe it, the hip-hop in 'la haine' is quite a bit better. so while I would definitely recommend seeing this film, keep the remote aimed and ready, finger on the fast-forward button. maybe about a half-hour of this film is really worth watching, whereas the other 70 minutes are mostly just dull moralising. oh yeah, and there's a really embarrassing-to-watch sex scene thrown in for no particular reason. oh, also, the filmmakers apparently think people who have just been shot look like they are being electrocuted while spitting out cherry slurpees. in a film that didn't try to carry so much social weight, that kind of thing would be ok because you could laugh it off as bad filmmaking, but it really just cheapens this one B000E5N6I4:rent_if_you_want_to_see,_not_a_collectors_item:a._lawson_"g'_love" B000E5N6I4 David E. Talbert 3-Pack (The Fabric of a Man/ He Say, She Say, But What Does God Say?/ Love On Layaway): DVD: Julie Dickens,Thomas A. Ford,Orlando Wright,Bill Brown (XIX),D.J. Rogers Jr.,Thomas Miles,Clifton Powell,Red Grant,Maurice Wilkinson,N'Bushe Wright,David E. Talbert dvd 2.0 October 27, 2006 A. Lawson "G' Love" RIP CITY, ATL These plays were okay, I'm glad I rented them before buying them. The props and things were very nice, the actors didn't gel well with each other or connect with their characters and the singing was mediocre ( definitely no Tyler Perry quality on that note) but the messages were good just seemed a little unrealistic and too drawn out. I thought Alexander O'Neal sang in one of them but he didn't B0007VZ9D0:"in_good_company"_is_not_good_company:rebecca_o'bern B0007VZ9D0 In Good Company (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Paul Weitz,Dennis Quaid,Topher Grace,Scarlett Johansson,Marg Helgenberger,David Paymer,Clark Gregg,Philip Baker Hall,Selma Blair,Frankie Faison,Ty Burrell,Kevin Chapman,Amy Aquino,Zena Grey,Colleen Camp,Lauren Tom,Ron Bottitta,Jon Collin,Shishir Kurup,Tim Rhoze,Enrique Castillo dvd 3 of 5 2.0 February 20, 2006 Rebecca O'Bern Connecticut, USA "In Good Company" goes on and on at the end a little bit, and the ending especially is not fulfilling character/plot-wise. If it had ended 15-20 minutes before it actually did, I would give it three stars instead of two. I admit there were quite a few times when I laughed a bit to myself, but it didn't make me fall off the couch or anything. There were other times when I thought the actions of some characters were weird or forced. Overall it isn't an entirely bad movie, but, like I said, the ending is unfulfilling. Overall not strong performances coming from Scarlett Johansson or Topher Grace B0006ZXJ3O:the_book_is_a_lot_better:j._wong_"cabrio" B0006ZXJ3O The Five People You Meet in Heaven: DVD: Jon Voight,Emy Aneke,Steven Grayhm,Janine Sabino-Albom,Nicaela & Shelbie Weigel,Ellen Burstyn,Liam Hilder,Damon Johnson,Dagmara Dominczyk,Billy Wickman,Anthony De Marco,Taku Kawai,Jeff Daniels,Tim O'Halloran,Kurt Doss,Callahan Brebner,Megan McKinnon,Darcy Cadman,Ava Hughes,Rebecca Jenkins,Lloyd Kramer dvd 2 of 4 2.0 September 4, 2006 J. Wong "cabrio" shanghai, china i had high expectation on the video but it turned out to be quite disappointed and boring, i have to say that the one is one of my favourite books i ever rea 0792160215:dumbest_movie_ever:c._nandor_"pudge" 0792160215 Double Jeopardy: DVD: Tommy Lee Jones,Ashley Judd,Benjamin Weir,Jay Brazeau,Bruce Greenwood,John Maclaren,Ed Evanko,Annabeth Gish,Bruce Campbell (IV),Brennan Elliott,Angela Schneider (II),Michael Gaston,Gillian Barber,Tom McBeath,David Jacox,Betsy Brantley,Woody Jeffreys,French Tickner,Roma Maffia,Davenia McFadden,Bruce Beresford dvd 3 of 8 1.0 February 13, 2006 C. Nandor "pudge" Arlington, WA USA The entire premise of the movie is not merely ludicrous or far-fetched, it is actually completely false. The concept of double jeopardy has nothing at all to do with WHOM is murdered (or is otherwise the victim), but WHAT you did, in distinct criminal incidents. Even if you were wrongly convicted of murdering someone, if you go back and murder them "again" then that is a new incident, and double jeopardy does not apply. In movies intended to be fantastic, diverging this much from reality might be OK. But this is a mainstream legal thriller. It's like having a mainstream romantic comedy where the men wear lipstick and the women don't, for no apparent reason. But the producers of this movie either have no idea what the law actually says or means, or they just (accurately) banked on the general public being too ignorant to notice how ridiculous it is B0002PYS7Y:dry_comedy_for_people_who_don't_like_dry_comedy:thoreaubred_"thoreaubred" B0002PYS7Y Arrested Development - Season One: DVD: Arrested Development dvd 0 of 15 1.0 October 22, 2006 thoreaubred "thoreaubred" Seattle, WA This show deserved to get cancelled, and there's a very simple reason. This is supposedly dry, subtle comedy for people who don't usually like dry, subtle comedy. It's a show that was presented to the FOX audience, an audeince that normally likes the most inane, low-brow kind of humor, that doesn't know what dry comedy is and would fall for a pitiful imitation of it. Meanwhile, to people who actually appreciate subtlety and dry humor, the so-called comedy in the show is unbelievably obvious and predictable. Every time a line is spoken on that show that is supposed to be a joke, it's clear how forced and contrived it is, how hard the creators of this show are trying to fake dry humor, something they clearly don't understand. It's embarrassing for someone with appreciation for humor to watch, because the jokes are so uninspired and fall so flat. It's just an awkward mess. But those aren't the people this show is targeted at. It's targeted at that FOX audience who has never even seen dry humor before, and so anything even resembling it is new and amazing to them. They think this show is brilliant because it's a little smarter than MAD TV, or at least thinks it is. And since those are the people who are seeing the show, you hear all these people raving about how brilliant it is. If the show were on HBO or some other network, exposed to a different kind of audience, you would hear a lot more negative response to it from people who like dry comedy that actually works. So why did this show get cancelled, when so many people think it's so amazing? If it's so great, people would have actually watched it, right? So where were the ratings? The fact is, the people who love this show are a very vocal minority. The audience for dry humor didn't watch this show because it's not funny. But the audience who was fooled by this show, as vocal as they are, was just too small: they were people who were encountering something other than inanity for the first time in their lives and thought it would make them look smart to pretend to like it. This is not one of those shows that was cancelled because it was too smart for TV, as its apologists claim. No, it simply was a completely unfunny failure that was only impressive to people who have never heard anything but fart jokes B000BDH6BC:contrived,_implausible_crime_drama:roland_e._zwick B000BDH6BC Four Brothers (Widescreen Edition): DVD: John Singleton,Mark Wahlberg,Tyrese Gibson,Andr Benjamin,Garrett Hedlund,Terrence Howard,Josh Charles,Sof a Vergara,Fionnula Flanagan,Chiwetel Ejiofor,Taraji P. Henson,Barry Shabaka Henley,Jernard Burks,Kenneth Welsh,Tony Nappo,Shawn Singleton,Reiya West Downs,Riele West Downs,Lyriq Bent,Richard Chevolleau,Awaovieyi Agie dvd 2.0 November 5, 2006 Roland E. Zwick Valencia, Ca USA "Four Brothers" is yet another nail in the coffin of John Singleton's increasingly moribund moviemaking career. The director - who burst upon the scene in 1991 with the vibrant and gritty "Boyz n the Hood" - has here mounted a film so burdened by implausibility and contrivance that it makes one wonder if the once-promising filmmaker will ever be able to get back on track again. The story, reeking of artificiality, features Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, Andre Benjamin and Garrett Hedlund as four troubled young men raised by the same foster mother. When she is killed in a convenience store robbery, the quartet launches into action, seeking revenge against the perpetrators and becoming slowly convinced, through their investigation in the neighborhood, that the killing might not have been as random in nature as they had been initially led to believe. The main weakness of this film is that it gives us virtually no reason to care about any of the characters. By not showing us any scenes between the boys and their foster mother (except for one embarrassingly bad Thanksgiving dinner fantasy sequence that looks as if it were conceived by a first-year film student), we are forced to take their relationship totally on faith, rendering the boys' thirst for revenge arbitrary at worst and academic at best. The acting is uniformly flat, with the characters little more than wafer-thin stereotypes, and even the action scenes come across as surprisingly mundane and second-rate given the Singleton pedigree in this area. The boys' running around from venue to venue in their Detroit neighborhood, brandishing guns in full view of the populace and screaming for information about their mother's killer, is ludicrous on the face of it and often reduces the film to the level of cheap low comedy burlesque. With nary a single moment that rings believable or true, "Four Brothers" is by-the-book filmmaking from a director who has proven that he has the wherewithal and talent to do so much more. B000B5XPFG:not_impressed:ncs_"nic" B000B5XPFG Perfect Abs: DVD: Perfect Abs dvd 3 of 5 1.0 May 22, 2006 ncs "nic" mass I do not understand what the hype about this dvd is. I baught it according to [] reviews, but unfortunatly, was very dissapointed. I def felt a burn in my upper abs, but you are laying on your back THE ENTIRE TIME. There is no changing positions and targeting the abs from diferent angles. To me, it was basically crunch after crunch after crunch. Would not recommend it unless you want buldge in your upper abs B000DZ95N0:anti_-_american:dylangump B000DZ95N0 Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, 2nd GIG, Volume 04 (Episodes 13-16): DVD: Kenji Kamiyama,Atsuko Tanaka,Osamu Saka,Akio tsuka,K ichi Yamadera,Yutaka Nakano,Toru kawa,Takashi Onozuka,Taro Yamaguchi,Sakiko Tamagawa,Eri Oono,Nobuyuki Hiyama,Ry ji Saikachi,Natsuo Tokuhiro,Shiro Saito,Daisuke Egawa,Hikari Yono,Miu Tsuzuhara,K ji Ishii,Wataru Hoshino,Ky sei Tsukui dvd 2 of 30 2.0 March 12, 2006 DylanGump I've watched the first three episodes on Cartoon Network as the DVD is not out yet While I've been a big fan of Ghost In The Shell, these stories are the worst yet. (I've watched the first three episodes on Cartoon Network as the DVD is not out yet). In "Make Up", the story is flawed in that Paz would have never been allowed to roam "free" while an exact copy cat of himself is on the lose killing people. In "Poker Face" the "Emperial" America is such and Anti-American statement especially when the Amercian UN Forces have the American flag sewed on their uniforms backwards! This may have been an error but I doubt it. In PAT. the tachikoma's voices are so annoying and so much information is thrown at you that it's hard to follow. Most if is a rehash on previous episodes. With their childest voices, they shouldn't be used as a main plot of the story B000A3XY82:very_disappointed_and_frustrated:fawkes_"lisa" B000A3XY82 Crunch - Cardio Dance Blast: DVD: Crunch-Cardio Dance Blast dvd 7 of 9 1.0 July 15, 2006 Fawkes "Lisa" California, USA Personally, I found this workout extremely difficult to follow; the moves are simply not broken down enough to be understood. After pushing myself to go back to every part I didn't understand, I grew frustrated. Other reviews have mentioned that being able to pick up the moves comes from such repetition, as I have obviously tried, but that technique killed my motivation and the thrill, both of which I believe are integral to any workout. And in my opinion any workout that one pays for should deliver a deserving output; one shouldn't have to teach themselves the moves. To a less significant degree, I agree with the reviews that comment on the "cheesiness" of the video. At first, such cheesiness made me laugh, and then as I grew frustrated, it merely made me further annoyed. What I feel also adds to the cheesiness is instructor Marie Forleo's unsuccessful motivation attempts, which are not only redundant, but suggestive in a most unnecessary way. I don't mean to sound so aggressively negative--I just wish I had been able to learn the moves, because they did look like fun B0009UVBGI:boring_showtime_movie_:d._sober_"metalsmith03" B0009UVBGI Fathers and Sons: DVD: Jared Rappaport,Rob Spera,Rodrigo Garc a,Bradley Whitford,Samantha Mathis,Aiden James Forte,Aaron Marchbank,Max Burkholder,Tyler Patrick Jones,Abigail Spencer,Shad Hart,Gale Harold,Austen Nunn,Nick Spera,John Mahoney,Meredith Monroe,Kathy Baker,Joanna Gleason,Ron Eldard,Paul Gutrecht,Emmanuel Xuereb,Steven Petrarca,Phillip Rhys dvd 2 of 5 2.0 January 28, 2006 D. Sober "metalsmith03" Boston, MA Thought it would be insightful but it was just dull and low-budget. 6305918880:a_one_hour_idea_stretched_to_almost_three_hours:steve_mckee_"first_time_writer" 6305918880 Nashville: DVD: David Arkin,Barbara Baxley,Ned Beatty,Karen Black,Ronee Blakley,Timothy Brown,Keith Carradine,Geraldine Chaplin,Robert DoQui,Shelley Duvall,Allen Garfield,Henry Gibson,Scott Glenn,Jeff Goldblum,Barbara Harris,David Hayward (II),Michael Murphy,Allan F. Nicholls,Dave Peel,Cristina Raines,Robert Altman dvd 2 of 5 2.0 September 11, 2006 Steve Mckee "First time writer" Benicia CA USA I found this movie to be almost unwatchable. If your idea of a good time is watching Henry Gibson trying to sing while the camera takes long pans over dull crowd scenes, then this movie is for you. The three minutes of excitement near the end barely has anything to do with anything that preceeded it. Altman can pull off such greats as "Mash" and "Godsford Park" and then stink up the joint with this. What's up with that B00005U12A:one_of_the_worsts!:none_whatsoever_"the_3rd_opinion" B00005U12A Cannes Man: DVD: Lara Flynn Boyle,James Brolin,Rebecca Broussard,Seymour Cassel,Nino Cerruti,Jon Cryer,Ann Cusack,Benicio Del Toro,Johnny Depp,Marc Duret,Robert Evans,Dennis Hopper,Jim Jarmusch,Therese Kablan,Lloyd Kaufman,Julian Lennon,John Malkovich,Francesco Quinn,Treat Williams dvd 1 of 9 1.0 March 10, 2005 None Whatsoever "the 3rd opinion" Orange County, CA, Land of Big Mortgage Payments the movie title itself says a lot, the movie itself is a total scam, fools people to rent or to watch it. a horrible directing, script and performance. you'd better jump off empire state building in the late afternoon if you feel bored than watching this brain-dean bad movie B000CEXFYW:for_completists_only:bob_savage B000CEXFYW Babylon 5 - The Legend of the Rangers: DVD: Dylan Neal,Andreas Katsulas,Alex Zahara,Myriam Sirois,Dean Marshall,Warren Takeuchi,Jennie Rebecca Hogan,Mackenzie Gray,David Storch,Enid-Raye Adams,Gus Lynch,Campbell Lane,Todd Sandomirsky,Andrew Kavadas,Simon Egan (II),Bernard Cuffling,Artine Brown,Michael Vejar dvd 2 of 2 2.0 April 26, 2006 Bob Savage Nashville, TN United States Strengths: Soundtrack by Christopher Franke, performance by Andreas Katsulas in 1st half. Interesting idea of weapons system. Weaknesses: Plot was mostly stupid. Tragic underutilization of G'Kar as a character in the second half. Unconvincing sense of scale for the Leanndra (Why call for "a healer"? How many healers are on board this tiny ship?). Felt more like a pilot for a new series than a standalone movie B0006J28AA:not_too_good_for_kids:jes_&_kids B0006J28AA Denise Austin's Fit Kids: DVD: Denise Austin dvd 42 of 46 1.0 March 12, 2005 Jes & kids Tampa Bay, FL USA Denise Austin needs to stick with making exercise videos for adults. This video isn't kid friendly, and doesn't have a good feel for kids. To be honest, it is very close to most of Denise's exercise videos for adults. What Denise has forgotten, or may have never known, is kids are kids, and they need to be treated accordingly, and that means with exercise videos to. A good choice for kids is - Kick to Get Fit Jr. -For Kids, this video is done by a qualified kid's fitness professional, not someone who is just throwing adult type movements at kids, and just hoping they can do them. My kids are NOT at all happy with this program. There are 6 & 10 years old, and they were bored & turned off by this video within the first 5 minutes, mostly because they didn't understand the movements, and then found most of the other movements very hard to do. Once again, the forgotten point - Kids are kids, and they need to be treated accordingly. One last point, in the video Denise mentions that she received information from a variety of different professionals in the field of children's exercise & fitness. This is all good except they all forgot one VERY IMPORTANT DETAIL,- You MUST be able to teach & instruct children at a level they understand. Just because you know something about exercise, it doesn't mean you are able to teach it to children. Knowledge is one thing - Teaching & Instructing is another, and the fact is, some people are just not very good at instructing children. A point that is very clearly displayed within this program. B00005JL3T:utter_nonsense:m._s._roberts_"i'm_a_lonely_angel_stuck_on_the_slow_path" B00005JL3T Signs (Vista Series): DVD: Abigail Breslin,Rory Culkin,Clifford David,Lanny Flaherty,Mel Gibson,Babita Hariani,Cherry Jones,Patricia Kalember,Marion McCorry,Paul L. Nolan,Rhonda Overby,Joaquin Phoenix,Kevin Pires,Michael Showalter,Ted Sutton,Ukee Washington,Adam Way,Merritt Wever,Greg Wood dvd 1.0 November 20, 2006 M. S. Roberts "I'm A Lonely Angel Stuck On The Slow Path" South Queensferry United Kingdom Sixth Sense & Unbreakable are so much better than Signs, and I'm sorry to say whatever M. Night Shyamalan originally had, he's lost. When Sixth Sense came out, he was tipped as the next big thing, but I'm sorry to say, it's no longer there. In my mind, he cannot match any films up to the success and sheer uniqueness of Sixth Sense. Signs just fails miserably. The concept was a good idea, but the execution was terrible. It reminded me very much of Blair Witch Project, as in what little action there was happens off screen, and the torches as well. It's also definitely not Mel Gibson's best film. Even the actors appear to struggle with the dialogue-heavy script, and not really much happens. Apart from one brief glimpse of an alien. Oooh. Fascinating. The problem I think that Signs has, is that it's already following many other, far superior, alien movies. Aliens attacking the earth has been done, and lots more memorable than this. There's also the overly religious theme, which the film probably would have done better either toning down, or scrapping altogether. It was really just thrown in to try and justify what was happening in the film. The scenes between Gibson and his kids and his brother are way too sentimental and really cringeworthy. The finale doesn't really make the film better. The discovery that the naked aliens find water like acid to their skin is atrocious! Why come to earth, the surface of is mostly covered in water, and the atmosphere is full of water droplets and vapour?! And then they travel millions of light years with far advanced technology - and then can't break into a wooden house?! Are you kidding me? But the most ridiculous thing is not only do the characters not pay attention to the dogs, who sensed something was not right (time to get myself a dog), but the fact that all the sophisticated radar equipment cannot detect the aliens entering our atmosphere - but a BABY MONITOR can?! Huh?! A film to stay well away from. Thankfully, I didn't spend my hard earned (ha!) money on it, but borrowed it from a friend. I shall approach M. Night Shyamalan's films with trepidation from now. Oh, and when a director decides to give himself a speaking role in his own film, make it a SHORT one B0006GAI6Y:nope:shamontiel_l._vaughn_"the_author_of_'change_for_a_twenty'" B0006GAI6Y Shall We Dance? (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Peter Chelsom,Richard Gere,Jennifer Lopez,Susan Sarandon,Lisa Ann Walter,Stanley Tucci,Anita Gillette,Bobby Cannavale,Omar Benson Miller,Tamara Hope,Stark Sands,Richard Jenkins,Nick Cannon,Sarah Lafleur,Onalee Ames,Diana Salvatore,Daphne Korol,Driton 'Tony' Dovolani,Katya Virshilas,David Sparrow,Matt Gordon dvd 2 of 8 2.0 August 22, 2006 Shamontiel L. Vaughn "the author of 'Change for a Twenty'" Chicago I was not into this movie at all. My mother recommended it to me but it was lame all the way through. A middle-aged man decides he wants to do something different with his life, so he takes a dance class. Ofcourse there's a fine dance instructor, a crush is pursued, a wife gets jealous, hires a detective, and *gasp* his crush is found out. The movie was too predictable and it just wasn't for me. Not a bad movie, just not my cup of tea. Richard Gere was cute as usual, which was the only thing that made me watch it to the end, besides wanting to know what a correct quick step looked like since "So You Think You Can Dance" never had contestants who mastered it B00000F5B5:a_really_unfunny_comedy:jon_nelson B00000F5B5 Mambo Italiano: DVD: Luke Kirby,Ginette Reno,Paul Sorvino,Mary Walsh,Peter Miller (XII),Claudia Ferri,Sophie Lorain,Tim Post,Tara Nicodemo,Pierrette Robitaille,Dino Tavarone,Mark Camacho,Michel Perron,Lou Vani,Diane Lavall e,Ellen David,Shaun Balbar,Matt Holland,Grace Bush-Vineberg,Matthew Gagnon, mile Gaudreault dvd 1 of 10 1.0 December 15, 2005 Jon Nelson Ohio, USA I saw this movie in the theater and was amazed at how quiet it was in there! Since I was bored, I found myself looking at other people there to see if I could get a read on what they were thinking, and after it was over I asked my friend what he thought. He said, "Oh, it was okay" but didn't elaborate. So let me: it was painfully unfunny, with jokes or punchlines that fell flat, horrible acting, totally predictable, and very forgetable. This is a movie you might want to rent ONLY if you're really bored and nearly every other movie is out. And even then, you'd be better off to go home empty handed. There's not even much eye candy to recommend, which is a nice fallback if there's nothing else going for it. How people could give this movie anything more than 1 star is puzzling. Just because you like a movie shouldn't mean you give it 5 stars, especially when it's as bad as this one. I mean, I liked Freddy VS Jason, but there's no way I'd give that movie 4 or 5 stars. This is bottom of the barrel B000ICL3KG:what_passes_for_science_these_days_is_sad:robert_r._fisher B000ICL3KG An Inconvenient Truth: DVD: Al Gore,Davis Guggenheim dvd 2.0 November 17, 2006 Robert R. Fisher Tallahassee, FL As an environmental scientist, I find these soft-science/hardball political presentations of the global warming discussion distressing and unhelpful. While they rally the convinced, having partisan political types at the forefront of the discussion is probably unhelpful. To wit, about a third of this movie turns out to be a self promotion video complete with a replay of 2000 election footage. About the "movie": it's actually a filmation of the presentation Al Gore has made for some time on Global Warming. In it he tries to make the case that nearly everything we are measuring on this dynamic earth is the result of man-made CO2 and other green-house gasses. The audience is bombarded with a long series of charts, graphs, and suppositions that make for a compelling argument - IF one has little or no knowledge coming into the presentation. And this is where this production goes terribly wrong, the fact checking was terrible, the cherry-picked data was obvious and heavy-handed, and finally the movie ends up serving those who oppose any discussion of global warming more than it helps the cause. Two examples: An Inconvenient Truth asserts that a sea-level rise of 20 feet is a realistic short-term prospect - yet, the 2005 joint statement by the science academies of the Western nations warns of sea-level rise in the four to 35 inches range in the 21st century. Gore discusses the Earth's atmosphere as relatively thin, and declares that, "The problem we now face is that this thin layer of atmosphere is being thickened by huge quantities of carbon dioxide." Hello? Thickness has nothing to do with global warming people. Carbon dioxide has molecular bonds that vibrate on the same wavelengths at which infrared energy radiates upward from Earth's surface - meaning that the vibration warms the CO2, which makes things hotter. Further the references to nitrogen are pure nonsense, since it doesn't play a role. My warning is to not let the politicians ruin the scientific process, no matter how noble the cause may be. B0006GAOBI:ridiculous:d._j._melhuish_"djamesmel" B0006GAOBI Donnie Darko - The Director's Cut: DVD: Jake Gyllenhaal,Holmes Osborne,Maggie Gyllenhaal,Daveigh Chase,Mary McDonnell,James Duval,Arthur Taxier,Patrick Swayze,Mark Hoffman,David St. James,Tom Tangen,Jazzie Mahannah,Jolene Purdy,Stuart Stone,Gary Lundy,Alex Greenwald,Beth Grant,Jena Malone,Seth Rogen,David Moreland,Richard Kelly (II),Dee Austin Robertson dvd 0 of 16 1.0 November 2, 2006 D. J. MELHUISH "djamesmel" OBIYAMA, KUMAMOTO-SHI Japan Dull, dull, dull. If I could have submitted a review and given ZERO stars I would have. Pointless B0000DIJOS:its_ok_but_is_too_random:david_l._goldberg_"dave_goldberg" B0000DIJOS WWE Bloodbath - The Most Incredible Cage Matches: DVD: Edge,Kurt Angle,The Rock,WWF dvd 6 of 8 2.0 February 6, 2006 David L. Goldberg "Dave Goldberg" The West End section of Long Branch (It is really random the selection they used as you hardly have a great cage match in every choice and for the millionth time that WWE lies to us, Snuka-Backlund was NOT 1980! It was June 28, 1982! The date they claim from 1980 was Backlund-Patera in a Texas Death Match. A company with that much money has no excuse for such a continous screw up! Snuka was not working for Vince Sr in 1980, he was in the NWA feuding with Ric Flair as part of Gene Anderson's stable!) Disc 1 Chapters: * Bob Backlund vs. Pat Patterson * Bruno Sammartino and Larry Zbyszko feud * Bob Backlund vs. Jimmy Snuka * Don Muraco vs. Jimmy Snuka * Tully Blanchard vs. Magnum TA * Hulk Hogan vs. Paul Orndorff * Ric Flair vs. Ronnie Garvin * Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart * Isaac Yankem vs. Bret Hart * Triple H vs. Mankind * Triple H vs. The Rock * Steve Austin vs. Vince McMahon * WWF World tag team champions Edge & Christian vs. Hardy Boyz * Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit * Edge vs. Kurt Angle DVD Extras: * WWF World champion Bob Backlund vs. Pat Patterson (clipped, 12:55 aired, 9/24/79) * Bruno Sammartino vs. Ivan Koloff (9:02, 12/15/75) * WWF Intercontinental champion Don Muraco vs. Jimmy Snuka (6:40, 10/17/83) * WWF World champion Bob Backlund vs. Stan Hansen (8:44, 4/6/81) Disc 2 Over 3.5 hours of bonus material! * NWA U.S. champion Tully Blanchard vs. Magnum TA in an "I Quit" cage match (Magnum wins title, from Starrcade, 14:41, 11/28/85) ***** * NWA World champion Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes (Rhodes wins title,from Great American Bash, 21:01, 7/26/86) * NWA World tag team champions the Rock 'n' Roll Express vs. Ole & Arn Anderson (from Starrcade, 11:23, 11/27/86) * WWF World champion Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (from SummerSlam, 32:17, 8/29/94) ***** * Triple H vs. Mankind (from SummerSlam, 16:25, 8/3/97) * WWF Intercontinental champion Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty (13:12, 1993) * Edge vs. Kurt Angle (from Smackdown, 14:41, 5/30/02) ****1/4 Easter Eggs (hidden features): * Disc 1: Ending of the Ronnie Garvin NWA World title win over Ric Flair. Access it by going to the Chapters menu, scrolling down to the Flair vs. Garvin match, click right twice. You will see the final 3 minutes of Garvin's win. (9/25/87) * Disc 2: See a special interview by Owen Hart prior to his match with Bret Hart. The interview takes place in an empty arena in anempty cage.Access it by going to the Extras menu, scrolling down to the Hart vs. Hart match, click right twice. Information: * Encoding: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada) * Playstation 2 Compatibl B000EGDAMK:more_of_the_same_._._.:t._williams B000EGDAMK Dog Whisperer With Cesar Millan - Aggression: DVD: Cesar Millan,Mark Cole (II),Jim Milio,SueAnn Fincke dvd 18 of 21 2.0 August 24, 2006 T. Williams Being a fan of Cesar, I expected something new and informative. This DVD is nothing more than a bunch of selected episodes from his series. So, if you already have his episodes on DVD, don't buy this, unless you want the aggression-specific episodes on one disk B0006IIKQW:pretty_forgotten_by_now.:adrienne_miller B0006IIKQW The Forgotten: DVD: Julianne Moore,Christopher Kovaleski,Matthew Pleszewicz,Anthony Edwards,Jessica Hecht,Linus Roache,Gary Sinise,Dominic West,Katie Cooper,Scott Nicholson,P.J. Morrison,Robert Wisdom,Tim Kang,Kathryn Faughnan,Alfre Woodard,F lix Solis,Susan Misner,Lee Tergesen,Ken Abraham,J. Tucker Smith,Joseph Ruben dvd 1 of 1 2.0 August 8, 2006 ADRIENNE MILLER TENNESSE The Forgotten starring Julianne Moore and Domnic West is a slow, tepid, and hard to grasp film. The previews for this film were better than the actual movie, I guess that's a bad sign that the movie isn't going to be great (I'll try and remember that next time). The only reason I am giving The Fogotten 2 stars is the scene with Alfe Woodward, you'll know what I mean when it happens, the scence is scary and comes out of nowhere, very intrguing spurprise awaits. Anyways The Forgotten is a movie you should see once and that's it, happy viewing B00005JMOW:let's_make_this_short_and_sweet...:andrew_olson_"i'm_confused.__wait,_maybe_i'm_not..." B00005JMOW Hidalgo (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Viggo Mortensen,Zuleikha Robinson,Omar Sharif,Louise Lombard,Adam Alexi-Malle,Sa d Taghmaoui,Silas Carson,Harsh Nayyar,J.K. Simmons,Adoni Maropis,Victor Talmadge,Peter Mensah,Joshua Wolf Coleman,Franky Mwangi,Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman,Elizabeth Berridge,C. Thomas Howell,Stevan Rimkus,Jerry Hardin,Frank Collison,Joe Johnston dvd 0 of 1 2.0 October 18, 2006 Andrew Olson "I'm confused. Wait, maybe I'm not..." the state of extreme boredom This is one of the most boring movies I have ever seen. I knew from the very beginning of the movie that there was no way I was going to be able to stay awake through the whole thing. I was right; I fell asleep about fifteen minutes into it. Recently, I was offered the chance to watch it again. I thought, "OK, I didn't see the whole thing, it might have gotten better, so I'll give it another chance." ... Bad mistake. This little tale about a horse race across a vast desert did nothing to hold my interest for very long. Hidalgo is the name of the horse. So what? That's about as boring as this movie. So why the 1-star markup? Cause the main character is played by Viggo Mortensen, of Aragorn fame in the smash movie series The Lord of the Rings- and I do like Viggo. I did not, however, like this movie. It's kind of fitting it should be set in a desert- cause that's exactly where this movie should be buried, never to bore another wave of audiences again. If you find yourself overworked and in need of a nice long nap, watch Hidalgo; you'll be out in no time B0009ZDIU0:not_happy:veleria_levy B0009ZDIU0 Dan Zanes & Friends - All Around the Kitchen! Crazy Videos & Concert Songs!: DVD: Dan Zanes & Friends dvd 2.0 November 5, 2006 Veleria Levy Charlotte, NC USA I have a 2 year old and have seen him on all the Kids Channels. I was hoping the DVD would show each of his songs as they are performed on TV. Instead it was like a concert and did not keep my attention nor my sons. This would have been a better CD instead of a DV B0001XLY2E:what_a_snooze_fest.:dirtywaterdiver B0001XLY2E Gods and Generals: DVD: Ronald F. Maxwell,Jeff Daniels,Stephen Lang,Mark Aldrich,Robert Duvall,George Allen (III),Mira Sorvino,Keith Allison,Royce D. Applegate,Kevin Conway,C. Thomas Howell,Matt Letscher,Mac Butler,Frankie Faison,Jeremy London,Robert Byrd (II),William Sanderson,Shane Callahan,Kali Rocha,Stephen Spacek,Brian Mallon dvd 3 of 7 2.0 August 30, 2006 DirtyWaterDiver Boston It is hard to believe that the same team that made Gettysburg made this verbose waste of time. This movie almost guarantees that The Last Full Measure will never be filmed and that is a shame. It was a mistake to take Stephen Lang and put him in the role of Jackson. Jackson was considered, even by his contemporaries, a military genius but crazy by half. The film missed the mark with their attempt to show his religious convictions and his devotion to duty. Lang had him speaking in long winded prose that sounded like bad soap opera dialog desperately trying to be Shakespearean. The prayer scene in the morning? PUKE! It could have been a voice over with battles scenes or soldiers marching, or anything else rather than what became just a terrible scene. Most of the "women" folk of the south were equally sappy and long winded, and I hate to say it but I was glad when the too precocious for words overacting child died of scarlet fever I was glad to be rid of her. Her scenes should have been left on the cutting room floor. I get it Jackson was "such a warrior and a peaceful lover of children at the same time what a diametrically opposed individual" give me a break, I hate being force feed like that. A better Director could have gotten the same point across quicker and more subtly. Then there is Chamberlain quoting Shakespeare while all around him look off to the distance with thousand yard stares. There is supposedly 4 to 6 hours of footage lying around to this film. I would love to see it reworked by a better director into what it should have been. A narrative like Gettysburg that goes back and forth between a few central characters in a logical sequence without all the ham fisted attempts a proselytizing and all the noblesse oblige. If you must see it borrow it, rent it, but don't waste money buying it unless it is in the $3 bin at the local dirtmart. Gettysburg is much better. I actually missed Sheen and I hate that guy B00003CXLD:the_incrowd_is_out.....:john_q._public_television_"pbs_supporter" B00003CXLD The In Crowd: DVD: Susan Ward,Matthew Settle dvd 2 of 3 2.0 January 20, 2005 John Q. Public Television "PBS supporter" USA Susan Ward,coming out of daytime and primetime soaps on TV, gave movie acting a try with this rather lame picture from AOL Films. Director Mary Lambert tries and fails to give us a Basic Instinct story with zero script and while this was a studio pictures, it looks like Warners gave them a fairly low budget to work with. As the lack of film sets show. If you like Susan Ward, then give this a movie a try, if you want to hope that she gets better film roles in the future, DON"T FIND IT HERE B00005OCLC:ok_concert_-_poor_audio:philsyes B00005OCLC Cheap Trick - Silver: DVD: Cheap Trick dvd 4 of 5 2.0 May 7, 2005 philsyes N/W Indiana I was really looking forward to this, I've seen Cheap Trick live, and they really put on a good show. I don't know how some of the other reviewers can give this 5 stars for audio. It is like listening to a concert in an empty warehouse - muffled audio, and underpowered vocals. I have a 5.1 home system and this is probably the worst sounding concert DVD that I've ever heard. I'm giving it 2 stars because I think it was a good show to see live (if you were there), but the audio quality (or lack of it) ruined it for me B000063UYL:does_not_hold_our_attention:tina_l._"new_mommy" B000063UYL Brainy Baby: Right Brain: DVD: Brainy Baby dvd 3 of 5 2.0 July 21, 2006 Tina L. "new mommy" Winston-Salem, NC USA Let me start off by saying that I have higher degrees in art, art history, music, and Romance languages -- so I am an admitted "art snob." Having said that, I would recommend that you try the Baby Einstein "Baby Van Gogh, World of Colors" and "Baby Mozart" videos instead of this Brainy Baby video. I find this Brainy Baby video to be slow, boring, insipid, condescending, and visually uninteresting; I cannot wait to put in something else. Wait, you say, isn't this about the baby who is watching it? Well, I first realized that it is truly boring (and not "just me") by watching my 6-month-old's reaction to it. (She is now 10 months old, and still does not like it.) She consistently snubbed her nose at this video; she did not watch it for more than a few seconds at a time and always turned away to find something more interesting to do. She has never had this reaction to the Einstein videos I mentioned. I tried reintroducing this video every few weeks since she was 6 months old, thinking maybe she would grow to understand it better, but after 4 months of this approach, she still is not interested. However, the Einstein videos have captivated her from the beginning, and still do. Here are the specifics that I think are the problem. The visuals are weak and not bold/colorful enough. My daughter is bored by watching the other babies play with toys. The female voice-over is distracting and annoying, rather than engaging and instructional as intended. The flow is not as coherent as the Einstein videos, which are broken into little themes that make sense in each video. There is no charm or sense of humor, like the Einstein videos. No, I do not have any connection whatsoever to the Baby Einstein folks. I'm just saying that the Brainy Baby videos seem less professional and are not as engaging. If you're going to spend the money and spend your time watching a video with your baby, buy one that you and the baby will enjoy together B000EHQU0I:the_long_long_trailer_is_good:christina_calta B000EHQU0I The Lucy & Desi Collection (Too Many Girls / The Long Long Trailer / Forever, Darling): DVD: Lucy & Desi Collection dvd 0 of 5 1.0 July 3, 2006 Christina Calta Fontana CA. The Long Long Trailer is a good movie but Too Many Girls is when Lucy and Desi were very young and thin but the movie Too Many Girls is awful and Forever Darling is awful B000EHQU0I:tolerable,_but_not_really_very_good_movies:susan_trexel_"almond_cakes" B000EHQU0I The Lucy & Desi Collection (Too Many Girls / The Long Long Trailer / Forever, Darling): DVD: Lucy & Desi Collection dvd 1 of 8 2.0 May 30, 2006 Susan Trexel "almond_cakes" Near the great state of Idaho My friend bought this set and so I was able to view it before purchasing it myself, and I WON'T be purchasing it. I had seen The Long, Long Trailer before and it was one of the most aggrivating movies I have ever seen; one of those films where you can't believe 2 people could be so dumb to do some of the things they do. We enjoy most of the I Love Lucy series, but there is a point where you can only take so much of those shows; the aggrivating ones, and this film was just an overly long aggrivating I Love Lucy episode. There is funny humor and aggrivating "humor" and this was definitely the 2nd type. Yes, it was interesting to see Lucy and Desi doing films together, but overall these films are just tolerable, and none are ones I would rewatch for enjoyment. Too Many Girls was definitely a B picture, really really bad in so many ways...poorly written script, cheap scenery; you never got the feeling they were in college, except at the football game, which seemed so similar to the football game the Marx Brothers participated in in Horse Feathers! Too much partying, singing, dancing; what was this school majoring in, theatre and opera? It just is a really bad picture. Yes, neat to see Lucy and Desi and how they met, and see them so young together, but otherwise, a real time waster in my mind. The funniest thing on this disc was the cartoon extra! Of the three, Forever, Darling is probably the best but again that seemed "lacking" somewhere. The color was that beautiful almost surreal 50's color that I like. The Yosemite scenery was beautiful too. But I think the angel stuff could have been much better developed; he was out of the scene too long at times. The part I liked best was Lucy imagining herself in the movie with James Mason because it was quite funny. But the camping trip was just a very predictable mishap time that was too much in the I Love Lucy mold and I was bored with it quickly. I know die hard fans of Lucy and Desi will buy this no matter what, and that's fine. But for others, I advise you see them first...you may like them, but then you may see them for what they really are cinematically. There are lots better movies out there that I would rather buy! I Rate these 2 stars; one star to me is "torturous" to watch. These aren't THAT bad, but almost. B0000714BS:a_disgrace_to_the_mexican-american_people.__how_about_"zero_stars"?:william_gallegos_"wg6175" B0000714BS American Me: DVD: Raymond Amezquita,Joe Aubel,Lance August,Javier Castellanos,Eric Close,Richard Coca,Rob Garrett,Cody Glenn,Panchito G mez,Christian Klemash,Richard Lee-Sung,Sal Lopez,Roberto Mart n M rquez,Albert Joe Medina Jr.,Vira Montes,Dyana Ortelli,Don Pugsley,Alex Sol s,Steve Wilcox dvd 1 of 2 1.0 October 25, 2006 William Gallegos "wg6175" Los Angeles I saw this movie a while back only because the family of the girl I was dating at the time was watching it and therefore was forced to sit down and watch it too. To this day,I pray I don't ever have to sit through 2 hours of crap that trashes the reputations of the average mexican-american again. As a mexican-american who has worked hard to take the right road in life,I was disturbed at the storyline of this wannabee classic. Do we really need to come out with a movie for all of America to see that shows a negative side of the mexican race? Prison sex? Babies drinking beer? Young kids doing a drive by? Mexicans killing innocent blacks and vice versa? Please!!!! Wake up mexicans-americans! We need some positivity!!!!! Edward James Olmos said he made this movie because he wanted to send a message. What message? That doing the things shown in this movie are bad? I think we knew that already! What surprises me alot is all the positive reviews on Amazon that this movie got. This of course means that no matter how much sense I have made,it is more than likely that no one will find my review helpful. P.S....Let us not forget that I am not the only one who thinks negative about this film. Several consultants involved in this film were murdered by individual(s) out there who found the movie offensive. Edward James Olmos himself was the center of threats following the release of this movie. Adios amigos!!! B0000AUHPQ:about_as_biblical_as_sponge_bob:k._williams B0000AUHPQ King David: DVD: Richard Gere,Edward Woodward,Alice Krige,Denis Quilley,Niall Buggy,Cherie Lunghi,Hurd Hatfield,Jack Klaff,John Castle (II),Tim Woodward,David de Keyser,Ian Sears,Simon Dutton,Jean-Marc Barr,Arthur Whybrow,Christopher Malcolm,Valentine Pelka,Ned Vukovic,Michael Muller (III),James Coombes,Bruce Beresford dvd 2 of 7 1.0 May 17, 2006 K. Williams I watched about fifeteen minutes before I got enough. It was so un-Biblical it was insulting. Besides that, it's a bore 0784014213:explain_the_phenomenon!:r.b._bennett 0784014213 Dark Harbor: DVD: Alan Rickman,Polly Walker (II),Norman Reedus,Janet Mecca,Lewis Flagg,Sasha Lazard,Adam Coleman Howard dvd 5 of 10 2.0 June 22, 2005 R.B. Bennett New York Maybe it's just me, but I really don't see the appeal of this movie. It's an incredibly small production (3 actors comprise nearly the entire film), with very low production values. Norman Reedus gives by far the weakest performance as the hitchhiker, but Alan Rickman and Polly Walker are not at their finest, either. (And I am an Alan Rickman fan just like anyone else who would even consider watching this movie.) If you are an Alan Rickman fan, chances are you've already seen your fair share of horrible and incomprehensible movies that leave you wondering why an accomplished actor would choose them. And Dark Harbor is just one more of these. Don't let the promise of a "nude scene" convince you to buy this movie - honestly, Alan Rickman is better appreciated with his clothes on. As far as the movie is concerned, the plot is unoriginal and not particularly engaging. It is a very dialogue-heavy film and the dialogue is not well-written enough to carry it off. 6304698798:worst_film_ever:cornfield_"gen" 6304698798 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: DVD: Eli Wallach,Clint Eastwood,Lee Van Cleef,Aldo Giuffr ,Luigi Pistilli,Rada Rassimov,Enzo Petito,Claudio Scarchilli,John Bartha,Livio Lorenzon,Antonio Casale,Sandro Scarchilli,Benito Stefanelli,Angelo Novi,Antonio Casas,Aldo Sambrell,Al Mulock,Sergio Mendiz bal,Antonio Molino Rojo,Lorenzo Robledo,Sergio Leone dvd 1 of 20 1.0 September 11, 2006 Cornfield "Gen" Berwyn, PA USA I have seen many pathetic films in my life. This topped them. Did I rate one star? Sorry- I meant negative 11 stars. It was the absolute worst movie I have ever seen in my entire life. It was a total waste of three hours when I could have been sleeping. There was no point. The script and storyline were pathetic. The gore was overdone- too much blood, killing, and the like. It was totally historically inaccurate, and the Civil War scenes were so grossly unrealistic that it was laughable. All Civil War veterans are rolling over in their graves. Any scene that was supposed to be touching was pathetic. One of the abolsute bombs was when Clint Eastwood fires off a canon twice with his cigar- yet he does not even load it- either time. And somehow, without even aiming the canon, he knocks his 'friend' off his horse. The movie is a failure. F-A-I-L-U-R-E. Crappy. Junky. Just plain DUMB. STUPID. PATHETIC. I am not going to waste any more words on it. Just....whatever you do....save your money. Don't buy it. It's not worth 50 cents B0002KQNKY:bad_baby,_bad!:friskie B0002KQNKY It's Alive: DVD: John P. Ryan,Sharon Farrell,James Dixon,William Wellman Jr.,Shamus Locke,Andrew Duggan,Guy Stockwell,Daniel Holzman,Michael Ansara,Robert Emhardt,Patrick McAllister (II),W. Allen York,Gwil Richards,Jerry Taft,Gerald York,Diana Hale,Nancy Burnett,Larry Cohen dvd 2.0 April 4, 2005 Friskie Toronto Ontario Canada Okay, it's not high art but this film has something to say all be it in a round about fashion. It does make the viewer wonder about modern medicine and how it can possibly affect those who take it on a regular basis. On the other hand, the film lacks true suspense. I was hoping for an explosive opening scene when the baby is first born and instead was offered a yawn. The baby itself is about as scary as fozzy bear and while there is some blood flow it is kept to a minimum. The pacing is too slow at times and it just doesn't stand up that well today. The actors who took part in this didn't go anywhere say for the father who went on to appear in the sequel. Why there was a sequel is beyond me. I recall how frightening the commercial was for this film when it first came out but I was only five at the time. At the most this is a rent not a buy. I guess good for it's time but perhaps a re-make would pump some needed life into the story. B000067IZD:aims_low_and_hits_its_target:alvin_easter B000067IZD Con Games: DVD: Eric Roberts,Tommy Lee Thomas,Sheila Campbell,Tiffany Brouwer,Tony Harras,John Adam Kraemer,Marc Chenail,Patricia Bosse,Felice Heather Monteith,Lisa Enochs,Patti Francisco,Ty Rushing,Uzi Gal,Dave Casper,Katherine Parks,Davie Perez,Alex Ariza,Bill Fishback,James Carretta,Jody Nolan,Jefferson Edward Donald dvd 2.0 October 14, 2005 Alvin Easter Minneapolis, Minnesota This straight-to-video's modest budget is attested to by the fact that while most of the action is supposed to take place at a large state prison, this prison only seems to house about 12 inmates. The plot is that old but reliable one about a man posing as a prisoner so he can go "undercover" and solve a crime. The crime in this case is not especially interesting and it's resolved in much too pat a fashion. However, leading man Tommy Lee Thomas looks good with his shirt off, (though he seems too small to be throwing his weight around), and there's a torture scene, (modeled on the one in "Lethal Weapon"), in which he's hanged by his wrists and zapped with electric shocks. Mr. Thomas' performance may not be of Oscar caliber but he does know how to yell. B00002CF5X:hehe_.._ooooh:d._b._downey B00002CF5X Walt Disney Animated Anthology - The Classic Collector's Set: DVD: Matthew Broderick,Moira Kelly,Neve Campbell,Liz Callaway,Michelle Horn,Ashley Edner,Charity Sanoy,Suzanne Pleshette,Andy Dick,Ryan O'Donohue,Jason Marsden,Gene Miller (VI),Lacey Chabert,Crysta Macalush,Jennifer Lien,Ernie Sabella,Nathan Lane,Robert Guillaume,James Earl Jones,Edward Hibbert,Rob LaDuca,Darrell Rooney,Tony Bancroft dvd 44 of 51 1.0 March 7, 2005 D. B. Downey Edgewood Texas Pinocchio - 24.50 101 Dalmatians - 19.99 Mulan - 22.49 Hercules - 22.49 Peter Pan - 29.99 Lion King .. not LKII 22.49 Lady and the Tramp 24.00 Jungle Book - 22.99 Little Mermaid - 18.99 Grand Total: - 207.93 All of them are special editions and I've not the listed reduced private seller price, thats the straight up corporate sham price. I regularly shop for awards/trophys and I couldn't imagine a pretty case with plate gold finish costing more than 80 bucks thats 287.93 You could still take your sweetheart to the movies and Benigans for some baked potato soup for this inflated price. I'm not sure .. But I don't THINK this case is platinum, makes you look any younger, make you fly or will help you sleep better so .. I think I've made my point B00006IUI4:i_have_got_two_words_to_descibes_what_i_thought_of_this...:d._carlson_"dvd_freak" B00006IUI4 Heritage - Civilization and the Jews (2002 Edition): DVD: Abba Eban,Julian Krainin,Peter Rosen,Alan Rosenthal,Eugene Marner,Marc Siegel (IV) dvd 3 of 36 1.0 March 31, 2005 D. Carlson "DVD Freak" San Francisco, CA USA AND THAT IS BORING AND SNOBISH! I watched the first two hours of this and coudn't keep awake. The narritor's voice was monotone. I wanted to shout at his pompous, snobish demeanor SHUT UP!! In my opinion is not the proper way to educate is to entertain at all god's peoples. With the narritor, granted he is educated but does he have to shove his creditals and his attitude from the gecko. When you take people on a educating journey (such as nine hours long) invite them like you would invite into a warm a loving welcoming home. I felt with his demeanor and atitude felt beat up and like I was crawling on my hands and knees through out the first two hours. I am not watching the rest of the seven hours and returning this DVD set back to the library and saying "Check Please". B000F1IO16:should_have_been_a_rental:marie_"divine_diva" B000F1IO16 Preaching to the Choir: DVD: Jimmy Randolf,Novella Nelson,Tichina Arnold,Janine Green,Dennis Funny,Eartha Kitt,Jane Fergus,Tuffy Questell,Chandler Parker,Richard Perello,Tim Reid,Darien Sills-Evans,Marva Hicks,Denise Burse,Roger Robinson,Patti LaBelle,Kevin Heffernan,Joe James (III),Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje,Mitch Roberson,Charles Randolph-Wright dvd 2 of 2 2.0 July 26, 2006 Marie "Divine Diva" Sterling, VA United States I was disappointed after the first 30 minutes and realized this was a bad knock off between "The Gospel" and "The Fighting Temptations". I would not recommend purchasing. You are better off renting B000FO0AME:simpsons_go_pc_on_dvd:buck_dempsey B000FO0AME The Simpsons - The Complete Eighth Season: DVD: Doris Grau,Marcia Mitzman Gaven,David Silverman dvd 1 of 2 1.0 November 4, 2006 Buck Dempsey South Central WI United States I've been waiting for this season, literally, for years. It contained (notice the past tense) the funniest scene ever in the entire run of the show. It was in the emergency clinic in the episode "My Sister, My Sitter" where the scene pans around showing the patients. Smithers appears holding an empty gerbil cage and is the only patient not sitting down. When I first saw that, many years ago, I literally rolled off of the couch with laughter as my wife stared at me like I needed a padded room. She didn't even understand the joke when I explained it as an alternate lifestyle practice of "hiding" the rodent so as to make sitting down more than a little uncomfortable. This DVD cut has been cut and makes Smithers reply about not letting Lisa ahead of him make no sense. One of my favorite things about the Simpsons was that they didn't care who they offended. Well they went PC and now I'm highly offended! If they hadn't messed with it I would give them 5 stars, or more realistically I wouldn't have bothered to write this review. Quit tampering with the show, FOX!! B00005KH3H:old_documentary!:kentaro_harada B00005KH3H Stephen Sondheim's Follies in Concert: DVD: Andre Gregory,Arthur Rubin,Barbara Cook,George Hearn,Jim Walton,Howard McGillin,Mandy Patinkin,Lee Remick,Liz Callaway,Daisy Prince,Betty Comden,Adolph Green,Liliane Montevecchi,Elaine Stritch,Phyllis Newman,Carol Burnett,Licia Albanese,Erie Mills,Ronn Carroll,Susan Cella,Michael Houldey dvd 3 of 17 1.0 May 7, 2002 Kentaro Harada Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Japan Please think this DVD is recorded in 1986. More worse, this is recorded as a documentary. Sound quality is worst. After I bought this and DVD of "Company" (same, worst sound quality DOCUMENTARY), I suspect the word "concert" or "soundtrack" in DVD title B000059PPG:the_character_of_martha_dunstock:christabel_ermintrude_"sickbed_anarchist's_mum" B000059PPG Heathers (THX Version): DVD: Winona Ryder,Christian Slater,Shannen Doherty,Lisanne Falk,Kim Walker,Penelope Milford,Glenn Shadix,Lance Fenton,Patrick Labyorteaux,Jeremy Applegate,Jon Shear,Carrie Lynn,Phill Lewis,Ren e Estevez,John Zarchen,Sherrie Wills,Curtiss Marlowe,Andrew Benne,Kevin Hardesty,Josh Richman,Michael Lehmann dvd 4 of 23 2.0 February 8, 2006 Christabel Ermintrude "sickbed anarchist's mum" London, UK Rather than give another general review as others have kindly done, my review focuses on one aspect of the film, indeed one character, that of Martha. Martha Dunstock is known throughout the film as Martha Dumptruck. Even the film credits include the nickname `Dumptruck' besides the character's surname (evidently feeling the need to labour the point). Portrayed as unattractive and pathetically grateful for any attention she is given, she unwittingly provides the Slater character with information enabling him to murder a student. Later, when the cult status of the `suicides' (that is, murdered students) becomes apparent, Martha attempts her own suicide by walking into the path of traffic. But her attempt is shown as a failure. At the end of the film Martha is bruised and now disabled, in an electric wheelchair. Ryder's character, having finished her voyage of self-realisation, rejects the school Prom night and instead invites Martha to stay in with a video and popcorn. Martha gratefully accepts and the closing scenes show Ryder walking along the corridor while Martha encircles her like a planet around the sun. The image of Martha in her wheelchair, an object of pity for Ryder and for the audience, signifies to us fears of being different, of not being beautiful, of not being loved and respected. Martha is the person we are all frightened of becoming. She is given no means of solving her predicament by the film maker. And though some of us in the audience may be fat, or disabled, or both, we may yet still fear Martha, and are invited to consider Ryder's protagonist's journey of self discovery as our own, even is in physical and social reality, we are more like Martha. For this reason, `Heathers' fails as an exploration of the `Hell' of High School ( a description often used by Buffy/Angel/ Firefly's Joss Whedon). Those in the audience NOT as thin and complying with Western standards of `beauty' as the protagonists (probably the majority of us) ultimately may find the so-called subversion of cruel hierarchy in this film just that little too shallow, leaving a bitter after-taste. The way `fat' people are portrayed in films such as these unfortunately often reflect the predictable, transparent and absurd fixations of the film makers. Sadly this is happening even today - in some ways it has gotten even worse since the Western World decided to wage a 'war on fat' (to quote Paul Campos) - and even at best it is lazy film-making. B00005V3Z4:ridiculous:d._j._melhuish_"djamesmel" B00005V3Z4 Donnie Darko: DVD: Jake Gyllenhaal,Holmes Osborne,Maggie Gyllenhaal,Daveigh Chase,Mary McDonnell,James Duval,Arthur Taxier,Patrick Swayze,Mark Hoffman,David St. James,Tom Tangen,Jazzie Mahannah,Jolene Purdy,Stuart Stone,Gary Lundy,Alex Greenwald,Beth Grant,Jena Malone,Seth Rogen,David Moreland,Richard Kelly (II) dvd 0 of 16 1.0 November 2, 2006 D. J. MELHUISH "djamesmel" OBIYAMA, KUMAMOTO-SHI Japan Dull, dull, dull. If I could have submitted a review and given ZERO stars I would have. Pointless B000063RQO:i_figure_if_i_study_high,_take_the_test_high,_get_high_scores!_right?:a._gyurisin_"good_friend,_damn_fool" B000063RQO How High: DVD: Method Man,Redman,Obba Babatund ,Mike Epps,Anna Maria Horsford,Fred Willard,Jeffrey Jones,Hector Elizondo,Lark Voorhies,Al Shearer,Chuck Davis (IV),Essence Atkins,Chris Elwood,T.J. Thyne,Justin Urich,Trieu Tran,Dennison Samaroo,Tracey Walter,Spalding Gray,Amber Smith,Jesse Dylan dvd 1 of 4 1.0 June 7, 2006 A. Gyurisin "good friend, damn fool" The Flatlands of Illinois How High is a film that lends nothing, I repeat, nothing to the film community at large. I have read some critics that say that this film introduced a whole new generation to the Cheech & Chong of the new millennium with the Redman/Method Man pairing. While most seem to agree that this is a horrible film, very few of them mention how utterly racist the overall experience happens to be. When I use the word racist, I mean that it builds upon the degenerate clich s that African Americans struggle with on a daily basis with our society. While there were elements in this film that seemed like there was some reverse racism occurring, what struck me hardest in the face was how embarrassing Method Man and Redman must be to both the film community, but also to their own culture. I have a very open mind when it comes to social issues as well as films, but this one left my jaw on the floor several times. The blatant swings at African American stereotypes were meant to be a source of humor for director Jesse Dylan, but instead fell flat on their embarrassed face. Humor was in very short supply in this film due to the ethnic stereotype clich s that seemed to be used nearly every second of this film. Nothing was original. Nothing was exciting. Was the pairing of Redman and Method Man an idea of comedic proportions? I think not. As you can tell from their short lived series after the release of this film, the corporate world wanted to cash in on these two rappers, but soon realized that they were not as bankable as they thought. Why? Method Man and Redman, who completely different people, were nothing more than the same character in this film. With the very subtle hints of Method Man being smarter, nothing could separate the equality of these two characters. That is why they failed as a comic team. Think of Matthau and Lemmon or the above example of Cheech & Chong, what made these teams work while the How High team crashed and burned? What worked the best were the differences that uniquely drew the pair together. Their differences made us laugh and sympathetically brought them together, but with Method Man and Redman, they were the same. I was watching the same two characters fight through the same two challenges in this film. What tried to be funny instead transformed into repetitive. What Dylan did to counter the similarity between Redman/Method Man was bring in obscure secondary characters that added nothing to the flimsy plot or helped us feel emotion for our two main characters. The clich jock, the clich frat boy, the clich Asian (which was again another racist moment), and the clich rich white boy, just felt and were old. Watch college films from the 70s and you will see these same combinations, but what makes the films from the 70s different is that they used them with originality. How High, from beginning to end, was anything but original. I must admit, after watching this film of which Harvard was willing to loan their name to, I don't want to go to Harvard. They should have pondered the effects this film would have upon their prestige heritage. How High is a dark spot in Harvard's history. Do you know what makes it even worse? This film wasn't even created at or anywhere near Harvard. Again, Dylan was cutting corners to create a false sense of realism that continued to hurt this film. How High has no redeeming qualities. Ooops, I stand corrected. The only smile that was ever created on my face during this film was when Spalding Gray spoke. How did they get him and Fred Willard to do this film? I have said it once, I will say it again, some actors just need their bills paid. Inconsistency, incompetence, and aggravation seemed to be the hidden themes of this dud. What destroyed this film further is that if you take the actors away and look at the story in general, it is nothing. There is no original story at all with How High. Going to college, working for your grades, winning over the heart of the President right at the last minute - this was nothing short of a "cut and paste" film that had no backbone and horrid acting! I do not like Jesse Dylan's style of directing. While I think Kicking and Screaming is his prized film (due greatly to Will Ferrell), all of his films seem to be extremely choppy with the editing and are randomly interjected with an overdose of unnecessary scenes. The John Adams scene in How High is a prime example. The Benjamin Franklin moments is another. The unconcluded "Truth Serum" can be considered another. How High was just scene after scene of inconsistency. Lumpy oatmeal would win first place before this film would ever be congratulated! I blame a majority of the issues with this film on Jesse Dylan. If he would have tightened the script, created unique and "cult-like" characters, and eliminated the racism, he may have had the quintessential "weed" film in Hollywood. Now, all he has is a violent case of the munchies and nothing to show for. Sad. Overall, this was one of the worst films that I have witnessed. Never have I been so emotionally charged about the racist moments in this film as I have with How High. The actors, all around, were horrible. The story had no legs to stand on and it became very obvious after the opening credits that unless you were either 10 to 15 years of age, this film would never be considered a comedy. Nothing was funny. Nothing will make you laugh. The only part worth enjoying in this film is the ending credits. The ending credits give you a chance to walk away and forget this part of your cinematic life. Grade: * out of **** B000FSME7O:a_minority_opinion:catcameback B000FSME7O Alice in Wonderland: DVD: Robert Axelrod,Sharee Gregory,Donald O'Connor,Sally Struthers,Red Buttons,Janie Walton,Selma Archerd,Dana Daniels,Patrick Culliton,Harvey Korman,Jonathan Winters,Jack Warden,Jeffrey Winner,Natalie Gregory,Jayne Meadows,Candace Savalas,Merv Griffin,George Savalas,Desiree Szabo,Roddy McDowall,Harry Harris dvd 0 of 3 2.0 October 28, 2006 catcameback sf ca usa I'm guessing that many of the reviewers are watching this movie through a haze of childhood nostalgia. I had not seen this movie as a child; those that say it's faithful to the book must have read something other than Lewis Carroll's Alice. However, the kitsch value is considerable; cheezy music and costumes, pure 1985. That being said, the Jabberwock was pretty cool in that "Godzilla-man-in-the-rubber-suit" sort of way. Also, the set design was very handsome. It's too bad that the lighting technology of the time couldn't have been more varied; everything looks somewhat flat and two dimensional. The film that comes closest to Tenniel's original Alice illustrations is the 1933 Paramount b & w version; it's not available on dvd but occasionally turns up on Turner Classics B0008FXT1Y:sterile,_derivative_and_plastic...:a._ort_"aorto" B0008FXT1Y Be Cool (Widescreen Edition): DVD: John Travolta,Uma Thurman,Vince Vaughn,Cedric the Entertainer,Andr Benjamin,Steven Tyler,Robert Pastorelli,Christina Milian,Paul Adelstein,Debi Mazar,Gregory Alan Williams,Harvey Keitel,The Rock,Danny DeVito,James Woods,Wyclef Jean,Fred Durst,Sergio Mendes,Gene Simmons,RZA,F. Gary Gray dvd 2.0 November 11, 2006 A. Ort "aorto" Youngstown, Ohio ...just like Hollywood and just like the music industry which, I guess, is the point. John Travolta, playing on his character from Get Shorty (and, to a lesser degree, like his character in Pulp Fiction and Swordfish) is Mr. Cool. This time he's trying to make it big in the music biz. He discovers a new talent (artist Christina Milian) and works his way through an assortment of characters that are more types and cliches than real characters. A brand name cast and yet no one makes any more than a dent on the personality radar. The dialogue seems forced, funnier on the script than on the screen and most scenes feel posed and sterile. Most of the actors appeared as bored as many celebrities are outside of their media personae. Aside from a few interesting moments, only one speech toward the end made by Cedric the Entertainer redeemed the film. It's like a big commercial (which, I suppose, is any Hollywood film). Certain musicians get shameless plugs (Steven Tyler and Aerosmith, included in the film), various movies get shameless plugs (including, in a not so disguised fashion, Get Shorty), certain Hollywood landmarks (e.g. the Mann Chinese Theater) are plopped into the film like a tourist video and even the L.A. Lakers and the Staples Center get a plug. It's an attempt to play on the irony of making a film about making a film or, in this case, making a musician. So we watch Travolta as Mr. Cool navigating the landscape of the music industry to give Christina Milian her sudden and instantaneous rise to the top of the charts. The ending is so horribly cheesy I felt as if I was watching American Idol. Watchable, but barely. The Player covered this terrain so much better. B0008FXT1Y:the_rock_and__vaughn_stole_the_show:island_palm_"arubaflower" B0008FXT1Y Be Cool (Widescreen Edition): DVD: John Travolta,Uma Thurman,Vince Vaughn,Cedric the Entertainer,Andr Benjamin,Steven Tyler,Robert Pastorelli,Christina Milian,Paul Adelstein,Debi Mazar,Gregory Alan Williams,Harvey Keitel,The Rock,Danny DeVito,James Woods,Wyclef Jean,Fred Durst,Sergio Mendes,Gene Simmons,RZA,F. Gary Gray dvd 2.0 October 9, 2006 Island Palm "arubaflower" Alexandria, Virginia United States Thankfully I watched this movie having recorded it on my DVR so I could fast forward through most of the scenes with Uma Thurman and John Travolta. Their scenes and dialogue were so horrible that fast forward was the only way to get through the movie. Besides, this is not the kind of movie that you really need their dialogue to understand or enjoy it. As usual, Uma's acting is simply dreadful. I tend to avoid any movie with her in it because I know it will be bad. How she became a "star" in Hollywood is beyond me. She is not attractive nor can she act. She could have been replaced by a nobody and it wouldn't have changed the movie one bit. I think when they need an actress who doesn't mind playing drivel roles, they call her. John Travolta is not much better. His version of "cool" just doesn't do it for me. His diction is becoming more slurred as the years go by that I hate to hear him speak. And someone please tell Uma and John that nobdody wants to see them dance so please just stop finding reasons to do so. The ONLY reason I gave this movie 2 stars is because of The Rock and Vince Vaughn. Their roles were priceless and had me laughing all throughout the movie. I never grew tired of Vaughn pimping and The Rock primping. While I fast forwarded through Uma and Travolta's scenes, I tended to rewind during Rock's and Vaughn's scenes; they were so funny I had to see them again. Cedric the Entertainer was also pretty good. B0002ZDWGC:what's_up_charlie_brown?:hound_of_the_bookservile_"jw" B0002ZDWGC Uncovered - The War on Iraq: DVD: Chas Freeman,Ray McGovern,Joseph Wilson,David MacMichael,John Brady Kiesling,Clare Short,Henry Waxman,Rand Beers,Peter Zimmerman,Karen Kwiatkowski,Mel Goodman,Robert Baer,Milton Bearden,Mary Ann Wright,Graham Fuller,Philip Coyle,David Albright,John Dean (III),Bill Christison,Stansfield Turner,Robert Greenwald dvd 0 of 5 2.0 September 20, 2006 Hound of the BookServile "JW" Central, MN United States This was a wishy washy attempt at the truth. The facts are there in parts and pieces, but it was not really put together well. Some of the choices of material are questionable as being truly valuable to the topic. This DVD had an agenda and is not unbiased, and I think it failed at it's overall agenda. There is more than enough information pre-9/11 and post-9/11 to put together something more worthy and accurate than this DVD has attempted to do. If this is the best contrasting evidence to the bush administration that can be produced after all that has happened in the white house and beyond, we are truly in trouble. The truth is out there, and I think this DVD tripped over them and kept walking without looking down and gathering all the facts together. There were plenty of important facts and things said worth listening to on this DVD, but this DVD is maybe worth a glance, but not a long hard look. B00006B1HI:a_tribute:juan_sullivan B00006B1HI 9/11 - The Filmmakers' Commemorative Edition: DVD: Tony Benatatos,Jamal Braithwaite,Steve Buscemi,George W. Bush,Joseph Casaliggi,Robert De Niro,James Hanlon,Mychal Judge,Jules Naudet,Joseph Pfeifer,Tom Spinard,Dennis Tardio,Rob Klug dvd 1 of 2 1.0 November 1, 2006 Juan Sullivan Virginia A tribute is defined as "a gift or other acknowledgement of gratitude, respect, or admiration." That is what you have here. But, if you want a true picture of that incredible morning, don't waste your time and money, look elsewhere B00023P4I8:eva_green,_eva_green,_eva_green,_eva_green._nothing_else.:joseph_knecht B00023P4I8 The Dreamers (Original Uncut NC-17 Version): DVD: Michael Pitt (II),Eva Green,Louis Garrel,Anna Chancellor,Robin Renucci,Jean-Pierre Kalfon,Jean-Pierre L aud,Florian Cadiou,Pierre Hancisse,Valentin Merlet,Lola Peploe,Ingy Fillion,Fran ois Truffaut,Aleksandra Kacprzak,Henri Langlois,Jean-Paul Belmondo,Bernardo Bertolucci dvd 0 of 1 2.0 November 3, 2006 Joseph Knecht Castalia Well you know the drill. Some people will like anything that is "artsy" or "out of the ordinary" or "made by that great director". Its a different kind of herd but a herd nevertheless. The movie is about incest. It is about sex and adolescence. And, ironically, it is some kind of a parody of the very crowd that is giving this movie rave reviews. The best part of this movie is Eva Green. Or, more precisely, Eva Green's body. I didn't care about her acting (I thought it was mediocre). I just sat there and drunk her body in, wishing that I was that lucky actor (whats his name again?). The only reason to watch this movie is Eva Green. If she was indeed exploited by the elderly director with an intimidating reputation, then I am glad it happened. The movie is visually rich. In fact, its so rich that Bertolucci seems to be masturbating his sensibilities for us all to see. But I will take it. He captures and celebrates Eve Green's stunning body - every square millimeter of it(including her genitals - the movie is NC17 for a reason), to perfection. Other than that, there is nothing else in the movie. The story is utterly insipid, the old movie clips, the "discussion" of morality or whatever ... nothing interesting. The music is another plus point. Bottomline, watch it for Eva Green's body. It deserves five stars. But the movie deserves only two B000031EG0:super_teen:michael_butts B000031EG0 Pump up the Volume: DVD: Anthony Lucero,Andy Romano,Keith Stuart Thayer,Cheryl Pollak,Jeff Chamberlain,Billy Morrissette,Samantha Mathis,Lala Sloatman,Holly Sampson,Annie Ross,Christian Slater,Annie Rusoff,Jonathan Mazer,Alexander Enberg,Ahmet Zappa,Seth Green,Mimi Kennedy,Scott Paulin,Ellen Greene,Robert Gavin,Allan Moyle dvd 2 of 8 2.0 October 9, 2005 Michael Butts Martinsburg, WV USA Having been a teenager once, I can certainly understand the inner turmoil and angst teens experience. However, in PUMP UP THE VOLUME, the movie's attempt to martyrize teens and make all adults look like uncaring morons only serves to underscore why so many adults look with disdain on teens. The teens in this movie seem to have little respect for authority and their assignation as to being tortured and misunderstood is vanquished in their juvenile behavior. Even our hero (well played by Christian Slater) cannot communicate with people on a one to one level; he instead decides to become some kind of salvation to his teens by using his pirated radio shows to cause some kind of uprising among them. As a proponent of truth, he is a vapid antithesis of truth: he fakes masturbation to arouse the youths; he doesn't use his real name or voice; and on a call with a potential suicide victim, he treats the caller as someone who isn't serious and never really offers any kind of consolation. The suicidal teen says he is lonely and we automatically assume he is lonely within his familial structure, but isn't he just as lonely with the peers who mourn him after his demise? The adults are played almost as caricatures and the teens as misunderstood heroes. Sorry, folks, been there done that...living at any age requires a commitment to better yourself and do what you feel is right. Questioning authority without any viable alternatives, as none of these teens do, merely escalates the generational gap, and movies like this are merely attempts to exploit the so called misunderstanding of youth B00005JKJA:if_i_want_to_see_a_boring_and_pointless_dream_sequence_i'll_rewatch_dallas:michele_lange B00005JKJA Mulholland Drive: DVD: Justin Theroux,Laura Elena Harring dvd 6 of 16 1.0 September 30, 2006 Michele Lange Austin, TX Roger Ebert, a review I greatly respect and normally agree with, raved about this flick. Roger, I love you, but you missed the boat on this one. I'm not going to review the plot because it's been done by several reviewers already. Suffice it to say, David Lynch didn't get enough of symbolism interpretation in freshman English ("Okay, class, who wants to discuss the meaning of the impaled pig's head on page 72 in Lord of the Flies? David, how about you?") and now want to inflict it on you, the unwitting movie watching public. Thanks, Mr. Lynch, but I'll pass. I didn't enjoy figuring out the obscure symbolism in page after page of Crime and Punishment and I didn't enjoy it in scene after scene of Mulholland Drive. To add insult to injury, Lynch prides himself on putting scenes in his movie that make absolutely no sense, rationalizing it by saying life often doesn't make sense. This habit of his is less noticible in this film than, say, Twin Peaks, mostly because the whole film is for the most part senseless. Yeah, it's true that a lot of things are absurd in my own life, but more along the lines of "...I would've won Powerball this week except I spent my lottery money on a scented candle at the RenFaire, what the heck was I thinking..." or "...I wasted 2 1/2 hours of my life watching this dumb movie, what the heck was I thinking..." but I've yet to be visited by scrawny cowboy or a wheelchaired dwarf. I must live a sheltered life or something. Lynch also forbids chapter cuts in his DVD, believing his movie must be watched in its entirety, or not at all (I'd advise the second.) To be fair, in this case I don't think he's motivated entirely by a exaggerated sense of importance, but rather by the knowledge that every male, if given the chance, would overshoot most of the movie and focus on the hot chick on chick action. C'mon all you 5 star givers, admit it! You find the movie pretentious and silly, but the topless scenes more than make up for all the drippy pseudo-art! To reiterate, if I wanted to see a boring and pointless dream sequence I'll rewatch Dallas - if I wanted to see a nice rack I'll take my top off and look in the mirror. Who needs Mulholland Drive B000AP04GU:wholesome,_weird,_and_dull:c._a._sinclair_"doctorcreation" B000AP04GU Millions: DVD: Alexander Nathan Etel,Lewis McGibbon,James Nesbitt,Daisy Donovan,Christopher Fulford,Pearce Quigley,Jane Hogarth,Alun Armstrong,Enzo Cilenti,Nasser Memarzia,Kathryn Pogson,Harry Kirkham,Cornelius Macarthy,Kolade Agboke,James Quinn (II),Mark Chatterton,Toby Walton,Frank Cottrell Boyce,Christy Cullen,Gunnar Winbergh,Danny Boyle dvd 0 of 6 2.0 September 16, 2006 C. A. Sinclair "doctorcreation" Chicago, IL This picture had some good potential but the director tried too hard hard to make it some kind of arthouse flick. A rather pointless attempt to remake Brewster's Millions with an altuistic slant. It wasn't a "bad" movie it simply wasn't a "good" one. Boooooooring...zzzz..zzzz..zzz B000FS9FCG:hmm:ratatosk B000FS9FCG V for Vendetta (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Natalie Portman,Hugo Weaving,Stephen Rea,Stephen Fry,John Hurt,Tim Pigott-Smith,Rupert Graves,Roger Allam,Ben Miles,Sin ad Cusack,Natasha Wightman,John Standing,Eddie Marsan,Clive Ashborn,Emma Field-Rayner,Ian Burfield,Mark Phoenix,Alister Mazzotti,Billie Cook,Guy Henry,James McTeigue dvd 2.0 November 20, 2006 Ratatosk USA This movie is for liberals what the Left Behind book series is for Christian conservatives, it portrays reality how they want to see it. Its like they wanted to make a good story but tried too hard to cram as much PC political propaganda in as possible and ended up ruining it. Entertaining in some parts but pretty dumb overall IMO 6305010595:weak:adead_poet@hotmail.com_"adead_poet@hotmail.com" 6305010595 Meet John Doe: DVD: Gary Cooper,Barbara Stanwyck,Edward Arnold,Walter Brennan,Spring Byington,James Gleason,Gene Lockhart,Rod La Rocque,Irving Bacon,Regis Toomey,J. Farrell MacDonald,Warren Hymer,Harry Holman,Andrew Tombes,Pierre Watkin,Stanley Andrews,Mitchell Lewis,Charles C. Wilson,Vaughan Glaser,Sterling Holloway,Frank Capra dvd 3 of 20 2.0 March 16, 2004 adead_poet@hotmail.com "adead_poet@hotmail.com" beaumont, tx USA This movie was a weak effort by Capra, who directed it, and the star, Gary Cooper. It's a good story, just poorly directed (Capra can't hit a home run every time). I found the acting very wooden and the movie seemed to just drag on and on. And no extra features on the dvd, at least none to speak of B0000X2EOW:not_big_on_mixing_musical_with_fantasy:r._owens B0000X2EOW Labyrinth (Collector's Edition Boxed Set): DVD: David Bowie,Jennifer Connelly,Toby Froud,Shelley Thompson,Christopher Malcolm,Natalie Finland,Shari Weiser,Brian Henson,Ron Mueck,Rob Mills,Dave Goelz,David Alan Barclay,David Shaughnessy,Karen Prell,Timothy Bateson,Frank Oz,Michael Hordern,Denise Bryer,Steve Whitmire,Kevin Clash,Jim Henson dvd 1 of 22 2.0 September 14, 2006 R. Owens I never saw this movie until i was 16. The girl i was dating at the time loved this movie. The rocky horror picture show was number one on her list so i tend to compare this one to that one not that the storys are similar in any way. But they do have one thing in common they are both horrible movies. I did give this movie two stars because it had some slightly entertaining moments, well so did fraggle rock! fraggle rock got cancelled for a reason! everyone burn your copies now B0002XL33S:lousy:t._franot B0002XL33S Man Trouble: DVD: Jack Nicholson,Ellen Barkin,Harry Dean Stanton,Beverly D'Angelo,Michael McKean,Saul Rubinek,Viveka Davis,Veronica Cartwright,David Clennon,John Kapelos,Lauren Tom,Paul Mazursky,Gary Graham,Betty Carvalho,Mark J. Goodman,Robin Greer,Sandy Ignon,Rustam Branaman,Lenny Citrano,Christopher Garr,Bob Rafelson dvd 0 of 4 1.0 January 3, 2005 T. Franot Did Nicholson read the script before signing for this movie? Was he broke that he had to act? Has he reached senility to accept to play in such a poor scenario? Well, as a fan, I am totally disappointed. Don't waste your money for this, it is not worth B0002XL33S:an_awfull_film:stephen_m._bauer B0002XL33S Man Trouble: DVD: Jack Nicholson,Ellen Barkin,Harry Dean Stanton,Beverly D'Angelo,Michael McKean,Saul Rubinek,Viveka Davis,Veronica Cartwright,David Clennon,John Kapelos,Lauren Tom,Paul Mazursky,Gary Graham,Betty Carvalho,Mark J. Goodman,Robin Greer,Sandy Ignon,Rustam Branaman,Lenny Citrano,Christopher Garr,Bob Rafelson dvd 0 of 8 2.0 July 14, 2002 Stephen M. Bauer Hazlet, NJ United States I turned it off after 20 minutes B000IHYXJO:great_show__-_terrible_marketing:philly B000IHYXJO Perry Mason - Season 1, Vol. 2: DVD: Ray Collins,Karl Held,Francis D. Lyon,James Goldstone,Jesse Hibbs,John Peyser,Gerald Mayer,John English,Don Weis,Ted Post,Gerd Oswald,Richard Whorf,William D. Russell,Andrew V. McLaglen,Roger Kay,L szl Benedek,Jerry Hopper,Robert Ellis Miller,Robert Sparr,Arthur Marks,Anton Leader,Bernard L. Kowalski dvd 1 of 7 1.0 November 14, 2006 Philly Philadelphia, PA United States If they're releasing 2 volumes per season, doesn't that mean that there will be 18 sets since the show was on 9 years? At $35 a volume that's over $600.00! B00005S6K8:see_the_original!:lady_victoria_"vickl1" B00005S6K8 Sabrina: DVD: Harrison Ford,Julia Ormond,Greg Kinnear,Nancy Marchand,John Wood,Richard Crenna,Angie Dickinson,Lauren Holly,Dana Ivey,Miriam Colon,Elizabeth Franz,Fanny Ardant,Val rie Lemercier,Patrick Bruel,Becky Ann Baker,Paul Giamatti,John C. Vennema,Gregory Chase,Margo Martindale,J. Smith-Cameron,Sydney Pollack dvd 1.0 November 14, 2006 lady victoria "vickl1" Lilburn, Ga. United States I don't know how this skunk got 4 and 1/2 stars on Amazon let alone one! I could hear Hepburn, Bogart and Holden rolling over with a resounding boom. I think this is mainly because of Ford's Linus. He is a very unsympathetic character in this remake. The film critics said that, while the original Sabrina was about her transformation, this version was about Linus' transformation. But here Linus shows no transformation that you can really see. His explanation to Sabrina for his deceitful romancing at the end- "There was a merger, and you were in the way. No hard feelings" is very cold compared with Bogart's "Would you believe I enjoyed every minute of it?" In the original, you get the feeling that Sabrina gets the right man; you don't get that here at all 078324228X:all_lies,_an_attack_on_america...:mitchell_l._gustafson_sr. 078324228X The Hurricane: DVD: Denzel Washington,Vicellous Reon Shannon,Deborah Kara Unger,Liev Schreiber,John Hannah,Dan Hedaya,Debbi Morgan,Clancy Brown,David Paymer,Harris Yulin,Rod Steiger,Badja Djola,Vincent Pastore,Al Waxman,David Lansbury,Garland Whitt,Chuck Cooper,Brenda Denmark,Marcia Bennett,Beatrice Winde,Norman Jewison dvd 6 of 12 2.0 July 28, 2005 MITCHELL L. GUSTAFSON Sr. columbia, tn USA For what purpose these lies about the life of this man? Are the liberal film makers racists who don't believe that there is a good black man to depict on film so they have to lie? If someone wanted to write fiction about a badass black fighter on the cusp of super stardom who is framed for a murder then be my guest. Hurricane carter is not and was not that man. Facts: In the movie denzel washington is shown in military garb with more medals on his cheat than colin powell. They want to drive home the point that here was a man who served his country and is now about to be screwed by it. Fact is carter was kicked out of the army after being court mashalled 4 times! In a title fight scence with an italian american fighter named giodello carter is depictied as beating this man pillar to post only to be screwed out of the decision he so richly deserved. Fact, giardello deserved to win that fight according to the overwhelming number of experts who have viewed it then and now on tape. The depitction is another lie. Another lie is this notion put forth in the movie that hurricane was on the verge of getting that title before mean white bigots framed him for this murder. Fact is that carter's boxing career was going down hill and he had only won 8 of his last 15 fights. As carter's boxing career failed he became more militant in his political views and hated white people. While in prison he was diagnosed to be psychotic. Yeah a psychotic racist is the model for black america. Shame. Norman jewison must not think much of black folks to make a movie of lies like this. Denzel washington should be ashamed he participated in such trash. Those who produced this trash bet that the average public would be gullible enough to believe these lies with no attempt at knowing the truth and hollywood didn't care; they just like the message. Looking at these reviews i have to say they made a good bet. America bashing and race baiting is alive and well, earning oscars and making for big box office. A shame. B00002E237:ffc_belittles_his_own_classic_by_altering_the_score...:k._neiswender_"movie_critic_critic" B00002E237 The Outsiders: DVD: Matt Dillon,Ralph Macchio,C. Thomas Howell,Patrick Swayze,Rob Lowe,Emilio Estevez,Tom Cruise,Glenn Withrow,Diane Lane,Leif Garrett,Darren Dalton,Michelle Meyrink,Gailard Sartain,Tom Waits,William Smith,Tom Hillmann,Hugh Walkinshaw,Sofia Coppola,Teresa Wilkerson Hunt,Linda Nystedt,Francis Ford Coppola dvd 1 of 3 1.0 July 4, 2006 K. Neiswender "Movie Critic CRITIC" SO CAL Not only does the new music change the mood and quality of critical scenes, it's tantamount to watching old Batman episodes. As soon as something develops, in comes the cheesy music... The added scenes were poorly produced which is why they didn't make the original cut...The interviews seemed contrived. I'm not impressed. The older version supersedes the new 0790731916:rating_the_product_not_the_movie!!!:james_g._magnano 0790731916 Forever Young: DVD: Mel Gibson,Jamie Lee Curtis,Elijah Wood,Isabel Glasser,George Wendt,Joe Morton,Nicolas Surovy,David Marshall Grant,Robert Hy Gorman,Millie Slavin,Michael A. Goorjian,Veronica Lauren,Art LaFleur,Eric Pierpoint,Walton Goggins,Amanda Foreman,Karla Tamburrelli,Robert Munns,JD Cullum,Ava Lazar,Steve Miner dvd 11 of 18 1.0 April 5, 2005 James G. Magnano Los Angeles, CA. USA The movie is one of my favorites, works on both a romantic level, and a comic level. But where's the widescreen? Todays consumers are more educated (THANK GOD) and they've almost stopped asking the stupid question "Why watch widescreen, you lose the top and bottom of the movie?!" They finally get that you are seeing MORE of the movie with widescreen and not less. So how can I be expected to buy this DvD? It is for all intents and purposes "Incomplete". Who's going to pay for all of something and be satisfied with only getting some of it? Buy this movie as soon as WS version becomes availible B000095J2Y:attempting_to_tribute,_copy,_and_mix_many_american_movies:mondo_vendo_"mondo_vendo" B000095J2Y Versus (Special Edition): DVD: Tak Sakaguchi,Hideo Sakaki,Chieko Misaka,Kenji Matsuda,Yuichiro Arai,Minoru Matsumoto,Kazuhito Ohba,Takehiro Katayama,Ayumi Yoshihara,Sh ichir Masumoto,Toshiro Kamiaka,Yukihito Tanikado,Hoshimi Asai,Ryosuke Watabe,Motonari Komiya,Reika Kirishima,Ryuhei Kitamura dvd 2 of 8 1.0 September 19, 2006 Mondo Vendo "Mondo Vendo" Detroit, Michigan USA This movie was obviously made by Japanese fans of several American films. It then tried to mix them all together in one film. The main ones are the Matrix, Reservoir Dogs, and Night of the Living Dead. Especially the Matrix. We have several yakuza meeting at a specified location where they usually bury their victims, the location turns out to be a forest of reincarnation so their victims are coming back to life. Then it is a dead-come-back-to-life genre gore film heavy with feuding Yakuza elements. Our main character has the long black Matrix type coat and general emotionless demeanor. The high-tech 360 camera movements of the Matrix are blatantly being imitated minus the high-tech aspect. Instead it is obvious that the camera itself is being moved 360 around the action. I really hated the Matrix so a film mainly paying tribute to the Matrix already has a big strike against it. As for the other elements, they were all brought in awkwardly and it just seemed to constantly extend the story with another element of their favorite American movies that they wanted to include. The gore was mostly uncreative and uninteresting. Note that if you are looking for something different than typical American movies by checking out those wacky Japanese movies, you will not get it here B00005JKTP:the_plot_successfully_escaped:kevin_r._austra B00005JKTP Hart's War: DVD: Bruce Willis,Colin Farrell dvd 2 of 8 2.0 July 16, 2004 Kevin R. Austra Delaware Valley, USA HART'S WAR had potential. The last months of World War Two as a backdrop with demoralized GI's crammed into an overcrowded POW compound. If this picture was soley about the hardships endured by surrendered soldiers during the Battle of the Bulge, then it could have had a chance. Instead the film makers took on too many plots and subplots. Unintentionally the movie borrows from SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE, A SOLDIER'S STORY, THE GREAT ESCAPE and STALAG 17. A cardinal rule in war films is that the premise has to be simple. In HART'S WAR we find some good elements lost in a virtual Mulligan stew. In the story Colin Farrell's character, a rear echelon lawyer, accompanies another officer on what he thinks is a joyride. Unfortunately for Farrell, the Germans have launched their attack in the Ardennes. The young lawyer is captured, harshly interrogated, and finally shipped out to a German stalag. There he meets the senior POW officer, played by Bruce Willis, and tries to settle down in the dirty and uncomfortable life of a POW. A soldier is killed and a recently downed Tuskegee airman is accused of murder. Yes, you guessed it. Farrell takes on the aviator's defense during the subsequent courts martial. If director Gregory Hoblit left the storyline to develop around the trial a decent film could have emerged. Instead we have additions of Colonel Hart's unexplained behavior, an mass tunnel escape plot, sabotage and the German Commandant's attempt to befriend the American lawyer as superfluous baggage. HART'S WAR was filmed in the Czech Republic, no doubt to cut costs. A little more effort and a lot less story and this film would have had a better showing at the box office. Still, if you enjoy war movies you should probably add this DVD to your collection 6305186677:sucks!:cryptoemt 6305186677 Basket Case: DVD: Beverly Bonner,Terri Susan Smith,Kevin Van Hentenryck,Chris Babson,Ilze Balodis,Diana Browne,Kerry Buff,Joe Clarke,Bill Freeman,Sean McCabe,Ruth Neuman,Maria T. Newland,Lloyd Pace,Richard Pierce (II),Tom Robinson,Florence Shultz,Mary Ellen Shultz,Dorothy Strongin,Robert Vogel dvd 2 of 6 1.0 June 11, 2006 cryptoEMT Cajun Country Unless you enjoy movies that are not funny, not scary, and have the worst actors this side of rodeo clowns, DO NOT WATCH this series of horrible flicks. Putrid! Not even "so-bad-it's-funny". Absolutely the worst films in the history of mankind! Heed my warning! SUCKS!! B0000A9GHI:garbage:k._mcleod B0000A9GHI The Chateau: DVD: Sylvie Testud,Benjamin Tessier,Philippe Nahon,Maria Verdi,Didier Flamand,Paul Rudd,Romany Malco,Nathalie Jouen,James Lyons,Pierre Michaud (II),Christian Marti,Marina Girand,Jonathan Grosskopf,Alexis Grosskopf,Ad le Grosskopf,Laura Grosskopf,Donal Logue,Marie Girard,Estelle Sobelman,Timoth e Verrechia,Jesse Peretz dvd 0 of 3 1.0 November 17, 2004 K. Mcleod USA I cannot believe the black actor in this film is so sterotypical of the ghetto or uneducated image we've seen in films like "baby boy". Almost every line he had included a cuss word or n word. He didn't add a thing to the film except to be an annoyance. I don't know what this film was about. There are parts where there is a long silence with no talking. The whole movie was shot in the house with the exception of the maid when she finally leaves the house. There are a few scenes where the characters are running around without any obvious aim. The film attempts to make the audience interested only to leave us saying, "what was all that excitement about?" B0000A9GHI:you_have_to_be_kidding!:"downingted" B0000A9GHI The Chateau: DVD: Sylvie Testud,Benjamin Tessier,Philippe Nahon,Maria Verdi,Didier Flamand,Paul Rudd,Romany Malco,Nathalie Jouen,James Lyons,Pierre Michaud (II),Christian Marti,Marina Girand,Jonathan Grosskopf,Alexis Grosskopf,Ad le Grosskopf,Laura Grosskopf,Donal Logue,Marie Girard,Estelle Sobelman,Timoth e Verrechia,Jesse Peretz dvd 0 of 4 1.0 March 4, 2004 "downingted" APO, AP United States How anyone could rate this movie 4-5 stars is beyond belief. This was such a contrived movie that had a simple plot that went nowhere. As I watched this movie I could not figure out if it was meant to be a comedy or a drama. It was never very funny and both lead actors, playing one white and one adopted black brother, had scenes in the movie that were terrible. Romany Malco has a scene where he is running around in his underwear for no apparent reason accept to show off his body. He jumps out of bed when his cell phone rings, runs down the stairs and then outside and back in just to gather everyone in the house and scold them, in his drawers? He is talentless and idiotic as a "brother" in France that no one can relate to. Paul Rudd is likable but his shining scene is when he comes back to the chateau drunk and "grossly" tells off everyone - people he has known for less than a week! The servants are the best actors in the movie and play their parts well...but can't make up for the dismal rest. Ludicrous - a bad movie that probably could have been funny if they had went for laughs instead of drama. This is another example of a rental that you think is going to be good but then disappoints B0007GP7GO:low_budget--so_what?:maximilian_a._uriarte_"sentinel_of_liberty" B0007GP7GO Dead Life: DVD: Dead Life dvd 3 of 5 1.0 October 2, 2005 Maximilian A. Uriarte "Sentinel of Liberty" Portland, OR The movie "Dead Life" by director William Victor Shotten is a throwback to the great movies of old such as Night of the Living Dead--or at least it tries to be--unfortunately it's a stupid attempt and being original through looking old, which in itself is an irony. Looking at its writing, there's absolutely nothing to commend this movie on. Though this movie at least tries to give you an explanation as to the existence of zombies, it's as thought-out as a cat's decision to chase a shiny object. The common mistake made with Romero's films is that the story wasn't well thought out, since they never really explain the zombies (except a bit in the original about a meteor); however, what people don't realize is it doesn't matter why. Romero's films are satirical in nature, they focus on a larger picture and disregard details, that's what makes them so great--that's what makes them films. Dead Life makes some attempt and showing depth with its underlying theme, except it's stupid and unoriginal, and really not shocking or thought-provoking in the slightest. This movie is not shocking, it's not realistic, even the "gore scene" everyone is referring to is only a stupid attempt at being shocking and over-the-edge; but it comes off as just being tasteless. People are giving this movie credit for having no money, but really, people have done better with less. The acting is ridiculous, the sound is poorly dubbed, the camera is always out of focus, and the special effects are lame. It is a tasteless zombie romp with no point whatsoever, it doesn't deserve credit for having a low budget, it makes no effort to make people think and makes no effort to be good, period. Night of the Living Dead was a low-budget film, this is not even close to reaching that level. Oh, and it actually takes sound effects straight from the first Resident Evil game and dubs them in. Seriously B0007GP7GO:fuzzy_wuzzy:jason_dillon B0007GP7GO Dead Life: DVD: Dead Life dvd 2 of 4 2.0 October 1, 2005 Jason Dillon Massachusetts Okay I admit, they had a shoesrting budget and did most if not all the work on the weekends with the help of friends. Heres my problem, they could have at least paid more attention to the focus of the camera, most of the scenes were blurry, every now and again the focus was clear, I mean c'mon, when I was fourteen I made a short stop motion animation film using an old Bell and Howell super 8 cam and even then I paid attention to the focusing.Okay enough of that, now for the pros of the film. The make-up fx were good and there is one scene that will make most MEN wince, the outdoor and some indoor settings had a NOTLD feel. Overall I recomend at least checking it out and make up your own minds, at least you can say you saw it. Rent if you can, if not, buy used B0007GP7GO:doa:bruce_leroy_"shogunofharlem" B0007GP7GO Dead Life: DVD: Dead Life dvd 5 of 7 1.0 May 15, 2005 Bruce Leroy "shogunofharlem" LA, CA For years, I've bemoaned the switch from film to digital video for low-budget horror movies, but I'd rather watch ANYTHING shot on video than watching the waste of film that is Dead Life. Don't be fooled when I say this movie is shot on film. It SERIOUSLY looks like it was shot on a 1950s 8mm camera. It's perpetually grainy, dark, fuzzy, and shaky, and not in an artsy way. My $200 video camera looks infinitely better than this. The video quality is appropriate, however, as it's matched in wretchedness by every other facet of this stink-fest. The sound is murky and undecipherable, the acting is strictly amateur hour, the characters are paper-thin with no distinction or purpose, the story is non-existent, the dialogue is a completely worthless bore, there's nothing remotely scary, and the special effects (including a couple of computer effects that look like they were made on a Commodore 64) are laughable. Or, at least, I wish they were laughable. That would've at least made for some sort of enjoyment instead of the utter torture of this (high school) student film. It's movies like this -- cheap and devoid of any real effort to uphold the horror legacy, but which get cherry spots on Blockbuster shelves because they're packaged with slick cover art -- that give horror movies in general (and zombie movies in particular) a bad name, and that make horror fans so wary. Disgraceful! B000F9UEK2:the_big_letdown:tighnasgire B000F9UEK2 The Big Buy - Tom Delay's Stolen Congress: DVD: Jim Schermbeck,Mark Birnbaum,Pete Gallego,Jacqueline Blankenship,George W. Bush,Garnet Coleman,Dick Deguerin,Martin Frost,Ronnie Earle,Roy Minton (II),J.D. Pauerstein,Lon Burnam,Eddie Rodriguez (VI),Jeff Wentworth,Paul Burka,Jim Hightower,Molly Ivins,Tom DeLay,Bill White (XIX),Jim Turner (VIII),Trey Martinez Fisher,Laylan Coplin dvd 2 of 23 2.0 May 23, 2006 Tighnasgire Chicago, IL Unfocused, repetitive, and worst of all - boring! What should have been a slam dunk documentary about one of the worst blights on the modern age of politics instead turns out to be a damn shame. Ronnie Earle, the district attorney at the center of the film, says, "This isn't about Democrats and Republicans, this is about cops and robbers." If only the makers of this film could have been so concise at some point in the first reel or two of their documentary as to what it is they were trying to say. Instead, from the start, The Big Buy feels like a film you've walked into thirty minutes late. Following the theme stated by Earle of cops and robbers, The Big Buy is supposed to have a film noir aesthetic, but the intended use of light and shadow is so intermittent you likely won't notice. Somewhere in this mess is a good film and a better story, to bad it's not being told here. B0002IQB3U:disappointing_second_set:d._russ B0002IQB3U Pee-wee's Playhouse #2 - Seasons 3-5: DVD: Phil Hartman,Johann Carlo,Roland Rodriguez,Shirley Stoler,Gilbert Lewis,William Marshall,Diane Yang,Natasha Lyonne,Shaun Weiss,Laurence Fishburne,S. Epatha Merkerson,Suzanne Kent,Vic Trevino,Alisan Porter,Guy J. Louthan,Bill Freiberger,Wayne Orr,Paul Reubens,Steven Johnson dvd 4 of 7 2.0 October 20, 2005 D. Russ With the exception of disc# 6 this collection was very disappointing. It was obvious that the show lost its charm after season #3 and was well on its way out before Paul Reubens little incident. However, if you liked Pee-Wee Herman the first collection under Playhouse#1 is excellent. It was fresh and innovative. My 3 year old loves the first 6 discs. Disc #7 to disc #10 are actually pretty bad and not worth the purchase. They should have included disc #6 with the first set. Anything after that was simply not entertaining. The quality of all the discs still is excellent. B0001IXU6W:one_of_the_most__homoerotic_films_i_have_ever_seen!:joseph_p._ulibas_"jesus_of_cool" B0001IXU6W Leeches: DVD: Julie Briggs (II),Tony Carroccio,Mike Cole,Trevor Harris,Josh Henderson,Michael Lutz (II),Greg Lyczkowski,Mark Ian Miller,Stacey Nelson,Maya Parish,Charity Rahmer,Tyler Sedustine,Stephen Swan,Matthew Twining,Alexandra Westmore dvd 3 of 14 1.0 June 26, 2005 Joseph P. Ulibas "Jesus of Cool" Sacramento, CA, USA Leeches is a terrible movie. Dude, I have never seen anything so gay in my whole life (except the director's other film Speed Demon). When the guys were less clothes than the gals, thats not a good sign. The video shelves at a local corporate video rental store carry tons of this director's work. They're all filled with loads of homoeroticism. Women are ugly and they were single piece bathing suits whilst the guys wear banana hammocks. The 'roided up leeches enter their "male" victims through anal orrifices. After watching about a half hour of this mess I had to turn it off. Why does this guy fool people into renting these movies. I don't mind gay subtext in films but when it takes over the film and hits you over the head with it then it's time to draw the line. No hetro relationships in this one. Just the director molesting his male stars with his camera. Horrible stuff, stay away from David DeCoteau's work and his fifty different aliases (unless you know what you're in for) B0002V7TZQ:f***_the_o.c.!_:phil_da_fury_"p.r." B0002V7TZQ The O.C. - The Complete First Season: DVD: O.C. dvd 2 of 10 1.0 May 16, 2006 Phil Da Fury "P.R." Long Beach,California "The O.C." has got to be one of the most Overrated, Overhyped, shows that I have ever seen, this side of "Friends". This show makes me ashamed to be from SoCal.Their is nothing Appealing or Compelling about a bunch of rich, spoiled, suburban, white teens(sorry,I mean 24,25,28 year old acters playing teenagers) and their so called "problems".I admit,I tried to give this show a chance, I tried to watch a few episodes,and really, I couldn't make it passed the half an hour mark w/out turning it to Adult Swim or some "Nick At Night" Re-run or something. and speaking of white, is "O.C." suppose to stand for "Orange County" or "Only Caucasians". I had no idea, that their were no Black, Mexican, or Asian people that lived in the "O.C." Peter Gallagher's character is suppose to be the "bad guy" huh? Please! How about I snatch this chump off the "O.C." streets, toss him in a trunk and take him to Long Beach, Compton, Crenshaw, or Watts and then lets see how "bad" a guy he is then. The bottom line is, I can't stand this gay, fake show and I can't stand all you losers that praise it even more! And by the way, This show don't even belong in the same ZIP CODE as B.H. 90210! Now put that in Yo Pipes and Smoke it! B0006J28K0:lacks_real_emotion_and_heart:a._pieprzyk B0006J28K0 Abraham (The Bible Collection): DVD: Richard Harris,Barbara Hershey,Maximilian Schell,Vittorio Gassman,Carolina Rosi,Andrea Prodan,Gottfried John,Kevin McNally,Simona Ferraro,Tom Radcliffe,Jude Alderson,Evelina Meghangi,John McEnery,Danny Mertsoy,Giuseppe Peluso,Timur Yusef,Taylor Scipio,Paolo Bonacelli,Mattia Sbragia,Christian Kohlund,Joseph Sargent dvd 2.0 July 6, 2006 A. Pieprzyk Sydney, Australia I expected alot more from Richard Harris. He was very stiff and it was hard to warm to his portrayal of Abraham. Also, there wasn't enough vocal input from God, expecially since his promises to Abraham and indeed the world should be center stage and offer the viewer a wholistic picture of the first covenant. There were some omissions and scenes out of order from the bible. I was somewhat annoyed that the movie had God saying that Sarai's name means Princess and that he would change it to Sarah which means Queen. This is not true!! In Hebrew Sarah means princess. Such apparently small mistakes really withdraw the films credability B0000CEUY8:very_poor_video_quality,_it's_not_worth_it.:mr._chang B0000CEUY8 Taijiquan, Classical Yang Style DVD (YMAA Tai Chi) Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming: DVD: Jwing-Ming;senior students Dr. Yang,Jwing-Ming;David Silver Dr. Yang dvd 13 of 25 1.0 February 15, 2005 Mr. Chang In Dr Yang's DVD I expected to find a good reference for my practice of the Yang 108 form, but I am very displeased with the quality of the DVD. For the price that I paid, I expected a least good video quality. When Dr. Yang executes the complete form the illumination is very poor; there are close ups of the upper body and obviously, the movement of the legs is not seen; you get lost with changes of camera angles; at some point, you can see people in the background; and the stage is not properly set up. Also, and with all due respect, his movements are weird. I have seen several presentations and videos of other professional instructors of the Yang 108 form and there are several differences in the way movements are executed. Definitively I do not recommend this DVD to any one who wants to use it as a reference, you can use it as a movie B000BNXDEQ:good_but_about_10_years_too_late:gilbert_m._o'connor_"gilgarp" B000BNXDEQ Radiohead: The Astoria London Live: DVD: Radiohead dvd 6 of 8 2.0 March 9, 2006 Gilbert M. O'Connor "gilgarp" Fort Collins, CO I have been a long-time radiohead fan and, like many others, have been waiting patiently for a live DVD. So I was thrilled to find out they released one and immediately bought it without even looking at the setlist. It never occurred to me that they would release material that is nearly 10 years old! I couldn't help being disappointed when I watched this DVD. The constantly changing camera angles and general lack of concern for the song itself make this unpleasant to watch. In fact, I only watched it once and it has since been gathering dust. I know I would have enjoyed it much more had it come out when the songs were still in their prime. I've always that Radiohead was modern, progressive, and totally innovative. I appreciate their old music but they have come a long way since pablo honey... and it doesn't help that before every song, Thom mutters "this is a new one." B00005K3NZ:0_stars:__i_thought_i_would_give_this_series_another_chance...i_must_be_a_dumba$$.:horrorman B00005K3NZ Candyman 2 - Farewell to the Flesh: DVD: Tony Todd,Kelly Rowan,William O'Leary,Bill Nunn,Matt Clark,David Gianopoulos,Fay Hauser,Joshua Gibran Mayweather,Timothy Carhart,Veronica Cartwright,Caroline Barclay,Michael Bergeron,Brianna Blanchard,Clotiel Bordeltier,Russell Buchanan,Nate Bynum,Sandy Byrd,Eric Cadora,Carl Ciarfalio,Michael Culkin,Bill Condon dvd 0 of 5 1.0 August 21, 2005 HorrorMan South Carolina The original "Candyman" sucks so bad, but everybody praises it and I kept wondering to myself, "am I missing something?" So, I tried watching it again and it still sucked as I could not even get through it, so I figured maybe I should watch the sequels and maybe I would find something that I liked about this series. Well, after watching "Candyman 2", one becomes cognizant that this series is just full of rubbish...again, the social overtones and politically correct notions present in this series make the movie absurd in the extreme. The villain in "Candyman" makes me want to laugh because he is so NOT scary...if you want a good laugh, watch the "Candyman" series, but if you want to be scared, you would even do better to watch "Ren and Stimpy". In all seriousness, watch "Halloween" and "Halloween II" if you want to see a good slasher and horror movie that really produces the goods and doesn't try to send a social message. LOL. Some people call "Candyman 2- Farewell to the Flesh" a horror movie...I just call it rubbish 6305914834:very_poor_quality_dvd:b_&_w_buff 6305914834 Meet John Doe / Gary Cooper on Film: DVD: Gary Cooper,Barbara Stanwyck,Edward Arnold,Walter Brennan,Spring Byington,James Gleason,Gene Lockhart,Rod La Rocque,Irving Bacon,Regis Toomey,J. Farrell MacDonald,Warren Hymer,Harry Holman,Andrew Tombes,Pierre Watkin,Stanley Andrews,Mitchell Lewis,Charles C. Wilson,Vaughan Glaser,Sterling Holloway,Frank Capra dvd 3 of 3 1.0 October 10, 2006 B & W Buff Love the movie, but the quality of the DVD put out by Alpha Video was so bad it was very difficult to watch. The sound was scratchy and muffled and the picture looked as if the brightness was turned all the way up. If you don't want to be disappointed and feel like you've been ripped off, wait for the remastered cut before you buy this one B00009PSDY:disappointed_mom:mom_of_three B00009PSDY The Blue Angels, In Pursuit of Excellence: DVD: Dreams Come True dvd 6 of 7 1.0 January 19, 2006 Mom of Three California, USA My son LOVES airplanes and jets! I bought this DVD based on the rave reviews of people with young children loving this video. If you want a DVD that shows airplanes/jets flying, DO NOT BUY THIS DVD! The name of the video should be, "Watch the Blue Angles Get Ready to Fly," because that is what this video is. In the first 20 minutes there are short scenes of the jets flying. Then the next 25 minutes is NO FLYING just talking and showing the Blue Angles getting ready for their show. In the last 8 minutes you get to see part of an air show. My son has never made it to that point. He wants to see airplanes/jets fly and I'm now on a new search for a DVD that will do this for him B000B9EYG6:rambling_and_unfocused_drama:roland_e._zwick B000B9EYG6 Kings & Queen: DVD: Emmanuelle Devos,Mathieu Amalric,Catherine Deneuve,Maurice Garrel,Nathalie Boutefeu,Jean-Paul Roussillon,Magalie Woch,Hippolyte Girardot,No mie Lvovsky,Elsa Wolliaston,Geoffrey Carey,Valentin Lelong,Thierry Bosc,Olivier Rabourdin,Olivier Borle,Didier Sauvegrain,Fran ois Toumarkine,Miglen Mirtchev,Marc Bodnar,Catherine Rouvel,Arnaud Desplechin dvd 1 of 7 2.0 July 17, 2006 Roland E. Zwick Valencia, Ca USA "Kings and Queen" is a bloated French drama that rambles on for an interminable two hours and thirty-two minutes to no discernible point or purpose. The film features two stories that seem unrelated at first but which eventually connect with one another about halfway through the movie. The first centers around Nora and her struggles with various men in her life, including an elderly father who discovers he has only a few days left to live. The other story involves a young man named Ismael, a violinist who finds himself placed - unfairly, he believes - in a mental institution through the machinations of an unknown third party. After traveling along on separate tracks for awhile, these two narrative strands eventually come together when we learn that Ismael is a former lover of Nora's and the man she has chosen to adopt her son from an earlier, tragic relationship. With a bit more focus and a considerable amount of streamlining, "Kings and Queen" might have been a potent, engrossing drama about modern day relationships. It certainly has moments of tremendous insight and emotional power, and the performances are, for the most part, complex and touching. But, taken as a whole, the film meanders and maunders to such an extent that, quite frankly, it begins to wreak havoc on our patience and to wear out its welcome early on. Even more distressing is the fact that, even though we spend what seems like a mild eternity in the company of these people, we really don't know quite what to make of any of them when the show is finally over. For instance, Nora's father, on his deathbed, writes a withering diatribe against his daughter's character that simply doesn't gibe with the woman we've been looking at for well over two hours. Nora is admittedly no Mother Theresa (then, again, who is?), but she certainly doesn't deserve the invective thrown at her by her very own father. Nora could be accused of being confused, indecisive, a bit self-absorbed at times, but evil enough to have her father wishing he could give her his cancer and make her die in his place? I don't think so. Perhaps this film is simply operating at a level of depth that I was unable to fathom. But my suspicion is that even writer Roger Bohbot and co-writer/director Arnaud Desplechin would have trouble fully explaining their purpose here. This is a well acted, pretentious bore of a film that takes the audience on a long, rambling voyage through a sea of personal crises, a journey that leaves the viewer no wiser or more enlightened at the end than he was at the beginning. 0780622553:how_to_make_a_goth/sci-fi_"classic"_(a_20-step_guide):john_grabowski 0780622553 Dark City (New Line Platinum Series): DVD: Rufus Sewell,William Hurt,Kiefer Sutherland,Jennifer Connelly,Richard O'Brien,Ian Richardson,Bruce Spence,Colin Friels,John Bluthal,Mitchell Butel,Melissa George,Frank Gallacher,Ritchie Singer,Justin Monjo,Nicholas Bell,Satya Gumbert,Noah Gumbert,Frederick Miragliotta,Peter Sommerfeld,Timothy Jones,Alex Proyas dvd 7 of 25 1.0 July 30, 2006 John Grabowski USA 1. Make sure you set your film in some sort of terrible alternate future where all people are slaves or unhappy or kept under sedation or something. 2. Have every scene take place in the dark. And your underworld must be lit by 15-watt bulbs. 3. Clothe everyone in black leather, particularly capes. This especially works for the villains, but in the interest of equal play the heroes can be edgy and wear black leather too. If they're villains, shave their heads. Give them sunglasses (for the dark!) 4. Copying Terry Gilliam's masterpiece Brazil, throw something retro like brimmed fedoras into the wardrobe. 5. Have a premise where our hero, a lone, semi-geeky guy, wakes up or somehow finds himself in a world he does not remember getting into. He must clear his name of something, even if it's just getting off Pottery Barn's mailing list. 6. Have a Mysterious Woman who may or may not be in cohoots with the bad guys, but who falls in love with our hero and wants to save him by the end of act II. 7. Make damn sure she's sultry. Though blondes are generally more popular these days in Hollywood, here dark brunettes work best. 8. Have lots of issues that revolve around our brains being dicked with. Throw in lots of tortured dialogue about alternative consciousnesses/universes/fuel supplies/sugar substitutes. 9. This is very important: USE THE RHETORICAL LINE AT LEAST ONCE: "DO YOU KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU [find the Kiber Crystal/try to rescue your love-interest/defy Dr. Morphface/turn on a bright light]?" Indeed he (and we) don't. This is supposed to get us all scared and anxious. 10. Our hero should have had, if possible, a happy childhood that turned tragic. Slaughtered parents work great here. Of course, he doesn't remember any of it, at least at first. 11. Populate your world with lots of machines with tubes, wires, cables, and ducts. There also should be flashes of lightning that serve no purpose. 12. Make sure your sets and costumes were "derived" from some black and white classic film from the 20s or 30s--Metropolis, Caligari, even Frankenstein will do nicely. This is both to show you have a "legitimate pedigree" and to cover up the fact that you have no original ideas yourself. 13. Make sure all the bad guys bite off their dialogue and sound mean. This is how we know they are bad guys, since lately both sides have been wearing black leather. 14. The guy gets the girl in the end and the sun comes out. Really now, do we have to say this??? (However, through most of the movie we must believe the love will be unrequited. The dame should have a troubled history, though you must keep it vague.) 15. Throw in some cyborgs. You gotta have cyborgs. 16. Have sets that are about fifteen times larger than they need to be, but which are largely empty. 17. There's always the authority figure who starts out in pursuit of our guy, but who by the end becomes convinced of his innocence and moves to his side. 18. There was some vague, recent apocalyptic event that destroyed most of civilization. But be brief here. Our audience may get to wondering how one guy saving one girl will restore all of civilization, and you don't want them thinking about that. 19. Include a sadomasochistic scene or two. The current favorite is to strap the victim spread-eagled on a rotating mechanical device and stick him with needles. This movie likes to stick them through the bone at the front of the skull, a really stupid place to insert a needle (but then, this screenwriter clearly isn't a brain surgeon). 20. Always have a big shoot-em-up climax with lots of explosions, steam, smoke, distorting of the picture with computer tricks, and loud rock music. This is how we resolve things when we have no idea what the hell we're talking about or how to end the movie. We hope nobody notices. Generally they don't. Follow this primer, and whatever you come up with will be called bold and visionary by people whose filmgoing history doesn't extend before 1995, and Roger "I don't wanna become critically irrelevant" Ebert B000BSXYJU:live_8_toronto_dvd_a_dissapointment_for_the_masses:lenbot_"lenbot" B000BSXYJU Live 8 Toronto: DVD: Richard Ashcroft (II),Nick Baines,Bono,Nic Cester,Will Champion,Green Day,Tom Fletcher (III),Bob Geldof,Danny Jones,Harry Judd,Ang lique Kidjo,Youssou N'Dour,Yannick Noah,Natalie Portman,Stereophonics,Valeri Syutkin,Renato Zero,Claire Popplewell,Geoff Posner,Richard Valentine (II) dvd 3 of 7 1.0 January 2, 2006 Lenbot "Lenbot" London Ontario Canada Well I went to the concert and the whole time while I was watching it, I was glade they where coming out with a dvd because DVD can HOLD lots and LOTS AND LOTS of information and why would they cheap out and not put every artist with every song on here why I WOULD BE 100$ I don't care I want to see it all. And well I waited months and months, wondering waiting for it to come out, I went there with 3 other friends and it was the thing of a life time. Then it was time the P%$%# @%#T DVD of the century. THank you EMI for destroying a historial document so you can get all your SIGNED Contracts on to your DVD. Well now all I have to do is use my Time Machine and Get a tape ready and tape the Damn concert. Wait TIme machines doen't exist well now I am going ot have to go underground to get it. But wait I still $100 will EMI Release all the videos on DVD or do we have to go underground to get it from someone who tapped it and is selling it. All I can say this is why the internet was invented for INFORMATION EXCHANGE. If they keep information paticularly this Historical Document from people, they will share it over the internet. The video doesn't belong to 1 Company it belongs to the world, the world created this and WHO does EMI think they are by limiting this. I am so sick and tired of this utter B$%# @#$T. No one should settle for this, I demand more and Everyone should demand more also.3 Billion People watched 1 million spectaters. And what does EMI Tell you, they will put the crappiest DVD together and then make everyone take the videos down of there website. I believe I shall find them all and put them up on Wikipedia because it isn't 1 Person who owns the worlds creation. Anyone who believes in this should know what it means to them Every Extra CEnt of this DVD should go to AFrica and it doesnt it and its a Bloody shame. All I can say Is I am making sure this goes on to Every Review for this damned DVD untill something is done about it. VIVA LA RISTANCE : D -THE REAL LENBO B00005NQGR:for_beginning_beginners_only!!!:bunnicq_"bunnicq" B00005NQGR Crunch - The Perfect Yoga Workout: The Joy of Yoga & Fat-Burning Yoga: DVD: Sara Ivanhoe dvd 1 of 1 2.0 December 30, 2005 BunniCQ "BunniCQ" if I do breath of fire it helps Well, I guess I should've read more reviews of this DVD. It is STRICTLY for beginners. I don't sweat and my heart rate barely goes up (if I do breath of fire it helps). When I want an easy day I'll pop this in and do both sessions. Very simple. But I'm sure it's good for a beginner--a BEGINNING BEGINNER. Sara Ivanhoe is soothing though, and encouraging. But seriously, this is a very easy workout B0000D0YXV:this_film_was_not_faithful_to_the_adaptation_of_the_novel.:jenny_j.j.i._"a_new_yorker" B0000D0YXV Wide Sargasso Sea: DVD: Karina Lombard,Nathaniel Parker,Rachel Ward,Michael York,Martine Beswick,Claudia Robinson,Huw Christie Williams,Casey Berna,Rowena King,Ben Thomas (VIII),Paul Campbell (IV),Audbrey Pilatus,Ancile Gloudon,Dominic Needham,Kevin Thomas,Aisha King,Anika Gordon,Elfreida Reid,Bobby Smith,Suzanne McMannus,John Duigan dvd 5 of 5 2.0 June 28, 2006 Jenny J.J.I. "A New Yorker" That Lives in Central Florida There's lots of passion in Wide Sargasso Sea THE BOOK, but it's mostly emotional. It's an extremely multi-layered novel and the work of a true master. The film on the other hand is just your classic, bad 1990s film, beautiful to look at, with lots of skin, languid copulation, heaving bosoms, bodice-ripping nonsense, etc and next to no substance. It has no artistic integrity whatsoever, as its shameless makers must surely know they lifted their middle finger at the spirit of the Jean Rhys novel when choosing to make the film the way they did. I was unable to feel empathy for both the lead character. The much touted erotic scenes were not developed to what they lead to believe, and it also lacked much enthusiasm. They were incomplete and contributed little, if anything, to the plot. The viewer only gets a glimpse of the passion that supposedly exists between Edward and Antoinette. Therefore, they should have either gone all the way, tastefully (no pun intended), or have left those scenes out entirely. Now with regards to the plot of this film there were enormous holes, which perhaps could be rectified by reading the book. But for those who haven't read the book, there should be enough information in the film itself to keep the reader afloat. From the start it was unclear what was really going on with this family (despite the narration). Why did the ex-slaves keep laughing? (Something vaguely explained in the movie, though apparently fully explained in the book). Why didn't the parrot fly away? What made the mother go nuts? At no point in the movie were Mr. Rochester's "issues", as it were, fully explained. The man gets a letter exposing his wife as a Creole and dumps her like a hot potato, after (as Christophene explains) he was the one who came crawling to her in the first place. What a hypocrite. Again, maybe this is the ultimate point, that Mr. Rochester is a snob and the archetypical Victorian Englishman and that Antoinette is the victim of both his prejudice and that of the Jamaicans. But none of that exonerates the appallingly abrupt conclusion to the film. So, despite the beautiful cinematography, this movie is a hopeless muddle. I'd highly recommend the novel by the way: a book you don't forget in a hurry. Needless to say I think you should give this insulting (to the memory of Jean Rhys) film a miss, especially if you've read the novel: it'll just frustrate you, no matter how keen on a bit of easy titillation you may be feeling at the time. B0000D0YXV:nothing_but_soft_porn:maria_hauskins B0000D0YXV Wide Sargasso Sea: DVD: Karina Lombard,Nathaniel Parker,Rachel Ward,Michael York,Martine Beswick,Claudia Robinson,Huw Christie Williams,Casey Berna,Rowena King,Ben Thomas (VIII),Paul Campbell (IV),Audbrey Pilatus,Ancile Gloudon,Dominic Needham,Kevin Thomas,Aisha King,Anika Gordon,Elfreida Reid,Bobby Smith,Suzanne McMannus,John Duigan dvd 3 of 11 1.0 November 30, 2004 Maria Hauskins Colorado The novel of Wide Sargasso Sea was decent book. A re-writing of Jane Eyre's Bertha. But the film is really hard to tolerate. It starts out ok. Although it seems to start deviating from the book early on. Past the point where Antoinette marries Rochester the film turns in to nothing but soft porn and the acting gets worse too. B000EBIOVC:what's_all_the_fuss_about?:david_zimmerman B000EBIOVC Good Night, and Good Luck.: DVD dvd 1 of 6 2.0 November 5, 2006 David Zimmerman Baton Rouge, LA USA The lead actor bore an uncanny resemblance to the real Edward R. Murrow, and there was a lot of realistic smoking for a movie set in the `50s, but otherwise I'd didn't understand all the adulation for what was to me a short, boring movie that seemed much longer. Maybe I've just seen too many biopics lately B00000G3AZ:hey,_did_any_of_you_dudes_catch_that_they_ripped_off_the_plot_from_clueless?:jonathan_lapin_"fletcher_rabbit" B00000G3AZ Emma: DVD: Gwyneth Paltrow,James Cosmo,Greta Scacchi,Alan Cumming,Denys Hawthorne,Sophie Thompson,Jeremy Northam,Toni Collette,Kathleen Byron,Phyllida Law,Edward Woodall,Brett Miley,Brian Capron,Karen Westwood,Paul Williamson,Polly Walker (II),Rebecca Craig,Ewan McGregor,Angela Down,John Franklyn-Robbins,Douglas McGrath dvd 0 of 10 2.0 September 5, 2006 Jonathan Lapin "fletcher rabbit" Brooklyn, NY USA this is the poorest of the plethora of jane austen adaptations we have undergone the past decade, with gwyneth paltrow stumbling her way through an unfunny retelling of austens classic. fortunately its been 3 weeks since i watched this and ive managed to put the details of WHY i found it distasteful into the nether regions of my mind, but it was a mess. B0007PIDAM:no_"socermania"_instead_too_many_repeats:baruch_weiss_"baruch" B0007PIDAM Classic Cartoon Favorites - Extreme Sports Fun: DVD: John McLeish,J rn Gottlieb,Pinto Colvig,George Johnson,Doodles Weaver,Walt Disney,Clarence Nash,Jack Kinney,David Hand,Jack Hannah,Jack King,Clyde Geronimi dvd 4 of 7 1.0 March 6, 2005 Baruch Weiss "Baruch" Chicago IL I was hoping that "Socermania" would be on the "Extreme Sports Fun" DVD but NO! Instead disney had to put on all of the same cartoons that were released on the "Disney Treasures" this also goes for the other two DVD's Extreme Music and adventure fun, allthough 'Pluto's Blue Note', 'Donald's Dilemma' 'No Sail' 'Old Sequoia' and 'Trailer Horn' are on DVD for the first time but with the new Disney Treasures "Disney Rarities" and "The Chronological Donald volume 2"(which might I add could use a lot of improvment on the restoration) who needs these DVDs, so I suggest not to buy these cheap DVD's and buy the Treasures in spite of the bad restoration 6305428476:good_film,_worthless_release:phideck 6305428476 Like Water for Chocolate: DVD: Marco Leonardi,Lumi Cavazos,Regina Torn ,Mario Iv n Mart nez,Ada Carrasco,Yareli Arizmendi,Claudette Maill ,Pilar Aranda,Farnesio de Bernal,Joaqu n Garrido,Rodolfo Arias,Margarita Isabel,Sandra Arau (II),Andr s Garc a Jr.,Regino Herrera,Genaro Aguirre,David Ostrosky,Br gida Alexander,Amado Ram rez,Arcelia Ram rez,Alfonso Arau dvd 1 of 2 2.0 July 26, 2006 PhiDeck Sarasota, FL USA Film: 4.5 stars; DVD: 0 stars (DVD released March 2000) This is a very good - albeit not great - film whose DVD release has been ruined by Disney, as they so often do: - 18(!) minutes deleted from the theatrically released version - non-anamorphic transfer It's been over six years since the DVD was released. One can only hope that an un-butchered version is in the works. However, based on Disney's track record, and on the quality of their marketing "wizards", I'm not holding my breath. Don't know if Disney licenses to Criterion but, if so, that may be the only way we get a decent DVD release B00008KDHQ:paul_walker_finally_yields_his_throne_to...:jonathan_c._pike B00008KDHQ 2 Fast 2 Furious: DVD: Paul Walker,Tyrese Gibson,Eva Mendes,Cole Hauser,Ludacris,Thom Barry,James Remar,Devon Aoki,Amaury Nolasco,Michael Ealy,Jin Auyeung,Edward Finlay,Mark Boone Junior,Matt Gallini,Roberto 'Sanz' Sanchez,Eric Etebari,John Cenatiempo,Troy Brown,Corey Michael Eubanks,Sam Maloof,John Singleton dvd 5 of 5 2.0 August 19, 2006 Jonathan C. Pike Mansfield, MA ... Tyrese Gibson, for WORST ACTOR EVER. Up to this point, I've been a huge Paul Walker fan for his comedically bad acting. He's made a career of it. In this one, his impressive acting techniques involve the use of the word "bro" at least 75 times (to give his character street cred), and thoughtfully rubbing his chin during meetings with the other cops - it's clear Walker is deeply considering his plight. But really Walker can't hold a candle to the absolutely atrocious acting of Tyrese Gibson. My god where did they find this guy? The movie would've been OK as a standard, mindless action film, but it really was ruined by the 6th grade drama club acting. Now you might be wonderning: who's the genius who decided to put these two together in a movie? But wait, there's actually method to this madness. Since their was no Vin Diesel, the director knew he had only Paul Walker left. And it's well known that Walker cannot carry a film (see "Timeline"). So what to do? Of course! Find an actor EVEN WORSE than Walker and cast them together! All of the sudden Walker doesn't look so terrible, because everyone's focusing on this other chump. And apparently it worked, because a lot of people enjoyed this film, and there's even a sequel. B00008KDHQ:about_as_entertaining_as_watching_michael_jackson_dry-hump_howdy_doody:rustic_fences_"beer-hall_honky-tonk" B00008KDHQ 2 Fast 2 Furious: DVD: Paul Walker,Tyrese Gibson,Eva Mendes,Cole Hauser,Ludacris,Thom Barry,James Remar,Devon Aoki,Amaury Nolasco,Michael Ealy,Jin Auyeung,Edward Finlay,Mark Boone Junior,Matt Gallini,Roberto 'Sanz' Sanchez,Eric Etebari,John Cenatiempo,Troy Brown,Corey Michael Eubanks,Sam Maloof,John Singleton dvd 0 of 4 1.0 January 9, 2006 Rustic Fences "Beer-Hall Honky-Tonk" Vermont I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE CAST OF THIS MOVIE DRESSED UP AS HOT DOGS AND THROWN INTO A CAGE WITH STAR JONES AND MARV ALBERT. (... B0000DK4RL:snore.:heathcliff B0000DK4RL 24 Hour Party People: DVD: Steve Coogan,John Thomson,Nigel Pivaro,Lennie James,Shirley Henderson,Martin Hancock,Mark Windows,Chris Coghill,Paddy Considine,John Simm,Ralf Little,Dave Gorman,Andy Serkis,Danny Cunningham,Paul Popplewell,Ron Cook,Raymond Waring,Peter Kay,Mark E. Smith,Naomi Radcliffe,Michael Winterbottom dvd 1 of 8 2.0 May 22, 2005 Heathcliff vt Don't let the cover fool you, this film isn't half as fun as you may hope it is. Maybe it's my own fault, but I was expecting something more like "Groove", or at least something interesting to watch. And it's not for my lack of knowledge of the bands, I often listen to Joy Division/New Order/Happy Mondays, and more from that scene. However, this seemed much more like the story of Tony Wilson and The Factory, than it did about the music, and almost came-off as a documentary. I almost stopped watching it out of boredom, but saw it through anyway. Now I wouldn't call this bad, it had it's good parts, just not many. B0000DK4RL:poorly_done_mocumentary:jeremy_whitman B0000DK4RL 24 Hour Party People: DVD: Steve Coogan,John Thomson,Nigel Pivaro,Lennie James,Shirley Henderson,Martin Hancock,Mark Windows,Chris Coghill,Paddy Considine,John Simm,Ralf Little,Dave Gorman,Andy Serkis,Danny Cunningham,Paul Popplewell,Ron Cook,Raymond Waring,Peter Kay,Mark E. Smith,Naomi Radcliffe,Michael Winterbottom dvd 2 of 16 2.0 April 17, 2005 Jeremy Whitman Lafayette, Louisiana United States 24-Hour Party People is a mocumentary at the lowest rung (if Best In Show was not enough) that tries at many times to be funny but is mostly in poor taste. The British scene in the 1980's was influential and at the height of the 2nd Brit wave, and Michael Winterbottom could have exposed the goings-on in a much better way. My main issue with this film was it's attempts at being funny in a hip-Britster fashion that falls flat constantly since the issues occurring are very serious. The dialogue is difficult to follow especially since most of it is meaningless anyway, and the film never really follows it's premise as much as it should: the rise of Factory. I did really enjoy the Joy Division segments, though, even if exploiting Ian Curtis's death was slightly in poor taste. Unless you're a fan of the Brit explosion of the post-punk era, and an extreme fan at that, I could not recommend this film. It's not even greatly educational for music lovers and at times very difficult to get into. B00004D36A:naughty_but_clever:loo_"loo" B00004D36A wildthings: DVD: Matt Dillon,Kevin Bacon,Neve Campbell,Theresa Russell,Denise Richards,Daphne Rubin-Vega,Robert Wagner,Bill Murray,Carrie Snodgress,Jeff Perry,Cory Pendergast,Marc Macaulay,Toi Svane Stepp,Dennis Neal,Eduardo Y ez,Paulo Benedeti,Diane Adams,Jennifer Bini Taylor,Victoria Bass,Ted Bartsch,John McNaughton dvd 0 of 10 1.0 February 23, 2006 Loo "loo" Malaysia Yes. Wild things is what I recommend for our jaded eyes. Aren't we sick of all the crowd pleasing PG-13 shows which are neither sexy or action packed - most of all with hardly a plot? Wild Things is sex sex sex but with witty capital H humor and a twisted story. Recent eye candy shows could learn a thing or two from this film. Candy can remain sweet and sickening but a great script and a good cast (from Oscar nominee Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon etc) can turn candy into cuisine B000FSMEBA:beware:__all_shows_are_edited:howard_shemp_"video_maven" B000FSMEBA Good Times - The Complete Sixth Season: DVD: Donald McKayle,John Rich,Bob LaHendro,Jack Shea (III) dvd 4 of 6 1.0 August 2, 2006 howard shemp "video maven" ny ALL THESE SHOWS ARE THE SYNDICATED ONES.THERE ARE AT LEAST 3 MIN CUT FROM EACH SHOW.SONY SUCKS BIG TIME FOR RELEASING EDITED SHOWS. NOT THE FIRST TIME( SEE SOAP,OTHER SEASONS OF GOOD TIMES).BROUGHT MINE BACK AND GOT A REFUND 6305897786:disappointing:mark_d._miller_"the_wyzard" 6305897786 The Ninth Gate: DVD: Johnny Depp,Frank Langella,Lena Olin,Emmanuelle Seigner,Barbara Jefford,Jack Taylor (II),Jos L pez Rodero,Tony Amoni,James Russo,Willy Holt,Allen Garfield,Jacques Dacqmine,Joe Sheridan,Rebecca Pauly,Catherine Benguigui,Maria Ducceschi,Jacques Collard,Dominique Pozzetto,Emanuel Booz,Lino Ribeiro de Sousa,Roman Polanski dvd 1 of 4 2.0 August 23, 2006 Mark D. Miller "the wyzard" San Francisco Beware the reviews that say this is an underrated classic and masterpiece and all that. Was real disappointed by 9th Gate. This film is tepid, there is none of the satanic intensity/ambiance that you find in 'Rosemary's Baby' It's too Hollywood, surprisingly, considering the maverick presence of Depp/Polanski. Film opens well, with a suicide and Depp's opportunistic character who seems to straddle the moral fence, but it never creates the proper mood or atmosphere. Exorcist 3, which I was equally disappointed in, at least was more satanic. I won't spoil anything for those who do want to see it, but the showdown scene between Depp and those he is purusing is awkward and poorly directed. Emmanuelle Seigner comes across more like a hippy chick than a Demona. And the 'showdown with the devil' is a letdown to say the least. This film could have been great but Polanski dropped the ball, considering he was the producer/director/co-screenwriter, and the film fails in all three areas. It's not horrible, so I give it 2 stars. But don't buy this film, rent it only. Buy Angel Heart instead B00007AJF9:cate,_oh_my...............:v B00007AJF9 Elizabeth (Special Edition): DVD: Fanny Ardant,Richard Attenborough,Cate Blanchett,Kathy Burke,Eric Cantona,Vincent Cassel,Rod Culbertson,Christopher Eccleston,Joseph Fiennes,Paul Fox (II),Valerie Gale,John Gielgud,Liz Giles,Edward Hardwicke,Emily Mortimer,Terence Rigby,Geoffrey Rush,Amanda Ryan,Peter Stockbridge dvd 0 of 5 1.0 September 6, 2006 V To borrow from a previous reviewer: A movie to kill an evening with if you have one that really needs murdering. B00007AJF9:fact_is_stranger_than_fiction:s._mance B00007AJF9 Elizabeth (Special Edition): DVD: Fanny Ardant,Richard Attenborough,Cate Blanchett,Kathy Burke,Eric Cantona,Vincent Cassel,Rod Culbertson,Christopher Eccleston,Joseph Fiennes,Paul Fox (II),Valerie Gale,John Gielgud,Liz Giles,Edward Hardwicke,Emily Mortimer,Terence Rigby,Geoffrey Rush,Amanda Ryan,Peter Stockbridge dvd 1 of 7 1.0 July 29, 2006 S. Mance Michigan I am a fan of historical fiction, and this has to be one of the most historically inaccurate films I have ever seen! What bothers me the most is that the general public, who hasn't read the Tudor biographies like some of us have, will believe this stuff because it is their only exposure to the subject! I won't go into all the inaccuracies since other reviewers have already touched on them. Why tamper with history, when it was actually more fascinating than what was portrayed in this movie. B000B9PW6M:out_of_sync_tommy:tanker_don_"maddon" B000B9PW6M The Who - Tommy and Quadrophenia Live: DVD: The Who dvd 4 of 14 1.0 June 18, 2006 Tanker Don "maddon" Prescott Valley AZ I've been a fan of the Who since I recieved my copy of Tommy on vinyl in 1970 for Christmas. I resisted buying this DVD set for a long time because of the price and knowing that if it was a current release that Townshend would be playing an accoustic guitar while someone backstage would be playing what he should be (he started doing this due to hearing loss years ago). The Who hasnt been the same since. Watching the Tommy performance will make you seasick its so out of sync. It just goes to show that some publishers and performers will let anything out the door to make another buck. I had just moved to Las Vegas when Entwhistle died there of a cocaine overdose, it was somehow prophetic in a way, I didnt have tickets for their show that week but I thought with his death it wouldnt have happened anyway. Surprisingly it did, (its all about $$$$$). If you've never seen this band in its heyday go get a copy of their Live at the Isle of Wight festival show or Woodstock for a second choice and see what this band was really like. And shame on the people who let this recording hit the shelves, I hope they choke on the money. B0007PAMR4:worst_special_(extended)_edition_of_a_movie_-_ever!:wandering_somewhere_in_oz B0007PAMR4 Dune: DVD: Francesca Annis,Leonardo Cimino,Brad Dourif,Jos Ferrer,Linda Hunt,Freddie Jones,Richard Jordan,Kyle MacLachlan,Virginia Madsen,Silvana Mangano,Everett McGill,Kenneth McMillan,Jack Nance,Si n Phillips,J rgen Prochnow,Paul L. Smith,Patrick Stewart,Sting,Dean Stockwell dvd 4 of 6 1.0 September 20, 2006 Wandering somewhere in Oz San Francisco, CA United States What were they thinking?! There are actually scenes DELETED from the original theatrical release!! The extended edition is an "abomination" if there ever were one. Furthermore, I discourage anyone who has not seen the original from purchasing this product. Seek out the original release because I believe the "original" release included in this set is not of the same quality. David Lynch was right in not becoming involved in this edition B000B5XOZM:misnomer:straight_life B000B5XOZM Warner Bros. Classic Holiday Collection (Boys Town / A Christmas Carol 1938 / Christmas in Connecticut): DVD: Spencer Tracy,Mickey Rooney,Henry Hull,Leslie Fenton,Gene Reynolds,Edward Norris,Addison Richards,Minor Watson,Jonathan Hale,Bobs Watson,Martin Spellman,Mickey Rentschler,Frankie Thomas,Jimmy Butler,Sidney Miller,Robert Emmett Keane,Victor Kilian,Robert Gleckler,Don Latorre,A.W. Sweatt,Norman Taurog,Edwin L. Marin dvd 1 of 3 2.0 February 27, 2006 Straight Life Irvine, CA This may be entitled "Warner Bros. Classic Holiday Collection," but Warner Bros. had nothing to do with the production or distribution of Boys Town, Men of Boys Town, or the 1938 Christmas Carol. Louis B. Mayer may return to haunt the Christmases of those heretics against the one, true religion of MGM, who purloined Spencer Tracey, Mickey Rooney, and Ann Rutherford to enrich the reputations of Harry, Jack, Abe, and Ted. B0000640VJ:atrocious.:aaron_yovanovits B0000640VJ The Royal Tenenbaums (The Criterion Collection): DVD: Aram Aslanian-Persico,Alec Baldwin,Seymour Cassel,James Fitzgerald (II),Danny Glover,Irene Gorovaia,Gene Hackman,Anjelica Huston,Jonah Meyerson,Bill Murray,Kumar Pallana,Gwyneth Paltrow,Larry Pine,Grant Rosenmeyer,Stephen Lea Sheppard,Ben Stiller,Amedeo Turturro,Luke Wilson,Owen Wilson dvd 2 of 23 1.0 September 11, 2006 Aaron Yovanovits Absolutely terrible. The most inexplicable comedy phenomena this side of Dane Cook. Nothing happens in this movie (and I mean nothing) except a bunch of sullen characters exhanging "comic" glances and looking withdrawn and cynical. I don't think a Soviet run production company could suck the life and charisma out of these talented actors better. So on that point it's a success. All the sullen, understated lines and glances are supposed to be funny-they're not, they're boring. Somebody needs to tell Wes Anderson that too. ASAP B0000640VJ:hipster_drivel_:critic B0000640VJ The Royal Tenenbaums (The Criterion Collection): DVD: Aram Aslanian-Persico,Alec Baldwin,Seymour Cassel,James Fitzgerald (II),Danny Glover,Irene Gorovaia,Gene Hackman,Anjelica Huston,Jonah Meyerson,Bill Murray,Kumar Pallana,Gwyneth Paltrow,Larry Pine,Grant Rosenmeyer,Stephen Lea Sheppard,Ben Stiller,Amedeo Turturro,Luke Wilson,Owen Wilson dvd 6 of 17 2.0 July 1, 2006 critic san francisco I think this movie is so incredibly contrived and just so damn cutesy I don't know why it has gotten so much critical acclaim, especially about how it's all just so devastatingly human despite everyone acting like a cartoon character? But being in a liberal arts college I have to listen to almost every other student rave about it so it must have some sort of generational following. The characters and the situations remind me of the short stories I would write in the sixth grade when I was around 12 years old, where all of the characters have a bunch of dumb, absurd eccentricities that anyone could come up with if they wanted to because you're wanting so badly to be inventive and unique but in hindsight they make you cringe and tear up all those old notebooks full of such irritating, inane nonsense. The whole movie feels like ones 12-year-old self trying to write about adult problems that they're distanced from yet infatuated by. This movie appeals to the type of people who like to read Catcher and the Rye so they can either consciously or subconsciously think of their chain-smoking, wannabe-depressed but more like "I'm so sad 'cause I don't have a girlfriend" indie-rocker lives into some sort of literary wellspring. I think the visuals in all of his movies are so tremendously appealing, it's unfortunate he can't just do fantasy films or something instead of these barely funny yet barely dramatic "subtle" messages on the human condition or whatever those critics say. Hipster drivel - look for something else to watch B000BDH6BM:"who_would_want_to_kill_the_sweetest_******_woman_in_the_world?":bart_king B000BDH6BM Four Brothers (Full Screen Edition): DVD: John Singleton,Mark Wahlberg,Tyrese Gibson,Andr Benjamin,Garrett Hedlund,Terrence Howard,Josh Charles,Sof a Vergara,Fionnula Flanagan,Chiwetel Ejiofor,Taraji P. Henson,Barry Shabaka Henley,Jernard Burks,Kenneth Welsh,Tony Nappo,Shawn Singleton,Reiya West Downs,Riele West Downs,Lyriq Bent,Richard Chevolleau,Awaovieyi Agie dvd 7 of 12 1.0 August 19, 2006 Bart King Portland, Oregon I knew I was in trouble with FOUR BROTHERS when I saw that Josh Howard (of SPORTS NIGHT fame) was scowling hard, trying to be a tough Detroit cop. Not believable for a nanosecond. And then it got worse when Marky Mark said, "Why don't you two cops get some doughnuts and coffee?" The rest of the film veers along in that kind of lame and clich d rhythm. Almost every scene in this thing is a howler. And watching it, I remembered I hadn't forgiven Tyrese Gibson for the travesty that was 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS. Still, Tyrese is better than Garrett Hedlund, who looks like he's a refugee from THE OUTSIDERS. But the movie's not a total wash; after all, it's got a GREAT soundtrack B0007M2234:i'm_not_an_expert,_but_this_movie_sucks:cornelius_"the_don" B0007M2234 F for Fake - Criterion Collection: DVD: William Alland,Jean-Pierre Aumont,Peter Bogdanovich,Joseph Cotten,Gary Graver,Andr s Vicente G mez,Laurence Harvey,Clifford Irving,Oja Kodar,Christian Odasso,Julio Palinkas,Fran ois Reichenbach,Paul Stewart,Nina Van Pallandt,Alexander Welles,Fran oise Widhoff,Richard Wilson,Elmyr de Hory dvd 1.0 November 19, 2006 Cornelius "The Don" Berkeley, CA USA Seriously, I am an expert, and this movie sucks. But, imagine for a moment--yes, stop and withdraw from your metaphysical prejudices--a movie whose premise is truly profound, strikingly engaging, and culturally challenging--that art is only such relative to those individuals, those `experts', whose tastes, likes and dislikes, decide it so. Given that aesthetic claims are empirically nonsensical--a matter of pure subjective opinion--why is it that some art is valued at all while some not at all? Besides this interesting question, which is put forth explicitly, without the pretentious riddles of terrible poetry, and in about 60 seconds, the rest of the movie is obnoxious editing and narration. Avoid at all costs. B0007M2234:b_is_for_boring:prof._frink_"gern_blanston,_ski_instructor" B0007M2234 F for Fake - Criterion Collection: DVD: William Alland,Jean-Pierre Aumont,Peter Bogdanovich,Joseph Cotten,Gary Graver,Andr s Vicente G mez,Laurence Harvey,Clifford Irving,Oja Kodar,Christian Odasso,Julio Palinkas,Fran ois Reichenbach,Paul Stewart,Nina Van Pallandt,Alexander Welles,Fran oise Widhoff,Richard Wilson,Elmyr de Hory dvd 2 of 16 2.0 February 18, 2006 Prof. Frink "Gern Blanston, Ski Instructor" Linger Longer Lounge, OR USA The only extraordinary thing about this film is how OW could take such a fascinating subject and drain the life out of it. I found myself wanting this to be over about halfway through (after I dozed off). Don't be fooled by the other review here. They are the true fakes (if you know what I mean). Save your money and save your time B0002Z9HT8:do_musicians_have_a_conscience....?:m._harris B0002Z9HT8 Live Aid (4 Disc Set): DVD: Bob Geldof,B.B. King,Daryl Hall,John Paul Jones,Darryl McDaniels,Johnnie Fingers,Benny Hill,Francis Rossi,Michael Hutchence,Mel Smith,Chevy Chase,Adam Clayton,Chris Cross,Garry Roberts,Bono,Gary Kemp,Martin Chambers,Crosby Stills Nash & Young,Teddy Pendergrass,Elton John,Vincent Scarza dvd 12 of 48 1.0 November 11, 2005 M. Harris BRIGHTON, EAST SUSSEX United Kingdom Following Live 8 i have to wonder if Live Aid justifies the euphoria that followed it. Most people if honest would say that on the whole musically it was pretty bland and as for achieving its aims-well that's debatable. What it did manage to do was make Bob Geldof whom no matter how honourable his motive were done quite nicely out of it thank you. Before this his career was on the skids and now he is a household name, knighted by the monarchy and very,very rich. The same with U2 pushed them into the statosphere and made Bono think he is some sort of latter day prophet. Same with Queen pushed them into mega-stardom. So do musicians have a conscience or was it the chance to get maximum worldwide publicity, push their latest album all for fifteen minutes of stage time. Sounds pretty good to me. One can't help wonder that they could all give there royalties for the past year and wipe out the third world debt without coming on stage and screaming 'give me your money'. There was a shot(deleted of course) where backstage the good and the great were dining on expensive food and wine whilst up on stage was a backdrop of the starving. Another example of there hyprocrisy. Madonna singing 'imagine' on her latest tour '..imagine-no prosessions..yeah right! I can't help but think for all there posturing there was an eye on global exposure and a chance to feel good about themselves when they went back to their mansion and who would dispute that McCartneys version of 'let it be' was stomach churning? Face it the only musician (Peter Green ex-fleetwood mac) who wanted to give everything away to charity got certified. Proves a point B000E33VWW:review:afony B000E33VWW Capote: DVD: Allie Mickelson,Kelci Stephenson,Philip Seymour Hoffman,Craig Archibald,Bronwen Coleman,Kate Shindle,David Wilson Barnes,Michael J. Burg,Catherine Keener,Kwesi Ameyaw,Andrew Farago,Ken Krotowich,Chris Cooper,R.D. Reid,Rob McLaughlin,Harry Nelken,Jon Ted Wynne,Jonathan Barrett,Christopher Read,Edward Sutton (II),Bennett Miller dvd 0 of 1 2.0 October 15, 2006 Afony Philip Seymour Hoffman "Capote", directed by Bennett Miller with a conscious sensation of subtlety and a slow pace, was widely acclaimed by critics after its release in 2005. It is based on Gerald Clarke's 1988 non-fiction book "Capote: A Biography". The film starts by Capote's (Philip Seymour Hoffman) interest in the Kansas crime merely as a reader and ends with him becoming the most famous writer on the crime. His knowledge of the criminals, especially Perry Smith (Clifton Collins Jr.), which started from the newspapers elevated to an intimate yet undefined relationship. The writer is sympathetic and sees in Smith a strong resemblance with himself, yet he uncaringly and mendaciously uses him to get to his aim. Capote was looking for something to write and indeed he found it. "In Cold Blood" was his most famous novel; the one that established him as a legendary writer. He was left overwhelmed, confused and unsatisfied, however. The movie is quite ambiguous, though. Characters are marginally defined and the dialogue wavers between witty to irrelevant or inexpressive. At many instances it is hard to grasp the causes and consequences of specific situations and conversations. For instance, people are always laughing heartily at what Capote has to say, although he never actually says something funny or worth a great deal of laughter. The setting and the music were both barely significant. Although Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance is highly remarkable, the actor's resemblance of Capote is questionable. Hoffman is 5'10" and more stout than the slender, barely 5'2" Truman Capote. B0007M23D8:an_amateur_effort_all_around:d._seo_"davidovich53" B0007M23D8 Koma: DVD: Koma dvd 1 of 2 1.0 October 3, 2006 D. Seo "Davidovich53" CA, USA This movie is utterly unremarkable -- actually, scratch that. This movie is actually VERY remarkable -- because of how BAD it is. First of all, the protagonist is pathetic: it's impossible for the viewer to sympathize with her because she is just a pitiful, weak person who does absolutely nothing to try and solve her problems; all she does is cry and moan. Second, the actors are some of the most wooden and stiff performers I've seen in any movie. Third, there are some plot gaps and questions that never get answered, which disrupt the movie's flow and continuity; for example, the protagonist gets hit head-on by an 18-wheeler truck, and her car is absolutely mangled, but she walks away without a scratch. Someone care to explain how that's possible? I probably would have stopped watching this piss-poor excuse for a movie if I wasn't at a friend's house (and there's the fact that it's his movie): I sat through it just to be polite. When all is said and done, this movie just isn't worth your time. I'm glad I'm not the one who actually paid my hard-earned dollars to buy this piece of dung B0007M23D8:booooooring:b._eckrich_"movie_watcher" B0007M23D8 Koma: DVD: Koma dvd 3 of 4 1.0 August 21, 2006 B. Eckrich "movie watcher" Johannesburg, South Africa I've been had is all I can say, after reading other reviews I really thought this would be an interesting, exciting movie. Instead, the story is lame, the acting is pretty pathetic and it is so NOT scary or at least gripping. I watched the whole thing as I thought maybe I am missing something, but no there is no twist thats worth mentioning as the whole movie is predictable from beginning to end. Sorry guys, but this is nowhere near, Audition, Tale of two Sisters or even Whispering Corridors B00005JKG1:only_for_foodies:r._acorda B00005JKG1 Eat Drink Man Woman: DVD: Chang,Chao,Gua,Lung,Wang,Wu,Yang dvd 3 of 21 2.0 March 28, 2006 R. Acorda If you've seen Tortilla Soup, there is no need to watch this movie. This is just the Chinese version of the said movie. The similarities of these 2 movies are so prominent that it would actually be a waste of time and money to buy both - same characters, same plot only in a different setting. I got to enjoy the scenes with food, though... B00004S5QA:just_say_no:v._givens B00004S5QA Jawbreaker: DVD: Darren Stein,Rose McGowan,Rebecca Gayheart,Julie Benz,Judy Greer,Ethan Erickson,Chad Christ,Charlotte Ayanna,Tatyana Ali,P.J. Soles,William Katt,Jeff Conaway,Marilyn Manson,Carol Kane,Pam Grier,Kall Harrington,Alexis Smart,Allie Moss,Alexandra Adi,Lisa Robin Kelly,Michael McLafferty dvd 2 of 5 1.0 February 11, 2006 V. Givens This movie is no "Heathers." It's not even "Mean Girls." As hard as it tried to be witty, shocking, dark, and satirical, it just made me want to bang my head against a wall to make the pain of watching it stop. Maybe I'm just too old for this drivel -- although I could watch "Clueless" and "The Craft" until my DVD player breaks -- but whatever entertainment value this movie was trying to push, I just didn't get it. The movie wasn't funny (which is sad to say when one of my favorite comedic actresses, Carol Kane, couldn't even elicit a smile out of me), the plot was full of holes, and the writing seemed very rushed and contrived. I wasn't expecting greatness when I watched Jawbreakers, but I was at least hoping for 1 1/2 hours of mindless entertainment. Unfortunately, the "entertainment" piece was dropped and I was just left with "mindless. B000CSUNKW:review:s._mayer B000CSUNKW Dave Attell Insomniac Tour Presents: Sean Rouse, Greg Giraldo & Dane Cook: DVD: Sean Rouse,Dane Cook dvd 1 of 9 2.0 July 7, 2006 S. Mayer US My wife and I ejected this DVD after half way through and planned to throw it out. I later figured I'd see if it got any better and watched the rest of it. The last guy is good and I won't throw this away now; he does a bit on throwing up that is good. Most of the humor is gutter humour and is not that funny B000BKVL1G:pretty_stupid_and_obnoxious:silence_"magisterelect" B000BKVL1G Four Brothers: DVD: Mark Wahlberg,Tyrese Gibson,Andr Benjamin,Garrett Hedlund,Terrence Howard,Josh Charles,Sof a Vergara,Fionnula Flanagan,Chiwetel Ejiofor,Taraji P. Henson,Barry Shabaka Henley,Jernard Burks,Kenneth Welsh,Tony Nappo,Shawn Singleton,Reiya West Downs,Riele West Downs,Lyriq Bent,Richard Chevolleau,Awaovieyi Agie,John Singleton dvd 3 of 5 1.0 September 8, 2006 Silence "magisterelect" Seattle Almost unbelievably bad, except I saw the remake of 'Shaft,' which should have been a forewarning. This is like a comic book for filmgoers. No, not a graphic novel adapted to the screen. More like a comic book for kids, that you'd be embarassed to own at any age. Doubly offensive is the high quality soul music that is on the soundtrack, a travesty to the nth degree. B00003CXBU:not_good:mr_alan_williamson B00003CXBU On the Waterfront (Special Edition): DVD: Brando,Malden,Cobb,Steiger,Hen dvd 2 of 65 2.0 May 30, 2006 Mr Alan Williamson All over the place! There are 2 types of people who like black and white films: old people and clever clogs know-it-alls. Why watch this when you can buy Picture Perfect with the lovely Jennifer Aniston for the same price. The emperor's new clothes B000056BP1:i_am_the_arm-_the_review_for_fans_of_the_series.:b._g._geis B000056BP1 Twin Peaks - Fire Walk with Me: DVD: M dchen Amick,Dana Ashbrook,Phoebe Augustine,David Bowie,Eric DaRe,Miguel Ferrer,Pamela Gidley,Heather Graham,Chris Isaak,Moira Kelly,Sheryl Lee,Peggy Lipton,James Marshall,J rgen Prochnow,Harry Dean Stanton,Kiefer Sutherland,Ray Wise,Grace Zabriskie,Lenny von Dohlen dvd 3 of 13 2.0 January 30, 2006 B. G. Geis Santa Barbara, CA USA rent it but by all means don't buy it. you won't watch it more than once. this movie is not for those who have invested 25+ hours into the tv show. although you will better understand what's going on if you have seen the show, none of this will really seem new or interesting to you. you learn some new facts about Bob and The Man from Another Place, but nothing important. for the most part it just tells the story as we have already pieced together from the show, adding only pointless and unrealistic new occurances (Bobby kills someone, Donna is replaced by an new actor, Coop forsees all the future comings of Laura's murder, etc). all of the twin peaks charm that you have come to love is gone and the movie really suffers from that. you can't only give Coop 10 meaningless lines and expect the show to succeed. i think Lynch's efforts would have been more successful and greatly appreciated if he had made a sequel to the second series, focusing on the complications of Coop being in the Black Lodge, Harry having an emotional attachment to Coop but being forced to bring him down, etc. i guess if you have never seen the series this may be more interesting, but i dont really think so. overall, the look and the feel was very foreign and uncomfortable and it moved very slow. it is somewhat of a letdown coming from a monster writer/director like Lynch. i'm glad i've seen it, but hell, i'd rather watch dune again before this 0792841670:dive_!_dive_!:a._weiss 0792841670 Run Silent, Run Deep: DVD: Clark Gable,Burt Lancaster,Jack Warden,Brad Dexter,Don Rickles,Nick Cravat,Joe Maross,Mary LaRoche,Eddie Foy III,Rudy Bond,Jimmy Bates,Ken Lynch,John Bryant,Wayne Dahmer,Skip Ward,John Close,H.M. Wynant,Russell Thorson,Joel Fluellen,Maurice McEndree,Robert Wise dvd 2 of 7 1.0 March 1, 2006 A. Weiss This is the classic WW2 submarine war movie, and most WW2 submarine vets will tell you that this is the best movie. I greatly enjoyed it and it is true sub action, based on what I read about WW2 submarines. The special effects are a bit cheesy, you can see the wires pulling the torpedos and you can tell that they used scaled model ships...but if you overlook those items, you get fine acting and a good plot with plenty of action B0001FR3IQ:stupidest_movie_i've_seen_in_a_long_time.:m._sylvia B0001FR3IQ Gothika (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Halle Berry,Robert Downey Jr.,Charles S. Dutton,John Carroll Lynch,Bernard Hill,Pen lope Cruz,Dorian Harewood,Bronwen Mantel,Kathleen Mackey (II),Matthew G. Taylor,Michel Perron,Andrea Sheldon,Anana Rydvald,Laura Mitchell,Amy Sloan,No l Burton,Benz Antoine,Andy Bradshaw,Jason Cavalier,Jasson Finney,Thom Oliphant,Mathieu Kassovitz dvd 2 of 10 1.0 May 23, 2006 M. Sylvia Phoenix, AZ I HATED THIS MOVIE. It is one of those ones that you keep watching because you think it may get better and it never does... stupid plot - too many holes and stupid ending. B00004WI5F:couldn't_have_destroyed_the_story_worse...:just_"anna" B00004WI5F Where the Heart Is: DVD: Natalie Portman,Ashley Judd,Stockard Channing,Joan Cusack,James Frain,Dylan Bruno,Keith David,Ray Prewitt,Laura House,Karey Green,Mary Ashleigh Green,Kinna McInroe,Laura Auldridge,Alicia Godwin,Dennis Letts,Richard Jones (IV),Kathryn Esquivel,Mark Mathis (III),J.D. Evermore,Sally Field,Matt Williams (II) dvd 4 of 5 1.0 June 20, 2006 Just "Anna" Michigan I suppose if you never read the book, you might think this movie is good... maybe even charming. But having gone into the theatre with this as my favorite novel, I was so grossly disappointed I can't tell you. See, the book is about two people - Novalee and Willie Jack. They head West together, until Willie Jack abandons her at a WalMart. They part ways on more than one level - his life goes as low as a life can, and her life rises beautifully. It's a study in contrasts, and it's done impeccably in the novel, with a plethora of complex characters to richen the journey... but it didn't translate because of Hollywood's froo-froo mentality. Hollywood cut Benny Goodluck - a main character in the novel - completely out and shaved Moses(another major character) down to a bit part while making Novalee's one-visit-mother a major player. And they DESTROYED Forney... who is supposed to be eccentric, late-thirties genius, withdrawn and strange... they turned him into a twenty-something easy-going stud type with a crooked smile. SO. NOT. FORNEY. I never wanted to jump thru the screen and slap people so badly in my life. That horrid. And Lexie... she's supposed to be a size 22 with four kids and white-trash tendencies... and they put ASHLEY JUDD in the role. Hello...?!?! Does that picture at the top look like a size 22 with four kids and white trash tendencies to you? That's just the biggie complaints, too. Read the book, don't watch the movie. You'll be amazed at how inept Hollywood was at telling this story 0800141628:you've_got_to_be_kidding.:dillon 0800141628 Stand by Me: DVD: Wil Wheaton,River Phoenix,Corey Feldman,Jerry O'Connell,Kiefer Sutherland,Casey Siemaszko,Gary Riley,Bradley Gregg,Jason Oliver,Marshall Bell,Frances Lee McCain,Bruce Kirby,William Bronder,Scott Beach,Richard Dreyfuss,John Cusack,Madeleine Swift,Popeye (IV),Geanette Bobst,Art Burke,Rob Reiner dvd 0 of 23 2.0 June 7, 2006 Dillon USA This movie is basically about 12 yr. old boys crying with each other. When does that ever happen? The dialogue is completely unbelievable considering the age of these kids. What 12 yr. old worries about "..never getting out of this small town."? I guess if your childhood consisted of sitting around and crying with your friends, then you might enjoy this movie in some lame nostalgic sense. I have a feeling Oprah would like this movie. B00000K3TO:not_that_great,_actually_is_kinda_bad.:sam_"sam" B00000K3TO Night of the Living Dead: DVD: Tony Todd,Patricia Tallman,Tom Towles,McKee Anderson,William Butler,Katie Finneran,Bill Moseley,Heather Mazur,David W. Butler,Zachary Mott,Pat Reese,William Cameron,Pat Logan,Berle Ellis,Bill 'Chilly Billy' Cardille,Greg Funk,Tim Carrier,John Hamilton (VIII),Dyrk Ashton,Jordan Berlant,Tom Savini dvd 0 of 17 2.0 July 4, 2006 Sam "Sam" Pereira, Colombia Dont get me wrong, i'm kinda young but i love 80's / 90's movies specially the horror ones. I had great spectation for early Geoge Romero movies. But both night of the living dead and day of the dead are pretty bad. Gorge Romero is a pionner of the zombie movies and sure a that time they were scarry, but for today standars they are not, even they are not that good for most of the 80's 90's movies. The Bad: 1. Acting is not beleavible. It looks like the were "acting" 2. The dialog's are not how people actually talk. 3. The soldiers at "Day Of The Dead" are a shame, they are fat stupid and dont have any dicipline. They behave like a bunch of drunken teenages and they are grown ups 4. More than half of the movie you just see them talking and yelling each other. 5. I think is stupid that zombies behave like living humans (listening music, shooting, "talking" ) 6. the only 3 scarry moments are just the tipical fast escenes from a quiet moment. Theres is not any frightening atmosfere . The Good: 1. The gore scenes are really good, maybe too much bloody. It shows how good in cammera effects are rather than computer generated. So far the only great zombie movie i have seen, beleive it or not is Resident Evil 1. Resident Evil 1 has it all. Resident Evil 2 NOT. Resident Evil 2 is one those "just shoot and kick" movies and I'm not a fan of cliches or indiscrimanated violence ala rambo. So if you want a gory movie, maybe you may like this movie, but the gore is just at the end of the movie. You will be better pleased with "Cabin Fever". If you want a frighten atmosfere and real fear look somewhere else maybe Resident Evil 1, Poltergeist, the original japanese version of The Ring and The Grouch, ScareCrows. Alien, Aliens and even Alien 3 not Alien 4 (It Sucks). But the Best review is your own so i recomend you rent them and judge them by your own and decide if the worth the price B0000639G6:a_fan_of_the_first:a_fan_of_the_classics B0000639G6 Back to the Secret Garden: DVD: Joan Plowright,George Baker,Cherie Lunghi,Leigh Lawson,Aled Roberts,Florence Hoath,Justin Girdler,David Warner,Camilla Belle,Danielle McCormack,Gwyneth Powell,Kate Ludlow,Liza Ross,Lisa Martin (II),Sheila Steafel,Peter Geddis,Michael Tuchner dvd 6 of 14 1.0 May 8, 2005 a fan of the classics this is by far the worst moive I've seen. I LOVE the first secret garden. No one can do a sequel to a moive as good as the origanl. It's a classic. But this sequel is terriable. It controdicts the first moive. It takes the magic away. If you liked the origanl, first moive don't watch this, it will take the magic out of the first moive B000BRBAD8:awful:s._robertson_"redd001" B000BRBAD8 Rebus: DVD: Martyn Friend,Maurice Phillips,Dave Moore,John Hannah,Jim Norton,Ewan Stewart,Sara Stewart,Joanna Roth,Stuart Hepburn,Gayanne Potter,Clare McCarron,David Lyon,Robert McIntosh,Lewis Howden,Fish,Jenny Foulds,Stevie Hannan,David Gallagher (III),Gilbert Martin,Jenny Ryan,Stephen McCole,Michael Carter,Russell Anderson dvd 2 of 4 2.0 August 21, 2006 S. Robertson "redd001" The slight actor in the title role is more suited for light comedy. Unintelligible at time....Not what the books are about B000BKDNWG:not_good:m._wunderle B000BKDNWG All Dolled Up: DVD: Norma Duval dvd 1 of 2 1.0 September 30, 2006 M. Wunderle NYC If your expecting a documentary with the clarity and production value of "End of the Century" or "Filth and the Fury" THIS AIN'T IT! Picture taking 40 hours of bad home video (really awful sound) and editing together and calling it a documentary. No current interviews, No voice over making any sense of the chaos...No thought to flow or storyline, just a mishmash of stuff banged together. A real dissapointment. The saddest part is that for those fans out there who want it, this material could be a great source for a documentary with actual substance. I've liked the dolls for years and was really excited at the prospect of them getting their due. Its a shame this is what its been reduced to. Shame on everyone involved B0000V4910:nothing_to_write_home_about:fanboy B0000V4910 Jeremiah - The Complete First Season: DVD: Sean Astin,Ingrid Kavelaars,Joanne Kelly (II),Byron Lawson,Kandyse McClure,Daniel Pepper,Luke Perry,Peter Stebbings,Malcolm-Jamal Warner,Mario Azzopardi,Holly Dale,Peter DeLuise,Ken Girotti,Russell Mulcahy,Michael Robison,Brad Turner,Martin Wood dvd 5 of 26 2.0 September 12, 2005 Fanboy USA I picked this set up despite reservations (reservations being Luke Perry and the guy from the Cosby Show) because of the creator J. Michael Straczynski. Unfortunately the show is just not up to snuff. It's really nothing more then a C average show. Normally that's not a big deal but when you consider this is on a premium channel (Showtime) and costs over $70.00 on DVD it's just not good enough. Specific problems I had with the show include a lot of filler episodes. The season is only 18 episodes long and at least half are stand alones that contribute nothing to the overall story line. The show would have been better off with only 12 episodes all geared towards a single over riding story (this is the model that HBO uses). Production value is also sorely lacking. Once again I'm going to compare to HBO (I feel this is fair since these are both pay to view networks). The HBO series Carnivale has unbelievable production value, the set's, locations, costumes and visual effects are all motion picture quality (the same can be said for Deadwood and Rome but Carnival makes for a better comparison). But Jeremiah all looks the same. You can tell the show was all shot in the same location, every back road and town look like they are in the same county. The biggest problem however is just the premise. A post genocidal virus world populated by orphaned children seems like a good idea but in practice it get's tired fast. I had to force myself through the last 9 episodes. Luke Perry's quest to find Valhalla sector fails to add any intrigue or mystery. Simon's quest to rebuild civilization also comes up flat and any moral or social lessons conveyed are thinly veiled. So basically it is neither exciting nor intelligent. Plus if you need any other reason to dislike this show then know that Jason Presley makes a guest appearance (just what this show needed a 90210 reunion). If you're looking for a great show this is not it. If you can watch it cheap give a whirl but don't waste any hard earned cash on this one B00004CZ7V:torture_to_watch:pjb_"jordanpjb" B00004CZ7V Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: DVD: Dick Van Dyke,Sally Ann Howes,Lionel Jeffries,Gert Fr be,Anna Quayle,Benny Hill,James Robertson Justice,Robert Helpmann,Heather Ripley,Adrian Hall,Barbara Windsor,Davy Kaye,Alexander Dor ,Bernard Spear,Stanley Unwin,Peter Arne,Desmond Llewelyn,Victor Maddern,Arthur Mullard,Ross Parker,Ken Hughes dvd 1 of 17 1.0 June 25, 2006 PJB "jordanpjb" Salt Lake City -- SL2002 I hate to trash on an American Classic... but this was truly horrible. I thought my son would like this due to the flying car. It took hours of TORTURE to get to that scene. Horrible, horrible film. Mindless, drawn-out banter, and weak story line. Our copy eventually broke (stepped on?) --- we felt SOOO lucky to have it gone. "One Star" seems like a generous rating B0001ZZ4PA:whoops,_was_i_wrong_about_this_set:matthew_wilson_"blues_bass_man" B0001ZZ4PA The Little Rascals Collection: DVD: Little Rascals Collection dvd 89 of 95 1.0 July 20, 2004 Matthew Wilson "Blues Bass Man" Brockville, Ontario Canada Well, I wrote the review about this set, and boy was I disappointed when I got it. I see that the company who produced it must have paid very little in royalties as there are numerous silent episodes and ones with the lesser caracters. 1 disc has spanky and alfalfa and the fifth is a sad attempt at filling out this collection. The transfers are terrible and the sound is worse. Come on guys, at least try to put some effort into it!!! I got the set, watched it< and traded it in at the local hock shop for something i could use. What a waste of money!! B000A59PL0:gina_just_doesn't_understand!!:world_citizen_"perry" B000A59PL0 The Girl in the Cafe: DVD: Bill Nighy,Kelly Macdonald,Meneka Das,Anton Lesser,Paul Ritter,Ken Stott,Federico Zanni (II),Penny Downie,Damon Younger,N na D gg Filippusd ttir,Marit Velle Kile,Philippe De Grossouvre,Louisa Bojesen,Christian Rubeck,Toshie Ogura,Martin McDougall,Corin Redgrave,Wolf Kahler,Madeleine Potter,Alysha Westlake,David Yates (II) dvd 0 of 23 1.0 September 9, 2006 World Citizen "Perry" Travelling Gina is just like the protesters--she just doesn't "get it!" The liberal way of doing ANYthing is throw more of our tax money at it! Whereas Africa's problems including poverty & AIDS will NEVER be solved UNTIL they get the birth rate down! As long as more babies are born than people dying, their population goes up--VERY bad. The only way to eliminate poverty is LESS children!! Send money for that but nothing else. B000A59PL0:judge_yourself_first.:billdad B000A59PL0 The Girl in the Cafe: DVD: Bill Nighy,Kelly Macdonald,Meneka Das,Anton Lesser,Paul Ritter,Ken Stott,Federico Zanni (II),Penny Downie,Damon Younger,N na D gg Filippusd ttir,Marit Velle Kile,Philippe De Grossouvre,Louisa Bojesen,Christian Rubeck,Toshie Ogura,Martin McDougall,Corin Redgrave,Wolf Kahler,Madeleine Potter,Alysha Westlake,David Yates (II) dvd 2 of 27 2.0 August 28, 2006 Billdad PA-USA The concept of this movie looked interesting but as the story unfolded "The Girl in the Cafe" turned out to be a left-wing political message. I wonder if the writer of this movie realized the blatant hypocrisy in the character "Gina"? Gina browbeats the members of the G8 conference over the terrible poverty and suffering in the world, particularly involving children while she initiates a sexual relationship with a man she barely knows. Does the thought ever cross her mind (or the person writing the script?) that casual sex is one of the primary reasons for the rampant spread of HIV/AIDS, all varieties of venereal disease, children born out of wedlock, etc? Maybe Gina should look at her own life before judging other so harshly. This movie is unrated at the time of this writing but would likely receive an R rating for nudity and language B000F0UUHS:bogus_collection:kicks@sympatico.ca_"brian_lowry" B000F0UUHS The John Ford Film Collection (The Informer / Mary of Scotland / The Lost Patrol / Cheyenne Autumn / Sergeant Rutledge): DVD: Victor McLaglen,Boris Karloff,Wallace Ford,Reginald Denny,J.M. Kerrigan,Billy Bevan,Alan Hale,Brandon Hurst,Douglas Walton,Sammy Stein,Howard Wilson,Paul Hanson,Neville Clark,Francis Ford,Frank Baker,Heather Angel,Preston Foster,Margot Grahame,John Ford dvd 8 of 52 1.0 June 2, 2006 kicks@sympatico.ca "Brian Lowry" Napanee, Ontario Canada This should be called the "John Ford tiny collection", as most of his major films are not included. Even "John Ford the early years" would at least alert customers to the fact that this is only a small sampling of Ford's work. Shame on Amazon for their collaboration in this matter, and for advertising the John Wayne/John Ford collection so closely that it is easy to mistake one for the other. B00005KISJ:"o"_please!!!!!!!:eric_edwards_"time_travel_nut" B00005KISJ When Harry Met Sally...: DVD: Billy Crystal,Meg Ryan,Carrie Fisher,Bruno Kirby,Steven Ford,Lisa Jane Persky,Michelle Nicastro,Gretchen Palmer,Robert Alan Beuth,David Burdick,Joe Viviani,Harley Jane Kozak,Joseph Hunt,Kevin Rooney,Franc Luz,Tracy Reiner,Kyle T. Heffner,Kimberley LaMarque,Stacey Katzin,Estelle Reiner,Rob Reiner dvd 1 of 3 1.0 October 12, 2006 Eric Edwards "time travel nut" Logan, UT USA For me this movie is a painfull thing to watch. I wish that I could give this 0 stars. The infamous fake "O" scene kind of recked true intamacy for me. It may be true that women do this but it is one of the worst kind of lie imaginable. One of the truths for us guys is that when we are cuddiling with a woman we fanasise that we are with the first girl we fell in love with. Just FYI. B00005YLS5:trinity_collection_is_a_bootleg_-_you_get_what_you_pay_for:richard_lapoint B00005YLS5 The Trinity Collection: DVD: Terence Hill,Bud Spencer,Farley Granger,Elena Pedemonte,Steffen Zacharias,Dan Sturkie,Gisela Hahn,Ezio Marano,Luciano Rossi,Ugo Sasso,Remo Capitani,Riccardo Pizzuti,Paolo Magalotti,Vito Gagliardi,Antonio Monselesan,Gaetano Imbr ,Franco Marletta,Luigi Bonos,Bruno Ukmar,Augusto Funari,Enzo Barboni,Giuseppe Colizzi dvd 13 of 16 1.0 March 16, 2006 Richard LaPoint Trinity Collection is a Bootleg. Picture is extremly poor. 3 movies for $10. Too bad, I like Trinity, she's cute. Ooops, wrong Trinity.. B0000DJYNI:why_the_fuss?:d._odynsky B0000DJYNI Morvern Callar: DVD: Samantha Morton,Kathleen McDermott,Linda McGuire,Ruby Milton,Dolly Wells,Dan Cadan,Carolyn Calder,Raife Patrick Burchell,Steve Cardwell,Bryan Dick,El Carrette,Andrew Flannigan,Des Hamilton,Mette Karlsvik,Andrew Knowles,Duncan McHardy,Paul Popplewell,Mischa Richter,Vito Rocco,Danny Schofield,Lynne Ramsay dvd 2.0 July 14, 2006 D. Odynsky This film is definitely not a masterpiece. I found it incredibly dry and incomprehensibly over-rated. Yes, the film was bleak but inexplicably bleak. To make matters worse, the main character seems to resolve her numbness almost out of nowhere. Perhaps I missed something gigantic because I was trying not to fall asleep while watching this drag on but I would not attempt to see it again. However, there were a couple of memorable scenes. I would strongly advise renting it before purchase. Some people do love the film but I don't understand why B0000DJYNI:disappointed:warren_k._gumeson B0000DJYNI Morvern Callar: DVD: Samantha Morton,Kathleen McDermott,Linda McGuire,Ruby Milton,Dolly Wells,Dan Cadan,Carolyn Calder,Raife Patrick Burchell,Steve Cardwell,Bryan Dick,El Carrette,Andrew Flannigan,Des Hamilton,Mette Karlsvik,Andrew Knowles,Duncan McHardy,Paul Popplewell,Mischa Richter,Vito Rocco,Danny Schofield,Lynne Ramsay dvd 3 of 6 1.0 April 28, 2006 Warren K. Gumeson I would love to review this Lions Gate DVD, but I can't catch one word in ten. It is NOT, as advertised, closed-captioned, and the characters' speech is too casual and British for me to get. Drat! -- I was so chuffed to see there was a cc version B0002ZH5OM:if_you_want_a_porn_flick...:designer_image_"design" B0002ZH5OM Loving Sex: Erotic Strip Dance DVD & CD Music Set: DVD: Susan Bremer,Alexander Institute dvd 5 of 10 1.0 June 16, 2006 Designer Image "Design" Tampa, Fl. I was not happy with this purchase. This video only taught 10 min. of teaching followed by 30 min of a porn flick at the end. The teaching was informative balanced with different women with various shapes and builds, I could have used more teaching and less of a porn show. This was a waste of money! There are a few more reviews like mine so take our advise. B00004RJ74:could_you_last_from_dusk_to_dawn?:anna_marissa_"music_fan" B00004RJ74 From Dusk Till Dawn (Dimension Collector's Series): DVD: Harvey Keitel,George Clooney,Quentin Tarantino,Juliette Lewis,Ernest Liu,Salma Hayek,Cheech Marin,Danny Trejo,Tom Savini,Fred Williamson,Michael Parks,Brenda Hillhouse,John Saxon,Marc Lawrence,Kelly Preston,John Hawkes,Tito Larriva,Peter Atanasoff,Johnny 'Vatos' Hernandez,Aimee Graham,Robert Rodriguez,Sarah Kelly dvd 0 of 8 1.0 July 29, 2006 Anna Marissa "music fan" Northern California I don't know how I managed to see this gory splatterfest TWICE in college.It's a terrible movie (next to that other awful movie "Wild Wild West" which also stars Salma Hayek) Quentin Tarantino&George Clooney play a pair of ne'er do wells who take a family hostage.They end up going to a strip joint filled with evil vampires...and battling them until dawn.Turns out that the strip joint is built on top of an Aztec temple,hence the bloodsucking strippers. George Clooney managed to overcome this,as well as "Batman&Robin" to get into "Syriana"&"Good Night,and Good Luck." He's a talented actor;too bad he couldn't save this movie through sheer charm.When it comes to heists,he's better in "Ocean'e Eleven" as a dapper casino-robbing metrosexual. Avoid this movie,unless you REALLY like gruesome,violent movies.. B000ANVQ0K:drown,_damn_you,_drown!!:widowedwalker B000ANVQ0K Titanic (Special Collector's Edition): DVD: Dicaprio,Winslet dvd 4 of 10 2.0 September 18, 2006 widowedwalker USA How could Mr. Cameron take a subject like this and a cast and brig out the worst in everybody? The production design and cinematopraphy are sumptuos, but the script and dialogue are so banal, the fine cast delivering one empty performance after another. (Including Leo, who was so good in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" in 1993 when I didn't yet know who he was, I thought he was really a cute little retarded kid... yet in "Titanic", there's just nothing there--- or nothing permitted). Talk about a SHIP wreck!! Only the two studio-backed block voting resulted in the record-tying Oscar wins/nominations. B00009V7S9:it's_no_warning,_it's_predictable!:francis B00009V7S9 Without Warning: DVD: Sander Vanocur,Jane Kaczmarek,Bree Walker Lampley,Dwier Brown,Brian McNamara,James Morrison (II),Ashley Peldon,James Handy,Kario Salem,Spencer Garrett,Gina Hecht,John de Lancie,Patty Toy,Dennis Lipscomb,Ron Canada,Victor Wilson,Philip Baker Hall,Jim Pirri,Alan Scarfe,Cynthia Allison,Robert Iscove dvd 3 of 12 1.0 December 11, 2005 Francis When I saw the movie, it was so predictable. Halfway into it, the broadcasts were so lame as well as the so-called live-footage. Total rip-off of "War of the Worlds." Reminded me of an NBC-TV movie from the early 80's called, "Special Bulletin." Much better with it's live-broadcasts! The only thing i liked about this movie, when I switched back to catch it's climax ending. They never even saw their ever-ending doom. Sure put's the military in it's place! B00009V7S9:movie_feedback:ernest_r._del_rio_"movie_hound" B00009V7S9 Without Warning: DVD: Sander Vanocur,Jane Kaczmarek,Bree Walker Lampley,Dwier Brown,Brian McNamara,James Morrison (II),Ashley Peldon,James Handy,Kario Salem,Spencer Garrett,Gina Hecht,John de Lancie,Patty Toy,Dennis Lipscomb,Ron Canada,Victor Wilson,Philip Baker Hall,Jim Pirri,Alan Scarfe,Cynthia Allison,Robert Iscove dvd 10 of 27 1.0 October 1, 2005 Ernest R. Del Rio "MOVIE HOUND" AUSTIN,TEXAS USA I AM PRETTY EASY TO PLEASE WHEN IT COMES TO MOVIES.LOW BUDGET,HIGH BUDGET,DOESN'T MATTER.THIS MOVIE IS ACTUALLY THE WORST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY 45 YEARS OF VIEWING.WAS TOTALLY NOT BELIEVABLE AND THE WRITING AND DIRECTING WAS SHABBY AT BEST.DON'T WASTE YOUR HARD EARNED BUCKS ON THIS LEMON!!!! B00001PE59:great_play,_but_look_at_the_editing:gerald_wilgus_"fossil" B00001PE59 Into the Woods (Original Broadway Cast): DVD: Bernadette Peters,Chip Zien,Joanna Gleason,Tom Aldredge,Robert Westenberg,Kim Crosby,Danielle Ferland,Ben Wright (II),Barbara Bryne,Merle Louise,Chuck Wagner,Pamela Winslow,Philip Hoffman (II),Lauren Mitchell,Kay McClelland,Edmund Lyndeck,Joy Franz,Cindy Robinson,Maureen Davis (II),James Lapine dvd 0 of 2 2.0 July 26, 2006 Gerald Wilgus "Fossil" Libertyville, Illinois United States Into The Woods is one of my Sondheim favorites. Having seen the PBS presentation of this, I am thoroughly dismayed at how poorly this DVD is edited. Rather than allowing one to be engaged by the staging and character interaction, this DVD uses pan and scan to isolate characters and provide sometimes inappropriate close-ups. This especially detracts from what one wishes to see in a play; the staging. By forcing the viewer's perspective, this version does a disservice to a very fine play that investigates our relationships with each other through fairy tales and their aftermath. I am hoping that somebody releases a version that does not presume to edit out the director's vision B00002E20R:overrated_dramatic_mess.:c._macdonald B00002E20R Lone Star: DVD: Stephen Mendillo,Stephen J. Lang,Chris Cooper,Elizabeth Pe a,Oni Faida Lampley,Eleese Lester,Joe Stevens,Gonzalo Castillo,Richard Coca,Clifton James,Tony Frank,Miriam Colon,Kris Kristofferson,Jeff Monahan,Matthew McConaughey,Joe Morton,LaTanya Richardson,Eddie Robinson,Ron Canada,Chandra Wilson,John Sayles dvd 0 of 11 2.0 January 9, 2006 C. MacDonald I purchased this movie because I love Chris Cooper as an actor and because the reviews were very positive. I played the movie yesterday and boy, was I disappointed. The movie was much too slow and boring. I love mysteries and hate dramas therefore I thought the little personal stories throughout with flashbacks actually detracted from what I thought was going to be a good mystery story. In the end the mystery is solved with a thud and don't get me started on the quasi Luke & Leia moment at the end. PLEASE! B00003CXCF:all_humans_must_go:mark_twain_"25354" B00003CXCF Rosemary's Baby: DVD: Mia Farrow,Ruth Gordon dvd 0 of 13 1.0 October 26, 2006 mark twain "25354" Uruguay this is a "horror" movie in the sense that it is incredibly grating and all the people in it act like total garbage. I don't mean the acting is garbage, though it is. I mean that all the characters in the movie are complete human garbage, such as make you want to start your own special death camp just to get rid of them. If the aim of the movie was to turn the viewer into a one-man murder wave, then... bingo. I am locked and loaded and ready to ratatatatatatatattat.... blow away the cast B000GFRI54:"is_that_all_there_is?":catman B000GFRI54 Friends with Money: DVD: Jennifer Aniston,Frances McDormand,Joan Cusack,Catherine Keener,Greg Germann,Simon McBurney,Jason Isaacs,Scott Caan,Ty Burrell,Bob Stephenson (II),Romy Rosemont,Timm Sharp,Hailey Noelle Johnson,Jenn Fee,Jake Cherry,Marin Hinkle,Troy Ruptash,Elizabeth Keener,John Srednicki,Will Keenan,Nicole Holofcener dvd 2 of 3 2.0 October 30, 2006 Catman Oregon, USA I generally admire Jennifer Aniston's work so I picked this up when the video store offered a second rental free with the purchase of two bags of popcorn. Sadly, watching the popcorn pop was more interesting than the movie. If you went to sleep after the first 10 minutes, you would't miss much since nothing really happens. If it's a comedy, it isn't funny. If it's a slice of life, the lives are deadly dull. The emotional level is so low-key you suspect the entire group is on valium. Jenifer Aniston especially, seems to have phoned this one in. Real characters? As it happens, I've known thousands of real people over the years and not a one bears the slightest resemblance to any of these sad-sack characters. If they're actually representative of real Americans then we're in big trouble! My wife & I had the same reaction at the end of this one ..... "THAT"S IT??!!" B000GFRI54:makes_you_want_to_kill_yourself:n._perz B000GFRI54 Friends with Money: DVD: Jennifer Aniston,Frances McDormand,Joan Cusack,Catherine Keener,Greg Germann,Simon McBurney,Jason Isaacs,Scott Caan,Ty Burrell,Bob Stephenson (II),Romy Rosemont,Timm Sharp,Hailey Noelle Johnson,Jenn Fee,Jake Cherry,Marin Hinkle,Troy Ruptash,Elizabeth Keener,John Srednicki,Will Keenan,Nicole Holofcener dvd 4 of 11 1.0 October 11, 2006 N. Perz St. Louis Dull and pointless. How could Jennifer Aniston read this script and think that doing this film was a good idea? We had to turn it off about half-way through. Shallow, boring, superficial; take your pick. It's like a contest--which character's life sucks the most. If you're going to depress people, at least make it interesting. Would it have been so hard for the writers to mix in a PLOT with their nihilism B000DZ853Q:unconvincing:j._marren_"jtm497" B000DZ853Q Where the Truth Lies (Rated Edition): DVD: Kevin Bacon,Colin Firth,Alison Lohman,David Hayman,Rachel Blanchard,Maury Chaykin,Sonja Bennett,Kristin Adams,Deborah Grover,Beau Starr,Arsin e Khanjian,Gabrielle Rose,Don McKellar,David Hemblen,John Moraitis,Michael J. Reynolds,Erika Rosenbaum,Rebecca Davis (VI),Simon Sinn,Kathryn Winslow,Atom Egoyan dvd 4 of 6 2.0 August 22, 2006 J. Marren "jtm497" Glen Ridge, NJ USA Colin Firth and Kevin Bacon head up the cast as a comedy duo from the 50's whose careers are ruined by a scandal involving the murder of a young woman. Bacon does a pretty good job as a creepy funny man, with Firth as the anchor of the team. Off-stage the comedy roles they play are echoed in their lives. But I found "Truth" confusing and unengaging. I found it hard to care at all about the demise of the duo. And as several have noted, Lohman as the reporter who seeks to uncover the mystery of the murder is not credible. Give this one a pass B0009EXVEO:shallow_treatment_of_profound_ideas:janet_boyer_"janetboyer.com" B0009EXVEO Science and Spirit The Great Questions, Vol. 1 of Deep Deceptions by Miceal Ledwith featured in What The BLEEP Do We Know!?: DVD: JZ Knight,Dr. Miceal Ledwith dvd 125 of 144 2.0 July 11, 2005 Janet Boyer "JanetBoyer.com" Pennsylvania "The human race today is in a really bad state, mainly because most people do not want to wake up. They want to be told how to behave instead of understanding their own power." -- Miceal Ledwith in The Great Questions in the Hamburger Universe, Vol. 1 of Deep Deceptions I thoroughly enjoyed the DVD "What the BLEEP Do We Know!?" mostly for the engaging snippets of dialogue from scientists, theologians, and mystics. I also enjoyed Ramtha's DVD "Create Your Day", even though it wasn't quite as good as the BLEEP cameos. It was with great expectations that I viewed The Great Questions in the Hamburger Universe, Vol. 1 of Deep Deceptions by Miceal Ledwith. Unfortunately, the plodding pace of the 57 minute DVD--as well as the ramblings of Ledwith--was very disappointing. Ledwith brings up some great points in this DVD, but never goes beyond the surface. He asserts that thinking people have discarded most of the infantile tenants of the "hamburger universe" (i.e. the "vault of the heavens" overhead with the vault of hell underneath). Yet, instead of treating his audience as intelligent folk, he makes nebulous comments without explaining the "what and why". He mentions string theory (quantum physics) and the "true" nature of the big bang, going on to say that levitation isn't a "miracle" but only a matter of superseding gravity with the "Torsion Field". The problem is that he's tossing about these terms in support of Jesus' words that "ye are all gods" and "greater works than these shall you do" without actually explaining the meaning or *science* of a Torsion Field and just how consciousness supersedes natural laws. (FYI: The Torsion Field is quantum spin waves of empty space. Einstein and Elie Cartan did some preliminary work on this theory in the 1920's. The Einstein-Cartan theory could possibly be used to explain ESP, among other things.) Ledwith spends a good portion of the DVD highlighting the silliness of traditional Christianity, including the clouds and harps of heaven. He goes on and on about how a cloud is, in reality, damp and would be uncomfortable to sit on (duh) and that if one were to play the harp for eternity, they'd wear down the fingers to the third knuckle. I understand highlighting the damage that traditional Christian thought has caused humanity, especially in terms of evolution. In fact, as a former minister trained in theology myself, I probably "get it" more than most. But while poking fun at Christian thought is popular these days, you had *better* have some theological and scientific claims to back up your assertions--especially if you want to be a part of the "thinking". Christian apologists know their Bible inside and out, so if Ledwith wants to undermine their fear-based, illogical ideas he needs to do so with his supposed area of expertise...THEOLOGY. Heck, even at a simplified level, all one has to do is consider that if an individual set a paddle on fire and repeatedly hit a baby with it over and over and over, this act would be considered a barbaric tragedy condemned by Christians (and others, of course). Yet, God the Father would do much worse by condemning humanity to eternal torment forever and ever? Apologists would say "Well, humans CHOOSE to go to hell." The interesting thing is that the Bible says "no man can come to the Father except the Holy Spirit draws him" because his understanding is "darkened". This is just one of the many points that Ledwith could bring up, but instead, he preaches to the New Age choir by ridiculing monotheistic religions (primarily Christianity) via nebulous assertions. In fairness, Ledwith makes excellent points, but nothing that you couldn't get (much more eloquently) from Marianne Williamson, Gary Zukav, Eckhart Tolle, Neale Donald Walsch, and others. Some of these points are: "We are pawns tossed about by those people we perceive as more capable and enlightened than us." "If Jesus were on Earth today, he wouldn't recognize his own teachings." "Anyone who looks back at our history can only be appalled at the small-mindedness, the hostility, the barbarism that has characterized our whole traverse as a race." "We don't realize how following another's image of God is spiritually and evolutionarily limiting. We don't even think of it." "The flat earth mentality still corrupts and completely distorts our fundamental beliefs at the basic level still today." "We've never gotten rid of the Inquistatorial mind to this day." "The answers we've been given by religion are bizarre, emotionally charged, and childish." "Heaven varies according to the broker (Christian denomination), but the basis is pretty much the same: earning credits for good behavior so you can immigrate to heaven." "God is just a human magnified (in monotheism). We take these categories from the lowest plains of existence and impose them upon the Divine. As a result, we're left with something so sentimental, mawkish, and inaccurate that it bears no relationship to reality." "Whatever God is has no gender. These childish images are holding us back." Ledwith makes other interesting comments, but they beg for elaboration. One such comment is: "(That) Jesus' death was to appease the vengeance of a savage God...this had NOTHING to do with what Jesus Christ did." I'd love to hear his explanation of the crucifixion! Spiritual teachers such as Williamson have brilliantly explained the metaphysical aspects of the crucifixion of Christ. Does Ledwith have a clue as to why Jesus died? If he did, why didn't he share it? He quotes Jesus by saying "greater works (than I) shall you do", attempting to make the case that humans are living far below their potential--mostly due to a flat earth mentality. What he fails to mention, however, is that polemicists and theologians debate the meaning of "greater works" (meizona toutn in the Greek) in terms of whether "greater" refers to quantity versus quality. (My Greek professor made a case for the former, saying that converts would multiply miracles by sheer numbers.) Ledwith also perpetuates the biggest misquote circulated in New Age circles, attributing "It's not our weakness that frightens us, it's our power" to Nelson Mandela. The actual quote is "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure...", which was uttered by Marianne Williamson in her book "A Return to Love". One of Ledwith's comments that I found particularly insightful is "As human knowledge grows, the territory of God shrinks. God becomes a refugee." The "God of the gaps", as he called it, are areas that we try to fill with human knowledge in the attempt to explain what we don't yet understand. An example would be ancient paganism attributing lightning to the actions of Zeus. Despite this interesting observation, it's not enough to enliven the rest of the DVD. What separates the tight, insightful segements in "What the BLEEP Do We Know!?" from this DVD is that the conversations captured in BLEEP were the result of directors Chasse, Arntz and Vincente ASKING probing questions of the experts...questions borne out of the directors' own curiosity and personal paths. On The Great Questions in the Hamburger Universe, Vol. 1 of Deep Deceptions, however, Ledwith is left to ramble at the camera rather aimlessly, which doesn't make for good viewing and does not offer lucid alternatives to the flat earth mentality of the hamburger universe. Perhaps this is more the fault of "director" JZ Knight. In the end, I couldn't help but feel like this DVD was thrown together in order to capitalize on BLEEP's popularity. Let's hope the subsequent installments of this series are tighter, deeper, and smarter B00008DDXC:garbage:william_james_taylor_iv B00008DDXC Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Widescreen Edition) (Harry Potter 2): DVD: Daniel Radcliffe,Rupert Grint,Emma Watson (II),Richard Griffiths,Fiona Shaw,Harry Melling,Toby Jones,Jim Norton,Veronica Clifford,James Phelps,Oliver Phelps,Julie Walters,Bonnie Wright,Mark Williams,Chris Rankin,Tom Felton,Jason Isaacs,Edward Tudor-Pole,Jenny Tarren,Robbie Coltrane,Chris Columbus dvd 0 of 1 1.0 July 1, 2006 William James Taylor IV "Chamber" was always the worst entry in the Harry Potter series, but this film adaptation manages to take what was already a crappy story and make it even worse. Choppy editing, horrible humor personified by the untalented Rupert Grint, smug acting by the equally untalented Emma Watson, poor screenwriting by that hack Steve Kloves and incompetent direction by the other hack Chris Columbus makes this a very unpleasant experience. Skip it if you can. B0007TV68Y:a_monotonous_travelogue_that_might_be_of_interest_to_those_who've_read_his_books:jason_mierek_"uniqueness_is_ubiquitous" B0007TV68Y Exploring the Da Vinci Code: Henry Lincoln's Guide to Rennes-le-Ch teau: DVD: Henry Lincoln dvd 0 of 1 2.0 June 14, 2006 Jason Mierek "uniqueness is ubiquitous" Urbana, IL Perhaps this video will satisfy the readers of Lincoln's various works, such as The Sacred Place, The Messianic Legacy, and Holy Blood, Holy Grail, or at least show them the places discussed in detail within those books. The DVD will probably be a fine asset for those currently reading the aforementioned books. However, it is simply not successful as a stand-alone video or as a video about The Da Vinci Code. The narrator, Mr. Lincoln, takes us through the quaint and beautiful countryside of the Languedoc, home to the Cathar heresy and the Albigensian Crusade, and points out some interesting details in his wandering. Yet he rarely ties the details together into a coherent picture, and often makes comments that would seem to undercut the very idea that he intends to create a coherent picture. As well, he relishes in showing the destruction wrought to many of these mysterious details by treasure hunters and vandals (many inspired, it would seem, by Lincoln's books) and repeatedly editorializes against their actions. I finally fell asleep at around the 90 minute mark---I cannot imagine what else Mr. Lincoln could have found to drone on about for the remaining half hour. B0007TV63Y:good_for_beginners_only:kelly_a_googe B0007TV63Y Self - Firm Flat Abs Fast: DVD: Violet Zaki dvd 9 of 10 2.0 November 4, 2005 Kelly A Googe Newnan, Georgia United States I go to abs classes frequently and wanted to get this DVD to help mix up my routine and give me something to do if I didn't want to leave the house. I was a little disappointed in this DVD. I love Self Magazine and their workouts and the amazon reviews made it seem very promising. The routines are broken down into four separate workouts. The only one that involved any effort on my part was the Pilates-inspired section. As for the rest, the other sections would have you do too few reps, I felt, to get your muscles warmed up, let alone reshape them. I think this DVD is great for beginners. Its simple enough to follow and it won't scare you away too soon. But if you're like me and you workout on a regular basis and just want a new routine, this probably isn't the abs workout for you B0002F5NS2:this_is_the_review_i_wish_i'd_read_before_buying:quincey_tyler_"qt" B0002F5NS2 Groovin' With the Groovaloos, Vol. 2: DVD: Various Artists dvd 3 of 3 2.0 February 3, 2006 Quincey Tyler "QT" Honolulu, HI United States I looked at the name (Groovaloos) and I looked at the cover -- and my gut told me not to get this DVD. I went against my gut and believed the reviews; I wish I'd listened to my gut. For those of you who think it looks and sounds a little hokey, you're right on the money. They can all dance, but compared to what I expected, they seemed mediocre. Here's the lowdown: (1) the sound sucks - they're in a city park and you can hear the instructions fine, but the music isn't loud enough to really "feel" something that makes you want to move, (2) they just seem like a group of people who don't naturally have a rhythm, but they've learned some moves; it's SO not inspiring, (3) it's not edgy enough, and (4) it looks good if you've got a group doing it, but when someone's doing it alone, it's just okay. Overall, this DVD was okay, but not great. Get it only if you're truly desperate B0006IUDC6:yawn...:sakka B0006IUDC6 Love's Enduring Promise: DVD: Cliff De Young,Lance Lanfear,Logan Bartholomew,Blaine Pate,Michael Bartel,Katherine Heigl,Tara Lynne Barr,R. Baxter,Cara DeLizia,E.J. Callahan,Robert F. Lyons,Joshua Michael Kwiat,Dominic Scott Kay,January Jones,Logan Arens,Katia Coe,Matthew Peters,K'Sun Ray,Dale Midkiff,Douglas Fisher,Michael Landon Jr. dvd 5 of 6 2.0 August 4, 2006 Sakka Seattle, WA I was a huge fan of the books growing up, and a lover of the period and Jannette Oke's books. I had greatly enjoyed the first movie and was eagerly looking forward to watching the next in the series. Well, I just finished -- and could hardly stop from yawning while I watched! The movie started out well enough. Wonderful filming, great costuming, glorious rolling hills and large trees transport you back in time. No, the faults definitely do not lie with the production of the movie. The scriptwriting and acting seemed to have gone down a notch. I remembered the tomboyish Missie from the last film and couldn't wait to see her older. The actress portraying the older Missie just did not do her justice! While she was pretty, she read most of her lines flat, with little emotion. The worst was the very ending, which was supposed to have been a heart-breaking moment between father and daughter, instead fell completely flat. In fact, most of the scenes with Missie had me checking to see how much time the movie had left. I think there were several attempts to portray Missie as spirited (like her chasing the chicken in the restaurant), but to me they just felt out of place from the new placid Missie we were continually seeing. Apart from that, the rest of the cast was average, with a few star moments here and there. I can't remember the book very well to check for accuracy, but the story was so-so as well -- melodrama only reared its head in a few places. Only if you want to keep up-to-date with the series, I would recommend this. Otherwise, I'm glad they replaced Missie's actress for the next film. Perhaps we'll get to see a more energetic performance. B00005LKHZ:expanding_your_mind_through_books_and_bad_german_dubbing_is_a_no-no:rammistad B00005LKHZ The NeverEnding Story: DVD: Barret Oliver,Gerald McRaney,Drum Garrett,Darryl Cooksey,Nicholas Gilbert,Thomas Hill,Deep Roy,Tilo Pr ckner,Moses Gunn,Noah Hathaway,Alan Oppenheimer,Sydney Bromley,Patricia Hayes,Tami Stronach,Silvia Seidel,Frank Lenart,Heinz Reincke,Wolfgang Petersen dvd 1 of 10 2.0 June 11, 2006 rammistad grey moutains, tk Viewing a movie as an adult that you once enjoyed as a kid is a good way to see if it stands the test of time. Many of those films that stand the test of time are from the Fantasy genre, including Labyrinth and Dark Crystal. Would I add Neverending Story to that list? Hell no. The dubbing is atrocious (funny Germans), and the costumes and "effects" are flat-out bad. Labyrinth looks better than many movies released these days, and easily trumped Neverending Story when it was released two years later. The story and plot had the potential to be interesting, but the execution makes Neverending fall flat. And sure, Neverending Story may have advocated reading in the mid-80's, but Labyrinth advocated the use of psychedelics, which is the next step up for mind expansion B000I2J62I:a_comedy_routine_!:robert_i._bloom B000I2J62I Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man: DVD: Leonard Cohen,Rufus Wainwright,Bono,Rennie Sparks,Hal Willner,Martha Wainwright,Perla Batalla,Brett Sparks,Julie Christensen,Kate McGarrigle,Lian Lunson dvd 1.0 November 18, 2006 Robert I. Bloom brooklyn, ny USA unwatchable !!!!!--over rated poet-- singers who sing off key---- aggrandizing this mediocrity is ludicrous--- B00005JMZK:what_a_pity!:ka_"bearman" B00005JMZK AVP - Alien Vs. Predator (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Sanaa Lathan,Raoul Bova,Lance Henriksen,Ewen Bremner,Colin Salmon,Tommy Flanagan,Joseph Rye,Agathe De La Boulaye,Carsten Norgaard,Sam Troughton,Petr J kl (II),Pavel Bezdek,Kieran Bew,Carsten Voigt,Jan Pavel Filipensky,Adrian Bouchet,Andy Lucas,Liz May Brice,Glenn Conroy,Eoin McCarthy,Paul W.S. Anderson dvd 0 of 2 2.0 October 12, 2006 KA "BearMan" NYC Metro I hope people don't start to think of this movie as Alien 5. In my mind this is a whole new venture, one that is separate from any of the work that Sigourney Weaver did on the first four Alien films. The first 4 films are pretty good and I really like the whole series. It works rather well and I would love to see another Alien film with Sigourney in it. I think they could pull off one more film. Ripley's a great hero. This movie was pretty bad. The only reason I give it 2 stars is because of the special effects. I felt like I was watching a Scooby Doo version of Alien. Whoever greenlit this film clearly just wanted to make money. The plot was..well..stupid and the atmosphere of the movie was pretty much non-existent. Each of the first four Alien movies were provocative in some sense no doubt because of Sigourney's involvement. This one was as boring as a white wall and it was as cheesy as a funhouse at a state fair. B00008G8L9:day_of_the_suck:d._h._rogoff_"firewood_consultant" B00008G8L9 Day of the Dead (Divimax Special Edition): DVD: Terry Alexander,John Amplas,Don Brockett,William Cameron,Lori Cardille,Deborah Carter (II),Jarlath Conroy,Anthony Dileo Jr.,Winnie Flynn,Debra Gordon,Jeff Hogan,Sherman Howard,Phillip G. Kellams,Gary Howard Klar,Richard Liberty,Ralph Marrero,Gregory Nicotero,Joseph Pilato,Taso N. Stavrakis dvd 3 of 25 1.0 May 25, 2006 D. H. Rogoff "firewood consultant" in a van down by the river Francisco was right, this film is about as well-conceived as buttcrust. The review on the back of the dvd says "jaw dropping, " but the full quote probably reads "jaw dropping (because i was lulled to sleep like a baby)". There is about 30 seconds of truly jaw dropping footage, in the zombie attack scenes, but these scenes only account for maybe 5 minutes of the movie. The rest of this film consists of the ear-bleeding whines and yawn-inducing infighting of the human characters, ill-conceived and extremely unlikable caricatures of a pseudo-cynical and extremely redundant "evil side of human nature" message that would be better left to Jean Renoir (or even Adam Sandler considering the results here). I don't watch zombie movies for the characters, especially characters so vapid and unengaging. It seemed like the script writer read a novice's How To pamphlet and said "yeah, it needs some CONFLICT". If these characters weren't so constipated and bloated I'd give them a chance. One Amazon reviewer tries to justify all of the one-dimensional absurdity by crowning it with the weighty title of "social commentary," but that's just a mindless knee-jerk observation that fails to ascertain whether it was carried out sucessfully. It wasn't. You'd get more insight watching a kid frying ants with a magnifying glass. The critical ambitions of this movie are ill-fitting and embarassing, and ultimately just plain disappointing since they allot almost no time to showcase the director's real talent, which is (you guessed it) the lovely undead. The rest is monotonous dreck. I don't know why horror directors have so much insecurity about the worth of their strengths that they feel they need to shroud them in a poor man's dramatic rags. All that aside, the ending is the worst anticlimatic cop-out in the history of horror movies. A horror movie that sucks for 3/4 of its duration needs a cool climax to redeem itself, but the cut-away at the end makes you wanna kick the director in the gonads. Sorry, but anyone who calls this a classic is a friggin soundbite-repeating moron. B00005JLTK:stupid.:requin B00005JLTK The Ring (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Naomi Watts,Brian Cox dvd 0 of 1 2.0 October 25, 2006 requin Massachusetts There was one scary moment in this movie--the quick scene showing the girl in the closet when she dies..now that was creepy. I then awaited more moments like that. Nothing. nada. Lame. Tries way too hard to be creepy and artsy and just landed up being dumb. And that young boy what is up with that?? He's trying to be like the kid in the Sixth Sense (who was brilliant and totally believable). This movie did not scare me. And the idea of people being afraid to use VHS tapes after this? Come on. B00003CXQS:i_bet_it's_real_stupid,:redsaber_"redsaber2" B00003CXQS What Women Want: DVD: Mel Gibson,Marisa Tomei dvd 0 of 6 1.0 July 28, 2006 redsaber "redsaber2" chicago i have not seen this movie, nor do i EVER want to. i've only seen the previews on tv and read about it in previews. why do i think it's probably one of the stupidest, pointless movies on the face of the earth?, because i bet just about every guy who's had trouble getting girls watched it, took notes, and believed each and every single thing that was in this movie, and believed every sentence that was in this movie where you got to hear the woman thinking out loud in the movie. i bet many guys took this movie way too seriously. well, i bet some of the stuff said in there where it has the woman thinking out loud was garbage. not all women are the same, and not all men are the same... you can't believe every thing a woman says. not all women want what that one individual woman wants and some women lie. but hey, nobody's perfect. every guy had individual tastes too, and guys lie sometimes to. i for one, as far what i finad sexually appealing with a woman's appearance, like women who are a tad bigger. i like'em to weigh about 140 to 160 lbs. if they're around 5'5" to 5'7". yet there are guys who like petite women(i personlly don't know why). there shouldn't be a movie that tries to help guys get girls. the movie title "what women want" was just wrong. i bet many guys thought of it as the gateway to seriously improving their game if they're looking for a date. i personally think guys put way too much emphasis on trying to find out what women want. i don't think that should be necessary. i think it's ridiculous. i think the guy should be himself like the girl is practially all the time and just feel good about himself. not every girl is going to be into every guy... i think self-confidence is probably the most important thing for a guy to have when trying to get women. i'm a guy and that's my opinion... B00004YN6Q:sentimental_and_fake:a_reader B00004YN6Q The Virgin Suicides: DVD: James Woods,Kathleen Turner,Kirsten Dunst,Josh Hartnett,Michael Par ,Scott Glenn,Danny DeVito,A.J. Cook,Hanna R. Hall,Leslie Hayman,Chelse Swain,Anthony DeSimone,Lee Kagan,Robert Schwartzman,Noah Shebib,Jonathan Tucker,Joe Roncetti,Hayden Christensen,Chris Hale,Joe Dinicol,Sofia Coppola dvd 7 of 23 1.0 July 2, 2006 A reader Woodstock, NY USA Having enjoyed LOST IN TRANSLATION, I thought I might like this one, which seems to have some sort of cult reputation-- why I can't fathom. The entire plot is self-serving, shallow, and unrealistic. I guess it's supposed to depict the horror of repressive religious values, and while I don't condone those, the film lacks clear characters or any motivation. A lot of people have buttoned up parents who don't get it, and it doesn't mean they kill themselves-- because they were grounded!? Since the writer-director gerw up in Hollywood, she may not be aware that you can't keep your kid home from school without a very good reason-- social workers and what not come after you. So the entire premise is false. Romanticizing mass suicide by having a bunch of soft focus young blondes do it-- after which they supposedly ascend to erotic eternity in the imaginations of their boyish peers-- could actually encourage the act. It's not caring, not real, and not responsible. But I guess that wouldn't bother the rich, overfunded daughter of a Hollywood genius out to make a name for herself. 0767821769:not_as_advertised:karen_kempler 0767821769 Stepmom: DVD: Julia Roberts,Susan Sarandon,Ed Harris,Jena Malone,Liam Aiken,Lynn Whitfield,Darrell Larson,Mary Louise Wilson,Andre B. Blake,Russel Harper,Jack Eagle,Lu Celania Sierra,Lauma Zemzare,Holly Schenck,Michelle Stone,Annett Esser,Monique Rodrique,Sal Mistretta,Rex Hays,Alice Liu,Chris Columbus dvd 1.0 August 25, 2006 Karen Kempler San Francisco, CA I bought this DVD for my collection. I do not buy full screen format DVDs. Amazon described the DVD as "Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC" with an aspect ration of 2.35:1. However, when it arrived, it was Full Screen only with an aspect ratio of 1:33.1. Consequently, I returned it. My recommendation, if you only want Widescreen, don't believe the description that this DVD is dual-layered and don't buy it 0767821769:jesus,_what_a_steaming_pile_of_crap!:michael_k._beusch 0767821769 Stepmom: DVD: Julia Roberts,Susan Sarandon,Ed Harris,Jena Malone,Liam Aiken,Lynn Whitfield,Darrell Larson,Mary Louise Wilson,Andre B. Blake,Russel Harper,Jack Eagle,Lu Celania Sierra,Lauma Zemzare,Holly Schenck,Michelle Stone,Annett Esser,Monique Rodrique,Sal Mistretta,Rex Hays,Alice Liu,Chris Columbus dvd 7 of 17 1.0 November 30, 2005 Michael K. Beusch San Mateo, California United States Julia Roberts plays Ed Harris' young new wife. Susan Sarandon plays Harris' ex-wife. Ex-wife does not like new wife. New wife does not like ex-wife. Ex-wife's cutsey, but bratty kids make new wife's life a living hell. Ex-wife thinks new wife is a stupid bimbo. New wife thinks ex-wife is a nagging battle axe. New wife and ex-wife fight and yell at each other ad nauseum. How does the film solve this conflict? Ex-wife is diagnosed with terminal cancer -- everyone reconciles, ex-wife and new wife suddenly love each other, the end. This is one of the most cliched, saccharine, hackneyed and shamelessly manipulative pieces of garbage put out by Hollywood in the past decade. If you like Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon or Ed Harris, please see Erin Brokovich, Dead Man Walking and The Right Stuff and run screaming from this nauseating cinematic catastrophe B00079I006:_if_you_care_about_"the_boys"_get_the_uk_set_:e._r._fernandez B00079I006 Laurel & Hardy II Collection (Way Out West/Block-Heads/Chickens Come Home): DVD: Stan Laurel,Oliver Hardy,Elizabeth Forrester,James Finlayson,Gordon Douglas,Charles K. French,Thelma Todd,Frank Holliday,Patsy O'Byrne,Ham Kinsey,Mae Busch,Baldwin Cooke,Gertrude Pedlar,Dorothy Layton,Norma Drew,Frank Rice,Patricia Ellis,Minna Gombell,James W. Horne,John G. Blystone dvd 23 of 24 1.0 July 25, 2005 E. R. Fernandez Lancaster, PA United States It is a shame that American film classics ( like L and H) get more attention and love outside of the US than in it. I just bought the Universal Laurel and Hardy 21 Volume Box set which is only available in Europe from Amazon UK (region 2). This set is EVERYTHING people are saying it is. It is a complete film history of the boys which starts with the boys early silent films ( some solo efferts) and goes though the Hal Roach Features. All the prints are restored and of pristine quality. A truly beautiful set and a worthy tribute to the boys. There are some missing films ( I assume for copyright reasons) such as Babes in Toyland, The Devils Brother, Bonnie Scotland and Flying Deuces. To acomadate these DVDs I bought a region free DVD player off Amazon,which is the only way to go if you really want to collect. The DVD player was very cheap. plays beautfully and is well worth the investment. As a side note if you have a region free player all the DVDs in the Universal Box set are also availble as single dics, in case you don't want to spend all the money at once or just want a few of the films. If you love Laurel and Hardy this is the only way to go! Anything to screw Hallmark and the corperate monster!! Why did they buy these great films just to sit on them and distribute half-A prints!!! B00005QAPH:pretentious_and_dull:fizzlesticks B00005QAPH 8 1/2 - Criterion Collection: DVD: Bruno Agostini,Anouk Aim e,Guido Alberti,Caterina Boratto,Claudia Cardinale,Yvonne Casadei,Mario Conocchia,Ian Dallas (II),Mino Doro,Rossella Falk,Eddra Gale,Madeleine LeBeau,Marcello Mastroianni,Sandra Milo,Cesarino Miceli Picardi,Mario Pisu,Jean Rougeul,Nadine Sanders,Barbara Steele dvd 3 of 23 2.0 July 4, 2006 Fizzlesticks Personally, I found 8 1/2 to be one of the most boring films I've ever seen. It was a pretentious, self-indulgent trip down the director's memory lane. I understood the plot, and enjoyed some of the thoughts raised near the end, but overall was bored silly by stilted, pointless dialogue. Having said that, the cinematography was stunning and the music almost made the film worth watching. Perhaps 8 1/2 would have been better off as a series of photographs with musical accompaniment :P B00008XRWU:this_dud_has_its_moments.:d._knouse B00008XRWU Me & The Mob: DVD: James Lorinz,Tony Darrow,John Costelloe,Vincent Pastore,Frank Gio,Richard Bright,Sandra Bullock,Stephen Lee,Gemma Nanni,Anthony Michael Hall,Victor Triola,John 'Cha Cha' Ciarcia,Suze Trevithick,Louis Giovannetti,Frank Aquilino,Sandy Colosimo,Mario Augusta,Lori Rachal,Mary Lynn Hetsko,Steve Buscemi,Frank Rainone dvd 2.0 September 15, 2004 D. Knouse vancouver, washington United States Okay, this is a really bad movie. That said, there are some moments here that are so over-the-top bad that they're funny. The fake accents are so horrible that they become campy and the now notorious love scene involving Sandra Bullock is outright hilarious...and very embarassing. How she could be making love without removing a single garment is a mystery, but the acting in that scene is ridiculous, as well. However, it is certainly memorable. Sandra Bullock shows up for another short scene later in the film, but her role is essentially a throw away part. Then there is the sudden appearance of notable actor Steve Buscemi at the very beginning of the film in which he seems almost ashamed to be in. His character never returns to the story after that. By the end of the film there are so many plot twists that heartfelt boredom ensues. The acting is bad, the budget is obviously low, and the script, which invokes the occasional giggle, is a quivering mass of bulbous drivel. Avoid this film B0000DIJOW:only_for_the_kids!:finally!_the_rock_has_returned_to_amazon B0000DIJOW WWE - The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection: DVD: Ric Flair,WCW dvd 7 of 14 1.0 February 18, 2006 Finally! The Rock has returned to Amazon London, Eng What do we do When first started watching wrestling in my early teens, Ric Flair was a hero of mine, he matches were funny and he cut the best promos ever. So when this DVD came out I got it immediately, hoping to relive my youth, but I realized something. All the matches are the same, there long and dull, the same moves are done over and over, and the matches only pick up when Flair opponent takes the advantage. There is nothing wrong with long matches, if that are done well, like the Iron man match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, but it feels like these matches are long of the sake of being long, so it can show Flairs endurance. I also noticed Flair is so repetitive, all wrestler use trademark moves, but flair has been using the same handful of moves his entire life, for example, chop...woo...flair flop...figure four...cheat....win, that not a description of one flair match, that's every flair match. When I started watching wrestling I only saw his WWF matches, so it all looked new to me, when you watch his matches back to back you realise how boring they are. Other wrestler have put together DVD, which shows a variety of different matches such as Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benito, Bret Hart & Shawn Michaels, all top wrestler adopt to there opponents, Flair expects his opponents to adopt to him, that's way all his matches are the same. The only thing worst then his DVD is his book, I lost all respect for Flair after a read his book, it seem that he is just like HHH and Shawn Michaels in that he does not have the balls to say anything to anyone to their face, put does it behind their backs. He bashes Mick Foley for being a stunt man, who only does gimmick matches, so what's HHH, a guy flair calls great, can anyone name a good HHH match that isn't a gimmick match (WM X-7 against the undertaker does not count because it turns into a street fight). He says Foley kisses the writers asses when everybody knows that he is the ultimate back stage player, who used booking rights to award himself 16 world titles. He critises Bret Hart for not putting over Shawn Michaels at Survivors Series 97, when he was called upon to job to Lex Luger before he left who the WWF. he refused and took the title with him to WWF, brining the WCW to its knees. After watching this DVD, reading his book, and seeing how his using backstage politics at the WWE now, to keep himself in the limelight, its fair to say the Ric Flair is one of the most overrated wrestler in history and by the way I could have won 16 world title if I had my friends booking the show . B0001CNRBG:same_time_next__year_comments:william_g._richardson B0001CNRBG Same Time, Next Year: DVD: Ellen Burstyn,Alan Alda,Ivan Bonar,Bernie Kuby,Cosmo Sardo,David Northcutt,William Cantrell,Robert Mulligan dvd 0 of 6 1.0 March 25, 2006 William G. Richardson Not a bad movie...not a great movie. Ellen Brustyn was great B0000AZT79:alec_baldwin_could've_been_hard-boiled_but_ends_up_soggy:dorian_tenore-bartilucci B0000AZT79 Heaven's Prisoners: DVD: Alec Baldwin,Kelly Lynch,Mary Stuart Masterson,Eric Roberts,Teri Hatcher,Vondie Curtis-Hall,Badja Djola,Samantha Lagpacan,Joe Viterelli,Tuck Milligan,Hawthorne James,Don Stark,Carl A. McGee,Paul Guilfoyle (II),Chris Krisea,Saul Stein,Chuck Zito,Socorro Santiago,Patricia Huston,Don Yesso,Phil Joanou dvd 7 of 12 2.0 July 11, 2005 Dorian Tenore-Bartilucci Whitehall, PA USA I remember going to great lengths to fit a matine showing of HEAVEN'S PRISONERS into a busy Saturday afternoon during its 1996 theatrical release. Considering the source material and the talent behind and in front of the camera, our little filmgoing party of detective-film fans and Alec Baldwin groupies (a.k.a. my mom, my stepfather, and me) found this contemporary film noir to be a big disappointment. Baldwin, who also served as co-producer, brought James Lee Burke's New Orleans ex-cop/recovering alcoholic hero Dave Robichoux from the printed page to the big screen. While Baldwin and the rest of the cast did well in fleshing out Burke's characters and have some tangy tough-guy/gal dialogue, they're hampered by two things: 1.) The film's slo-o-o-ow pacing. Maybe the Louisiana heat got to everyone, not just Baldwin. Of all the actors, Long Island native Baldwin sweats the most, so much that it began to remind me of the sweating-bullets gags with Albert Brooks in BROADCAST NEWS and Robert Hays in AIRPLANE! 2.) A plot that, as rendered in the film (whether it's the fault of the screenwriter or the editor, I can't be sure), never quite follows through on any of its elements. It's too bad, because these elements could've made for an exciting movie: drug dealing, illegal alien smuggling, rival crime bosses (one is played colorfully by Eric Roberts before he became a parody of himself, essentially playing a Southern-fried version of his character from director Phil Joanou's 1992 thriller FINAL ANALYSIS), an adorable little Salvadoran orphan girl (named "Alafair" by the Robichouxs, after Dave's mom. Late in my pregnancy at the time, I liked the name Alafair so much, I nearly changed my mind about naming my then-unborn daughter Siobhan!), and a bevy of beautiful, beguiling women, including earth mother Kelly Lynch, vampy Teri Hatcher in a full-frontal nude scene that was much ballyhooed at the time, and Mary Stuart Masterson, looking like a young Jessica Lange in what was then a change-of-pace role for her: a troubled stripper who loves Robichoux. Despite the sexy promises in the movie's ads, none of the ladies share anything with Baldwin but dialogue and some kisses and/or embraces. Maybe the climate was already so hot, the filmmakers didn't want to add any further steaminess for fear of poor Baldwin collapsing from heat prostration! As my mom put it at the time: "I thought the height of my day would be seeing sexy, dashing Alec Baldwin, but he came up sweaty, rumpled, tired, depressed, and moving as if he was in slow motion. If he'd made love as many times as he got beaten up, it would've been the sexiest picture of '96!" To be fair, there *are* a number of strong characterization and action scenes, but there's just too darn much talky, molasses-paced lag time between them -- and yet, oddly, some of the scenes end abruptly just as they're about to become intriguing! Perhaps Joanou, Baldwin & Co. could've dredged a tighter, more involving thriller out of this if they'd whittled the 140-minute running time down to 105 minutes or so. As HEAVEN'S PRISONERS is now...well, read James Lee Burke's books instead. B00005JO5V:predictable_and_uneven:a._d._da_silva_"zappata" B00005JO5V Eros: DVD: Michelangelo Antonioni,Steven Soderbergh,Kar Wai Wong,Christopher Buchholz,Li Gong,Chen Chang,Fung Tin,Luk Auntie,Jianjun Zhou,Wing Tong Sheung,Kim Tak Wong,Siu Man Ting,Lai Fu Yim,Cheng You Shin,Wing Kong Siu,Kar Fai Lee,Chi Keong Un,Robert Downey Jr.,Alan Arkin,Ele Keats,Regina Nemni,Luisa Ranieri,Cecilia Luci dvd 3 of 6 2.0 January 2, 2006 A. D. da Silva "zappata" Oakland, CA I'm not going to write too much. If you need to hear more just check other reviews down here. From all the 3 episodes only the first one, by Kar-Wai, is worth your time. "The Hand" is well done and typical Kar-Wai. Beautifully shot by his usual contributor Christopher Doyle, it's the most compelling and sexy episode of the bunch. Gong Li, always very elegant, give us a powerful sexy scene and her presence establishes and guide the rest of the story. Well crafted but very predictable. The director lately seems to be referencing himself, which is halfway form self parody. "Equilibrium" is just a bad cinematic joke and absolutely non sexy. Other than a few gratuitous and unrelated naked shots, is a simple and boring exchange between Downey Jr. playing an adman and his analyst played by Arkin. But the worst by far is the Antonioni's episode. Is just so poorly done and acted that is an embarrassment. The, once, great director should have just retired by now (he was 91 in 2004) and let the rest of the world appreciate his masterpieces B00074DY16:different_cast._different_writers???????:p._francoeur B00074DY16 Return to Peyton Place: DVD: Mary Astor,Joan Banks,Helen Bennett,Bill Bradley,Harry Carter (II),Jeff Chandler,Brett Halsey,Gunnar Hellstr m,Carol Lynley,Max Mellinger,Harold Miller,Luciana Paluzzi,Eleanor Parker,Hari Rhodes,Max Showalter,Robert Sterling,Hal Taggart,Emerson Treacy,Tuesday Weld dvd 3 of 4 2.0 March 25, 2005 P. Francoeur After seeing both Peyton Place and the sequel I can tell you that I could tolerate the recast, Carol Lynley and Tuesday Weld were wonderful in their perspective parts. But I have to wonder was it only the cast that changed in this sequel did the writers change as well? My reasons for asking, the glaring inconsistencys to the original movie. Over and over in this film it is stated that Selena was raped when she was thirteen, yet in the original film Selena, Alison and the others were graduating from high school when the incident occured. Since when do thirteen year olds graduate from high school, also she looked pretty mature for thirteen. Then there's Selen'as boyfriend (whose name escapes me at the moment) in the original film he stood by her, through the murder charges, the revelation of the rape, and the miscarriage, yet in the sequel I'm suppose to buy that he couldn't handle any of it dumped her and left town where he met and married someone else. Then all the towns people after being put in their place by the town Doctor all rallied together at the end of the original film to give their support of Selena, yet in the sequel she is considered the town outcast? I have nothing against sequels even with recast but this one strayed way too far from its original film that all creditbility for it as a sequel went out the door. It was all too obvious that the original film wasn't taken into account when writing the sequel. Not credible at all B000C1VB0A:devilishly_addictive,_but_not_much_payoff:eric_j._anderson B000C1VB0A Gantz Season 1 Box Set: DVD: Ichir Itano,Melinda DeKay,James Reed Faulkner,Russell Freeman,Susan O. Koozin,Marcy Rae,Kira Vincent-Davis,Chris Patton,Alyssa Anderson,Victor Carsrud,Paul Sidello,Jessica Boone,Shannon Emerick,George Manley,Daisuke Namikawa,Christine M. Auten,Ted Pfister,Hitomi Nabatame,John Swasey,Spike Spencer,Mike Kleinhenz dvd 1 of 1 2.0 September 26, 2006 Eric J. Anderson Ankeny, Iowa This program is evil. It is easy to get sucked into watching Gantz, because of the unique and inexplicable situation that the main characters, who have all died, find themselves in. They have gone to purgatory, and purgatory is like an all-too-real video game. One feels compelled to continue on with the series to begin to answer some of these mysteries. The art direction is decent. Visually, it doesn't look cheap. The English voice acting is embarassingly bad, especially the main character, but not as bad as the dialogue, internal and vocalized, that this character has been given to speak. The worst thing about this series, apart from the juvenile humor about breasts and boners, is the "action" scenes. These inevitably play out with the people in danger standing around arguing and philosophizing about what to do, when the obvious course of action is to take the guns that are in their hands, and shoot at their alien adversaries like there is no tomorrow. After you witness a few of these frustrating situations on the video, if you don't feel like banging your head against the wall, you are made of stronger stuff than I. This first set of episodes leaves the viewer with more questions than answers, and more frustration than satisfaction. Save yourself the pain. B00004XPPG:more_gibson_garbage...no_stars:redvers B00004XPPG The Patriot (Special Edition): DVD: Mel Gibson,Heath Ledger,Joely Richardson,Jason Isaacs,Chris Cooper,Tch ky Karyo,Rene Auberjonois,Lisa Brenner,Tom Wilkinson,Donal Logue,Leon Rippy,Adam Baldwin,Jay Arlen Jones,Joey D. Vieira,Gregory Smith,Mika Boorem,Skye McCole Bartusiak,Trevor Morgan,Bryan Chafin,Logan Lerman,Roland Emmerich dvd 7 of 19 1.0 August 21, 2006 redvers Merrie England I wouldn't normally write a review of such drivel but felt that I had to when I saw what Christiane Schmidt had to say. Now we all know Mr Gibson has got issues with the British (as well as others) - just look at that other pile of tosh - Braveheart. But here is an example of why rewriting history to fit your own personal prejudice is dangerous. The usual response is "It's not history but Hollywood, it's fiction based on historical events". But the problem is that some people actually believe it really happened like that! Now I'm sure that many atrocities took place on either side of what was in effect a civil war, but I've never read of the British burning down churches with people inside - Nazis, yes....British, no. But who cares about whether it really happened....it's only a film!! Good grief, next thing you know they'll be making a film about the US recovering the first enigma machine.....oops. B000AQ68RI:wonderful_series,_horrible_idea_to_re-release_like_this...:matthew_r._olson B000AQ68RI Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Collector's Set (40 discs): DVD: Buffy the Vampire Slayer dvd 6 of 39 2.0 May 27, 2006 Matthew R. Olson Let me just start by saying that I don't own "The Chosen Collection" but that I do own the original releases of all seven seasons. Why review this then? Quite frankly, I believe the combined sets to be a waste of money. I have seen the reviews of this set done by fellow reviewers, and it is was my experience that that the boxes for the previous sets are not much different than this - they are as flimsy as this set is, and just as breakable. The set's discs appear the same as the previous editions, probably a rehash from leftover sets. A bonus disc may be the only redeeming factor, but since I don't own it, I haver never seen it. I spent my money on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" once, and once is enough for me. Buffy is a endearing series, but why throw away DVD sets just to have them "return" from the garbage B0006989TE:total_garbage:krexel B0006989TE The Village: DVD: Bryce Dallas Howard,Joaquin Phoenix,Adrien Brody,William Hurt,Sigourney Weaver,Brendan Gleeson dvd 1 of 4 1.0 November 4, 2006 krexel California This movie is the most boring, uninteresting piece of garbage I have ever wasted my money on. The plot is stupid, the characters are dull and insipid, and the whole movie leaves you asking, as the credits run, "So What?" Don't waste your money! 6305622760:candyman_3:__the_day_of_the_dead__(1999):the_tweeder_"tweeder16" 6305622760 Candyman 3: Day of the Dead: DVD: Tony Todd,Donna D'Errico,Alexia Robinson,Jsu Garcia,Mark Adair-Rios,Lupe Ontiveros,Elizabeth Guber,Rena Riffel,Ernie Hudson Jr.,Wade Williams (II),Mike Moroff,Robert O'Reilly,Chris Van Dahl,Elizabeth Hayes,Lombardo Boyar,Lillian Hurst,John Quinada,Nicole Contreras,Jud Meyers,Kathleen McMartin,Turi Meyer dvd 3 of 3 1.0 December 30, 2005 The Tweeder "tweeder16" Indianapolis, Indiana Director: Turi Meyer Cast: Tony Todd, Donna D'Errico, Alexia Robinson, Jsu Garcia, Mark Adair-Rios, Lupe Ontiveros, Elizabeth Guber, Rena Riffel, Ernie Hudson Jr. Running Time: 93 minutes Rated R for bloody violence and gore, sexuality and language. The third in the series derived from a concept by Clive Barker, "Day of the Dead" (they can't even come up with their own subtitle) staggers down the well-trodden path already navigated by the "Halloween" and "Nightmare on Elm Street" movies: that is, taking a decent concept and flushing it down the toilet. The original movie was a near horror masterpiece and relied on atmosphere rather than gore, while the first sequel was bearable if completely routine. This one is just a load of rubbish. Donna D'Errico, from Baywatch (what a spectacle of credibility), stars as Caroline McKeever, the great great granddaughter of the feared Candyman (Tony Todd once again), once a normal man but now an apparition who appears to slaughter everyone around you if you dare to say his name five times in front of a mirror. Caroline says his name five times in front of a mirror and up he pops to murder her nearest and dearest. As the Candyman hacks his way through various bad actors, Caroline teams up with new pal David (Nick Corri) to find a collection of paintings knocked up by the Candyman while he was still alive, which may hold the key to stopping him. There's not a single thing here that isn't scavenged from the first "Candyman" film and every other ropy horror movie produced since caveman days. The screenplay is so lazy it can't even be bothered to connect half the characters to the plot, the photography is bright and glossy, which is at odds with what's supposed to be a dark story, while nothing in the direction adds any atmosphere at all. Anyone could have directed this movie, so little effort has been put in to make it scary, while the ending is an outrageous cop out. No thought has gone in to developing themes or structuring the plot because no one here is talented enough to give this movie any depth beyond having D'Errico running around in a variety of tight vests. The rest of the performances are poor too, although none are quite as bad as D'Errico's pathetic attempts at screaming and breathing erratically. Surely more can be done with characters like the Candyman than the constant repetition of scenes where he appears to stick his hook through someone's stomach. The fact that the makers of this movie think Candyman is so terrifying that the very sight of him just standing there will strike fear into our hearts is a sign that they just can't be bothered even to try something a bit different. Clive Barker may not be the master of horror as every at first claimed him to be, but he's right about one thing: the sequels to his movies are garbage 6305622760:they_tried_i_guess:janet_lee-orem_"fmwaalex" 6305622760 Candyman 3: Day of the Dead: DVD: Tony Todd,Donna D'Errico,Alexia Robinson,Jsu Garcia,Mark Adair-Rios,Lupe Ontiveros,Elizabeth Guber,Rena Riffel,Ernie Hudson Jr.,Wade Williams (II),Mike Moroff,Robert O'Reilly,Chris Van Dahl,Elizabeth Hayes,Lombardo Boyar,Lillian Hurst,John Quinada,Nicole Contreras,Jud Meyers,Kathleen McMartin,Turi Meyer dvd 3 of 4 2.0 June 1, 2005 Janet Lee-orem "fmwaalex" Austin, TX USA The saga of the candyman continues in this third installment of the hit series. I can remember the first time I watched the original created by Clive Barker, I luv'd it, the same can't be said for this film. Caroline is last living descendent of the candyman, and he wants to end it all by ending her. All who watch this film and the acting of Donna D' Errico will wish for the same thing. One would only think that she got the job to secure watchers of Baywatch for the film and for that reason only, or maybe it's because a little fragile thing like her can't take on candyman head on. Get a real actress like KATHY BATES in there and she'll kick his ass {MISERY is a classic}. As far as Tony Todd is concerned he does a good job in this film, but not as scary as he has been in the other films. He does a good job none the less, and serves as a co-producer. As far as the script goes it's a decent attempt at the franchise, Al Septien & director Turi Meyer do what they can. But that doesn't save the film from being less then average. Side performances from the art gallery owner, the two bad cops, and the gypsy women are great and save the film a little. There isn't much to the story, Caroline is his last descendent and he wants to stop his pain by taking her. People she knows gets killed so it looks like she did it, and she tries to stop him, that's it nothing more to it. Over all a more worthy sequel of its predecessors would be more enjoyable. B000BCE95E:idiotic_movie_about_really_stupid_people:timothy_w._lieder B000BCE95E Havoc (R-Rated Version): DVD: Anne Hathaway,Bijou Phillips,Shiri Appleby,Michael Biehn,Joseph Gordon-Levitt,Matt O'Leary,Freddy Rodr guez,Laura San Giacomo,Mike Vogel,Raymond Cruz,Alexis Dziena,Channing Tatum,Johnny Vasquez,Luis Robledo,Sam Hennings,Cecilia Peck,Josh Peck,Robert Shapiro (III),J.D. Pardo,Terri Hanauer,Barbara Kopple dvd 1 of 2 2.0 September 5, 2006 Timothy W. Lieder Minneapolis, MN United States Maybe the 1995 script was edgy and groundbreaking, but I doubt it. Since Vanilla Ice was in and out of the cultural eye 4 years before the spec script and 15 years before this movie, the concept of white kids trying to act black in the most ugly ghetto stereotypes is just not all that new. I went to high school with kids like this and I've bought the Eminem CD. And there's a little more to them than the stupidity. But let's discuss the movie. Anne Hathaway plays a dumb girl who thinks that acts ghetto in her gated community and urges her boyfriend to go buy drugs in East L.A. (??). Seeing her boyfriend beat down, she's eager to return and find that hot latino dude that did the beating. Then she goes to parties, gets into even more trouble and starts losing her Jerry Springer-inspired ghetto talk. The Mexican guy keeps trying to tell her that there's more to his life than selling crack on the street corner, but well he's doing a lot of selling crack on the street corner. Actually, he's coming off like a gangsta Yoda ready to impart life lessons at the drop of a hat. Yes, it's ironic that she's trying to dress ghetto while he's trying (not very hard) to dress suburban (wife beater is suburban?) The movie's climax is a scene in which Anne and Bijou ask the guys if they can join their "crew" and if the gang didn't have a sex gang initiation for women before they asked, they sure have it then (and really, who doesn't know that that's gang initiation standard - started by the Hell's Angels in 1965). After that disaster (both Anne and Bijous say no - but Bijou takes a little more time saying no) the movie unravels as Anne Hathaway discovers her inner WHITE GIRL and her friends act even more stupid. There's a neat scene between her and Bijou Philips toward the end that almost makes me like these people, but it's one of the few points of truth in an otherwise dumb movie. The one thing this movie does is to make me appreciate DJ Squalls' character from Hustle & Flow (and Hustle & Flow in and of itself) since that's a white character in a black world that doesn't fall into either extreme of wigger or Doogie Howser. He's just himself whereever he goes. He's someone the morons of this movie could learn from (but really wouldn't you rather just see them all shot dead? B000GTLQXU:at_least_kurt_still_has_goldie:g._m._handlon_"the_brewfisher" B000GTLQXU Poseidon (Two-Disc Special Edition): DVD: Kurt Russell,Josh Lucas,Richard Dreyfuss,Jacinda Barrett,Emmy Rossum,Mike Vogel,M a Maestro,Jimmy Bennett (III),Andre Braugher,Freddy Rodr guez,Kevin Dillon,Kirk B.R. Woller,Kelly McNair,Stacy Ferguson,Gabriel Jarret,David Reivers,Gordon Thomson,Jan Munroe,Caroline Lagerfelt,Jesse Henecke,Wolfgang Petersen dvd 2.0 November 10, 2006 G. M. Handlon "the brewfisher" Colorado Springs This is a great flick for people who are irritated by sub-plots because there are none. There is nothing resembling reality found anywhere in this movie, so it makes for excellent escapism, which we all need now and then. Since all the characters stay together, it is easy to follow along, so you can turn your brain off, it won't be needed. Since it's all about the ship, acting wasn't necessary. You can bet that movies like this toll the bell for the careers of Russell and Dreyfus. I felt pity for them as actors, and hope they can rebound. The movie is shorter than most, so there will be minimum impact on your life. You will remember nothing about it soon after exposure B000BQ7J8O:too_easy:jolee_michelson B000BQ7J8O Blast Away the Pounds - Indoor Walk: DVD: Denise Austin dvd 6 of 8 2.0 July 29, 2006 Jolee Michelson Geneva, FL I am 38 and considered obese, however I work in a busy operating room all day and found this to be too easy. This DVD would be great for the older generations. I still need to loose 45 pounds and I am using Denise Austin's Burn Fat Fast. B000BQ7J8O:opt_for_something_better:cherie_burbach,_www.thedifferencenow.com B000BQ7J8O Blast Away the Pounds - Indoor Walk: DVD: Denise Austin dvd 5 of 7 2.0 July 18, 2006 Cherie Burbach, www.thedifferencenow.com Wisconsin I think Denise Austin does a decent job in some of her other videos, but this isn't one of them. She lacks any type of warm up in this one and often looks like she's just trying to make up steps in order to fill the time slot. The moves are not well choreographed and very awkward. Some may find encouragement in the times Denise gives the camera a bug eyed stare and says "We're burning butter.... yeah" but I found it annoying. I think there are much better workouts for the money out there 0780618564:how_can_anyone_like_this_pile_o_shart???_it_sucks!!!!!:andrew_heinen 0780618564 The Player (Special Edition) (New Line Platinum Series): DVD: Tim Robbins,Greta Scacchi,Fred Ward,Whoopi Goldberg,Peter Gallagher,Brion James,Cynthia Stevenson,Vincent D'Onofrio,Dean Stockwell,Richard E. Grant,Sydney Pollack,Lyle Lovett,Dina Merrill,Angela Hall,Leah Ayres,Paul Hewitt,Randall Batinkoff,Jeremy Piven,Gina Gershon,Frank Barhydt,Robert Altman dvd 2 of 45 1.0 November 11, 2005 Andrew Heinen Definatly one of the worst movies ever. The dialog is so boring I had an A.D.D. attack trying to watch it. I usally never turn a movie off in the middle but I had to do it with this one. I tore it out of my laserdisc player and smashed it, so I would never have to suffer through this again. The characters are so lame I did'nt even care about who was threating his life. I wanted the stalker to go ahead and kill them all already. Man this movie is making me enraged just typing about it. IT FU**IN SUCKS!!!!! And it is really dated B000055XMA:very_poor_quality_dvd:b_&_w_buff B000055XMA Meet John Doe: DVD: Gary Cooper,Barbara Stanwyck,Edward Arnold,Walter Brennan,Spring Byington,James Gleason,Gene Lockhart,Rod La Rocque,Irving Bacon,Regis Toomey,J. Farrell MacDonald,Warren Hymer,Harry Holman,Andrew Tombes,Pierre Watkin,Stanley Andrews,Mitchell Lewis,Charles C. Wilson,Vaughan Glaser,Sterling Holloway,Frank Capra dvd 3 of 3 1.0 October 10, 2006 B & W Buff Love the movie, but the quality of the DVD put out by Alpha Video was so bad it was very difficult to watch. The sound was scratchy and muffled and the picture looked as if the brightness was turned all the way up. If you don't want to be disappointed and feel like you've been ripped off, wait for the remastered cut before you buy this one B000055XMA:wonderful_film_but_poor_dvd_quality:isawaufo B000055XMA Meet John Doe: DVD: Gary Cooper,Barbara Stanwyck,Edward Arnold,Walter Brennan,Spring Byington,James Gleason,Gene Lockhart,Rod La Rocque,Irving Bacon,Regis Toomey,J. Farrell MacDonald,Warren Hymer,Harry Holman,Andrew Tombes,Pierre Watkin,Stanley Andrews,Mitchell Lewis,Charles C. Wilson,Vaughan Glaser,Sterling Holloway,Frank Capra dvd 5 of 6 1.0 May 31, 2006 iSAWaUFO I bought the DVD with this artwork out of a dollar bin and I got what I paid for. The image is fuzzy and the audio is of poor quality. This must have been taken from a 16mm print. It may be that this film is in public domain, so it may be difficult to find a decent quality DVD. There are many issues of this film so you would do better to try one of the other DVD issues. Note: Amazon seems to spread these reviews across DVDs of the same title, so you may see this review under multiple DVD releases of "Meet John Doe". The poor quality DVD that I bought has a cover that looked like this: [... B000055XMA:meet_john_doe:deborah_c._raia B000055XMA Meet John Doe: DVD: Gary Cooper,Barbara Stanwyck,Edward Arnold,Walter Brennan,Spring Byington,James Gleason,Gene Lockhart,Rod La Rocque,Irving Bacon,Regis Toomey,J. Farrell MacDonald,Warren Hymer,Harry Holman,Andrew Tombes,Pierre Watkin,Stanley Andrews,Mitchell Lewis,Charles C. Wilson,Vaughan Glaser,Sterling Holloway,Frank Capra dvd 0 of 13 1.0 July 19, 2005 Deborah C. Raia I purchased this DVD a while ago - FYI - A documentary of the anaconda was in the case and not the movie. I went to the web site to complain and my profile could not be found. Here, years later, when I'm finally placing another through Amazon They found my account and noted that I purchased Meet John Doe. I guess it's a little late to complain now B000055XMA:weak:adead_poet@hotmail.com_"adead_poet@hotmail.com" B000055XMA Meet John Doe: DVD: Gary Cooper,Barbara Stanwyck,Edward Arnold,Walter Brennan,Spring Byington,James Gleason,Gene Lockhart,Rod La Rocque,Irving Bacon,Regis Toomey,J. Farrell MacDonald,Warren Hymer,Harry Holman,Andrew Tombes,Pierre Watkin,Stanley Andrews,Mitchell Lewis,Charles C. Wilson,Vaughan Glaser,Sterling Holloway,Frank Capra dvd 3 of 20 2.0 March 16, 2004 adead_poet@hotmail.com "adead_poet@hotmail.com" beaumont, tx USA This movie was a weak effort by Capra, who directed it, and the star, Gary Cooper. It's a good story, just poorly directed (Capra can't hit a home run every time). I found the acting very wooden and the movie seemed to just drag on and on. And no extra features on the dvd, at least none to speak of B00003BDXG:needless_gore:paul_papadopoulos_"kinky_greek" B00003BDXG Natural Born Killers: DVD: Woody Harrelson,Juliette Lewis,Tom Sizemore,Rodney Dangerfield,Everett Quinton,Pruitt Taylor Vince,Jared Harris,Edie McClurg,Russell Means,Lanny Flaherty,O-Lan Jones,Richard Lineback,Robert Downey Jr.,Ed White,Kirk Baltz,Terrylene,Maria Pitillo,Josh Richman,Sean Stone,Melinda Renna,Oliver Stone dvd 0 of 1 2.0 November 7, 2006 Paul Papadopoulos "Kinky Greek" Athens Greece This movie was as one of the most disappointing in its genre, far less interesting than Pulp Fiction and even below the level of Reservoir Dogs. It is said that in the violent late Middle Ages street shows were often staged in European cities where fake blood flowed like water, heads fell off and stomachs erupted sausages to simulate intestines during an evisceration delighting the crowd. It seems that in the violent final decade of the twentieth century we had come full circle from Barbara Tuchman's gripping account of the awful fourteenth century. Despite the abundant gore if the film had been better handled it could have been quite good. There are glimpses of its failed potential at different points. For instance the scene towards the end where the prison governor's head is impaled on a broomstick and carried around by the revolting inmates seems to be a direct copy of an actual event at the Bastille during the days of the early French revolution. In sum, as a special kind of disgusting art form it is interesting, as entertainment though Natural Born Killers sucks. I admit some people will like it , no doubt the same crowd who would attend public executions if they were available for viewing B00003BDXG:choppy_movie:spinster_"spinster" B00003BDXG Natural Born Killers: DVD: Woody Harrelson,Juliette Lewis,Tom Sizemore,Rodney Dangerfield,Everett Quinton,Pruitt Taylor Vince,Jared Harris,Edie McClurg,Russell Means,Lanny Flaherty,O-Lan Jones,Richard Lineback,Robert Downey Jr.,Ed White,Kirk Baltz,Terrylene,Maria Pitillo,Josh Richman,Sean Stone,Melinda Renna,Oliver Stone dvd 1 of 7 1.0 September 30, 2006 spinster "spinster" Colorado I felt as though the camera was clamped to a paint mixer. After about 30 minutes it gave me a headache so I turned it off. B000FKP3XY:a_real_woofer:michael_larocca_"http://www.chinarice.org" B000FKP3XY The Shaggy Dog: DVD: Tim Allen,Kristin Davis,Zena Grey,Spencer Breslin,Danny Glover,Robert Downey Jr.,Joshua Leonard,Shawn Pyfrom,Bess Wohl,Jarrad Paul,Annabelle Gurwitch,Jane Curtin,Philip Baker Hall,Joel Moore,Jeanette Brox,Kevin Cooney,Rhea Seehorn,Craig Kilborn,Koji Kataoka,Casey Sander,Brian Robbins dvd 0 of 5 1.0 August 28, 2006 Michael LaRocca "http://www.chinarice.org" Chiang Mai, Thailand I was on a plane from Shanghai to Bangkok -- stop drooling -- and I was reading a book. On the TV, I saw Tim Allen chasing an orange cat. In the course of the chase, he dropped down from two legs to four. The effects, I'll admit right up front, were great. This looked far better than the old 70s (I think) version called THE SHAGGY D.A., which I haven't seen. But even so, it sucks. I didn't need sound or subtitles, and I didn't need but 5 or 10 minutes to figure out that it sucks. True sucking is like that. (Yeah, I saw the bit with the Scrabble board. "I am Dad." Whoop dee freaking doggy doo.) It's possible we underestimate Tim Allen's ability as an actor, perhaps because THE SANTA CLAUSE was so unforgivably bad. But even so, this movie sucks. Sometimes life is just that simple. B000FKP3XY:who_let_the_dogs_out?_:stephen_verhaeren B000FKP3XY The Shaggy Dog: DVD: Tim Allen,Kristin Davis,Zena Grey,Spencer Breslin,Danny Glover,Robert Downey Jr.,Joshua Leonard,Shawn Pyfrom,Bess Wohl,Jarrad Paul,Annabelle Gurwitch,Jane Curtin,Philip Baker Hall,Joel Moore,Jeanette Brox,Kevin Cooney,Rhea Seehorn,Craig Kilborn,Koji Kataoka,Casey Sander,Brian Robbins dvd 1 of 3 1.0 August 8, 2006 Stephen Verhaeren Palos Park, IL USA I am sorry to report that this movie is dead on arrival, and I have to agree with anybody that says this movie is [...]. The whole cast is wasted in this movie, and most of which I have seen in movies that I liked better. Like pretty much the leads in this movies, I have seen thier movies and liked htem better in, but this one, they might as well. If your a Tim Allen fan, please do yourself a favor, and get either the Santa Clause movies, or the Toy Story movies, and avoid this movie at all costs. Here are 99 minuts of my life, that I won't see again, and I am trying to make sure that you don't waste your time on this dud. Who wants to see an actor pretned to be a dog, in some scenes in the movie, ore pretty much the whole thing. I haven't seen Monster House or Cars, but I hope that these will be 2 better movies, or maybe a season dvd of Home Improvement will be pretty then this. Dave Douglas (Tim Allen) is a lawyer, that dislikes dogs, and even has a case against animal activist Justin Forrester (Joshua Leonard). And he is up for accused of trying to torch the California headquarters of sinister pharmaceutical conglomerate Grant & Strictland. And he doesn't much of a family life, since he is never home, and how many times have we seen something like this in a movie? His wife is Rebecca Douglas (Kristin Davis) and they have 2 children Josh (Spencer Breslin) and Carly (Zena Grey). And he has an appoontment to Josh's PTA meetings, and even through he is reminded at work, he forgets. Carly is not only a is both Forrester's student and a budding animal advocate herself, and her brother is trying out for football like his Dad, even through he secretly hates it, and didn't sign up for the fall musical. And then there is a mad scientist (Robert Downey Jr.), trying to extract the secret of immortality from the shaggy hide of a 300-year-old dog he had kidnapped from a Tibetan monastery. And Carly even kidnaps it from Grant & Strictland, and brings him home, nad even trouble starts when the dog bites Douglas, that gets him starting acting like a dog too, and even looking exactly like him at times. The movie expects us to believe the dog is 300 years old, which would be impossible, since neither dogs or people live that long, all I can say we are in an era of movies being made out of sequels and remakes, and this is one to avoid at all costs. B00005JNLQ:trust_me,_don'_t_be_a_fool...:s._singer B00005JNLQ The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Criterion Collection (2-Disc Special Edition): DVD: Wes Anderson,Bill Murray,Owen Wilson,Cate Blanchett,Anjelica Huston,Willem Dafoe,Jeff Goldblum,Michael Gambon,Noah Taylor,Bud Cort,Seu Jorge,Robyn Cohen,Waris Ahluwalia,Niels Koizumi,Pawel Wdowczak,Matthew Gray Gubler,Seymour Cassel,Antonio Monda,Isabella Blow,James Hamilton,Melanie Gerren dvd 1 of 26 1.0 August 17, 2006 S. Singer MD USA It's a disgrace they charge money for this DVD. Producer and actors should be ashamed this is sold. Fine if people want to experiment with filmmaking, but to release this film with big name actors and charge consumer, unforgivable. I prefer to have rated this with no stars B0000AUHQ6:keep_away:werner_blignaut_"movie_matrix_dvd_store" B0000AUHQ6 Pretty Baby: DVD: Brooke Shields,Keith Carradine,Susan Sarandon,Frances Faye,Antonio Fargas,Matthew Anton,Diana Scarwid,Barbara Steele,Seret Scott,Cheryl Markowitz,Susan Manskey,Laura Zimmerman,Miz Mary,Gerrit Graham,Mae Mercer,Don Hood,Pat Perkins,Von Eric Thomas,Sasha Holliday,Lisa Shames,Louis Malle dvd 5 of 79 1.0 July 27, 2005 Werner Blignaut "movie matrix dvd store" South Africa This was purhcased by accident. But still one of the crapiest movies I ever seen. Story wise, well it's bad to see what situation young girls could have with whores for mothers and growing up just like them. It's actualy very sad to see young girls throwing away their life away. Other wise, movie had bad ending, good quality packing and dvd from amazon.com ... B000089A07:why_red_dragon_does_not_compare_to_silence_of_the_lambs:adam_mccully_"adam" B000089A07 Red Dragon - Director's Edition: DVD: Anthony Hopkins,Edward Norton,Ralph Fiennes,Harvey Keitel,Emily Watson,Mary-Louise Parker,Philip Seymour Hoffman,Anthony Heald,Ken Leung,Frankie Faison,Tyler Patrick Jones,Lalo Schifrin,Tim Wheater,John Rubinstein,David Doty,Brenda Strong,Robert Curtis-Brown,Mary Anne McGarry,Marc Abraham,Veronica De Laurentiis,Brett Ratner dvd 0 of 5 2.0 November 28, 2005 Adam McCully "Adam" Pennsylvania McCully 1 Adam McCully Instructor Lee Hobbs ENGL 101.025 18 November 2005 Red Dragon When I heard that Universal Studios was making a prequel to Silence of the Lambs, I'll admit that I was a little skeptical. Throughout movie history there has been a long list of bad sequels which, more or less, is what this prequel was. Caddyshack II, Godfather III, and Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, all horrible follow ups to great films. So naturally I was a little worried that the film Red Dragon was going to be just another flop that followed a great film. Any movie that follows a great film like Silence of the Lambs has a lot to live up to. Personally, I thought that the first sequel to Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, didn't quite achieve that, and neither did Red Dragon. It was a decent movie, but not quite as shocking and suspenseful as the first. Don't get me wrong it did have its share of shock value, but since it didn't come first I had already come to expect that. I thought that the writers would take the time and effort to make sure that this film was as good if not better than the first two films, but clearly their work shows otherwise. All in all, this movie disappointed me for several reasons. As I mentioned before, the lack of violence and shock that were so prevalent in the first movie and that I, as a fan of the films, had come to expect. But mostly, it was the fact that this movie was nothing more than a film that was made in the eighties with a different title and better actors. I've never been a fan of remakes and this film was certainly no exception. B0002V7U1Y:terrible_customer_service:dr._tyler_m._breault B0002V7U1Y NBA - Larry Bird, A Basketball Legend (25th Anniversary Edition): DVD: Larry Bird,Boston Celtics dvd 1 of 6 1.0 March 11, 2006 Dr. Tyler M. Breault this is day 10 now and im still waiting for my package!!!!!!amazon seems great but when something goes wrong they run like chickens! However.....LARRY BIRD IS THE MAN AND DONT EVER FORGET THAT B00004D37E:"you're_going_down_burnhead"_???:l_gontzes B00004D37E Darkman: DVD: Liam Neeson,Frances McDormand,Colin Friels,Larry Drake,Nelson Mashita,Jessie Lawrence Ferguson,Rafael H. Robledo,Dan Hicks,Ted Raimi,Dan Bell,Nicholas Worth,Aaron Lustig,Arsenio 'Sonny' Trinidad,Said Faraj,Nathan Jung,Professor Toru Tanaka,John Lisbon Wood,Frank Noon,William Dear,Julius Harris,Sam Raimi dvd 1 of 5 2.0 November 23, 2005 L Gontzes Athens, Greece I have to say that I was not familiar with any Darkman comics, or had had any other contact with the character apart from this movie so I cannot compare the character to other sources. Therefore, coming from someone that did not "know" Darkman prior to the film I have to say that the movie was quite a disappointment! There are the obvious comic book characteristics that one finds in these types of movies, like the Shadow, Batman etc, which is interesting. Nevertheless, Darkman was quite a disappointment considering the make-up of the cast: Liam Neeson, Larry Drake, and Frances McDormand among others. It is the story of a scientist who falls victim to a group of gangsters resulting in his horrendous disfigurement. In an effort to exact revenge, he makes use of his latest invention in order to appear like his targets/victims.... In short, the acting and the plot are average (nothing great), while the dialogues are way below average. The movie falls into the action/adventure/horror type of category. The characters are, overall, bland and just plain uninteresting (e.g. Rick Anderson played by the "fool," Ted Raimi, from the Xena series). Though the potential for a good movie was definitely there it fails to take off. A shame really... In a nutshell, it's not a movie you would want to add to your collection, but it might provide for an evening's entertainment, and that's about it. No masterpiece here... 2 Stars B00000F7E6:zzzzzzzzzzzz:john_jackson B00000F7E6 Cache (Hidden): DVD: Daniel Auteuil,Juliette Binoche,Maurice B nichou,Annie Girardot,Bernard Le Coq,Walid Afkir,Lester Makedonsky,Daniel Duval,Nathalie Richard,Denis Podalyd s,A ssa Ma ga,Caroline Baehr,Christian Benedetti,Philippe Besson,Loic Brabant,Jean-Jacques Brochier,Paule Dar ,Louis-Do de Lencquesaing,Annette Faure,Hugo Flamigni,Michael Haneke dvd 2 of 5 2.0 October 13, 2006 John Jackson los angeles Let me just preface my review with the fact that some of my favorite movies are incredibly slow and even "boring" to my friends. So it isn't the glacial pace of this movie that so bothered me. It isn't the unresolved ending that bothered me. It wasn't the violence (in short bursts.) It wasn't the acting (the acting was pretty good actually). But as a whole this movie was simply a tremendous failure. I didn't care who was sending the tapes and I didn't care what would happen with the main characters. They were unrelatable on just about any level. This movie is the kind where you will see a remotely interesting twist in the plot about 3/4's of the way in and you'll think, "wow I wonder where the story will go next". And then it doesn't. That was it. Very disappointing. I don't mind excruciatingly slow films as long as there's SOME kinda payoff in the end. I really don't understand all the acclaim that this movie got. As a "suspense" movie or as an "art" film it fails pretty miserably. The premise was a good idea that went nowhere...slowly. Viewer beware. B0001MZ7OQ:dont_waste_your_$$$:nicole_thomas B0001MZ7OQ Chick Fights: DVD: Chick Fights dvd 1 of 1 1.0 September 18, 2006 Nicole Thomas Spokane WA This movie sucks! It is fake, everything is staged. Chicks dont laugh when they fight, nor do they dress like strippers! B0001MZ7OQ:dont'_buy_this_dvd!:jon_d._mcnulty_"killer_marine" B0001MZ7OQ Chick Fights: DVD: Chick Fights dvd 15 of 16 1.0 October 16, 2005 Jon D. Mcnulty "Killer Marine" Okinawa, Japan This DVD sucks, all the "fights" are fake, retarted, drawn out fights with girls that are not attractive and it was the worst waste of time I've ever had in my life. I am now stupider for watching this DVD and buying it is on my list of regrets I have in life. I wish I could say the only good part was.... but THERE WAS NO GOOD PART. No shirts ripped off or good hits thrown, nothing. I am a Marine stationed in Japan looking for a DVD to enjoy and this is what I get. Where is the love B00008972P:a_film_that_you_already_seen_before:jenny_j.j.i._"a_new_yorker" B00008972P Killing Me Softly (Unrated Edition): DVD: Heather Graham,Joseph Fiennes,Natascha McElhone,Ulrich Thomsen,Ian Hart,Jason Hughes,Kika Markham,Amy Robbins,Yasmin Bannerman,Rebecca R. Palmer,Ronan Vibert,Olivia Poulet,Ian Aspinall,Helen Grace,Oliver Ryan,Donald Gee,Tim Faraday,Richard Green (XV),Lee Boswell,Patrick Field,Kaige Chen dvd 5 of 5 2.0 January 27, 2006 Jenny J.J.I. "A New Yorker" That Lives in Central Florida "Killing Me Softly" has one of those scripts that just don't give the audience a break - not only does it set up an improbable situation, but the big "twist" at the end is also mind-numbingly predictable (unless perhaps you haven't seen a thriller before in your life). The chemistry between the two leads is also lacking; Fiennes brings some physical magnetism to his role but as far as his acting is concerned, he's an inexpressive bloke, while Heather Graham is ALL TOO expressive - she overemphasizes every emotion her character is supposed to feeling by making faces at the camera. Besides, she's not even that attractive; even her co-star in this particular film, Natascha McElhone, blows her out of the water in that department. The ending is like when you have a 'jawbreaker' candy in your mouth, sweet and good in the beginning but when you get to the inside its bitter and sour. It was obvious towards the end of the movie that it would turn out like it did, I have seen quite a number of bad movies to figure it out so quickly In spite of all that, Chen Kaige's direction is good, and he creates some suspenseful moments. So I give the film a generous "** out of 5" rating. But if you're a Heather Graham fan you will like this movie since she is nude in many scenes; and for Joseph Fiennes fans you'll receive half naked perks. 0767815718:a_total_bomb!!:a_viewer_"a_viewer" 0767815718 Hush: DVD: Jessica Lange,Gwyneth Paltrow,Johnathon Schaech,Nina Foch,Debi Mazar,Kaiulani Lee,David Thornton,Hal Holbrook,Richard Lineback,Richard Kohn,Faith Potts,Tom Story,Jolene Carroll,Jacob Press,Joe Inscoe,Catherine Shaffner,Lenny Steinline,Rick Gray,Tom Holmes (III),Owen Valentine,Jonathan Darby dvd 2 of 4 1.0 August 9, 2005 a viewer "a viewer" antioch, tn United States Whatever possessed Jessica Lange to appear in this mess will never be known. The payoff at the end is a huge disappointment. Jessica Lange tries hard to bring the material up to her level but the script does her in. Gwyneth Paltrow is unbelievably bad. But I think this is not their fault. The screenplay and direction could have been better. This could have been a very good movie along the lines of "Misery" or "Fatal Attraction" but it fails in every department. As I said, the payoff at the end is a real disappointment. This film is a waste of time and money. Stay away from it! 0790732947:a_little_too_mean_for_its_own_good:j._merritt 0790732947 Addicted to Love: DVD: Meg Ryan,Matthew Broderick,Kelly Preston,Tch ky Karyo,Maureen Stapleton,Nesbitt Blaisdell,Remak Ramsay,Lee Wilkof,Dominick Dunne,Susan Forristal,Larry Pine,Debbon Ayer,Maurizio Benazzo,Paolo Calamari,Helmar Augustus Cooper,Tom Forrest (II),Shoshanna Gleich,Jacqueline Heinze,Mike Hodge,Daniel Dae Kim,Griffin Dunne dvd 4 of 5 2.0 April 10, 2006 J. Merritt Washington-Baltimore Corridor Kelly Preston and Tcheky Karyo are a New York City couple who come together after Preston leaves Matthew Broderick and Karyo uses Meg Ryan in order to get a Visa. Now Broderick and Ryan are teaming up to get even with their ex's. The problem is, the offenses they've endured (being dumped and being used) don't really warrant the horrible things they do to these two people, especially Karyo. Which is probably why first-time director Griffin Dunne used two such amiable stars in the feature roles. After all, how can we not root for Ferris Bueller and Harry's Sally? Unfortunately, it ends up being pretty easy not to root for them when their revenge is so excessive, the pace of the film is so uneven, and the script isn't particularly funny. There's a difference between black comedy and just mean-spirited comedy. Despite a handful of amusing moments and a few nice cinematic touches, this film does not walk that line very well B000B8QG22:not_as_avertised..editted_movie_:donald_l._gitchell B000B8QG22 Good Morning, Vietnam (Special Edition): DVD: Barry Levinson,Robin Williams,Forest Whitaker,Tung Thanh Tran,Chintara Sukapatana,Bruno Kirby,Robert Wuhl,J.T. Walsh,Noble Willingham,Richard Edson,Juney Smith,Richard Portnow,Floyd Vivino,Cu Ba Nguyen,Dan Stanton,Don Stanton,Danny Aiello III,John Marshall Jones,James McIntire,Peter Mackenzie,No Tran dvd 0 of 2 2.0 July 25, 2006 Donald L. Gitchell the movie is good except this version has been editted and cut out sceens, very disapointtin B00005T62K:a_merciful_two_star_rating;_look_for_future_arena_football_def._coor._stan_davis_as_1_child_actor_&_funny_bit_about_cheap_trick:ricahrd_a._salzer B00005T62K Fast Times at Ridgemont High: DVD: Amy Heckerling,Sean Penn,Jennifer Jason Leigh,Judge Reinhold,Robert Romanus,Brian Backer,Phoebe Cates,Ray Walston,Scott Thomson,Vincent Schiavelli,Amanda Wyss,D.W. Brown,Forest Whitaker,Kelli Maroney,Tom Nolan,Blair Tefkin,Eric Stoltz,Stanley Davis Jr.,James Russo,James Bolt (II),Nicolas Cage dvd 0 of 9 2.0 May 17, 2006 Ricahrd A. Salzer Chesapeake, Virginia, USA Surprisingly sleaze and Chauvinism by female Director Heckerling! She duplicated it in Chevy Chase vehicle National Lampoon's European Vacation too! Many child actors got their start here, but the thing that cracked me up, as I saw it when it came out (unfortu- nately) was the dialog of my fav band, Cheap Trick: Ticket scalper "...The magntism of Robin Zander and the charisma of Rick Nielsen...and what about the tunes, 'I Want You To Want Me, The Dream Police...nan-nan-nah, 'You're momma's alright, your daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird, Surrender, surrender...", before he's interrupted. If that isn't somebody's idea of 'Surrender', they've stumbled onto this review by mistake B0002B55WA:well,_if_you_are_a_true_beatle_fan....:chris_grasseschi B0002B55WA Beatles:Magical Mystery Tour: DVD: Beatles dvd 4 of 5 2.0 March 13, 2006 Chris Grasseschi Seattle, WA United States I have been a Beatles fan since 1964, and I have distinct memories of the band's influence on my young life. I saw Hard Day's Night, Help!, Yellow Submarine, and Let It Be in the theater when they were first released. This film has always been the Holy Grail of Beatle fandom. Now that I own it, I can honestly say I understand why it took so long to release it to the public. That thirty years of isolation, locked up in a vault somewhere in London, only improved its standing in my imagination, not on actual film. The BBC was right to bury this. As a film, or television special, it's horrible. But as a fan, I had to have it. Now, that's all I can say about it; I own it. When will Let It Be be released B00004TJKI:"just_answer_the_questions,_mr._paquette.__the_attorneys_will_provide_the_wisecracks."_:steven_y._"professional__imaginaut" B00004TJKI Anatomy of a Murder: DVD: James Stewart,Lee Remick,Ben Gazzara,Arthur O'Connell,Eve Arden,Kathryn Grant,George C. Scott,Orson Bean,Russ Brown,Murray Hamilton,Brooks West,Ken Lynch,John Qualen,Howard McNear,Alexander Campbell,Ned Wever,Jimmy Conlin,Royal Beal,Joseph Kearns,Don Ross,Otto Preminger dvd 2.0 November 19, 2006 Steven Y. "Professional Imaginaut" Yancy Street Upon its initial release, the attention that Otto Preminger's "Anatomy of a Murder" attracted due to its subject matter undoubtedly deflected some attention away from the fact that the film had its fair share of problems. When watched today after much of its scandalous elements have lost their power to shock, its meandering story and uneven characterizations are exposed front and center. Attorney Paul Biegler (James Stewart) is asked to defend Lieutenant Frederick Manion (Ben Gazzara) after a bar owner is found murdered. Manion claims that he committed the murder in a fit of rage after his wife, Laura (Lee Remick), was raped. While preparing his case for trial, Biegler finds that Laura is extremely difficult to work with because of her temperamental and flirtatious nature. Nevertheless, the resourceful attorney continues to work on exonerating his client even though it is not clear whether he and his wife are being entirely truthful with him. Stewart is his dependable self in "Anatomy of a Murder." In fact, his performance as an attorney who is not afraid to stretch the rules is the one saving grace of the film. There is little nuance in the performances of Gazzara and Remick and even the great George C. Scott misses the mark with an over-the-top effort. Yet, the problems with the acting is secondary to the unfocused screenplay. "Anatomy of a Murder" oftentimes seems more concerned with exploring the eccentric natures of its characters than in telling a good story. The investigation of the crime is done in a half-hearted manner and the mystery behind the dual crimes of the rape and the murder are never resolved to any satisfaction. For a film to run as long as "Anatomy of a Murder" does, one would think that there would be more than enough time to resolve all of the lingering questions posed by the film. Yet, this is not the case B000F8O2LU:gobbledygook_&_self-righteousness_&_pretentious_twaddle_make_for_a_terrible_movie:jonathan_lapin_"fletcher_rabbit" B000F8O2LU Syriana: DVD: Stephen Gaghan,Kayvan Novak,George Clooney,Amr Waked,Christopher Plummer,Jeffrey Wright,Chris Cooper,Robert Foxworth,Nicky Henson,Nicholas Art,Matt Damon,Amanda Peet,Steven Hinkle,Daisy Torm ,Peter Gerety,Richard Lintern,Jocelyn Quivrin,Mazhar Munir,Shahid Ahmed,Bikram Singh Bhamra,Roger Yuan dvd 2 of 9 1.0 November 6, 2006 Jonathan Lapin "fletcher rabbit" Brooklyn, NY USA there is a certain new-fangled school of screenwriting that thinks that if you put a bunch of characters on screen and have them make no sense of one another but sound as if theyre being profound, then they ARE. the prime example of this in recent years is the abominable "crash", but at least that was (somewhat) assuaged by strong performances. this -- arguably the worst "mainstream" motion picture of 2005 -- is redeemed by nothing. an excruciatingly long 2 hours, and as much as i (usually) enjoy george clooney, i might never forgive him for this drek B00004T342:boring_2_pack_set:maywefishnow_"handyman" B00004T342 The Astronomers: DVD: Vera C. Rubin,Tony Tyson,John Lowry Dobson,John E. Conway,Anthony C.S. Readhead,Richard Porcas,Tiziana Venturi,Paul Linford Richards,Andrew Lange,John C. Mather (II),Margaret J. Geller,John P. Huchra,Leonid Grishchuk,Kip Thorne,Stephen Hawking,Benjamin F. Peery,Leo Blitz,Hans Bethe,Michael A. Dopita,David Manchester,Christine Z. Wiser,James F. Golway,Julio Moline dvd 0 of 8 2.0 February 17, 2006 maywefishnow "handyman" nj,usa viewed it 1st was disappointed knodded my head in disbelief while watching,waiting,hoping!!!,the second time i tried to keep awake but could not keep my eyes open long enough, must of been those gravity waves in interstellar space out there in umm well you get the picture.My advise is for you to save your money and buy comos (the best imo)To be honest, i couldn't wait to sell it used at a $10 lose through amzn.the following week(they get a commission for sold items)nonetheless,i am content i no longer own it.Next time i will rent before purchasing on amzn. Just So you know, "cosmos" i can watch over and over for years as this was my first box set from amzn..the late carl sagans"cosmos" blows away "the astronomer" B0000TG95G:this_movie......stinks:elizebeth_neumann B0000TG95G Overnight Delivery: DVD: Paul Rudd,Reese Witherspoon,Christine Taylor,Sarah Silverman,Buffy Sedlachek,Richard Cody (II),Gary Wolf,Carl Anthony Payne II,Tim McNiff,Gale Plewacki,Tamara Mello,John Sylvain,William Byrd Wilkins,John Beasley,Larry Drake,Jack Walsh,Tobin Bell,Stephen Yoakam,Bruce Bohne,Maile Flanagan,Jason Bloom dvd 4 of 16 2.0 October 16, 2004 Elizebeth Neumann Seattle, wa I am really wondering about the people who have reviewed this and gave it such good ratings.Ive been looking at their other reviews trying to understand what it is they like. Because this movie STINKS! Im a huge Reese Witherspoon fan and I like Paul Rudd so I rented this movie and thought it would be good. Oh boy I was wrong. The charachters are over the top and the story is just cheesy. Im all for a good fun, romantic comedy. I like "Win a date with Tad Hamilton" but this is just awful. Reese plays a stripper (somehow it just doesnt work)who helps the dorky hopeless Rudd dump then win back his girlfriend. All the time there is a package to stop hence the name "Overnight Delivery". The story could have worked but it just doesnt. The premise is good and there are parts that are somewhat ammusing but overall it sucks. I would reccomend this movie to anyone who liked the Sarah Michelle Gellar movie "Simply Irresistable". If you happened to like that movie with the magical little crab. If you disliked it as I did then stay away. B000066NSL:how_to_destroy_your_career_in_one_simple_movie:trevor_willsmer B000066NSL The Vanishing: DVD: Jeff Bridges,Kiefer Sutherland,Nancy Travis,Sandra Bullock,Park Overall,Maggie Linderman,Lisa Eichhorn,George Hearn,Lynn Hamilton,Garrett Bennett,George Catalano,Frank Girardeau,Stephen Bridgewater,Susan Barnes,Rich Hawkins,Michael Kaufman,Sabrena Roddy,Andrea Lauren Herz,Joanne Schmoll,Allison Barcott,George Sluizer dvd 5 of 13 1.0 November 5, 2005 Trevor Willsmer London, England George Sluizer's original Dutch-French version of The Vanishing (aka The Man Who Wanted to Know) offers one of European cinema's most quietly disturbingly anonymous and everyday sociopaths, feeling his way one step at a time towards murder. If you've seen that version, you probably still can't get the final revelation out of your head, but the film had plenty more to offer than that, playing with chronology, subverting the usual cliches of its 'Lady Vanishes' plot (the hero wants to know what happened to his missing lover far more than he wants her to be alive) and throwing in some excellent characterization. I can only assume that for this 1993 US remake Sluizer was so determined that no-one else was going to get the chance to ruin his film when he was perfectly capable of doing it himself, but few people could have anticipated how comprehensively he trashes his own work. His career never recovered. Chief culprit is an astonishing performance by Jeff Bridges that has been overthought through in every detail to a truly disastrous level. A friend who produced one of his earliest movies noted that Bridges was a great instinctive actor as long as you stopped him thinking about what he was doing, and this film is the proof of the pudding. Every movement is overly mechanical in its precision, making him look like a rusty clockwork toy, while his voice is a bizarre mixture of Tootsie, Latka Gravas from Taxi and a Dalek who have all been taking elocution lessons from Dok-tah E-ville. No banality of evil here, just a looney walking around with an invisible sign over his head saying "Please. Let. Me. Kill. You. Thank you. For your. Consideration.' But the blame really needs to be shared out here. None of the performances are good: often, they don't even look good - Keifer Sutherland looks more like a baby hamster than a distraught man at his wits end in the hurried scenes at the gas station, Nancy Travis flounders badly and Sandra Bullock makes no impression at all as the object of his obsession. Not that they're given any help by either director or writer Todd Graff. The script is particularly weak. The chronology has been altered to put the focus firmly on Bridges at the expense of the couple at the opening of the film. Worse is the rush the film is in, draining the life and character from each scene in its race to get to the next. Rather than the high/low mood shifts in the couple's relationship or the apparently casual but careful establishing of the feel of the location, we just get a couple of arguments that give you the impression that he's probably better off without her. As for the new and improved happy ending - standard woman chased by nutter in the woods jeopardy stuff complete with lame `let's end on a joke like a TV cop show' moment - best not go there... which is advice that holds for this entire trainwreck of a movie. Even a shockingly bland and uninspired Jerry Goldsmith score can't do anything for this one. B000EDWLUA:misses_the_point:haizen B000EDWLUA The Real Da Vinci Code: DVD: Tony Robinson,Richard Barber (III),Thomas Bridwell,Ann Graham Brock,Thierry Vregil,Henry Lincoln,Margaret Starbird,Michael Baigent,Dan Brown (VI),Jean-Luc Chaumeil,Elaine Pagels,Philippe de Cherisey,Juliet Wood,Pierre Plantard,Arnaud de S de,Charles Nicholl,G rard de S de,Kashaf Chaudhry dvd 18 of 45 2.0 May 19, 2006 Haizen While some critics can argue with Dan Brown's research and reasoning on certain historical points, one thing these Da Vinci "debunking" presentations will never be able to refute is this: the downplaying of the feminine role in western civilization and Christianity, primarily by the Catholic Church, and the fact that the Church still considered Mary Magdalene a common prostitute until just a few short years ago: 1969. Nor is it possible to refute the recent polymorphously perverse scandals that have rocked the Church after centuries of suppression and may have everything to do with the doctrinal distortions that Dan Brown has brought out in the open for serious review. This institution is in trouble because it is seriously out of balance with itself and has cut off its spiritual nose to despite its face by downplaying or denigrating the role of women as sacred beings and bearers of the Light, when their healthy presence is needed more than ever as a corrective to some of these abuses and scandals. Dan Brown has done the world a great service by showing how the feminine role in the divine was written out 2000 years ago, with help from Peter whose misogynistic views of women are plainly evident in the scriptures even today and are still, quite frankly, shocking and debasing. Sorry, but upon this "Rock" of male dominancy was built the Church. Thank you again, Dan Brown, by bringing these matters into the light of day so people can know more of their authentic history or at least do their own research to make up their own minds about which spiritual path is best for them and which ones were built on two millenniums worth of manipulations, obscurations and lies. These obscurations and lies happened through the efforts of a group of petty, insecure and misguided men down through the centuries to ensure their dominance and control over the masses, and they found a way to dominate not only the minds of the masses but their vast material resources, worth trillions, through guilt, control and other hidden but consistent abuses of power. And those of orthodox faith who continue to blindly support such hypocritical institutions have a lot more to answer for than any twenty Dan Browns put together. People are angry and they are angry at the failure of religion to live up to its own standards of behavior and for distorting what may have been Jesus' actual relationship with the women in his life--or were the disciples just supposed to be members of a exclusive Men's Club with Jesus as head and women as a species relegated to second class citizenship? To answer these questions, some of you will finally have to turn to your own heart and mind for a change instead of some literal interpretation of the truth, because not everything of the light is found in scriptures or on the printed page, especially after the scriptures have been selectively riddled with scissors for reasons of self-interest or from spiritual corruption. The next thing people should ask for is to have the vaults of the Vatican thrown open for public view. Lord only knows what plunder they contain 0792844882:showgirls_-_disc_problems:james_vantrain 0792844882 Showgirls: DVD: Elizabeth Berkley,Kyle MacLachlan,Gina Gershon,Glenn Plummer,Robert Davi,Alan Rachins,Gina Ravera,Lin Tucci,Greg Travis,Al Ruscio,Patrick Bristow,William Shockley,Michelle Johnston,Dewey Weber,Rena Riffel,Melissa Williams,Ungela Brockman,Melinda Songer,Lance Davis,Jack McGee,Paul Verhoeven dvd 1 of 1 1.0 November 3, 2006 James Vantrain Tarzana, CA USA I enjoyed the movie even though I was only able to watch it in segments. The first time I tried to watch it, after about 20 minutes, the screen went to digital gibberish and my DVD player hung up so that I couldn't even open the tray to remove the disc or turn off the power. I had to unplug the DVD player, wait, and replug the power cord to remove the disc. Overnight, I decided I needed to replace my DVD player. However, the next morning, I tried a different DVD and it worked fine. It still works fine on all my other DVDs. I complained to your customer service people and they were nice enough to send me a replacement copy of Showgirls. Unfortunately, this one has the same problem. It plays for several minutes and then goes to gibberish and hangs my DVD player. I gave up on the problem at this point and decided to just get through my life without Showgirls. I use my DVD player almost every day and it works fine except when I try to watch Showgirls B000J103OI:the_devil_bores_read-a_and_moviego-a:david_zimmerman B000J103OI The Devil Wears Prada (Fullscreen): DVD: Meryl Streep,Anne Hathaway,Emily Blunt,Stanley Tucci,Adrian Grenier,Tracie Thoms,Rich Sommer,Simon Baker,Daniel Sunjata,Jimena Hoyos,Rebecca Mader,Tibor Feldman,Stephanie Szostak,David Marshall Grant,James Naughton,Colleen Dengel,Suzanne Dengel,Eric Seltzer,David Callegati,Alexie Gilmore,David Frankel dvd 2 of 5 2.0 November 5, 2006 David Zimmerman Baton Rouge, LA USA I read the book and saw the movie, which other than title and major characters, have little in common. I can't say I really liked either. The book is a little funnier. My major learning from the whole project was when "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" taught me about "roman a clefs", of which "Devil" is one. Perhaps if I had more interest in the fashion industry, I'd have been more fascinated by the inside look that "Devil" provides. Meryl Streep is very good as the apparently soulless Miranda Priestly, editor-in-chief of Runway magazine, but somehow she's never quite devil enough. Anne Hathaway is passable in her second (or third) "made over princess" role. The minor characters, including the wonderful Tracie Thoms as "best friend" Lily, are mostly wasted. B000FBFUHM:what?:kit B000FBFUHM Wolf's Rain: Anime Legends Complete Collection Vol. 1: DVD: Tensai Okamura,Mamoru Miyano,Kenta Miyake,Akio Suyama,Hiroki Shimowada,Arisa Ogasawara,Unsh Ishizuka,Mitsuru Miyamoto,Kaho K da,Takaya Kuroda,Mayumi Asano,Atsuko Tanaka,Maaya Sakamoto,Paul Stephen,Mike Reynolds,Kim Strauss,Johnny Yong Bosch,Peggy O'Neal,Lia Sargent,Michael Forest,William Knight (III) dvd 7 of 12 1.0 August 20, 2006 Kit some hell dimension I was under the impression that this was the entire series. I finally, after many issues, got my set and unwrapped it, and my heart sank audibly when I saw "Complete Collection I". I popped the last disk in and lo and behold, it wasn't the full series afterall. 630542800X:say_what....?:yygsgsdrassil_"yygsgsdrassil" 630542800X Albino Alligator: DVD: Matt Dillon,Faye Dunaway,Gary Sinise,William Fichtner,Viggo Mortensen,John Spencer,Skeet Ulrich,Frankie Faison,Melinda McGraw,M. Emmet Walsh,Joe Mantegna,Doug Spinuzza,Spencer Garrett,Enrico Colantoni,Tulsy Ball,Travis Appel,Brad Koepenick,Jock Worthen,Willie C. Carpenter,Alexander Smith,Kevin Spacey dvd 0 of 1 2.0 June 8, 2004 yygsgsdrassil "yygsgsdrassil" Crossroads America ....the ultimo movie about a bungled heist job and the crooks are holed out somewheres is....Reservior Dogs. This has great actors in it...I enjoyed seeing, f'instance, Dame Dunaway...but, she, Sinise, Dillon, Mantegna, and perpetual co-lister Faison had a poor dialog to work with. Imagine if QT had written it. Or, my favorite tough guy screenwriter, David Mamet. Fortunately though, Spacey will have something to build on develop a director's repertoire.. B000CNER1S:it_doomed_alright:b._e_jackson B000CNER1S Doom (Widescreen Unrated Extended Edition): DVD: Karl Urban,The Rock,Rosamund Pike,Dexter Fletcher,Ben Daniels,Al Weaver,Richard Brake,Yao Chin,Razaaq Adoti,Deobia Oparei,Brian Steele,Robert Russell (VIII),Daniel York,Ian Hughes (VI),Sara Houghton,Blanka Jarosova,Vladislav Dyntera,Petr Hnetkovsky,Jaroslav Psenicka,Marek Motlicek,Andrzej Bartkowiak dvd 2 of 2 2.0 September 28, 2006 B. E Jackson Pennsylvania During my teenage years I was a fan of WWF wrestling and specifically, the Rock. He was a tremendous wrestler who the fans admired right away because of his talent to be extremely funny on the microphone and cut some of the funniest, most disgusting lines ever mentioned on WWF TV. His talent in the ring was spot-on, and the Rock would always give the people everything he had when it came time to step in the ring and compete. He rarely made a mistake in the ring... but he made a HUGE mistake stepping away from wrestling and walking down the path to Hollywood. It's not that Doom is really a bad movie. Sure, it was a movie considered a disappointment right from the get go because no one wanted to watch it at the movie theaters. It's just a normal, monster-shooting film that delivers a tiny amount of suspense, and that's it. I'm sure the movie would've been big had it been released 10 years ago. Todays generation is probably sick of go-nowhere do-nothing action films such as Doom. Okay, so it DOES go somewhere, but the film isn't really designed to build to an awe-inspiring creative story. Doom is the kind of movie you don't really want to seek out- you just happen to come across it at the video store and decide you need a quick 90-minute action fix, so you rent the movie, watch it, and then forget about it the next morning. Of course, I'm sure you don't forget to rewind the tape because that's impolite. The Rock never should have left wrestling. It was a bad career move and the millions of wrestling fans (and the Rock means MILLIONS) really miss him. Come back home, Rock. Please B00004UF13:barberella_psychadela_it's_not:spencer_hollander_"spence" B00004UF13 My Stepmother Is an Alien: DVD: Richard Benjamin,Dan Aykroyd,Kim Basinger,Jon Lovitz,Alyson Hannigan,Joseph Maher,Seth Green,Ann Prentiss,Wesley Mann,Tony Jay,Peter Bromilow,Nina Henderson,Harry Shearer,Adrian Sparks,Juliette Lewis,Tanya Fenmore,Karen Haber,Amy Kirkpatrick,Suzie Plakson,Robert Benedetti,Jim Doughan dvd 0 of 2 2.0 October 24, 2005 spencer hollander "spence" cedar rapids, IA The opening strip scene is reminiscent of Barbarella - too bad those aren't Basinger's legs though. Nerdy scientist falls for galactic beauty as presented by Kim Basinger. I have never understood Ackroyd's characters. And keeping in form, he is once again as unfunny as mud. Basinger tries so hard - too hard - to rescue this film, but that's no small task considering the ineptness of this way silly film. OK so she munches on batteries, and thinks she has to cook everything in the kitchen at mealtime. She seems a genuine Betty Crocker given that her favorite foods are nuts and bolts. Jon Lovitch also tries to prop up Ackroyd and this weak script. However, his contribution seems way overstated to me. He doesn't have much to do. Funny are the scenes inwhere the teenage girl eventually decides that her step-mother is not like other people. Basinger's character has a magic purse with an annoying creepy critter in it who tells her what to do. Think, Jar-Jar Blinks. I suppose it's OK as a backdrop for housecleaning. But that's it. Flat and mechanical B00005JM5Q:dissapointed:christina_m._baker B00005JM5Q Ella Enchanted (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Anne Hathaway,Minnie Driver dvd 1.0 October 28, 2006 Christina M. Baker Ella Enchanted has been my favorite book for years and when I heard that they were going to make it into a movie, I was estatic. I marked the movie release date on my calander, got my tickets in advance, and waited on pins and needles on the way to the theater. The movie was a huge dissapointment. While I wasn't expecting the movie to be just like the book, I certainly wasn't expecting that. While the movie itself was funny and an overall good movie, I hated it because it was absolutley nothing like the book. The only common thread I found were the names of the characters and the fact that Ella was cursed from birth. I suggest that you go and read the book if you enjoyed the movie, it is far better with an increadible story line and an ending that still brings me to tears, despite the fact that I've read it over 100 times B0002XEEAM:leary_stand_up_-_not_funny:judy_dunbar B0002XEEAM Denis Leary: DVD: Denis Leary dvd 2.0 November 5, 2006 Judy Dunbar Minnesota, MN Enjoyed Leary's Rescue Me and The Job so much but was really disappointed in his stand up - not funny and over done B00005UWN6:stick_with_the_classic_"the_bad_seed"_instead:john_d._page_"movie_fan" B00005UWN6 The Good Son: DVD: Macaulay Culkin,Elijah Wood,Wendy Crewson,David Morse,Daniel Hugh Kelly,Jacqueline Brookes,Quinn Culkin,Ashley Crow,Guy Strauss,Keith Brava,Jerem Goodwin,Andria Hall,Bobby Huber,Mark Stefanich,Susan Hopper (II),Rory Culkin,Christopher C. Murphy,Joseph Ruben dvd 3 of 5 1.0 May 21, 2006 John D. Page "movie fan" usa this must have seemed like a great idea at the time,"cast culkin against type as a killer child and show his range as an actor". the problem is his range is all the way from a to b. this movie never explains how or why the boy turns killer and asks us to except one too many "chance" happenings. in the end all we get is this "thriller"(and i use the term very loosely)that thinks just the idea of culkin as a killer is thrilling B00004W4GT:pretty_woman_meets_toxic_tort:m._clemmensen_"mary" B00004W4GT Erin Brockovich: DVD: Julia Roberts,David Brisbin,Dawn Didawick,Albert Finney,Valente Rodriguez,Conchata Ferrell,George Rocky Sullivan,Pat Skipper,Jack Gill (II),Irene Olga L pez,Emily Marks,Julie Marks,Scotty Leavenworth,Gemmenne de la Pe a,Erin Brockovich-Ellis,Adilah Barnes,Irina V. Passmoore,Aaron Eckhart,Ron Altomare,Charles John Bukey,Steven Soderbergh dvd 4 of 10 2.0 January 23, 2006 M. Clemmensen "Mary" River Grove, IL United States Even though I would agree that "Erin Brockovich" is an entertaining movie, Julia Roberts performance in it is no more Oscar-worthy than was her performance of a prostitute in "Pretty Woman." I am second to no one in enjoying a good "David and Goliath" story, but this movie has such shaky roots in reality, it is more of a tall tale, than the "true" story of a historic class action suit that, I would imagine, left more unhappy plaintiffs, than it did satisfied ones. However, as the movie title implies, this is indeed Erin Brockovich's story, in the same way that the "Xena" character is the main attraction in "Xena: Warrior Princess" (though it should be noted that Xena's wardrobe is considerably more modest than that of the Erin Brockovich character). Erin Brockovich is a vain, brassy, boorish, single mother of three young children, with no marketable work skills, a transparently opportunistic manner, who dresses very much the same way as the prostitute character Roberts played in "Pretty Woman" (prior to Richard Gere's character taking her on the infamous Rodeo Drive shopping spree). The movie's beginning finds Erin unemployed and pursuing a personal injury lawsuit in connection with an automobile accident; her lawsuit is lost, primarily thanks to her own disastrous testimony (swearing, cursing and shrieking from the witness stand) while being questioned by opposing counsel. Unbelievably, Erin parlays the failed lawsuit into a job at her attorney's (played by Albert Finney) firm, mainly by pushing her way into the office and ensconcing herself at a desk. Later, while handling the paperwork for a run-of-the-mill, pro bono, real estate sale, Erin discovers the file contains the seller's medical records, that, for reasons she (correctly) does not understand, seem to be of particular interest to the buyer, the mega utility company, Pacific Gas and Electric. Erin independently embarks on her own personal investigation of the case and discovers that PG&E had (for decades) negligently contaminated the ground water (surrounding one of their power plants in/near Hinkley, CA on the edge of the Mojave Desert) with toxic, hexavalent chromium. This discovery leads to the queen mother of all class-action lawsuits (at least in terms of the award), in which hundreds of Hinkley residents sue PG&E (by and through the representation of Erin's boss) in a toxic tort action that eventually nets a 330 million dollar settlement for the plaintiffs. Roberts gives a photogenic, if not especially gifted, performance in her role as Erin. The movie contains a plethora of flattering shots of Roberts (literally gushing out skin-tight, low-cut, bustier-inspired "work clothes" that would never be permissible attire for any employee of a law firm on this planet) as she engages in warm and fuzzy discourses with the unsuspecting and unsophisticated Hinkley residents. While there is much to be said for Erin's apparent drive and tenacity as she pursues the plaintiffs in the suit, she is not an especially likeable character; rather, she is rude, verbally abusive and only conciliatory and kind when and if it serves her interests. Albert Finney is considerably more appealing and believable as Ed Masry, the aged and weary attorney who is Erin's boss. The bantering that occurs between the two is generally amusing; unfortunately thanks to the inept direction and camera work, the focus for these scenes seems to be more on Roberts (strutting about in short leather skirts and noisy, five-inched-heeled mules) than on the sometimes-interesting personality dynamics that seemingly exists between the two characters. Aaron Eckhart plays the affable, gentle biker and next-door-neighbor, George, who becomes Erin's boyfriend-by-convenience. The "convenience" factor is totally one-sided and for Erin's benefit exclusively; she unabashedly uses George for free, live-in childcare, thereby giving her the necessary freedom to assist Masry as they put together the historic case. Erin eventually winds up receiving a staggering two million dollar "bonus" check (from Masry) when the tort action case settles; contrastingly, George gets a "thanks" for his nanny services from Erin and his walking papers. The plaintiffs in the case are an assortment of simple individuals with unpretentious outlooks on life, who have been dealt a dirty hand by the utility giant. Though the Hinkley residents are sympathetically portrayed, make no mistake-this movie is about Erin Brockovich (indeed, I do not think there is a single scene in which the chacracter is not present) and less about the brave struggles with life-threatening, generation-spanning illnesses that the real-life plaintiffs were forced to face, due to the toxicity in their water source. Erin Brockovich is presented to the viewing audience (in typical Hollywood fashion) as a sort of heroine; but in fairness it would seem more accurate to say that she was a woman who indiscriminately used people, walked on others when necessary and seized opportunity after opportunity until she eventually struck it lucky and got rich. Is the movie entertaining-absolutely. Inspiring- not even slightly. B000929UOQ:please_make_it_end!!!:l_gontzes B000929UOQ A Dirty Shame (NC-17 Rated Theatrical Version): DVD: Tracey Ullman,Johnny Knoxville,Selma Blair,Chris Isaak,Suzanne Shepherd,Mink Stole,Patricia Hearst,Jackie Hoffman,Nicholas E.I. Noble,Lucy Newman-Williams,Scott Morgan,Wes Johnson,David A. Dunham,David Moretti (II),Jeffrey Auerbach (II),Susan Allenback,Paul DeBoy,Channing Wilroy,Rosemary Knower,Jewel Orem,John Waters dvd 3 of 15 1.0 July 21, 2006 L Gontzes Athens, Greece There are no words to describe how AWFUL (!!!) this "movie" was from beginning to end, but let me try anyway so as to give people a fair chance to avoid it and thus try and prevent their day/evening from being ruined: the film supposedly deals with a woman who has an accident and is "touched" by a sex angel only to discover she is a sex addict and the twelfth sex apostle... Need I say more? The plot, the "humor," the dialogues, and the music are way beyond "below average." There is next to no nudity and there are no, I mean 0 as in ZERO beautiful girls, in this film! As for the acting-oh my- the acting is beyond words... School plays (and pre-school for that matter) have better actors! It is truly sad... Rent or buy (ha ha ha) at your own risk. You have been warned! B000929UOQ:what_the...:christopher_j._thomas_"texaslonestar36" B000929UOQ A Dirty Shame (NC-17 Rated Theatrical Version): DVD: Tracey Ullman,Johnny Knoxville,Selma Blair,Chris Isaak,Suzanne Shepherd,Mink Stole,Patricia Hearst,Jackie Hoffman,Nicholas E.I. Noble,Lucy Newman-Williams,Scott Morgan,Wes Johnson,David A. Dunham,David Moretti (II),Jeffrey Auerbach (II),Susan Allenback,Paul DeBoy,Channing Wilroy,Rosemary Knower,Jewel Orem,John Waters dvd 2 of 13 1.0 April 4, 2006 Christopher J. Thomas "texaslonestar36" SAN ANTONIO, TX THIS MOVIE IS NOT VULGAR NOR DOES IT RATE NC17...DONT BELIEVE THE HYPE. CHECK OUT PINK FLAMINGOS INSTEAD, NOW THAT IS A VULGARLY RIGHTEOUS MOVIE BY WATERS AND THE WITH THE GODDESS OF FILTH..DEVINE B000929UOQ:ripoff:carl_j._kline B000929UOQ A Dirty Shame (NC-17 Rated Theatrical Version): DVD: Tracey Ullman,Johnny Knoxville,Selma Blair,Chris Isaak,Suzanne Shepherd,Mink Stole,Patricia Hearst,Jackie Hoffman,Nicholas E.I. Noble,Lucy Newman-Williams,Scott Morgan,Wes Johnson,David A. Dunham,David Moretti (II),Jeffrey Auerbach (II),Susan Allenback,Paul DeBoy,Channing Wilroy,Rosemary Knower,Jewel Orem,John Waters dvd 7 of 22 1.0 December 29, 2005 Carl J. Kline Placerville, CA USA I watched this movie all the way through only because I paid $22.00 plus shipping and felt I should give it every chance to redeem itself. It is a stinker and if there were minus number ratings I would give it -10!! Rated "R" for what? Language? Adult content? I have seen Disney films more deserving of the "R" rating. This movie was silly, definitely not entertaining in any way and I threw it in the same bucket I put my dog's crap in when I clean up the yard. I am a Chris Isaak fan, have all his CDs and went to his concert on December 9. The fact that he would associate himself with this garbage has changed my view of him and unfortunately, even his music. I did not find the film offensive, I enjoy hard core porn. I feel this is a rip off, poorly done in all aspects and highly do not recommend it to anyone!!! B000FA57M6:it_doomed_alright:b._e_jackson B000FA57M6 Doom [HD DVD]: DVD: Dexter Fletcher,Ben Daniels,Razaaq Adoti,Karl Urban,The Rock,Rosamund Pike,Deobia Oparei,Richard Brake,Al Weaver,Yao Chin,Tony Pierce-Roberts,Clint Mansell,Andrzej Bartkowiak,Derek Brechin dvd 2 of 2 2.0 September 28, 2006 B. E Jackson Pennsylvania During my teenage years I was a fan of WWF wrestling and specifically, the Rock. He was a tremendous wrestler who the fans admired right away because of his talent to be extremely funny on the microphone and cut some of the funniest, most disgusting lines ever mentioned on WWF TV. His talent in the ring was spot-on, and the Rock would always give the people everything he had when it came time to step in the ring and compete. He rarely made a mistake in the ring... but he made a HUGE mistake stepping away from wrestling and walking down the path to Hollywood. It's not that Doom is really a bad movie. Sure, it was a movie considered a disappointment right from the get go because no one wanted to watch it at the movie theaters. It's just a normal, monster-shooting film that delivers a tiny amount of suspense, and that's it. I'm sure the movie would've been big had it been released 10 years ago. Todays generation is probably sick of go-nowhere do-nothing action films such as Doom. Okay, so it DOES go somewhere, but the film isn't really designed to build to an awe-inspiring creative story. Doom is the kind of movie you don't really want to seek out- you just happen to come across it at the video store and decide you need a quick 90-minute action fix, so you rent the movie, watch it, and then forget about it the next morning. Of course, I'm sure you don't forget to rewind the tape because that's impolite. The Rock never should have left wrestling. It was a bad career move and the millions of wrestling fans (and the Rock means MILLIONS) really miss him. Come back home, Rock. Please B0000A2ZNP:hard_people_to_like.:nom-de-nick_"nom-de-nick" B0000A2ZNP Regarding Henry: DVD: Harrison Ford,Annette Bening,Michael Haley,Stanley Swerdlow,Julie Follansbhee,Rebecca Miller,Bruce Altman,Elizabeth Wilson,Donald Moffat,Mikki Allen,Aida Linares,John MacKay,Mary Gilbert,Peter Appel,Harsh Nayyar,John Leguizamo,Harold House,Robin Bartlett,Cynthia Martells,James Rebhorn,Mike Nichols dvd 1 of 11 2.0 February 16, 2005 nom-de-nick "nom-de-nick" United States The film has its amusing and even touching points, but not very many. The big problem with RH is that neither Ford or Benning are sympathetic characters. Henry is just the kind of self-important, ego-bloated, smug, arrogant, cold-blooded corporate ass that's helped step on working people for real, so it's really hard to feel anything for him, shot or not. He's arrogant even with a gun pointed at him, and the fact that it takes a bullet in his brain to even make him consider acting human is, if you think about it, appalling. And his wife is, in a way, even worse; she accepts his character so she can have all the material things it buys and status is provides. She goes into a panic when she thinks they may have to give anything up, and doesn't become "normal" ntil much later. Only their daughter has any heart at all. Maybe a better ending would've been Henry's not making it, Bening going nuts from losing her stuff, and the kid being placed in a foster home with the kind of people her parents should've been from day one. Barely watchable. B0001IN080:amatuer_camera_man.:mommyofchristopher_"mommyofchristopher" B0001IN080 Come Fly With Me: DVD: Michael Bubl dvd 8 of 8 1.0 May 7, 2006 mommyofchristopher "mommyofchristopher" United States Love Michael Buble, but this was more like a home made movie of someone using their camcorder from the audience. Parts of Michael's head was cut off, and then; sometimes, his whole head was cut off. Most of the time, the camera man didn't expect where Michael was going to move to and you'll get a jerky movement of the camera man trying to get Michael back into the picture. I wish they would have said in the description that this was more of a documentary than a concert. That this was just home made videos. This was definitely not worth $20. If you want a professional quality concert, I would recommend buying Michael Buble's Caught in the Act. Caught in the Act was worth the $20 bucks. You get professional camera men who anticipated Michael's movements, and parts of his head was never cut off like Come Fly with Me's DVD. Also, the sound quality on Caught in the Act was way better. Now, I understand why some places sold Come Fly with Me DVD's and had the word enhanced after it. The DVD that I received was not enhanced. Anyways, skip this one, and get "Caught in the Act" instead. B000AQ68XC:will__the_real_herzog_please_emerge.:george_black_"e._cartan" B000AQ68XC The White Diamond: DVD: White Diamond dvd 0 of 26 2.0 February 27, 2006 George Black "E. Cartan" Seattle, Wa. This was so messy and Mr. Dorrington so over the top in hi self promotion. YUK.!..my partner and I were disgusted. He and his deceased friend/photographer are the rotten people who enter jungle animal habitats and cause the animals so much stress as to charge at them and these creeps can take photographs and brag-Degenerates for sure.Too damn bad for your buddy. It was obvious this was not quite of the caliber daring/bold/ and challenging as some of Herzogs past films. We have been fans for 20+ years. Looks like he did it for the money and Dorrington rode Herzogs coatails in a way. Geez..I had just watched March of the Penguins and Wings of Migration and those! are truly documentaries made by film experts. The babbling and rambling on in The White Diamond made me pity Herzog. He did it for the $ maybe.Dorrington yammers on and on in such a disgusting way I suggest you turn the sound off and fast forward to the end shots of the waterfall and the swifts. Hey Dorrington-Who cares about you? Herzog..Get out of California before you rot B00005JKHX:not_what_i_remembered:j._knox_"media_addict" B00005JKHX UHF: DVD: Weird Al Yankovic,Michael Richards dvd 0 of 1 2.0 November 3, 2006 J. Knox "media addict" NY I remember LOVING this movie and all of its silliness. I recently made it a nostalgia purchase and realized-it isn't that great. but my 6 year old LOVED it and continues to watch it all the time. My child is now a Weird Al Fanatic...and I am ok woth that B0002V7U0A:goes_too_fast:m._ball B0002V7U0A Leap Frog - Math Circus: DVD: Leapfrog dvd 7 of 10 1.0 February 27, 2006 M. Ball This DVD covers addition from 1 plus 1 to 3 plus 3 plus 3 in about 60 seconds! It does not give enough BODY to the addition explanation and is hard to follow. It was a pure waste of money B00081U6EG:horrible_dvd:glen_hobin B00081U6EG The Strat Pack: Live in Concert: DVD: Various Artists dvd 4 of 9 1.0 October 19, 2005 Glen Hobin Do not buy this DVD as it is a total waste of money,Joe Walsh can be heard on a much better DVD with Eagles Farewell 1 Melbourne,Au. This DVD DOES NOT have DTS 5.1 Audio format as advertised B00020HB3W:just_not_for_me:ronnie_clay_"r.c." B00020HB3W K Street - The Complete Series: DVD: Mary McCormack,John Slattery,Roger Guenveur Smith,James Carville,Mary Matalin,Michael Deaver,Steven Soderbergh dvd 0 of 13 1.0 June 30, 2005 Ronnie Clay "R.C." Winnsboro, Louisiana This show is so boring all it's about is poltics. What was HBO thinking having the one of the oddest shows out, it doesn't play no background music even when it's going off. And all the people do on that show is argue like petie little children, in one episode I found very shocking to hear was from a blond hair woman saying the two oldest sons of Saddam Hussian that died they made their bodies into make up she said it's so (Queer Eye for the Straite Guy) and another episode she call a gay a fag, I didn't know she had that in her. What I found weird was why would actor George Clooney would talk what the show is all about during previews, he has nothing to do with political things. Thank god "K-Street" never did get a second season B000BYY11Y:hysterical_mother_is_vindicated_(yawn):charles_r._williams B000BYY11Y Flightplan (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Robert Schwentke,Jodie Foster,Peter Sarsgaard,Kate Beahan,Erika Christensen,Jana Kolesarova,Marlene Lawston,Sean Bean,Greta Scacchi,Michael Irby,Assaf Cohen,Christian Berkel,Shane Edelman,Mary Gallagher (III),Haley Ramm,Forrest Landis,Judith Scott,John Benjamin Hickey,Matthew Bomer,Gavin Grazer,Christopher Gartin dvd 2.0 November 16, 2006 Charles R. Williams Akron, OH United States Jodie Foster is excellent but there is no doubt that the daughter will be found on the plane at the end. The only mystery is in the details. No real suspense. I found the plot to be a little farfetched B000BZISVM:two_hours_i'll_never_get_back.:g._smith_"gayeld" B000BZISVM Blood and Wine: DVD: Jack Nicholson,Stephen Dorff,Jennifer Lopez,Judy Davis,Michael Caine,Harold Perrineau,Robyn Peterson,Mike Starr,John Seitz,Marc Macaulay,Dan Daily,Marta Velasco,Thom Christopher,Mario Ernesto S nchez,John Hackett,Hector Montano,Vanessa L. Hernandez,Carmen L pez,Antoni Corone,Jim Torres Towers,Bob Rafelson dvd 2 of 10 1.0 February 6, 2006 G. Smith "gayeld" Sacramento, CA This has to be one of the worst movies I've ever seen. The only thing that stopped me from demanding my money back at the end was the fact that I saw it in a free sneak preview. By the end of movie you don't like any of the characters and you don't care what happens to them, even the ones that started out sympathetic and likable. The third time Jack Nicholson's character gets beaten with his own golf clubs you're torn between wishing they'd just kill him already and wishing they'd kill you instead so you don't have to sit through anymore of this crap. Save your time and your money, turn around and walk away from this one. I wish I had B000AABCU2:the_emperor's_new_clothes:david_cattell B000AABCU2 The Deer Hunter (Universal Legacy Series): DVD: Robert De Niro,John Cazale,John Savage,Christopher Walken,Meryl Streep,George Dzundza,Chuck Aspegren,Shirley Stoler,Rutanya Alda,Pierre Segui,Mady Kaplan,Amy Wright,Mary Ann Haenel,Richard Kuss,Joe Grifasi,Christopher Colombi Jr.,Victoria Karnafel,Jack Scardino,Joe Strnad,Helen Tomko,Michael Cimino dvd 5 of 18 2.0 July 2, 2006 David Cattell Australia Despite managing to give fleeting impressions of importance and quality, this film is a complete put-on. The long "set-piece" scenes (wedding, Russian roulette, etc.) are much discussed, usually either in the context of being "essential for character development" or "boring". In fact they're a delaying mechanism behind which the filmmaker attempts to hide his lack of storytelling skills. Once he does try to move things along, awkwardly jumping without explanation or exposition from one bloated set-piece to another, you can see the reason for his procrastination - despite being desperate to give the impression of profundity and truth, he really has nothing to say. The actors go a long way toward diverting attention from the film's awkward vacuousness, by giving false and short-lived impressions of character and narrative, but this falls apart whenever the filmmaker attempts to make anything "happen" narrative-wise. 2 stars is rather generous, but De Niro, Walken and company deserve some recognition for some good acting, albeit for such a misguided cause. Ultimately, despite some controversy, many of the film's questionable portrayals of Vietnam, Vietnamese, America, Americans and war are to be condemned more for their cinematic silliness than for their historical inaccuracy B0009WPL5I:this_star_does_not_shine:esteemed_protector B0009WPL5I Childstar: DVD: Kristin Adams,Gil Bellows,Brendan Fehr,Niv Fichman,Victoria Fodor,Dave Foley,Johnny Goltz,Noam Jenkins,Mary Kitchen,Jennifer Jason Leigh,Don McKellar,Michael Murphy,Peter Paige,Toby Proctor,Mark Rendall,Stefanie Samuels,Eric Stoltz,Alan Thicke,Matt Watts,Tracy Wright dvd 0 of 1 2.0 May 30, 2006 Esteemed Protector So-So story about a man's relationship with a less than pleasant child star and said child star's mother. Like that old Dickie Roberts movie, it tries to say something about the plight of former and soon to be former child stars, but does not do a good job of it. Mickey Rooney and Shirley Temple, where are you when we need you? B00004Y7JN:a_good_soundtrack_in_search_of_a_movie.:b._schneider_"pinscratch" B00004Y7JN Jude: DVD: Christopher Eccleston,Kate Winslet,Liam Cunningham,Rachel Griffiths,June Whitfield,Ross Colvin Turnbull,James Daley,Berwick Kaler,Sean McKenzie,Richard Albrecht,Caitlin Bossley,Emma Turner (II),Lorraine Hilton,James Nesbitt,Mark Lambert,Paul Bown,Amanda Ryan,Vernon Dobtcheff,David Tennant,Darren Tighe,Michael Winterbottom dvd 1 of 4 2.0 May 5, 2006 B. Schneider "pinscratch" OKC, OK USA About the only thing this movie has going for it is the excellent music. The producers of this film are out of their mind if they expect any viewer who's not screwed-up in the head to feel sorry for the two stupid main characters just because their sick, incestuous, and adulterous lifestyle is incompatible with the world they live in. If you want to leave your entertainment center in a good mood, don't watch this B0009ML2UG:who_wrote_this?__:california B0009ML2UG One Last Dance: DVD: Thom Allison,Jamie Bishton,Kathryn Bradney,George De La Pena,Nancy Drake,Aundra Ford,Daniel Heifetz,Elena Heifetz,Muriel Hogue,Tai Jiminez,Desmond Richardson,Stephanie Slater (II),Marie Stillin,Bambi Swayze,Patrick Swayze,Rasta Thomas,Matthew Walker,Timothy Webber,Stefan Wenta dvd 1 of 1 1.0 November 9, 2006 California CA United States Waste of time. I turned it off. The "extra features" were slightly interesting. The actual film was just a vehicle for the creators to show themselves dancing. A vanity piece. Why not present just the dance and save us from excruciating, badly-written melodrama. Don't bother B0002W4SWC:disappointed_pride_and_prejudice_fan:caroline_campbell_"lover_of_classics" B0002W4SWC Bridget Jones's Diary (Collector's Edition): DVD: Sharon Maguire,Ren e Zellweger,Gemma Jones,Celia Imrie,James Faulkner,Jim Broadbent,Colin Firth,Charmian May,Hugh Grant,Paul Brooke,Felicity Montagu,Shirley Henderson,Sally Phillips,James Callis,Charlie Caine,Gareth Marks,John Clegg,Salman Rushdie,Embeth Davidtz,Matthew Bates (II),Jeffrey Archer dvd 0 of 2 1.0 November 8, 2006 Caroline Campbell "lover of classics" Memphis, TN This Pride and Prejudice fan was hoping for a modern-day movie with a storyline much closer to Pride and Prejudice. Even Colin Firth could'nt save this one for me! On its own I found it sadly lacking in just about everything I look for in a romantic comedy including romance and humor. If you are a true Pride and Prejudice fan, I recommend buying the BBC series and the 2005 movie version. Both are excellent. I would'nt waste my time again with this one B0002W4SWC:all_the_clever_british_humor_can't_save_this_one...:eduardo_nietzsche B0002W4SWC Bridget Jones's Diary (Collector's Edition): DVD: Sharon Maguire,Ren e Zellweger,Gemma Jones,Celia Imrie,James Faulkner,Jim Broadbent,Colin Firth,Charmian May,Hugh Grant,Paul Brooke,Felicity Montagu,Shirley Henderson,Sally Phillips,James Callis,Charlie Caine,Gareth Marks,John Clegg,Salman Rushdie,Embeth Davidtz,Matthew Bates (II),Jeffrey Archer dvd 0 of 2 2.0 September 13, 2006 Eduardo Nietzsche Houston If this movie were set in the US, I would've given it 1 star but the British accent, humor, and colloquialisms partially saved it...but not enough, sorry to say! Why not? Because despite a few mildly surprising and utterly contrived plot twists here and there, this film is still built on a particularly toxic myth: the desperately lonely and insecure 30-something single woman who is made to be as endearingly pathetic as possible for the audience to root for her inevitable finding by a Mr. Right. Here, the film accomplishes that by making the central character tubby, clumsy, and possessing ridiculously bad luck and ill timing. Almost from the first 5 minutes, this movie just reeks of focus-group-inspired audience manipulation as it slogs through the same old trite cliches and recycled TV-sitcom bits. Was there even ONE half-original character in this whole movie? Don't remember any...maybe because I'd like to forget this dreadful cringe-fest of a flick ASAP B00003JRCQ:did_they_read_the_book?:liz_bennet_"liz" B00003JRCQ Persuasion: DVD: Amanda Root,Ciar n Hinds,Susan Fleetwood,Corin Redgrave,Fiona Shaw,John Woodvine,Phoebe Nicholls,Samuel West,Sophie Thompson,Judy Cornwell,Simon Russell Beale,Felicity Dean,Roger Hammond,Emma Roberts,Victoria Hamilton,Robert Glenister,Richard McCabe,Helen Schlesinger,Jane Wood (II),David Collings,Roger Michell dvd 1 of 4 2.0 November 8, 2006 Liz Bennet "Liz" Orange County, CA it seems like the actors didn't even read the book before they decided how to play their parts! amanda root is terrible as anne elliot... overly timid and shy... captain wentworth isn't at all handsome or dashing... and when they finally get together at the end, it's so awkward, bland, and unclimactic you wished you'd never watched the movie because it so tainted the way you saw that moment as you read it in the book... some people might have liked it, but i definitely didn't. to get an idea of the adaptions of jane austen i did like, i liked the keira knightley and the colin firth versions of pride and prejudice. this movie could have been bette B00003JRCQ:good_story_idea._wooden_acting.:reliable_reviews B00003JRCQ Persuasion: DVD: Amanda Root,Ciar n Hinds,Susan Fleetwood,Corin Redgrave,Fiona Shaw,John Woodvine,Phoebe Nicholls,Samuel West,Sophie Thompson,Judy Cornwell,Simon Russell Beale,Felicity Dean,Roger Hammond,Emma Roberts,Victoria Hamilton,Robert Glenister,Richard McCabe,Helen Schlesinger,Jane Wood (II),David Collings,Roger Michell dvd 2 of 2 2.0 October 3, 2006 Reliable Reviews Carmel Valley, California Apparently, this is a film that many women, who have read the book, can make enjoyable. Characters, including Anne & the Captain, display wooden acting. Poker-faces. Others speak at a clipped pace. The properness of the times allowed for personality, as shown well in "Pride & Prejudice" 1996 & 2006, but not here. Shyness, plainness, or slowness, may be portrayed likeably, with some personality. Both Anne & the Captain maintain wide-eyed, desperate, looks, constantly. Many of us do get nervous within romance; but we are compelled, by conversation, and activity, to interrupt our nervousness with personality. Thus, Anne's & the Captain's constant, wide-eyed, nervousness is un-natural. All of us at the age of Anne and the Captain, would have refined our nervousness to be responses of: shyness, thought, distance, hopefulness, approval, or alarm. You understand the quiet thoughts, because of the story, in spite of the confusing, paralyzed, looks; rather than because of them. You come to like Anne and the Captain toward the end, in spite of the wooden acting, because of the story's ending. This film has pretty scenery; such as walks along the ocean. The costumes are often very unique and well done. There is beautiful singing in one scene, and even better, wonderful singing over the closing credits. Good period, romance films are so few, and so desired, that many women labor to imagine this film better than it is. I applaud their positive imaginations. However, they continued their fanciful, wishful, thoughts into rating this film. A reviewer, who liked the film, says she had read the book, and she cites a huge amount of important background from the book that is not shown in the film. A poor script for those who have not read the book. Awful directing made awful acting. I would like to see this good story re-made by a better Director. Well-made romance films are: "Pride & Prejudice", "Wives & Daughters", "North & South". Fairly made is "Under the Greenwood Tree" B000087F7Q:fictionally_tragic:kevin_r._austra B000087F7Q Auto Focus: DVD: Greg Kinnear,Willem Dafoe,Rita Wilson,Maria Bello,Ron Leibman,Bruce Solomon,Michael E. Rodgers,Kurt Fuller,Christopher Neiman,Lyle Kanouse,Donnamarie Recco,Ed Begley Jr.,Michael McKean,Cheryl Lynn Bowers,Don McManus,Sarah Uhrich,Amanda Niles,Kelly Packard,Jeff Harlan,Kevin Kilner,Paul Schrader dvd 1.0 October 1, 2006 Kevin R. Austra Delaware Valley, USA All of us have a dark side. Unfortunately AUTO FOCUS focuses on this small subset of actor Bob Crane's life and expands it out of proportion. In doing so the movie reduces the other voluminous and interesting aspects of Crane's life and career as window dressing. Even the screenplay is, at best, an uneducated guess at the evening escapades of Bob Crane and John H. Carpernter -- since both are deceased with the former murdered and the latter the twice-accused murder suspect. In viewing this film I knew that it would involve some of Crane's extracurricular activities. My interest in the film was as a HOGAN'S HEROES fan and hopeful that the movie would spend more time on the back stage politics and production of the successful six-year series. Bob Crane's professional credits alone would make for a good film. AUTO FOCUS unfortunately revolves around Crane's so-called "secret life" and is little more than a product for the risque film crowd. Facts are facts and there are established truths about Bob Crane's private life. AUTO FOCUS, however, should be approached as a fictionalized story straight out of a grocery store scandal magazine. You are better off spending your time and money buying the DVD releases of the HOGAN'S HEROES television series. B000087F7Q:we_don't_care:r._a_rubin B000087F7Q Auto Focus: DVD: Greg Kinnear,Willem Dafoe,Rita Wilson,Maria Bello,Ron Leibman,Bruce Solomon,Michael E. Rodgers,Kurt Fuller,Christopher Neiman,Lyle Kanouse,Donnamarie Recco,Ed Begley Jr.,Michael McKean,Cheryl Lynn Bowers,Don McManus,Sarah Uhrich,Amanda Niles,Kelly Packard,Jeff Harlan,Kevin Kilner,Paul Schrader dvd 0 of 6 2.0 May 9, 2006 R. A Rubin Eastern, PA United States I was optimistic for Greg Kinnear once. He was very funny ragging on Soap Soup. He usually plays the nice-guy second banana in film or a man dying of AIDS. Auto Focus gave him a chance to portray a 1960's TV icon, Hogan, in Hogan's Heroes. The replication of the original cast is a bit eerie. After all, these actors dress up as German prison guards. A chill goes down my spine, but Hogan's was a comedy, which made the series kind of a curiosity beyond the silly caricatures of those funny SS guys. Anyhow, Bob Crane played Hogan for six years and Kinnear badly imitated. Yes, I'm sorry to say, Kinnear is awful as Crane, which puts a damper on the bio-flick. Here's a disc jockey with semi-hip 60's patter on the air with an All American family, a loving wife and cute kids. They live like Ozzie and Harriet in the LA burbs, going to Catholic Church on Sunday. Crane lands his big break, falling for the trappings of fame. Most people fall for the trappings of fame. Read the supermarket check out magazine racks. So all of a sudden, Crane's garage porn collection isn't enough. Women, very beautiful, Hollywood loose-morals women find Crane and his buddy William Defoe irresistible. The birth of the video camera comes into play. The trouble with the script or maybe it's the cardboard way Kinnear acts, we watch, but in the end, we don't care. B000051S3A:dopey_50's_sit_com:jmark2001 B000051S3A My Little Margie - DVD Collection #1: DVD: Hillary Brooke,Gertrude Hoffman,Hal Yates,Nate Watt dvd 3 of 31 2.0 December 15, 2003 Jmark2001 Florida This has not aged well. The scripts are silly, the acting is of the "chewing up the scenery" variety. Gale Storm no longer seems cute; she comes across as annoyingly perky. Spend your money on something else B000AGTPUA:appalling_excess:lighten_up_already2_"lighten_up_already2" B000AGTPUA The Polar Express (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition): DVD: Tom Hanks,Leslie Harter Zemeckis,Eddie Deezen,Nona Gaye,Peter Scolari,Brendan King,Jimmy 'Jax' Pinchak,Andy Pellick,Josh Eli,Mark Mendonca,Rolandas Hendricks,Mark Goodman (VI),Jon Scott (VI),Gregory Gast,Sean Scott,Gordon Hart (II),Michael Jeter,Chris Coppola,Julene Renee,Charles Fleischer,Robert Zemeckis dvd 2.0 November 19, 2006 lighten_up_already2 "lighten_up_already2" Kirkland, WA USA I just watched this movie version of the classic childrens' book with my wife. Here are my gut impressions: First, very little is true to the book. That's not really a gut impression. That's the impression I got hearing my wife say "That's not in the book...that's not in the book..." Actually this movie is more like a computer animation demo than a vehicle for story telling. It makes for beautiful stills and pictures, and those made me want to see the movie. I expected a heart warming Christmas story, and what I got was about an hour of frantic scenes of out-of-control railroad and other technology animated like never before with just enough pauses betwen them to remind me why I'm watching. You get to see... A kid chasing a ticket through a train, A kid chasing a ticket over the roof of a train, A ticket making its way through the forest -- Rube Goldberg style -- back to the train, (Forty minutes into this movie and one girl's train ticket is the star of the show!) OK, the ticket sub plot is resolved and we have... A train sliding out of control on the ice, A train trying to outrun cracks on the ice, A train going full throttle out of control and racing up and down mountain valleys like a roller coaster (fans of the "coaster tycoon" series of computer games will feel right at home) until finally it arrives at the North Pole. Then, the train car with the central character kids gets detached so we have... A train car running out of control through Santa's village, Kids getting lost in the Christmas present manufacturing plant and falling through the chutes and machinery of the factory, and then... Kids getting lost in a bag of presents that is taken by a flying machine to Santa's sled launching pad where the star at the top of the tree is dislodged and nearly impales an innocent elf. Ho ho ho. At least let me have a joystick and a couple of buttons so I can help these kids out! It's like a computer animated train wreck in fast motion. You know it's awful but you can't look away! And, you'd better think twice before letting any very young children see this. It could be very frightening on a big screen with the volume turned up. My wife and I were going to watch it with our three and six year old sons, and we were very glad that we didn't. So, what could have been a classic, enduring, and endearing compliment to a classic childrens' Christmas story is little more than a great line for some computer animator to have on his or her resume. Two thirds of this movie is devoted to stuff that doesn't advance the story or develop the characters one bit. Whatever a "character driven" story is, this is the opposite. Never have I seen so many rendered pixels doing so much and accomplishing so little. I'd rather set up my old American Flyer electric trains and let them run around the tree while I read the book to my kids. B000AGTPUA:disappointing........._very_disappointing:lily_young B000AGTPUA The Polar Express (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition): DVD: Tom Hanks,Leslie Harter Zemeckis,Eddie Deezen,Nona Gaye,Peter Scolari,Brendan King,Jimmy 'Jax' Pinchak,Andy Pellick,Josh Eli,Mark Mendonca,Rolandas Hendricks,Mark Goodman (VI),Jon Scott (VI),Gregory Gast,Sean Scott,Gordon Hart (II),Michael Jeter,Chris Coppola,Julene Renee,Charles Fleischer,Robert Zemeckis dvd 3 of 8 1.0 October 22, 2006 Lily Young Boulder, CO The picture book of the same name by Chris Van Allsberg is one of my favorite Christmas stories of all times. So I was pretty excited to hear Hollywood was making a movie version and a great actor like Tom Hanks was a leading participant. What a disappointment! The movie's tone is empty and wintery at best and at worst downright creepy. There are macabre touches throughout the movie with the most memorable being a mysterious hobo (apparently supernatural?) who appears on top of the train from time to time and utters interesting Christmas messages such as "Do you believe in Ghosts?" The "lighter" scenes are so frenzied and overblown they do nothing to give the viewer a more cheerful holiday feeling. Admittedly I saw the movie in DVD format on the small screen and I am told many of the scenes played better in 3D. Yet "The Polar Express" still remains a highly unusual and uniquely unmerry Christmas movie especially for a presumed target audience of families with young children. B000BMY2NS:a_detriment_to_the_environmental_movement:niburu B000BMY2NS Grizzly Man: DVD: Franc G. Fallico,Amie Huguenard,Timothy Treadwell dvd 2 of 2 1.0 November 1, 2006 Niburu n. cali This film is a tough one to review. The film itself is amazing. So therefore, I should give it high marks. The problem is that what most people seem to be getting from this is that all environmentalists are wackos, and there is no way we can cohabitate with nature (as if we came from outer space or something). That is a bad and dangerous message, and so I feel it is appropriate here to give this 1 star based upon that. Amazing footage, but ultimately does nothing but further the sensationalism required to seek and destroy more animals and natural habitats. How many grizzlies are hunted down and killed every year vs. how many humans are killed by grizzlies every year? Then take into account the fish we killed off because of dams, pollution, and over fishing that destroy the bears food source. How many grizzlies kill humans vs. how many cars kill humans? Shouldn't we all be more scared of cars? I agree with the other reviewers that have said that this guy is cracked and self-serving. We can co-exist with nature, but not in the way this nutjob tries to do it. Native Americans (whom we also destroyed) co-existed with them for thousands of years. They respected the grizzly. This guy no more respects the grizzly than does the cancerous civilization he condemns. Treadwell was very conflicted and troubled. Not that we aren't all troubled, not that we all don't deal with failure and disappointment, not that a good rant doesn't make you feel better from time to time, but he had a death wish, and this was really just suicide by bear the way I saw it. Am I the only one that noticed he seemed very at odds with his sexuality? Lastly, in some of the interviews, well, they were just weird and contrived, like they were acting. These weird people in this film do nothing but harm the cause B0000CGD0U:this_movie_is_a_clunker:dexbet_"dexbet" B0000CGD0U I'll Be There: DVD: Charlotte Church,Craig Ferguson,Jemma Redgrave,Joss Ackland,Ian McNeice,Imelda Staunton,Stephan Noonan,Ralph Brown dvd 1.0 November 16, 2006 Dexbet "dexbet" Colchester, Vermont United States Wasted talent. None of the characters are believable in the roles they are portraying. Some funny stuff. Craig Ferguson can do better. Charlotte Church should stick to singing as acting is not her forte. Every thing in this movie seems forced and there is no chemistry between the characters B0000CGD0U:i'll_be_there..._but_not_for_long:e._a_solinas_"ea_solinas" B0000CGD0U I'll Be There: DVD: Charlotte Church,Craig Ferguson,Jemma Redgrave,Joss Ackland,Ian McNeice,Imelda Staunton,Stephan Noonan,Ralph Brown dvd 6 of 13 2.0 April 7, 2005 E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" MD USA There's a reason why they talk about the "Voice of an Angel" -- it's because Charlotte Church certainly doesn't have the acting presence of one. Her acting debut "I'll Be There" is proof enough -- only the presence of its star got this tepid little drama into theatres, where it rapidly dropped out of sight. Rightly so. Seventeen years ago, Paul Kerr (Craig Ferguson) of the Love Rats had a fling with a groupie at a concert. Fast forward to the present: Kerr discovers that unknown to him, his ex Rebecca (Jemma Redgrave) gave birth to a daughter, Olivia (Charlotte Church), who is now a well-adjusted paper girl. The problem is, Olivia has been kept a secret from her dad. Rebecca is embittered, but Kerr wants to get to know his daughter, and similarly Olivia wants to get to know her father. Music seems to be the thing that will bring the angel-voiced girl and the burned-out rocker together, but Rebecca doesn't want her child to follow in her father's footsteps. "I'll Be There" was hyped months in advance as being inspired by the life of actress Liv Tyler, who, despite being only in her twenties, has had an immensely interesting life. Well, maybe someday she WILL get a biopic, because "I'll Be There" is only similar in one way: It involves a rock star and his daughter. Otherwise, it is boring in about every way that Tyler's life is interesting. With a forgettable script, not much humor and a goofy premise, the movie doesn't have a lot going for it -- it reads like a disgruntled teenager's absurdist fantasy, scripted for Church to act out. And not a terribly interesting teenager, either. It gets increasingly ridiculous when Olivia decides to pursue music to bond with Daddy Dearest; it's an obvious ploy to show off Church's vocal skills. The best that can be said of Church's performance is that at times she looks sweet. As for acting talent, she is bland at best, but she does perform some good songs, and her voice is as pretty as ever. Just watch the songs and fast-forward her actual scenes. Redgrave does as good a job as she can, and Ferguson wrings some pathos from his performance as an aging rocker. His is the only memorable role in the film, and it's a shame that the movie didn't focus on him rather than the dull Miss Church. Miss Church appears to have chosen a role that glorifies her in the middle of an atrocious film -- also known as the Britney Spears approach. "I'll Be There," but I promise I'll get out as soon as I can B000HC2LIK:hmm..._:matthew_dickinson B000HC2LIK Blade Runner - The Director's Cut (Remastered Limited Edition): DVD: Harrison Ford,Rutger Hauer,Sean Young,Edward James Olmos,M. Emmet Walsh,Daryl Hannah,William Sanderson,Brion James,Joe Turkel,Joanna Cassidy,James Hong,Morgan Paull,Kevin Thompson (II),John Edward Allen,Hy Pyke,Kimiko Hiroshige,Bob Okazaki,Carolyn DeMirjian,Kelly Hine,Jiro Okazaki,Ridley Scott dvd 5 of 8 2.0 September 30, 2006 Matthew Dickinson Georgia The old DVD from 1997 looks better than the new HD version. I've compared the two, and the first DVD had good color saturation, dark blacks and looked right with the heavy red and brown palette. The HD version has a blue-green haze covering everything and the picture is too bright. They also removed the film grain and made the image look smooth and creamy. The sound quality is better now, though, and the image of course is higher resolution. B00008HC9Y:there_is_only_one_reason_to_watch_this_event...:presypclhs B00008HC9Y WWE Royal Rumble 2003: DVD: Kurt Angle,Chris Benoit,Paul Levesque,Mark Calaway,Scott Steiner,Lance Storm,Darren Matthews (II),Mark LoMonaco,Devon Hughes,Paul Wight,Torrie Wilson,Chris Jericho,Brock Lesnar,Shawn Michaels,Chris Nowinski,Jason Reso,Oscar Guti rrez (III),Salvadore Guerrero Jr.,Adam Copeland,Yoshihiro Tajiri,Kevin Dunn (III) dvd 1 of 1 2.0 February 8, 2006 presypclhs New Jersey USA This was probably the worst Royal Rumble in history. It featured three very bad matches, one decent one, a lousy Royal Rumble and an absolutely amazing match. Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show, Royal Rumble Qualifier This match was absolutely awful. The Big Show is a decent wrestler, but Brock Lesnar is absolutely terrible. A predictable ending made this match all the worse. This match is like watching a tumble weed. The Dudley Boys (C) vs. William Regal and Lance Storm This was a fairly decent match. Regal and Storm are very good wrestlers and in the tag team forum, the Dudleys can hold their own. Its sad though that this was the second best match on the card. Nice surprise ending though. Torrie Wilson vs. Dawn Marie If you take out the fact that Torrie Wilson and Dawn Marie are very nice to look at, this match is worthless. Unless you are really bored dont even bother watching this. Triple H (C) vs. Scott Steiner Triple H did all he could to save this one, but Steiner really cant wrestle anymore. I remember back in the early 90s where Scott Steiner was one of the best wrestlers in the game. Now he can hardly even move. This match really isnt worth seeing, yet its still better than some of the other matches on the card. Kurt Angle (C) vs. Chris Benoit There is no way to fairly describe this match. It was outstanding, phenomenal, amazing, incredible, brilliant. These two guys know how to wrestle and they put on a clinic. This match is easily one of the greatest wrestling matches of all time, and shows that you dont need steroids and steel chairs to put on an amazing match. Angle and Benoit are the two best wrestlers in the business and this match is proof. 2003 Royal Rumble Match This match was decent alright. There werent any really good spots. It was fairly boring all the way through, and highly predictable. It got a little interesting when the final five were in, Rob Van Dam, Kane, Undertaker, Batista and Lesnar. Unfortunately, Lesnar is an awful wrestler and he looked pathetic out there with other talented wrestlers. A guy like Brock should never be in the Royal Rumble. It's sad when the worst wrestler by far in the match wins. Its sad that an event with one of the greatest matches of all time gets only a 2 out of 5 rating, but theres nothing much to watch here other than Benoit/Angle. As I said, the Rumble was poor, the undercard was weak, and several of the matches were downright awful. The Benoit DVD has the Angle/Benoit match. Buy that. This isnt worth your money B0000687DV:racist_jokes_unfunny:a._o._akemu B0000687DV Jamie Foxx - I Might Need Security: DVD: Jamie Foxx,Chuck Vinson dvd 3 of 6 2.0 October 28, 2005 A. O. AKEMU Groningen Let's face it; some of the jokes are funny. The one about Mike Tyson been like someone else's bulldog let loose in the room was really funny. I also found the bit about Bill Clinton and Osama Bin Laden also funny. However, Jamie dwells too much on the fart joke. How can you tell a fart joke for 6 minutes? After 2 min it becomes worn and so "unfunny". Why does he repeat himself so much with that line, "I am not saying she's a crackhead, just a bit crackish"? It sounds very rehearsed after the second time. If it were only for these errors I would have found the jokes altogether acceptable. What I found completely unacceptable were the racist jokes that he made against Arabs. I am black myself but found some of the jokes about Islam and Arabs to be in bad taste. Jamie could not even get an Arab accent right. C'mon, guys the accent Jamie pulled was an Indian accent and not an Arab accent. I kept asking myself, "what would black people do if a white comedian (say Robin Williams) makes the same crude jokes about black people?" Would it be acceptable?". I think not. I am sure the black press would slaughter Robin if he did. I wish to call a spade a spade. Nonsensical, crude racist jobs against any ethnic group (black, white, Asian and yes Arabs) are not funny. They degrade and demean. For not even managing to get an Arabic accent, Jamie deserves 2 stars from me. B00005JN8S:will_not_purchase_double_sided_dvd's_again...:w._c._rees B00005JN8S Murder, She Wrote - The Complete First Season: DVD: Angela Lansbury,William Windom dvd 5 of 7 2.0 March 14, 2006 W. C. Rees Memphis I enjoy the initial season of Murder She Wrote very much. My wife and I are getting pretty good at discovering new clues to Who Dun IT. Frequently, though, it gets very frustrating to have the picture freeze or scramble up. Often the audio gets out of synch with the video. Terrible! We surely wanted to go ahead and order the second seasons, but now -- about 3/4 the way through, I think we'll just skip on buying these cheap double sided DVD's B0000VLKW6:yoga_complete_for_weight_loss:nicole_robinson_"nikki" B0000VLKW6 Yoga Complete for Weight Loss: DVD: Yoga for Weight Loss dvd 2 of 8 2.0 February 17, 2006 Nicole Robinson "Nikki" New York I, too, found this DVD a bit boring. The instruction for each pose took forever, even in the challenging workouts. While in-depth explanation is useful for beginner or even intermediate practices, I didn't feel it was necessary for the challenging sequence. Also, I did not feel as if there was any flow to this DVD. B0000VLKW6:skip_this!:intermediate_yogini B0000VLKW6 Yoga Complete for Weight Loss: DVD: Yoga for Weight Loss dvd 3 of 11 1.0 June 5, 2005 Intermediate Yogini Los Angeles Terrible voice, depressing indoor scenery, incredibly disjointed routines. Don't bother with this one! Save your money 6304696574:well_made_and_stylish_._._._:maskirovka 6304696574 Tequila Sunrise: DVD: Mel Gibson,Michelle Pfeiffer,Kurt Russell,Raul Julia,J.T. Walsh,Arliss Howard,Gabriel Damon,Arye Gross,Garret Pearson,Eric Thiele,Tom Nolan,Dawn Martel,Lala Sloatman,Budd Boetticher,Ann Magnuson,Kenny Moore,Jason Randal,Bob Swain,Jim Bentley,Eric Waterhouse,Robert Towne dvd 3 of 7 2.0 February 11, 2005 Maskirovka Alexandria, VA USA But for me at least, I found it rather hard to root for Mel Gibson's character, given the fact that he was a major, major drug dealer. When the movie ended with him more or less riding off into the sunset with Michelle Pfeiffer and all the loot, I didn't find myself feeling exactly uplifted by it. Given the fact that the movie bent over backwards to depict Gibson as a loving father, a phenomenally successful businessman, and a super-stud, one might fairly say that this movie glamorizes drug-dealing B00008L3TE:i_turned_it_off_half_way_through.:dhaval_vyas B00008L3TE The Big One: DVD: Elaine Bly,Dan Burns,Chip Carter,Jim Czarnecki,Robert Dornan,Joel Feick,Steve Forbes,Bev Jacowski,Richard Jewell (II),Garrison Keillor,Andy Crash Kelly,Phil Knight,Tia Lessin,Mike McCurry,Diane Mitchell,Rick Nielsen,Jerry Springer,Studs Terkel,Armstrong Williams dvd 4 of 21 1.0 November 23, 2005 Dhaval Vyas Dallastown, PA U.S.A Michael Moore can be really funny at times, but most people should not take this goofball too seriously. About half way through 'The Big One', I turned it off because I did not find it the least bit funny and I didn't know where Moore was going. What is the point of putting in a pointless sequence where he is talking to the guitar player of Cheap Trick? This is not one of his better films 6305127654:disappointing:steven_hellerstedt_"sh" 6305127654 Twilight: DVD: Paul Newman,Susan Sarandon,Gene Hackman,Reese Witherspoon,Stockard Channing,James Garner,Giancarlo Esposito,Liev Schreiber,Margo Martindale,John Spencer,M. Emmet Walsh,Peter Gregory,Rene Mujica,Jason Clarke,Patrick Malone,Lewis Arquette,Michael Brockman,April Grace,Clint Howard,John Cappon,Robert Benton dvd 3 of 17 2.0 September 30, 2004 Steven Hellerstedt "SH" Paul Newman plays a burned-out private eye and Gene Hackman and Susan Sarandon are a movie-star couple with a long-buried dark secret. Too implausible, too many overdrawn secondary characters. A rental at best 630542828X:read_the_book:robert_a._taylor_jr._"skeedog98" 630542828X A Civil Action: DVD: John Travolta,Robert Duvall,Tony Shalhoub,William H. Macy,Zeljko Ivanek,Bruce Norris,John Lithgow,Kathleen Quinlan,Peter Jacobson,Mary Mara,James Gandolfini,Stephen Fry,Dan Hedaya,David Thornton,Sydney Pollack,Ned Eisenberg,Margot Rose,Daniel von Bargen,Caroline Carrigan,Paul Desmond (II),Steven Zaillian dvd 0 of 7 1.0 April 24, 2005 Robert A. Taylor Jr. "skeedog98" Charleston, SC Don't bother wasting your time with this movie, instead read the book. The book was one of the best I have ever read, the movie left me wanting. I rented the movie after reading the book and never made it all the way through. So maybe I am being unfair since I did not watch the whole movie, but honestly I couldn't, it just didn't do the story justice B00064LJVO:total_garbage:krexel B00064LJVO The Village (Full Screen Edition) - Vista Series: DVD: Jayne Atkinson,Adrien Brody,Frank Collison,Jesse Eisenberg,Brendan Gleeson,Judy Greer,Charlie Hofheimer,Bryce Dallas Howard,William Hurt,Cherry Jones,John Christopher Jones,Fran Kranz,Joaquin Phoenix,Michael Pitt (II),Pascale Renate Smith,Scott Sowers,Zack Wall,Sigourney Weaver,Celia Weston dvd 1 of 4 1.0 November 4, 2006 krexel California This movie is the most boring, uninteresting piece of garbage I have ever wasted my money on. The plot is stupid, the characters are dull and insipid, and the whole movie leaves you asking, as the credits run, "So What?" Don't waste your money! B00008DDWQ:times_like_this_amazon_needs_a_no_star_option:brian_k._bearse_"brigamer" B00008DDWQ Rip It Off: DVD: Jennifer Esposito,Alyson Hannigan,Steve Harris,Nastassja Kinski,Brian McCardie,Todd Field,Michael Cole (III),Alexis Denisof,Chris Ellis,Marcos A. Ferraez,Sophie B. Hawkins,Toby Huss,Freddy Rodr guez,Jose Yenque,Sandra Gould (III),Stanley Ross (II),Jack Wallace,Eric Winzenried,Clabe Hartley,Roxanne Hart,Gigi Gaston dvd 1.0 September 6, 2006 Brian K. Bearse "brigamer" boston, ma I myself am a huge Buffy/Angel fan, I had read the reviews here and I thought it was worth a shot seeing it. Well The script was terrible, the story even worse, direction - don't get me started. One reviewer said it, it was like they didn't know whose point of view to choose. The soundtrack was awful. The ending was sooo stupid. did anyone else see the people at the docks leaning against the rail as three people are shot in front of them... they just keep standing there. Like nothing is happening. I really haven't seen a movie this bad in... well... EVER!! Oh and Alyson Hannigan's acting was way better in My stepmother is an alien. I think she was about 13 in that role. Don't get me wrong she's a extremely talented actress... I blame it on the script. rent it, don't buy it. You'll be embarassed to own it. I am B00008DDWQ:forgettable....:gergellor B00008DDWQ Rip It Off: DVD: Jennifer Esposito,Alyson Hannigan,Steve Harris,Nastassja Kinski,Brian McCardie,Todd Field,Michael Cole (III),Alexis Denisof,Chris Ellis,Marcos A. Ferraez,Sophie B. Hawkins,Toby Huss,Freddy Rodr guez,Jose Yenque,Sandra Gould (III),Stanley Ross (II),Jack Wallace,Eric Winzenried,Clabe Hartley,Roxanne Hart,Gigi Gaston dvd 1 of 2 1.0 July 30, 2005 Gergellor Supimpal ndia If you are willing to risk to watch this movie, just a warning: it's really a turkey, one of the BIG ones.. B000096IA8:weird_movie!:eric B000096IA8 Eugenie - The Story of Her Journey Into Perversion: DVD: Uta Dahlberg,Herbert Fux,Colette Giacobine,Anney Kablan,Nino Korda,Kathy Lagarde,Christopher Lee,Marie Liljedahl,Paul Muller,Mar a Luisa Ponte,Maria Rohm,Jack Taylor (II) dvd 26 of 34 2.0 March 17, 2003 Eric Deltona, FL I thought the movie was alright, but I am sorry that I bought it. I would rather have just rented it. It seems like half of the movie is out of focus, I am sure it is on purpose but I just don't get it. There are a few erotic scenes but they are not worth the price B000GCFNZO:too_much_green_screen!:r._j_mitchell_"ron_mitchell" B000GCFNZO RV (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Robin Williams,Cheryl Hines dvd 0 of 1 2.0 November 10, 2006 R. J Mitchell "Ron Mitchell" Cherryvale, KS. United States This movie was a bit lame for me. Robin Williams relied on his same old schtick for the whole movie, and the supporting cast wasn't much better, but the worst thing about this movie is that nearly the whole thing is shot in front of a green screen. Even if this had been a good movie, the green screen was very distracting. I would have given it 3 stars without all of the green screen stuff B0000A2ZOK:disappointed:naturopathicnd B0000A2ZOK Ashtanga Yoga - Introductory Poses - Master the Essentials: DVD: Nicki Doane dvd 8 of 9 2.0 April 29, 2006 naturopathicnd Oregon, USA I was so disappointed with this video. I thought it would contain more than it did, but it truly is the most basic of introductions and does not cover much at all. I had one ashtanga yoga lesson and expected this video to at least cover what the lesson did, but it fell far short. This only contains two very basic sequences - surya namaskara A & B, it doesn't even go into the full series and I do not think it gives a very good representation of what ashtanga is about. There is no instruction in standing or sitting poses at all! The two sequences are introductory sequences that lead into the poses, but this video just stops abruptly at that point... I found ashtanga to be a wonderful blend of relaxing yoga that also gives a full body workout. As soon as I did it, I felt that I had found the perfect exercise and bought this video as a way to practice at home. I ended up giving this video away after watching it twice as it does not contain enough information for the beginner to be inspired or even motivated to study ashtanga further B000BB18PO:want_to_waste_2_hours_of_your_life_-_ignore_this_review_!!:chris_johnson B000BB18PO Stealth (Two-Disc Full-Screen Edition): DVD: Josh Lucas,Jessica Biel,Jamie Foxx,Sam Shepard,Richard Roxburgh,Joe Morton,Ian Bliss,Ebon Moss-Bachrach,Michael Denkha,Rocky Helton,Clayton Adams,Maurice Morgan (II),Christopher Naismith,Charles Ndibe,Nicholas Hammond,Joel Tobeck,Michael McCabe (IV),John Waters (III),Sara Saliba,Jim Diamond,Rob Cohen dvd 1.0 August 27, 2006 Chris Johnson GRAVESEND, Kent United Kingdom If you have bothered to read all the other reviews here, i think you will get the point, but still unsure ? Think of KNIGHTRIDER from the 70`s ( i`m sure EDI used the same voice !! ) then add some THUNDERBIRD puppets ( thats a bit mean, at least they had personality ) then add a dash of C.G.I. on a budget, oh and not forgetting that the whole script was written by a seven year old! A bit scathing you may feel - but deservedly so i`m afraid. Seriously, watch some paint dry for a couple of hours, at least the fumes will give you some sort of a buzz. 6305144176:not_as_avertised..editted_movie_:donald_l._gitchell 6305144176 Good Morning, Vietnam: DVD: Robin Williams,Forest Whitaker,Tung Thanh Tran,Chintara Sukapatana,Bruno Kirby,Robert Wuhl,J.T. Walsh,Noble Willingham,Richard Edson,Juney Smith,Richard Portnow,Floyd Vivino,Cu Ba Nguyen,Dan Stanton,Don Stanton,Danny Aiello III,John Marshall Jones,James McIntire,Peter Mackenzie,No Tran,Barry Levinson dvd 0 of 2 2.0 July 25, 2006 Donald L. Gitchell the movie is good except this version has been editted and cut out sceens, very disapointtin B00023P4M4:budget:debra_millard_"alternate_understandings" B00023P4M4 High Art: DVD: Radha Mitchell,Gabriel Mann,Charis Michelsen,David Thornton,Anh Duong,Ally Sheedy,Patricia Clarkson,Helen Mendes,Bill Sage,Tammy Grimes,Cindra Feuer,Anthony Ruivivar,Elaine Tse,Rudolf Martin,Laura Ekstrand,Sarita Choudhury,Stephen Gevedon,Lorraine DeMaris Mattia,Lisa Cholodenko dvd 0 of 14 2.0 August 19, 2005 Debra Millard "Alternate understandings" australia of all the movies i have seen in this catergory this movie was dissapointing to me. poor acting and hard to understand dialoge. would get a refund if you were in australia. but it is too much hassle to poste back overseas. and it could get lost in the mail. debr 0790740060:the_magic_isn't_there:acute_observer 0790740060 Practical Magic: DVD: Sandra Bullock,Nicole Kidman,Stockard Channing,Dianne Wiest,Goran Visnjic,Aidan Quinn,Evan Rachel Wood,Alexandra Artrip,Mark Feuerstein,Caprice Benedetti,Annabella Price,Camilla Belle,Lora Anne Criswell,Margo Martindale,Chloe Webb,Martha Gehman,Lucinda Jenney,Cordelia Richards,Mary Gross,Jack Kirschke,Griffin Dunne dvd 1 of 6 1.0 August 3, 2006 Acute Observer Jersey Shore This is a fantasy film about a family of witches in modern times. The Owens girls are hereditary witches, any man who loves one is doomed to an early death. There is a scene where a woman asks for a love potion, this requires the sacrifice of a dove. Two little girls watch. Years later they're grown up. One leaves to live with her boyfriend. But the curse returns and a boyfriend is run over by a truck (never stand in the middle of a road). We see scenes where the neighbor kids yell "witch", as if to symbolize something. Sally goes when Jillian calls her; she has a problem with her boyfriend. But Sally uses a "magic potion" to eliminate the problem. Now Jillian wants to undo what was done. [The film began to lose me now, it wasn't funny.] The spell goes awry, they bury their mistake. Then there is a scene where the ladies are all giggles. Later an investigator comes around looking for Jimmy. [The story drags again.] More scenes follow; they are not funny or scary or even entertaining. But a scene in the attic will wake you even if you're snoozing! They call some friends over to cast a spell to drive a demon out of Jillian. It seems to work, even if they don't use the standard issue witches broom. There is a sort of happy ending. Sandra and Nicole are good actresses, but they can't cast a spell to improve the script of one of the worst movies I've ever seen. "Bell, Book, and Candle" is a funnier film, "Blair Witch" is a scarier film. This falls between the cracks. B00005JO20:now_a_longer_version_of_a_movie_that_was_too_long?:rich_yan_"rich_yan_33" B00005JO20 King Kong (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Naomi Watts,Jack Black dvd 11 of 56 2.0 November 13, 2006 Rich Yan "Rich Yan 33" Westmoreland City, PA United States OK, the original is a classic and is what...90...100 minutes long? Jackson stretches it out to 3 hours and adds very little to the story. The native were scary. The quiet scenes with Kong were welcome additions, they actually made him into a character...something that can't be said for any of the human characters. The insect scenes are ridiculous!! The dinosaur stampede was idiotic. Anything with the young cabin boy almost seemed like it was clipped out of another movie. Now Jackson is adding 38 munutes to a movie that is grossly over padded to begin with?!? Peter Jackson is a hack director that has no idea how to tell a story efficiently.Remind me to skip his next 15 3 hour long epics B0002XL1NU:truly_disappointing:queequeg B0002XL1NU H.H. Holmes - America's First Serial Killer: DVD: Tony Jay,Harold Schechter,Thomas Cronin,Marian Caporusso,Ed Bertagnoli,Cary Callison,Willy Laszlo,Rachelle Villarreal,Audrey Welling,Beka,Tom Ciappa,Sarah Mills,H.H. Holmes,John Borowski dvd 9 of 13 1.0 December 6, 2004 Queequeg West Hollywood, CA After I read Erik Larson's wonderful book "The Devil in the White City" I was fascinated by the brief glimpses at Holmes' story. But this documentary was a phenomenal disappointment. The production is amateurish at best, complete with needlessly corny reenactments worthy of "Mondo Carne." With such a wealth of fascinating information available (court transcripts, etc) do we really need filler footage of some faceless actress wandering down dark hallways acting frightened? This man killed countless people and yet the producers of this documentary thought so little of their audience that they hired a narrator who sounds as if he is the chief ride operator of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. Truly disappointing. Perhaps someone will make an interesting documentary of Holmes. This most certainly isn't it B00005NW5Y:weak:adead_poet@hotmail.com_"adead_poet@hotmail.com" B00005NW5Y Meet John Doe: DVD: Gary Cooper,Barbara Stanwyck,Edward Arnold,Walter Brennan,Spring Byington,James Gleason,Gene Lockhart,Rod La Rocque,Irving Bacon,Regis Toomey,J. Farrell MacDonald,Warren Hymer,Harry Holman,Andrew Tombes,Pierre Watkin,Stanley Andrews,Mitchell Lewis,Charles C. Wilson,Vaughan Glaser,Sterling Holloway,Frank Capra dvd 3 of 20 2.0 March 16, 2004 adead_poet@hotmail.com "adead_poet@hotmail.com" beaumont, tx USA This movie was a weak effort by Capra, who directed it, and the star, Gary Cooper. It's a good story, just poorly directed (Capra can't hit a home run every time). I found the acting very wooden and the movie seemed to just drag on and on. And no extra features on the dvd, at least none to speak of B0000CABBW:predictable:nor_olegnad_"nor" B0000CABBW Whale Rider: DVD: Keisha Castle-Hughes,Rawiri Paratene,Vicky Haughton,Cliff Curtis,Grant Roa,Mana Taumaunu,Rachel House,Taungaroa Emile,Tammy Davis,Mabel Wharekawa,Rawinia Clarke,Tahei Simpson,Roi Taimana,Elizabeth Skeen,Tyronne White,Taupua Whakataka-Brightwell,Tenia McClutchie-Mita,Peter Patuwai,Rutene Spooner,Riccardo Davis,Niki Caro dvd 4 of 31 1.0 March 29, 2006 Nor Olegnad "Nor" Rochester, NY This is my number one most overrated movie of all time. We saw it at a pretensious artsy theater, along with an assortment of ex-hippies and wooly haired intellectuals. They all cheered, of course, when the young girl beats the boys at finding the prize in the water, then becomes the chief. The truth is that every single scene is utterly predictable, given the politically correct theme. The truth is that old people are not bad just because they love their culture. The truth is that tradition is not inherently evil. The truth is that girls are no better or worse than boys. Basically, if you hate men, this is the flick for you. But it is not good. It is not creative. There are no surprises. There is just nothing there. As I edit this, it's no surprise to find so few people liked this review. There are still plenty of hippies and politically correct so-and-so's out there 0792844033:a_great_film_ruined:eugene_j._casey 0792844033 Mystery Train: DVD: Masatoshi Nagase,Youki Kudoh,Screamin' Jay Hawkins,Cinqu Lee,Rufus Thomas,Jodie Markell,William Hoch,Pat Hoch,Joshua Elvis Hoch,Reginald Freeman,Beverly Prye,Nicoletta Braschi,Elizabeth Bracco,Sy Richardson,Tom Noonan,Stephen Jones,Lowell Roberts,Sara Driver,Richard Boes,Darryl Daniel,Jim Jarmusch dvd 3 of 7 1.0 January 11, 2005 Eugene J. Casey USA HELLO????? Whoever mastered this great film RUINED it by FORGETTING or REFUSING to provide English subtitles for the Japanese and Italian characters. How can such a thing happen? If you find the VHS buy it. Maybe some day someone will make the corrections. Until then, AVOID this DVD B0000CABKR:no_depth:aaron B0000CABKR 1 Love: A Tribute to Basketball in America: DVD: Phil Jackson (II),Larry Hughes,Etan Goldman,Jerry Stackhouse,Allen Iverson,David Stern (VI),Kobe Bryant,Shaquille O'Neal,Leon Gast dvd 2 of 2 2.0 March 31, 2004 Aaron Davis, CA This disc is like a Whitman's candy sampler: It has a lot of different things... but a lot of the things you don't really want. The film covers kids, high schoolers, college ball and college recruiting/pay controversies, ABA, NBA through all its decades, Harlem Globetrotters, the street game and inner-city stars, country boys, Indiana basketball, retired old timers hanging in Florida, current stars, marketing (are there ANY hoop videos that don't talk about sneaker brands), public relations, fireworks, cheerleaders, guys on trampolines, women's basketball..... Whew. None of these subjects is studied in depth. If you've followed basketball for a while, you know and have seen most of this. The subject sampling seems to jump all over the place, so it would be hard to hit chapters to see just what you want. I'd rather see a DVD star profile (Jordon, Iverson) or "NBA at 50" or Spike Lee's movie, or "Hoop Dreams," etc. 1 Love is such a sampler it feels like the disc should come free with the purchase of a Wilson basketball. Or it seems like something you'd see on Sunday TV, after most people have turned off their sets when the real game ends. In short, "1 Love" is a decent sampling, but nothing to sink your teeth into B0000BWVD9:desperation:eik_nyl_"e" B0000BWVD9 Intimacy (Unrated, Widescreen Edition): DVD: Mark Rylance,Kerry Fox,Susannah Harker,Alastair Galbraith,Philippe Calvario,Timothy Spall,Marianne Faithfull,Fraser Ayres,Michael Fitzgerald,Robert Addie,Deborah McLaren,Rebecca R. Palmer,Greg Sheffield (II),Vinnie Hunter,Joe Prospero,Sian Reeves,Paola Dionisotti,Marcello Walton,Christian Malcolm,Amy Lindsay,Patrice Ch reau dvd 25 of 35 2.0 March 23, 2005 Eik Nyl "E" Controversy courted the release of this film and people went to see it for the actual depictions of sex between the actors, thinking somehow it would be pornographic or titillating. But this film showed two desperate, middle-aged strangers (with all their flaws abundantly clear) meeting once a week for no-strings-attached encounters. The fact that the audience sees graphic moments adds only to the "desperate", tawdry, pathetic feel of their relationship. Naturally, one of the two of them becomes too curious and wants to know more about the other partner, one of the greatest pitfalls in the dangerous pursuit of anonymous encounters: sooner or later, anonymity is not good enough anymore. B000E6EHE0:some_laughs,_but_no_real_heart--"just_friends"_just_doesn't_cut_it:k._harris_"film_aficionado" B000E6EHE0 Just Friends: DVD: Roger Kumble,Ryan Reynolds,Amy Smart,Anna Faris,Chris Klein,Chris Marquette,Giacomo Beltrami,Fred Ewanuick,Amy Matysio,Julie Hagerty,Wendy Anderson,Barry Flatman,Devyn Burant,Jaden Ryan,Annie Brebner,Mike O'Brian (II),Ty Olsson,Todd Lewis (II),Justin Kirby (II),Jackie Mitchell (III),Stephen Root dvd 5 of 6 2.0 October 28, 2006 K. Harris "Film aficionado" Las Vegas, NV Comedy comes in many forms--everything from crude slapstick to subtle satire--and in "Just Friends" there is an uneasy fusion of two classic movie types. First, the movie wants to be a gross-out comedy. The sight gags are plentiful, the physical comedy abundant and often cruel, and the dialogue absurdly unrealistic. However, the movie also wants to be taken seriously as a typical romantic comedy--the variation where two people are meant to be together but various situations have kept them apart. These elements have been combined successfully in the past--"There's Something About Mary" jumps right to mind. Here, we get something far less successful. First, the good news. There are legitimate laughs to be had in "Just Friends" and that was a pleasant surprise. If you don't care about character development and just want inane humor, you could do worse than this movie. And if the sight of Ryan Reynolds in a fat suit sounds like the height of hilarity to you--check this out right away. Sadly, it's the romantic comedy angle that fails to ignite. There is nothing real at stake here to care about--and the blame for this falls squarely on Reynolds' character (I'll use the word character lightly here). Reynolds may be one of our greatest sitcom actors working--the problem, however, is that he's not in sitcoms anymore. He's making movies, unfortunately--and his hamming up to the camera always seem to take the place of a real character. Here, he plays a celebrity insider--a successful, trendy record executive. And yet, he's not believable as trendy, successful or professional. His character vacillates between being the a villain and a hero, you never know or understand him--he just does whatever is necessary to set up the next gag. It's too bad, really, because Amy Smart--as his love interest--IS playing a character. I'm not usually a fan, but here she does nicely and the movie lets her down. But it's Anna Faris that I'm going to single out for the most inspired performance. The funniest bits to me revolve around her character--a shallow, insane pop star. Sure, it's an easy target--but she throws herself into the role with such hilarious, over-the-top gusto that she is easily a cast standout. Again, some humor--no emotion. If you don't expect much from your comedy, you might just like this. The fatal flaw for me is that I felt this film wanted me to care about the central relationship, but didn't do anything to make it REAL. B000E6EHE0:stupid!!:rodro90210 B000E6EHE0 Just Friends: DVD: Roger Kumble,Ryan Reynolds,Amy Smart,Anna Faris,Chris Klein,Chris Marquette,Giacomo Beltrami,Fred Ewanuick,Amy Matysio,Julie Hagerty,Wendy Anderson,Barry Flatman,Devyn Burant,Jaden Ryan,Annie Brebner,Mike O'Brian (II),Ty Olsson,Todd Lewis (II),Justin Kirby (II),Jackie Mitchell (III),Stephen Root dvd 2 of 12 1.0 October 13, 2006 Rodro90210 Santo Domingo I saw this movie in a trip and it is one of the worst movies I have seen during the last two years. Stupid, stupid and stupid. Ryan Reynolds becomes annoying. If you have brain, never watch this movi 6305505780:bernie_mac_stole_this_picture:cigi 6305505780 The Players Club: DVD: John Amos,Monica Calhoun,Badja Djola,Judyann Elder,Jamie Foxx,Adele Givens,Terrence Howard,Anthony Johnson,Tracey Cherelle Jones,LisaRaye,Tom 'Tiny' Lister Jr.,Faizon Love,Bernie Mac,Larry McCoy,Charles Q. Murphy,Ronn Riser,Alex Thomas,Dick Anthony Williams,Chrystale Wilson dvd 4 of 4 2.0 February 24, 2005 cigi In spite of the thin plot line and the volumptous semi naked women, the comedian Bernie Mac stole this picture! He played his part of the low life, club owning, hustler with perfect timing and high humor. He made this movie enjoyable to watch B00029NLHS:bluck:mandolyn_"exercise_freak" B00029NLHS Karen Voight: Great Weighted Workout: DVD: Karen Voight dvd 2 of 3 2.0 August 24, 2006 Mandolyn "exercise freak" I bought this dvd after reading all the great reviews and I was VERY disappointed. First off, it is outdated and that is annoying with the annoying music- but the background exercisers really bug me too. Not only that, the moves are strange. She does a lot of shoulder work moving back and forth with her feet to the beat of the cheesy music. I found my neck hurt A LOT after that. The leg section would be good if there was another way to position yourself. The ab section too was so old school, I was hoping to find some new exercises. I love Karen Voight but this dvd was definately the worst I have yet to purchase of hers. All the other Karen Voight I own I absolutely love B000GYI3B8:disgusting._:evan_e._richards B000GYI3B8 Slither (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Michael Rooker,Jenna Fischer,James Gunn dvd 0 of 3 2.0 November 7, 2006 Evan E. Richards Old Town, ME. USA I think this film wants to make you vomit. I don't know about you, but that is not a quality I am looking for in my films. Being scared is fine; being in suspense is great, vomiting is not. I really think that is what this film was going for. It has some pretty disgusting moments. While I was watching it I kept feeling this retching feeling at the back of my throat during certain scenes. In fact, I am feeling it now as I write this review and think about the movie. The story runs like this: A meteor falls to earth. It has an alien life in it which shoots into people and uses them as an incubation device. This of course means then when the aliens decide to hatch out of incubation...well its not a pretty picture as you may imagine. In the meantime the people who have aliens incubating inside them turn into rotting-corpse looking creatures, or in the case of the head alien, just a big pile of disgustingness. The idea itself isn't a bad one, and its executed in a relatively skillful way. In fact, the idea is much more original than many other horror movies. But as I said before, it's just too disgusting to be really enjoyable. This movie was confused as to whether it wanted to be a comedy or a horror and while it was trying to figure that out it failed in both categories B000AARKX0:i_knew_there_had_to_be_something_wrong_with_this_dvd!:k._wilson_"amateur_film_critic_and_avid_reader" B000AARKX0 Jay and Silent Bob Do Degrassi (Unrated): DVD: Degrassi dvd 3 of 7 2.0 April 29, 2006 K. Wilson "Amateur Film Critic and Avid Reader" Chicago, USA I received this DVD from my brother who is possibly a bigger Kevin Smith fan than I am. I thought the fact that he was giving away his copy was pretty odd at the time until I watched the DVD myself. The Degrassi episodes are amazingly boring and Jay and Silent Bob's toned-down appearances don't help much. I really liked the original Degrassi series so I was disappointed by this DVD. There are some funny moments in the "Extras" section of the DVD but I would still only recommend this as a "rent" or something to buy used if you are a diehard fan. B00005QCVP:bad_quality_dvd:robert_mcdonald B00005QCVP The Eagle Has Landed: DVD: Michael Caine,Donald Sutherland,Robert Duvall,Jenny Agutter,Donald Pleasence,Anthony Quayle,Jean Marsh,Sven-Bertil Taube,John Standing,Judy Geeson,Treat Williams,Larry Hagman,Alexei Jawdokimov,Richard Wren,Michael Byrne,Joachim Hansen,Denis Lill,Rick Pars ,L onie Thelen,Keith Buckley,John Sturges dvd 2 of 3 2.0 May 25, 2006 Robert Mcdonald Ontario, Canada The video in this DVD looks as though it was put through a simple computer program that decoded it for going on to a DVD disc. A standard 4.7GB disc, by the way; that's what you'll get when you buy this. I say this because I've used those programs before and know how they alter the video. This is how they alter it, and how it looks on this USA release of the DVD: Skin color is too red. Dark (shadowed) areas are greenish. White/beige is pinkish. Grey is bluish. White has blue on it. The colors are just totally messed up. Evidence of grey being blue = look at Robert Duvall's uniform (you'll see him 3 minutes into the movie). The german uniform is a semi-light grey. It is too dark and filled with blue. Then look behind him at the wall. A lovely dark shadow of green. Evidence of white/beige being pinkish, when Robert Duvall walks into that office, look at the walls. They should be a kind of white/beige color but they are not a shade of white at all, they are pinkish. As he walks into the office to sit down, you see curtains on the wall in the office. They are supposed to be white, but they're filled with blue. At 48 minutes into the movie, you see Donald Sutherland sitting in the grass with the character Molly. His suit is supposed to be black. Look at it. It's purple. That is not black. On top of all that, the movie is too dark. There should have been a brightness/contrast adjustment. If you pay attention to dark areas in the movie, such as fixtures around a room or an office, most times, they are pitch black and indistinguished. For example, look at desk drawers, telephones, vases, black hair, black jackets..even Robert Duvall's eye patch. Not much shading, usually pitch black. I've read that this movie apparently was not remastered for the North American release. I plan to get the Region 2 (Europe) release. I'd rather do without watching it on my TV and watch it on my computer in better, "proper" quality. 'Nuff said B0009NSDES:disappointed:q B0009NSDES Bringing Baby Home: The Ultimate Baby Care DVD: DVD: Bringing Baby Home: Ultimate Baby Care dvd 2.0 June 30, 2006 Q We were disappointed in this DVD and thought it was a waste of money. We did not learn anything new. They went through things quickly, everything was so basic, things that are mainly common sense. I felt this was a big huge waste of money, and is now in the trash B0009NSDES:very_light_on_baby_care_basics:gadgester B0009NSDES Bringing Baby Home: The Ultimate Baby Care DVD: DVD: Bringing Baby Home: Ultimate Baby Care dvd 4 of 4 1.0 June 25, 2006 Gadgester New York This newborn care DVD is strictly for caring for a newborn infant, in other words, what you learn here won't apply after the first 3 or 4 weeks. My biggest beef with this DVD is that it totally just skims over all the basics, such as how to breastfeed properly, how to bottlefeed properly, how to swaddle properly, how to calm a baby properly, etc. All the stuff you want to know about looking after a newborn, each is given about 5 seconds of screen time. Instead, the bulk of the program is wasted on things like "pre-birth preparation," which interestingly appears toward the end of the program, and how the mother should take care of herself. These are important things to know, but not for a "ultimate baby care DVD." The DVD packaging is also very misleading. It says "over an hour of hints"... but that includes 1 minute of copyright warning and another 30 seconds of "you should always consult your doctor" warning, plus a long end-of-program credit. The actual content is about 55 minutes. I've seen this DVD and the "ABC of Newborn Baby Care" DVD and even though the latter is not great, it's better because it goes through the important topics step-by-step, and the nurse/midwife demonstrates the techniques clearly. Between the two DVDs, I definitely recommend the latter. BTW, you can likely find this at your local library. It's also available from Netflix. It's just not worth the price of the DVD, not even 1/10 of the price B00030LNW6:not_recommended_by_us:dms_"tripmom02" B00030LNW6 Get Fit Kids Vol. 1 - Hustle-Bustle Move Your Muscles!: DVD: Kristi Dear dvd 1 of 6 2.0 April 21, 2006 DMS "tripmom02" TX United States Our daughter has weak muscles and I wanted some workout videos we could do as a family to supplement her physical therapy. I saw all the good reviews and thought this would work for us especially since our girls love bears. NOT! It did not keep their attention and as adults the movie was a tad annoying to us. B00030LNW6:not_so_sure_about_this_one_._._._:rebecca_scott_"busy_mommy_and_navy_wife" B00030LNW6 Get Fit Kids Vol. 1 - Hustle-Bustle Move Your Muscles!: DVD: Kristi Dear dvd 3 of 3 2.0 March 26, 2006 Rebecca Scott "Busy Mommy and Navy Wife" California When I was looking for a fitness DVD for me and my two oldest children (girls, ages 3 1/2 and 2) to do together, I was impressed with the reviews of this DVD and it sounded intriguing. Though I wasn't really willing to shell out 16 bucks quite yet, so we rented it from Netflixs to try it out first. As adults my husband and I were really turned off by the "animated" bear, though our girls liked him. Another thing that I wasn't really impressed with was the camera was at times only focusing on Kristi Dear's face or the animated bear and it was hard for me and our girls to follow exactly what moves she was doing when. We had to run through the DVD a second time to really get the routine. The total time of the DVD is 30 minutes, but only about 20-22 minutes of that is actual warm-up or workout time. The rest is filler about why we need to exercise and eat healthy foods and snacks, which is fine to watch for the first time or two, but then I found myself fast forwarding through it to get to the workout sections. Which if I had to do that every single time I watched it with my girls, I would get annoyed really fast. My husband really did not think it was worth 16 dollars, he'd be willing to spend maybe 5-7 dollars on it, but no more. I gave the DVD 2 stars because Kristi Dear really does a good job of communicating with kids, has a pleasant voice, and demonstrates easy moves and routines for kids to do. I highly recommend that you rent this first to see what you really think about it. B00005B1ZL:throw_out_the_zanies.:balaste B00005B1ZL The Hidden Fortress - Criterion Collection: DVD: Toshir Mifune,Misa Uehara,Minoru Chiaki,Kamatari Fujiwara,Takashi Shimura,Susumu Fujita,Eiko Miyoshi,Toshiko Higuchi,Koji Mitsui,Shiten Ohashi,Kichijiro Ueda,Ikio Sawamura,Tadao Nakamaru,Rinsaku Ogata,Shin Otomo,Yoshifumi Tajima,Yutaka Sada,Ichir Chiba,Yoshio Kosugi,Ryu Kuze,Akira Kurosawa dvd 3 of 10 2.0 June 4, 2005 Balaste 1313 Wistful Vista, Anyplace, USA The Hidden Fortress is classic Kurosawa, in every way--except for the wild overacting, inane characterizations and lamefooted humor of the peasant pair who form a central element of the film. Had the peasants been just as grubby but more subdued, or given comic material with more edge, skewering the upper classes as well as themselves, or been less in the focus and operated far in the background, this wouldn't have been a problem. But instead we're offered a sort of Dumb & Dumber, Beavis & Butthead of Japan, 50 years ago. (And yes, I know that is anachronistic, but it's all too true.) "Stupidity is funny" wears thin after a short while, and the comic antics are both repetitive and all too easy to forecast. Oh, here comes a rocky upwards incline: let's watch the pair pull one another down with grotesque facial expressions as they try to scramble up, etc. Which is all too bad, because while the rest of the film has its overblown heroics, its far from bad. The interactions between cast members has both tension and grit, while the outdoor settings mark a difference from the usual run of Japanese period films (though Kurosawa addicts like myself will well recall what he could do in Roshomon). Mifune is over the top but splendid, and the direction has energy and focus. I've seen this film twice in 25 years; most recently, just last night, again. Unfortunately, my initial impressions were only confirmed--and I wish they weren't B0009UVCQW:not_very_verosimile.:eugenia_maldonado B0009UVCQW The Wild Geese (30th Anniversary Edition): DVD: Richard Burton,Roger Moore,Richard Harris,Hardy Kr ger,Stewart Granger,Winston Ntshona,John Kani,Jack Watson,Frank Finlay,Kenneth Griffith,Barry Foster,Ronald Fraser,Ian Yule,Patrick Allen,Rosalind Lloyd,David Ladd,Paul Spurrier,Jeff Corey,Brook Williams,Percy Herbert,Andrew V. McLaglen dvd 2.0 November 3, 2006 Eugenia Maldonado Mexico City, Mexico D. F. Mexico It is a pity that a wonderful picture is demerited by Roger Moore' performance. Her's good for a dandy, in the continent, but in this film he is not convincing at all. He is verry debonnaire, like he is just sipping tea in Great Britain.Thus, the film becomes stiff and you don't believe it. The other actors simply try to do something, like a farce. It is a pity to see the great Richard Burton in such role. Eugenia Lizald B00008HE44:michael_moore_shoots_himself_in_the_foot:jonathan_lapin_"fletcher_rabbit" B00008HE44 Bowling for Columbine: DVD dvd 1 of 5 2.0 August 2, 2006 Jonathan Lapin "fletcher rabbit" Brooklyn, NY USA as usual, michael moore undercuts himself by refusing to accept that a 45 minute documentary should not run two hours. theres alot of great stuff here (the interview w marilyn manson, the interview w trey parker, &c), but too often moore inserts himself into a story others should be telling, no more so than in the vile segment where he goes to visit charlton heston. i agree with many, nay most of moores politics -- but hes a rotten filmmaker with some great ideas but awful execution. B000089QAQ:not_for_beginners:lori_a. B000089QAQ The Method - The Stability Ball Workout: DVD: Method dvd 10 of 10 2.0 August 9, 2005 Lori A. This stability ball workout is definitely a more advanced routine and is not for beginners. This was the first stability ball DVD that I purchased and became quickly frustrated with the routine due to the level. If you are a beginner, I would recommend Leslie Sansone's You can do Stability Ball training. If you are a beginner or more advanced, I would recommend Denise Austin's Shrink the Female Fat Zone or the QuickFix Stability Ball training. My all time favorite DVD for the stability ball is Denise Austin. This is by far my least favorite. B000089QAQ:boring_video;_definately_not_for_beginners:maxine_powers_"max_powers" B000089QAQ The Method - The Stability Ball Workout: DVD: Method dvd 8 of 10 2.0 September 7, 2004 Maxine Powers "Max Powers" Bronx, NY USA This workout was very hard for me to get into; I became very bored by it. The moves were challenging but the routine was blah. If you are a beginner, this is not for you. You are better off purchasing "Quick Fix Stability Ball Workout" no matter what your level of fitness. B00007CVT7:a_carbon_copy_of_i_know_what_you_did...:ted B00007CVT7 Final Stab: DVD: Jamie Gannon,Melissa Rene Martin,Erinn Hayes,Laila Reece Landon,Bradley Stryker,Chris Boyd,Forrest Cochran,Michael Lutz (II),Brannon Gould,Donnie Eichar,Scott Hudson (III),Britt Soderberg,David DeCoteau dvd 0 of 5 1.0 July 20, 2003 Ted Australia Boring and like most every other new horror movie. Lame mask,I think the awful movie Cut used this mask also,who cares I suppose. This goes with all the other pathetic new era horror movies(Scream,I Know What You Did,Valentine,Urban Legend,Cut etc..) so bottom line don't waste your time,stick with 80's Slashers B0002234RC:not_good!:a._falk B0002234RC You Got Served - Take It to the Streets (Dance Instructional): DVD: Meme Miles,Dave Scott (IX),Richard Steelo Vasquez,Christopher Jones (II),Harry Shum Jr.,Kristi Crader,Ivan 'Flipz' Velez,Marques Houston,Dante Harper,Isaiah Vest,Tanee McCall,Omarion Grandberry,Diona Robinson,Robert Hoffman,Billy Pollina dvd 6 of 10 2.0 January 27, 2005 A. falk I bought this DVD becuase I really wanted to learn the dance moves in "You Got Served" and was extremely disappointed. The only routines they teach you are from the people who lost the dance battles in the movie and why you would want to learn those, I don't know. The freestlye section at the end is fun to watch, but this is neither a good workout nor a good hip hop dance video B00008DDSC:p_-_u_this_really_stinks:herstory_"praise_the_goddess" B00008DDSC Secretary: DVD: Patrick Bauchau,Ezra Buzzington,Lauren Cohn,Kyle Colerider-Krugh,Jeremy Davies,Steven Fierberg,Sabrina Grdevich,Maggie Gyllenhaal,Mary Joy,Lily Knight,Lacey Kohl,Amy Locane,Michael Mantell,Stephen McHattie,Oz Perkins,Julene Renee,James Spader,Jessica Tuck,Lesley Ann Warren dvd 1 of 8 1.0 September 20, 2006 herstory "praise the goddess" boston, ma What movie was every one else watching? Certainly not this one. Very, very, slow. Disjointed story line. I hate to be a bore but this was boring. Enjoy B000GYI3MM:in_a_word:_disgraceful:r._nothnagel B000GYI3MM The Butterfly Effect 2: DVD: Eric Lively,Erica Durance,Dustin Milligan,Gina Holden,David Lewis (IV),Andrew Airlie,Chris Gauthier,Susan Hogan,JR Bourne,Lindsay Maxwell,Zoran Vukelic,Jerry Wasserman,John Mann (II),Tom Bulmer,Veena Sood,Brad Kelly,Caeli MacAulay,Malcolm Stewart,John R. Leonetti dvd 1.0 November 20, 2006 R. Nothnagel Columbus, OH The first Butterfly Effect is one of my all-time favorite movies. With that in mind, I eagerly started watching BE2. Within the first 5 minutes it became clear that I was going to have to stretch the truth in order to claim this was a good movie. But after finishing it, it was clear that I would have to flat-out lie to do that. There is one and only one redeeming factor in this movie: Erica Durance naked. But it's too softcore, short, and pointless to really be worth anything. The writing is terrible. The story is lifted directly from the original, only without any semblance of personal feeling or emotion. It manages to be both predictable and borderline nonsensical, a feat unparelleled in modern film. The protagonist comes off as an idiotic, self-concerned, petty jerk that even jerks would have a hard time identifying with. The acting is...barely passable, for the most part, but the story's protagonist is just plain bad at expressing all the things this character needs to express. The first one was great because you never knew exactly what to expect - how long would he be able to keep doing this? Would this one be the last? In the sequel, this is gone, but without any extra twists or added value to keep it interesting. If you have any fond memories of the first one, avoid this turd B0002A2VUK:it_looks_too_'70s__and_1983-like:preston B0002A2VUK The Nick and Jessica Variety Hour: DVD: Nick Lachey,Jessica Simpson,The Muppets,Hunter Gomez,Johnny Bench,Nicki Prian,Jewel Kilcher,Kenny Rogers,Olga Karavaeva,Paul Greenberg,Tara Wilson (II),Taylor Hurley,Timothy Anderson (II),Brandon Wilson,Haley King,Rachel Norris,Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds,Mr. T,Gary Halvorson dvd 4 of 4 2.0 January 13, 2005 Preston nc Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson have a few good moments in the Nick and Jessica Variety Hour. But the show looks too '70s in its premise, too Donny and Marie-ish in some parts and Sonny and Cher-in some others. Lachey's performance with Babyface is nice. How come Babyface didn't produce Nick's entire solo album instead of the batch of people Nick went to that caused Soul-O to flop? He would have given him some smooth stuff to sing to. But having Mr. T and Johnny Bench and Kenny Rogers makes the show look, sadly, too 1983-ish. How come they couldn't get somebody current to perform on it, say Maroon 5 or Kanye West, who were both hot last April? They wanted to bring back the variety show format, but it's very hard to do it in an Internet age. And Jessica isn't all that good on this show. I'd rather hear her music and albums instead. They need to bring new things to the format if they're going to make another show. For now, Lachey and Simpson would be better off doing their solo albums than wasteful junk like this! B000059TGD:it_is_important_that_you_get_the_original_on_vhs:c._rotert_"book_junkie" B000059TGD Shag: DVD: Phoebe Cates,Scott Coffey,Bridget Fonda,Annabeth Gish,Page Hannah,Robert Rusler,Tyrone Power Jr.,Jeff Yagher,Paul Lieber,Leilani Sarelle,Shirley Anne Field,Donald Craig,Carrie Hamilton,Jay Baker,Joe Seely,Pearl Jones,Bonnie Johnson,Janelle Cochrane,Barry Thigpen,Walker Owens,Zelda Barron dvd 7 of 7 1.0 May 28, 2006 C. Rotert "Book Junkie" Henderson, NV USA I love love love this movie, but you have to make sure you get the VHS version (where the VHS cover is the cast riding in the car.) Lucky for me, this is the one I own. By mistake, I purchased the "wrong" version for a friend and we sat down to watch it together. The music in the DVD version is TERRIBLE compared to the original (don't even get me started on the c.d. soundtrack.) Whoever made the blunder of re-doing this for DVD re-release needs to be fired B00003CXW4:just_doesn't_work...:michael_connelly B00003CXW4 Exit Wounds: DVD: Steven Seagal,Isaiah Washington dvd 0 of 4 2.0 November 5, 2005 Michael Connelly It is obvious the makers of this film were trying to create some kind of action-comedy hybrid, however it just doesn't work. The action scenes seem tacked-on and the gags just don't work. B00003CXW4:old_action_heroes_don't_die,_they_just_fade_away.:james_stephen_garrett_"teep" B00003CXW4 Exit Wounds: DVD: Steven Seagal,Isaiah Washington dvd 4 of 6 2.0 August 14, 2005 James Stephen Garrett "Teep" Arkham Asylum Instructions: rent Steven Seagall's latest action movie knuckle-fest "Exit Wounds". Insert in DVD player; watch first 15 minutes of movie, remove from DVD player. Return to video store. If you follow those instructions to the letter, you'll have fun with "Exit Wounds", which features one of the best opening sequences of any action movie in recent memory (Seagall attempts to thwart a brash, brazen assassination attempt). There's also a great scene---strike that, a Priceless Scene: hipster uber-villain (played convincingly by rapper DMX) and a henchman go on a shopping spree in an exotic car lot (ultimately settling on a Lamborghini Murcielago, paid for in cash out of a golf bag). The scene is dope, def, and cool---it's all GOOD, Dawgz!----,in a New Jack City way. And that's a shame, really: it's so cool it just makes you grind your teeth as you begin, over the course of two hours, to realize that the rest of the movie just can't hold a candle to its opening minutes. An action movie should be exciting; after Seagall foils a neatly organized assassination attempt on the U.S. Vice President (a brilliant little sequence which merits one star on its own, and from which 95% of the trailer material was taken), "Exit Wounds" is not exciting. It's stale. It's rehashed. Honestly, were it not for DMX, the few riffs from the movie's excellent rap soundtrack, and the equipment, I would have thought I was watching an eighties Seagall flick. And that's surprising, given that the movie is helmed by "Romeo Must Die" director Andrzej Bartkowiak, who also did the cinematography for Speed, Lethal Weapon 4, and Devil's Advocate. The plot, what there is of it, deals with police corruption, and features a major twist near the end that takes the punch out of the story and doesn't make any sense---but by that time you've stopped caring. You've seen all of this before---done better. Worst of all, Seagall is just too old to be a credible action hero; he's reached that wheezing, shortness of breath stage that afflicted Roger Moore back in "View to a Kill"---except Seagall doesn't have the acting chops that Moore was able to fall back on. Tom Arnold is thrown in for laughs, but the laughs are so feeble, and the jokes so stale, that you're laughing *at* Arnold and Seagall---not with them. Midway through "Exit Wounds" I was fighting to stay awake, and that's a shame, given that the first 15 minutes of the movie contained more sheer, hectic energy than any movie I've seen since "Face/Off". Rent the DVD for that opener if you dare, but if you stay any longer you'll see it's true: Old Action Heroes never die, they just fade away. JS B0006709M6:disappointed:s._k._bhatia B0006709M6 Jessica Simpson - Reality Tour Live: DVD: Jessica Simpson dvd 3 of 6 2.0 August 3, 2005 S. K. Bhatia USA I bought this DVD after watching Jessica Simpson's latest music video "These boots are made for walkin'". I thought her Reality Tour Live will have some catchy songs and video but was very disappointed. May be OK for those who just want to watch Jessica sing B0006709M6:role_model?__far_from_it:j._taylor B0006709M6 Jessica Simpson - Reality Tour Live: DVD: Jessica Simpson dvd 6 of 18 1.0 July 19, 2005 J. Taylor Jessica Simpson is a talentless bimbo. She is more concerned with shopping than she is with being a singer role model - a title that she so proudly proclaimed after bashing Brittany and Christina for showing too much skin. We all know now that the hypocritical Jessica Simpson would shed her clothes if the price were right. She is NOT a role model and her songs/tv specials are lower than below average B0000AMJED:about_as_entertaining_as_watching_michael_jackson_dry-hump_howdy_doody:rustic_fences_"beer-hall_honky-tonk" B0000AMJED 2 Fast 2 Furious (Full Screen Edition): DVD: Paul Walker,Tyrese Gibson,Eva Mendes,Cole Hauser,Ludacris,Thom Barry,James Remar,Devon Aoki,Amaury Nolasco,Michael Ealy,Jin Auyeung,Edward Finlay,Mark Boone Junior,Matt Gallini,Roberto 'Sanz' Sanchez,Eric Etebari,John Cenatiempo,Troy Brown,Corey Michael Eubanks,Sam Maloof,John Singleton dvd 0 of 4 1.0 January 9, 2006 Rustic Fences "Beer-Hall Honky-Tonk" Vermont I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE CAST OF THIS MOVIE DRESSED UP AS HOT DOGS AND THROWN INTO A CAGE WITH STAR JONES AND MARV ALBERT. (... B0000DD75N:i_didn't_like_it.:roderic_hooks_"honest_opinions_r_us" B0000DD75N The Trip: DVD: Rosemary Alexander,Alexis Arquette,Dennis Bailey,Ray Baker,Steve Braun (II),Julie Brown,Christina Cameron Mitchell,Alfred Dennis,James Handy,Art Hindle,Sirena Irwin,Zoe 'Joshua Tree' Logan,David Mixner,Alejandro Patino,Al Rondon,Faith Salie,Connie Sawyer,Jill St. John,Larry Sullivan,Miles Swain dvd 3 of 8 1.0 March 9, 2006 Roderic Hooks "Honest Opinions R Us" I was excited when this movie showed up in the mail and immediately put it in my DVD player and sat down to watch. It didn't take long for me to realize it was a cheaply made film. The story was interesting and had it been done in a better way, the film could have been great but after having seen movies such as Trick and Latter Days where the acting and production quality were very good, I found myself feeling dissapointed after only a few moments. It is not a movie I would readily recommend B000209KMW:is_the_a*teens_music_video_"heartbreak_lullaby"_on_the_dvd???:tarick_khan B000209KMW The Princess Diaries (Special Edition): DVD: Julie Andrews,Anne Hathaway,Hector Elizondo,Heather Matarazzo,Mandy Moore (II),Caroline Goodall,Robert Schwartzman,Erik von Detten,Patrick Flueger,Sean O'Bryan,Sandra Oh,Kathleen Marshall,Mindy Burbano,Kimleigh Smith,Beth Anne Garrison,Bianca Lopez,Tamara Levinson,Lenore Thomas,Erik Bragg,Abigail Green-Dove,Garry Marshall dvd 1 of 5 1.0 September 6, 2006 Tarick Khan Lahore,Pakistan I just wanted to find out and please let me know dat is the A*Teens music video "Heartbreak Lullaby" which is part of the soundtrack for the movie on the Princess Diaries DVD ..lyke as in the Bonus Features or something?? ive been trying find out but i cant so plzz lemme know cuz I just wanna get the DVD for the music video!! B0000VCZKM:not_"tomorrow"_....._today!!!:dr._s._j._sidhva B0000VCZKM Annie (Special Anniversary Edition): DVD: Albert Finney,Carol Burnett,Ann Reinking,Tim Curry,Bernadette Peters,Aileen Quinn,Geoffrey Holder,Roger Minami,Toni Ann Gisondi,Rosanne Sorrentino,Lara Berk,April Lerman,Robin Ignico,Lucie Stewart,Edward Herrmann,Lois De Banzie,Peter Marshall,Loni Ackerman,Murphy Cross,Nancy Sinclair,John Huston dvd 1 of 1 2.0 September 10, 2006 Dr. S. J. Sidhva Bombay, India If you haven't already seen this one, do not wait until "Tomorrow", do it today. This is one of the most delightful musicals of recent years. Great performances by Aileen Quinn as Annie, Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks, Carol Burnett is outstanding as Ms Hannigan and Tim Curry & Bernadette Peters make convincing nasties. The music is great and the easy-to-miss one-liners are delightful. All-in-all, a must see, and a must-possess movie B000ATQYV0:shows_are_great,_but_where_are_the_rest?:mark_e._baxter_"inquirer" B000ATQYV0 Walt Disney Treasures - Elfego Baca and The Swamp Fox - Legendary Heroes: DVD: Treasures dvd 1.0 November 20, 2006 Mark E. Baxter "Inquirer" Layton, UT United States These are old Disney shows from 2 series. I saw then on the late-night "Vault Disney" series. They were well done and interesting. The only problem is that this DVD is only a few (6 total) of the 18 shows. So although I would rate the shows as a 4 or 5, this release gets 1 star for being incomplete. Save your money for if and when the whole series comes out B000ATQYV0:disney_needs_to_fire_the_dvd_guy:l._moss_"avid_reader" B000ATQYV0 Walt Disney Treasures - Elfego Baca and The Swamp Fox - Legendary Heroes: DVD: Treasures dvd 8 of 10 1.0 September 25, 2006 L. Moss "Avid reader" Chicago IL Good grief - yet another DVD collection we are not buying because Disney doesn't seem to understand. We LOVED these series when they were on television but we will not buy something that is slapped together and incomplete. I hope the folks at Disney get the message eventually. Same thing applies to their live action feature films. Disney should release them in widescreen with some extras or not bother. Too bad because we have all the animated films and would happily buy the live action if the same care was given to the production B000ATQYV0:not_buying_it:frank_s._mize_"seadogace" B000ATQYV0 Walt Disney Treasures - Elfego Baca and The Swamp Fox - Legendary Heroes: DVD: Treasures dvd 16 of 19 1.0 March 24, 2006 Frank S. Mize "seadogace" Wichita, KS United States Maybe this is not fair, to write a review without even seeing the DVD. I wanted to make sure Disney understands that people do read these reviews, and I am not buying this DVD, as Swamp Fox is incomplete! Three out of Eight episodes is hardly a reason to purchase B0007WFXZI:too_much_clowning_--_way_too_gimmicky:reader B0007WFXZI Leonard Bernstein's Candide (Great Performances): DVD: Kristin Chenoweth,Patti LuPone,Paul Groves,Lonny Price,Sir Thomas Allen dvd 2 of 16 2.0 February 10, 2006 Reader Cheverly, MD I recently saw Les Miserables - 10th Anniversary Concert on DVD and absolutely fell in love with it so I thought I would try something similar and decided to give Candide try. Boy, was I disappointed. I can't get past the first 30 minutes -- all these silly gimmicky "jokes" that are not even remotely funny. The singing is not bad (this cast has better technical control of their voices compared to the cast in Les Miz) but the choreography is trite and unimaginative, and the acting so juvenille that you'd think the characters are retarded. When the narrator fired his gun and a "bang" flag shot out from the gun instead -- that was over the top for me.... Yuck. B0007WFXZI:i_repeat_mr._rarerare's_title:_not_bernstein's_candide:marcelo_b._de_freitas B0007WFXZI Leonard Bernstein's Candide (Great Performances): DVD: Kristin Chenoweth,Patti LuPone,Paul Groves,Lonny Price,Sir Thomas Allen dvd 4 of 17 2.0 November 28, 2005 Marcelo B. De Freitas Porto Alegre - RS - Brasil My impression was: what a waste of money - why take such a nice play and do it like that? Why? - What's that "old lady"? What sort of character Mrs. Lupone built? I read the reviews here - and I didn't believe them. I should have had. But there are good moments though - imaginative, creative, although far from funny B00004Y7S5:five_years_later,_still_not_happy_with_disney's_release_policies:s._silva_"sliv812" B00004Y7S5 The Fantasia Anthology (3-Disc Collector's Edition): DVD: Corey Burton,Walt Disney,Hugh Douglas (II),James MacDonald (II),Julietta Novis,Paul J. Smith (III),Leopold Stokowski,Deems Taylor,James Algar,Samuel Armstrong,Ford Beebe,Norman Ferguson,Jim Handley,Wilfred Jackson,Hamilton Luske,Bill Roberts,Paul Satterfield,Ben Sharpsteen dvd 15 of 24 2.0 November 14, 2005 S. Silva "Sliv812" Cumberland, RI As I write this review, it was 5 years ago this very day that the Walt Disney Co. released the classic "Fantasia" for the first time on DVD as a 60th Anniversary Special Edition. But exactly 5 years later, you can no longer purchase a legitimate, new copy of it without paying at least double the original sale price, via such avenues as ebay. As a Disney shareholder, I am one unhappy camper!! This is the only reason I'm rating this classic 5-star film with only 2 stars. The DVD is no longer legitimately available without forking over at least $40 or $50 for a new copy when the original list price was well under $30 (and that current price is only going to go up as times passes by). I'm sure I'm not the only consumer that's really sick and tired of Disney's inane policy of releasing and then quickly yanking some of their DVD releases. So what am I supposed to do now? Wait another 5 to 10 years just to buy a legitimate copy of this DVD when Disney finally decides that the time is right to release it again? I think not! I can't wait that long, and my nieces and nephews will probably be too old to care at that point. Or, should I instead pay an insane price now for an original copy (the profits of which WILL NOT go to Disney)? Again, I don't think so! I do not believe in getting ripped off, and refuse to support those that profit from it, regardless of supply/demand fundamentals. If Disney insists on continuing their ridiculous and outdated practice of discontinuing some of their classic films on DVD after only 2 to 3 years of availability, it shouldn't surprise them at all that they're actually LOSING POTENTIAL SALES to counterfeit/pirated versions of the films that are being sold around the world (and from auction sites like ebay, too). The way I see it, THEY ASKED FOR IT!! By not making these classics legitimately available at all times, they are encouraging piracy. It's that simple, and they deserve it!! In this day and age, people are not going to wait a few years to get something they want NOW!! I guess Disney is forcing me to think about buying a phony yet much cheaper DVD version of the original "Fantasia" just so I can show this classic to my nieces and nephews. I'd much rather buy a legitimate copy that's reasonably priced, but I can't because Disney won't allow me to do so. Oh well, it's their loss. A classic film like "Fantasia", which came in at No. 58 on the American Film Institute's 1998 list of the 100 greatest American movies of all time, deserves a far better fate than this. Great job Disney!! Way to go! B000FS9UKI:be_nice_to_people_on_your_way_up.:rick_l._parrish B000FS9UKI Basic Instinct 2 (Unrated, Extended Cut): DVD: Sharon Stone,David Morrissey,Charlotte Rampling,David Thewlis,Hugh Dancy,Stan Collymore,Neil Maskell,Jan Chappell,Terence Harvey,Ellen Thomas,Mark Sangster,Tim Berrington,Indira Varma,Heathcote Williams,Flora Montgomery,Kata Dob ,Iain Robertson,Charlie Simpson,Danielle Lydon,Christopher Brand,Michael Caton-Jones dvd 0 of 1 1.0 November 2, 2006 Rick L. Parrish Don't bother. Just don't bother. It's sad to see B0002QN0MW:hard_to_make_it_through...:dustin_l._davis_"dvd_anthology" B0002QN0MW The Home Teachers - Special Edition DVD: DVD: Kurt Hale and Dave Hunter,Michael Birkeland,Jeff Birk dvd 3 of 4 1.0 July 25, 2005 Dustin L. Davis "DVD Anthology" SLC, UT United States I hope I can give a fair rating here, but as one member who loves to watch LDS films of all types, this one is a big let-down. I normally will sit through any movie to see if it gets good. This one was just overkill that was not even funny. I initially sqeezed a few laughs out in the beginning but then it looked like "nursury" comedy if you know what I mean. I turned it off after the whole overdrawn toilet scene with the wedding-gown-infomercial-in-a-movie 6305075492:"i_must_know_everything.__i_must_penetrate_the_heart_of_his_secret!__i_must_become_caligari!"_:steven_y._"professional__imaginaut" 6305075492 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: DVD: Werner Krauss,Conrad Veidt,Friedrich Feher,Lil Dagover,Hans Heinrich von Twardowski,Rudolf Lettinger,Hans Lanser-Rudolf,Elsa Wagner,Ludwig Rex,Rudolf Klein-Rogge,Henri Peters-Arnolds,Robert Wiene dvd 5 of 10 2.0 November 24, 2005 Steven Y. "Professional Imaginaut" Yancy Street Robert Wiene's "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" is a celebrated work of German Expressionism. While there are several interesting facets to it, this grand experiment in filmmaking cannot be regarded as a complete success. Francis (Friedrich Feher) relays a strange story. A man named Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss) once came to his town seeking a permit to display an exhibit at a carnival. The exhibit was a wooden cabinet that housed a somnambulist named Cesare (Conrad Veidt). Strange happenings then ensued after Cesare predicted the death of one of Francis's friends. Concerned for the safety of his beloved Jane (Lil Dagover), Francis took it upon himself to determine whether Caligari was the person responsible for the disturbing series of events. In a strange way, one can look upon "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" as a bizarre version of "The Wizard of Oz" (1939). The framing sequences are similar and the surreal appearance of the town effectively creates an unfamiliar world that has its own unique and distinct visual identity. Yet, despite the ample creativity on display and the intriguing ideas the film explores in regards to memory and interpretation, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" is stiff and dreary. The characters are not engaging and the story is just a generic murder mystery with a monster thrown in. Give "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" points for trying to do something different and for influencing the look and feel of horror films that followed, but feel free to skip it if you are not a fan of the peculiar. B000G0O5G4:pretty_lame..could_have_been_great_but_it_was_a_great_dissapointment:richard_eicholtz_"bmores_own" B000G0O5G4 WWE - The History of the WWE Championship: DVD: Wwe dvd 2 of 3 2.0 November 5, 2006 Richard Eicholtz "Bmores_Own" Baumholder, Germany US ARMY There is a coliseum video about the World Heavyweight title. The tape ends when hogan was champ on his first reign. That tape is great. Gorilla Moonsoon with the commentary. The JR commentary doesn't make this garbage any better. The matches are like De ja vu let me think yes I have seen these before. Because these matches are on each and every other dvd. The extras on the dvd show the split seconds each title change. I really mean each clip has to be about 5 or 6 seconds. I know these matches were supposedly decided by the fans. I know I voted. Were the votes counted in Florida ? There are a million other matches that could have been on this dvd. I got the first disc from Netflix because I was not going to buy it. Some may say "He is crazy it was great". Maybe for you it is. I have seen all of that before. I wanted this dvd to learn something new about that history. There are no perspective segments or interviews. Just overrated JR running his yap over matches he never called. I want to hear the real commentary with Jesse not JR. But WWE screwed that up. There are a lot of things just wrong about wrestling now...oh I mean Entertainment. It's garbage now. WWE has put out some good dvds its just they did a crappy job on this one. Hitman, Jake Roberts, Road Warriors, Monday Night etc etc. The dvds about the old days are the only things I look forward to because their current product is garbage. So when the thing I look forward to is as luckluster as this dvd sorry if I get a little ticked off. Experienced wrestling fan get it on Netflix or borrow it and go and get the Coliseum Video if you can find it. Rookie fan it would be informative to you. B00029RTCG:a_merciful_two_star_rating;_look_for_future_arena_football_def._coor._stan_davis_as_1_child_actor_&_funny_bit_about_cheap_trick:ricahrd_a._salzer B00029RTCG Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Widescreen Special Edition): DVD: Sean Penn,Jennifer Jason Leigh,Judge Reinhold,Robert Romanus,Brian Backer,Phoebe Cates,Ray Walston,Scott Thomson,Vincent Schiavelli,Amanda Wyss,D.W. Brown,Forest Whitaker,Kelli Maroney,Tom Nolan,Blair Tefkin,Eric Stoltz,Stanley Davis Jr.,James Russo,James Bolt (II),Nicolas Cage,Amy Heckerling dvd 0 of 9 2.0 May 17, 2006 Ricahrd A. Salzer Chesapeake, Virginia, USA Surprisingly sleaze and Chauvinism by female Director Heckerling! She duplicated it in Chevy Chase vehicle National Lampoon's European Vacation too! Many child actors got their start here, but the thing that cracked me up, as I saw it when it came out (unfortu- nately) was the dialog of my fav band, Cheap Trick: Ticket scalper "...The magntism of Robin Zander and the charisma of Rick Nielsen...and what about the tunes, 'I Want You To Want Me, The Dream Police...nan-nan-nah, 'You're momma's alright, your daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird, Surrender, surrender...", before he's interrupted. If that isn't somebody's idea of 'Surrender', they've stumbled onto this review by mistake B000298WFE:don't_waste_money:p._wallace_"keeping_it_real" B000298WFE Ken Park (Uncut Uncensored Version - Import): DVD: Larry Clark,Tiffany Limos,James Robert,Stephen Jasso dvd 7 of 17 1.0 July 20, 2005 P. wallace "Keeping it Real" Tokyo, JPN I am always up for a new genre of film, but the reviews here are misleading. The basic plot of the movie is that life sucks (yeah thats it). The rest of it is just sick. If your really into perversion then okay you'd probably get more out of it then I did, but for the viewers who haven't been almost raped by their fathers, or killed their grandparents or shot themselves in public this isn't the movie for you. If you still want to see the movie try and get it from netflix or borrow it from a friend before you dish out the cash B000EHRVMY:dorothy_fields_might_have_written:_"lovely_to_look_at,_horrific_to_watch_...":jonathan_lapin_"fletcher_rabbit" B000EHRVMY Memoirs of a Geisha (Widescreen 2-Disc Special Edition): DVD: Ziyi Zhang,Suzuka Ohgo,Ken Watanabe,K ji Yakusho,Youki Kudoh,Li Gong,Kaori Momoi,Tsai Chin,Zoe Weizenbaum,Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa,Kenneth Tsang,Randall Duk Kim,Ted Levine,Paul Adelstein,Samantha Futerman,Thomas Ikeda,Michelle Yeoh,Eugenia Yuan,Y ko Narahashi,Karl Yune,Rob Marshall dvd 0 of 3 2.0 October 5, 2006 Jonathan Lapin "fletcher rabbit" Brooklyn, NY USA a coffee table book come to life, ridiculously uninvolving writing and acting; you could turn to any chapter in this pretentious take on mid-20th century japan and not suffer any the worse for it. B00003CWPL:the_worst_movie_i've_ever_seen:scott_e._packard B00003CWPL Eraserhead: DVD: David Lynch,Jack Nance,Charlotte Stewart,Allen Joseph,Jeanne Bates,Judith Anna Roberts,Laurel Near,V. Phipps-Wilson,Jack Fisk,Jean Lange,Thomas Coulson,John Monez,Darwin Joston,Neil Moran (II),Hal Landon Jr.,Jennifer Chambers Lynch,Brad Keeler,Peggy Lynch,Doddie Keeler,Gill Dennis,Toby Keeler dvd 5 of 24 1.0 September 6, 2006 Scott E. Packard Alhambra, CA United States There are cinematic masterpieces, and there are films that really make you feel the producer knows how to use film to its fullest. This stinker convinced me Mr. Lynch owned shares in Kodak and wanted to sell film by the mile. The only reason you may want to see this is so you will convince yourself never to see a David Lynch work ever again. Do not buy it!! Manos, The Hands of Fate is much more watchable than this. I get Brian Eno and ambient/atmosphere music is so you will use it as a background along with your imagination to create your own inner experience. Film doesn't work that way (another reviewer compared this with Eno). I find Memento a brilliant piece of work, really making me forget I am watching a film. I think Videodrome is wonderful and compelling. This - make sure you can watch something else. Watch this in 100x speed. You won't miss a thing. Okay, I just remembered, there is one movie worse than this one. Reflections Of Evil. If you actually like Eraserhead then get that movie too. Me, I'd rather put a brain-eating worm in my ear from whatever planet Kahn was exiled to in Star Trek II. Much less painful than watching this B000E1OI80:the_cinema's_biggest_loser:roger_"ttt" B000E1OI80 The Complete Mr. Arkadin (aka Confidential Report) - Criterion Collection: DVD: Orson Welles,Redgrave,Tamiroff,Auer dvd 1 of 41 1.0 May 31, 2006 Roger "TTT" New York,New York How he gets away with it I will never understand.Orson Welles was a Clown who dedicated his life to food and to criticize art in all of its forms.(that's what you do when you can't make art)Don't worry,there is always Rossellini,Fellini,Renoir,Bergman,Dreyer... ... B000E1OI80:criterion_now_giving_credit_to_welles__poor_(old)excuses:robert_f._"robert_f." B000E1OI80 The Complete Mr. Arkadin (aka Confidential Report) - Criterion Collection: DVD: Orson Welles,Redgrave,Tamiroff,Auer dvd 3 of 40 1.0 May 31, 2006 Robert F. "Robert F." Seattle, WA USA The Criterion Collection, a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films, is dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements.The foundation of the collection is the work of such(real) MASTERS of cinema as Renoir, Godard, Kurosawa, Cocteau, Fellini, Bergman, Tarkovsky, Hitchcock, Fuller, Lean, Kubrick, Lang, Sturges, Dreyer, Eisenstein, Ozu, Sirk, Bunuel, Powell and Pressburger. The Criterion Collection must feel embarrassed for wasting a tremendous amount of time in this glorious package to glorify the most incompetent of all filmmakers. I did not watch any of the extras, but I hope you can find there those hilarious TV- clips from the 70s with Welles crying like a baby...."Oh...They only let me do the movie I wanted to make in Kane.... B0007YXQEG:that's_the_grudge,_huh?:b._markey B0007YXQEG The Grudge (Director's Cut): DVD: Sarah Michelle Gellar,Jason Behr,William Mapother,Clea DuVall,KaDee Strickland,Grace Zabriskie,Bill Pullman,Rosa Blasi,Ted Raimi,Ryo Ishibashi,Yoko Maki (II),Yuya Ozeki,Takako Fuji,Takashi Matsuyama (II),Hiroshi Matsunaga,Hajime Okayama,Yoshiyuki Morishita,Kazuyuki Tsumura,Taiki Kobayashi,Junko Koizumi,Takashi Shimizu,Kiyoshi Kurosawa dvd 2.0 November 3, 2006 B. Markey Iowa This was not very good, in my opinion. The Ring scared the bejeezus outta me. This was not scary. Two weeks afterwards, I still find my mind wandering about one thing...why the heck didn't they just kick that little boy in the head and send him accross the room? If I walk into my house and see a half-naked boy meowing and hissing at me, I'm gonna flip him over my knee and give him a good spankin B000FO0AHO:elizabeth_i_dvd_:liz_"lor" B000FO0AHO Elizabeth I: DVD: Helen Mirren,Jeremy Irons,Patrick Malahide,Toby Jones,Hugh Dancy,Barbara Flynn,Ian McDiarmid,J r mie Covillault,Erick Deshors,Simon Woods,Diana Kent,Toby Salaman,Geoffrey Streatfield,John McEnery,Martin Savage,David Delve,Martin Marquez,Charles Millham,Anne Firbank,Mykolas Dorofejus,Tom Hooper (II) dvd 0 of 1 1.0 November 9, 2006 Liz "lor" fla. USA While viewing the DVD Elizabeth I, we noticed many imperfections requiring restarts and/or interruptions of our viewing. This is the first DVD that we have ever seen with imperfections. It was very distracting while trying to view this excellent movie B000HC2LVM:unoriginal_and_preachy.:zigwamo_"coffee_maven" B000HC2LVM The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Four-Disc Extended Edition): DVD: Georgie Henley,Skandar Keynes,William Moseley,Anna Popplewell,Tilda Swinton,James McAvoy,Jim Broadbent,Kiran Shah,James Cosmo,Judy McIntosh,Elizabeth Hawthorne,Patrick Kake,Shane Rangi,Brandon Cook (III),Cassie Cook,Morris Lupton,Shelly Edwards,Susan Haldane,Margaret Bremner,Jaxin Hall,Andrew Adamson dvd 1.0 November 21, 2006 Zigwamo "Coffee Maven" Dallas, TX USA This story is one of the worst "fantasy" stories ever. It is completely unoriginal and is a hodge podge of borrowed fantasy and mythological creatures set in a preachy judeo-christian story line. Don't waste your time with the books or the movies and look to Lord of The Rings or Harry Potter for original (not to mention secular) fantasy and escape. B0001US6BE:don't_waste_your_time_purchasing_this_product.:t._kassakatis B0001US6BE Power Zone - The Ultimate Metabolism Boosting Workout: DVD: Denise Austin dvd 3 of 7 2.0 September 23, 2005 T. Kassakatis Pennsylvania I didn't like this video for several reasons. The rubber band is a waste of time and hurts your hands. I was looking for an aerobic video. I have Gilad - Bodies in Motion which is great but was getting bored with it since I had it for four years. Let me just say I'm sticking with Gilad because Denise does nothing for me. You don't even feel like you had a workout with her. She's boring. I would recommend Gilad for aerobics and Tamilee Webb for toning. Tamilee is awesome. I have many of her videos and I'm a true fan of hers B0007N19PU:boring_&_very_un-natural_(almost_fake):bb3777_"bb3777" B0007N19PU Billy Blanks - Tae Bo Kicks: DVD: Billy Blanks dvd 15 of 19 1.0 June 25, 2005 bb3777 "bb3777" Dallas, TX This program was BORING! As much as Billy tried to keep the kid on the program motivated, about 10 minutes into the workout they were showing how bored they were, and of course my kids at home, and I'm sure any other kid picked up on this, and soon lost interest. Several things made this program boring: One, you can't understand a thing Billy is saying, he would mumble unclear phrases thoughout the entire program, and his demeanor was very un-natural, to the point of being fake. He just looked & sounded very out of place working with kids. It came across like he & his crew weren't really sure how to interact with the kids, making them appear to be very fake. Another boring point was the movements, there was absolutely NO creativity here, these were some of the EXACT same movements from the adult Tae-Bo videos. Now, I do applaud Billy for slowing the movements down (unlike the adult Tae-Bo which goes at a break neck pace), these movements are performed in a controlled manner. But, they are still adult type movements, and extremely boring for kids. I would have liked to have seen some creativity with these movements to make them more kid friendly, and more EXCITING! To be honest my kids were turned off & bored with this program after the first 10 minutes. Something Billy needs to realize is, kids are smarter than people give them credit for being. - They can tell when someone is being fake & not truly having fun, and they also realize that when kids on T.V. are bored & not having fun, then this isn't something they want to do. Kids want to have fun, and want to watch the instructor & other kids having fun. That is how you motivate children B0000844JJ:w.t.f?:philip_n._wright B0000844JJ Time Bandits: DVD: John Cleese,Sean Connery,Shelley Duvall,Katherine Helmond,Ian Holm,Michael Palin,Ralph Richardson,Peter Vaughan,David Warner,David Rappaport,Kenny Baker,Malcolm Dixon,Mike Edmonds,Jack Purvis,Tiny Ross,Craig Warnock,David Daker,Sheila Fearn,Jim Broadbent,John Young,Terry Gilliam dvd 3 of 53 1.0 June 18, 2006 Philip N. Wright This movie does not make sense. And it's not weird in the style of David Lynch, it's just complete crap. I thought Willie Wonka and The Chocolate Factory was the worst/stupidest fil ever until i saw this. Do not buy this. It is not a family movie, and it is not funny or entertaining B000GG4Y32:beware_25_years_old_does_not_mean_it_is_tame_for_kids:kent_a._phillips_"klphillips75" B000GG4Y32 Reds (25th Anniversary Edition): DVD: Beatty,Nicholson,Keaton dvd 3 of 44 1.0 October 25, 2006 Kent A. Phillips "klphillips75" KNOXVILLE, TN United States I purchased this movie as it was labeled an epic film and someone even compared it to the best love story since Gone with the Wind. Give me a break! This movie had an agenda 25 years ago, and it still comes across that way in 2006. The rating of PG is a joke. Please do not watch this movie with your kids! It is certainly has a more mature theme than what you would think. The plot is lame and I am sorry I spent the money on it. I plan to get rid of the movie and exchange it as used somewhere where I can get something that is entertaining, this certainly was not. I did not even reach the end of the first disc before turning it off. For top names in the industry making this film, all I can say is they got paid a lot of money for nothing. B000B5XOWU:season_by_season_box_sets!!!!_:trapper60_"trapper60" B000B5XOWU Beavis and Butt-head - The Mike Judge Collection, Vol. 1: DVD: Hiroki Tsukui,Trez Bayer,Christine Walters,G.A. Quinn,James Judge (II),Guy Maxtone-Graham,Kristofor Brown,Bonnie Brantley,Dale Revo,Tony Pipitone,Masako Kanayama,Penelope Trud,Jennifer Jane Emerson,Sam Johnson,Chris Marcil,Michael Ruschak,Phil Christopher,Peter C. Gourdine,Yvette Kaplan,Mike Judge dvd 8 of 8 1.0 June 19, 2006 Trapper60 "trapper60" Pullman, Washington United States I agree with others! Season by season BOX SETS of Beavis & Butt-Head are what we fans want! With all music and B&B commentary and no damned edits of anything! Until then, Mike Judge & company, I will NOT buy anything B&B related, relying instead on my own VHS recorded episodes(limited in number of episodes as they are at least they're the complete original episodes)that I've transfered to DVD. I want each and every episode uncut and in their original broadcast order. Who's the brains behind the lame "Mike Judge Collection" series anyway?!? Some dumbass idiot working at Burger World??? Just from a purely greedy standpoint you'd make way more greenbacks by doing it the right way for cryin' out loud! Not to mention retain the show's and your integrity. Hell, even Beavis and Butt-Head'd think this "Collection" concept'd be lame and stupid!! Get with the groove Mike & Co. and give us what we want already!! B000B5XOWU:uh,_like_where_are_the_videos_:j._reda B000B5XOWU Beavis and Butt-head - The Mike Judge Collection, Vol. 1: DVD: Hiroki Tsukui,Trez Bayer,Christine Walters,G.A. Quinn,James Judge (II),Guy Maxtone-Graham,Kristofor Brown,Bonnie Brantley,Dale Revo,Tony Pipitone,Masako Kanayama,Penelope Trud,Jennifer Jane Emerson,Sam Johnson,Chris Marcil,Michael Ruschak,Phil Christopher,Peter C. Gourdine,Yvette Kaplan,Mike Judge dvd 3 of 4 2.0 May 23, 2006 J. Reda chicago, il I dont understand why they didnt put the videos in like when it was on tv. The videos were the best part! I asume its because mtv didn't want to pay royalties to the bands, so they called it the "Mike Judge Collection" and left them out. Uh, That Sucks B000AA4F74:one_of_the_worst_films_ever!!:noura_ali_omran_"anime_freak" B000AA4F74 Devil in the Flesh: DVD: Marco Bellocchio,Maruschka Detmers,Federico Pitzalis,Anita Laurenzi,Alberto Di Stasio,Riccardo De Torrebruna,Catherine Diamant,Anna Orso,Lidia Broccolino,Stefano Abbati,Claudio Botosso,Germano Basile,Brunella Casolari,Luciano D'Amico,Lorenzo D'Avanzo,Raffaele De Nuccio,Riccardo Diana,Viviana Fedeli Andri,Francesco Firpo,Doris Gean Foster,Claudio Lorimer dvd 4 of 7 1.0 July 10, 2006 Noura Ali Omran "Anime Freak" Sharjah, United Arab Emirates I bought this DVD hoping that it will be a good one but it turned out to be awful and trashy. There is no story or plot to it, so I ended up throwing it away. I really regret buying it. If you're into sex, then this film is for you but let me tell you this, it is boring like hell. B000AA4F74:depends_on_what_you_want:bookloversfriend B000AA4F74 Devil in the Flesh: DVD: Marco Bellocchio,Maruschka Detmers,Federico Pitzalis,Anita Laurenzi,Alberto Di Stasio,Riccardo De Torrebruna,Catherine Diamant,Anna Orso,Lidia Broccolino,Stefano Abbati,Claudio Botosso,Germano Basile,Brunella Casolari,Luciano D'Amico,Lorenzo D'Avanzo,Raffaele De Nuccio,Riccardo Diana,Viviana Fedeli Andri,Francesco Firpo,Doris Gean Foster,Claudio Lorimer dvd 9 of 9 2.0 July 5, 2006 bookloversfriend United States Each scene is one shot, and that shot goes on and on and on, sometimes staying with the same act or lack of action. This film is pretension personified, but that's okay. Many people can't tell the difference between pretension and art. The music too is full of squeaks and squawks. In case you didn't know, that means that the music too is high art. There is no story. Boy and girl see each other, and without preliminaries hit the sack. We see boy & girl here, there, in the sack, here, there, in the sack, etc. Occasionally we get a shot of some of the other characters. Because of the lack of dynamics, the film is not effective, either as drama or as eroticism. Ironically, "The Summer of '42" was much more erotic even without any nudity (which would have helped). The vaulted sex scenes are three in number, chest and shoulders, and they last about three minutes each. The much-touted fellatio scene is actually surprisingly good, more convincing than the "love" scenes. There are also a few brief full-frontal scenes of the star, who has a gorgeous body (hence, the two star rating). Bottom line: the only reason to see this movie is the nudity and the sex. But there are many better movies for that. So, only if you need the pretentiousness in order to permit yourself to see a sex movie should you see this. 0790737345:chick_flick_hell:t._smith 0790737345 City of Angels: DVD: Nicolas Cage,Meg Ryan,Andre Braugher,Dennis Franz,Colm Feore,Robin Bartlett,Joanna Merlin,Sarah Dampf,Rhonda Dotson,Nigel Gibbs,John Putch,Lauri Johnson,Christian Aubert,Jay Patterson,Shishir Kurup,Brian Markinson,Hector Velasquez,Marlene Kanter,Bernard White,Dan Desmond,Brad Silberling dvd 5 of 13 2.0 April 15, 2006 T. Smith Charlotte NC *Warning: Spoiler* I cannot believe people, excuse me, some women are giving this movie four and five stars. Interesting premise,and it could have been a good, believeable movie-- but it was sooo syrupy. If this is what it's like to be in love, please somebody shoot me(note: I've been in real love for 27 years now.) I got through the movie and probably would have given the movie a 3 and a half until the very end. Why the blankity-blank-blank does somebody always have to die at or near the end for the movie to be a "good movie"? I felt like I was drowning in estrogen by the time the movie was over. Wouldn't it have been more intriquing to leave the movie somehow pondering how this new love was going to all work out? That, at least, would have made the movie more intriquing, believeable and redeeming. If ever a movie was made to force tears, this is it. This movie stinks and I don't mind telling you so--and it's not just because I'm a man either. Imo, there's not much difference between this movie and a stupid, blatant Steven Segall movie where testosterone is promenaded around like it's the elixir of heaven. Same coin, different sides. The movie should be given a "one"--no a "negative one" just for the stupid ending, but other redeeming factors make it a "two." Still not worth seeing--i.e., unless you're into infuriating yourself. ** Note: Even my wife and daughter--both chick-flick connousiours--hate this movie.I haven't checked yet, but I think my dogs do too.** Another note: These two good actors needed a better movie. See Ryan in the superb "Courage Under Fire", or the Jim Morrison movie, or "When Harry Met Sally"--which I don't categorize as a "chick flick" but as a good romantic comedy,i.e., not contrived 0790729369:urp:marta_p._grunland_"mountaingirl" 0790729369 The Bridges of Madison County: DVD: Michelle Benes,Brandon Bobst,Art Breese,Annie Corley,Pearl Faessler,R.E. 'Stick' Faessler,Jim Haynie,Christopher Kroon,Richard Lage,Larry Loury,Phyllis Lyons,Billie McNabb,Tania Mishler,Debra Monk,Sarah Kathryn Schmitt,Lana Schwab,Victor Slezak,Meryl Streep,Alison Wiegert dvd 2 of 18 2.0 May 13, 2006 Marta P. Grunland "mountaingirl" Colorado Geez, maybe I have a heart of stone. I wasn't a bit moved by the overrated Streep and handsome Clint. It's a story about two hearts linked as one - a sacrifice by a beautiful woman for the greater good - a touching story of common adultery committed by two randy, bored adults. Yawwwwn. Streep can do any accent on the planet, and sprinkle it with more affected mannerisms than Marcel Marceau. That doesn't make her an actress - just a clever chameleon. I'd rather watch Julia Roberts play herself over and over and over than see Streep play "pretend" roles. There, I've said it. Now goodnight. B000BKVL20:pretty_stupid_and_obnoxious:silence_"magisterelect" B000BKVL20 Four Brothers: DVD: John Singleton,Mark Wahlberg,Tyrese Gibson,Andr Benjamin,Garrett Hedlund,Terrence Howard,Josh Charles,Sof a Vergara,Fionnula Flanagan,Chiwetel Ejiofor,Taraji P. Henson,Barry Shabaka Henley,Jernard Burks,Kenneth Welsh,Tony Nappo,Shawn Singleton,Reiya West Downs,Riele West Downs,Lyriq Bent,Richard Chevolleau,Awaovieyi Agie dvd 3 of 5 1.0 September 8, 2006 Silence "magisterelect" Seattle Almost unbelievably bad, except I saw the remake of 'Shaft,' which should have been a forewarning. This is like a comic book for filmgoers. No, not a graphic novel adapted to the screen. More like a comic book for kids, that you'd be embarassed to own at any age. Doubly offensive is the high quality soul music that is on the soundtrack, a travesty to the nth degree. 6305080445:too_dumb_to_be_funny:rennie_petersen 6305080445 Legal Eagles: DVD: Robert Redford,Debra Winger,Daryl Hannah,Brian Dennehy,Terence Stamp,Steven Hill,David Clennon,John McMartin,Jennifer Dundas,Roscoe Lee Browne,Christine Baranski,Sara Botsford,David Hart,James Hurdle,Gary Howard Klar,Christian Clemenson,Bart Burns,Bruce French,Lynn Hamilton,Paul Jabara,Ivan Reitman dvd 2.0 January 7, 2006 Rennie Petersen Copenhagen, Denmark "Legal Eagles" is supposed to be a comedy. We're supposed to find the characters played by Robert Redford and Debra Winger to be amusing, their acrimonious relationship to be hilarious, and the way that they end up being partners despite all of the gibes to be romantically satisfying. The problem is that the movie is too dumb to be taken seriously, and thus too dumb to be funny. Briefly, the story takes place in New York. Robert Redford is an assistant District Attorney about to be promoted to be the DA. Debra Winger is a defense attorney, and Daryl Hannah is a young woman with emotional problems, and is Debra Winger's client. The plot involves a fire 20 years ago, when Daryl Hannah was eight, a fire that killed her artist father and purportedly destroyed a large number of his paintings. This experience left Daryl Hannah traumatized, but all is not as it seems, and now, 20 years later, Daryl Hannah is first accused of attempted theft and later of murder. Unfortunately, the plot involves many elements that simply don't make sense. I won't go into detail, but Roger Ebert does a good job of listing four different major things that make the plot completely unbelievable. As well as the story being dumb I found some of the scenes that were supposed to be funny to be anything but. For example, Robert Redford is a weekend father to a teenage daughter. At one point his ex-wife threatens to go to court to prevent him from seeing their daughter. Robert Redford makes a telephone call to his ex-wife's home and starts an angry monologue of threats about how he'll take her apart in court. Then he realizes that he's actually talking to his daughter! This mistake is apparently supposed to be hilarious. Ha, ha. In another scene Robert Redford and Debra Winger are together and see one of the bad guys. Robert Redford takes off on foot to try to catch him. Debra Winger, who doesn't know how to drive a car, feels it necessary for her to jump into Robert Redford's car and try to follow him. She makes a wrong turn and finds herself going the wrong way into traffic on a wide heavily trafficked street. There follows one minute of her frantically dodging cars at the last moment. Very funny. Ha, ha, ha. This movie could have been a fairly good romantic thriller if they had fixed the plot and not tried to be a comedy. But the dumb plot and the unfunny attempts at comedy make it a complete waste of time. Rennie Peterse B00062IDZQ:wow,_americans_really_are_stupid:t._du_"baddestbich" B00062IDZQ Newlyweds - Nick & Jessica - The First Season: DVD: Marla Hopkin,Matt Anderson (III),Marcus Fox (III),Sarah K. Pillsbury,Donald Bull (II),Katherine Brooks,Ron Flaherty,Todd C. Stevens dvd 5 of 8 1.0 January 2, 2006 T. Du "baddestbich" St. Louis, MO this is entertainment? Wow, exactly how much of your brain has been damaged by fat B00005UQ9W:13_ghosts................:s.m._"horror_buff" B00005UQ9W Thirteen Ghosts: DVD: Tony Shalhoub,Embeth Davidtz,Matthew Lillard,Shannon Elizabeth,Alec Roberts,JR Bourne,Rah Digga,F. Murray Abraham,Matthew Harrison (III),Jacob Rupp,Mike Crestejo,Aubrey Culp,Charles Andre (II),Mikhael Speidel,Daniel Wesley,Laura Mennell,Kathryn Anderson,Craig Olejnik,Shawna Loyer,Xantha Radley,Steve Beck dvd 0 of 2 2.0 March 2, 2006 S.M. "horror buff" Louisiana So-so movie. It has it's good parts along with some boring parts but overall, good special effects with the ghosts. There were bloody parts in this movie making it more enjoyable to watch. When a very rich man dies and leaves his state of the art home to his nephew, he moves in with his family only to find out that there are things in the house that he was not aware of............. many ghosts. Just a OK movie. B00005UQ9W:predictable:a._vegan B00005UQ9W Thirteen Ghosts: DVD: Tony Shalhoub,Embeth Davidtz,Matthew Lillard,Shannon Elizabeth,Alec Roberts,JR Bourne,Rah Digga,F. Murray Abraham,Matthew Harrison (III),Jacob Rupp,Mike Crestejo,Aubrey Culp,Charles Andre (II),Mikhael Speidel,Daniel Wesley,Laura Mennell,Kathryn Anderson,Craig Olejnik,Shawna Loyer,Xantha Radley,Steve Beck dvd 1 of 1 2.0 January 1, 2006 A. Vegan Ontario Canada Thirteen Ghosts is about a machine. This machine was designed by a Man who was at the time possessed my Satan. Yes, Satan. If the plot doesn't seem stupid enough, it needs Ghosts to power it. Ghostbusters anyone? At the start we watch a ghost hunting scene with a ghost that looks it belongs in a Michael J Fox movie. As time progresses you find out that the 'demonic machine' needs to be powered by ghosts. If done right, it opens the 'Eye to Hell'. Save yourself a few bucks and don't rent this. It's awfu B000FILVFA:potentially_very_hot,_but_sucked_instead!:pen_name B000FILVFA Gwendoline - Unrated Director's Cut (aka - The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak): DVD: Tawny Kitaen,Brent Huff,Zabou,Bernadette Lafont,Jean Rougerie,Roland Amstutz,Jean Stanislas Capoul,Chen Chang Ching,Vernon Dobtcheff,Andr Julien,Takashi Kawahara,Kristopher Kum,Loi Lam Duc,Maurice Lamy,Jim Adhi Limas,Georges Lycan,Dominique Marcas,Roger Paschy,Hua Quach,Patricia Attwood,Just Jaeckin dvd 4 of 5 1.0 September 13, 2006 Pen Name United States I generally like some of these French-comic-books-turned-into-movies because they're usually pretty erotic. Jane Fonda's role in Barbarella comes to mind. This Gwendoline series definitely had the POTENTIAL what with the scantily-clad women-in-bondage theme and the scenes involving Gwendoline with her dominant girlfriend. But the very beautiful Tawney Kitaen (cast as Gwendoline) apparently balked at doing girl/girl scenes (this was 1984, after all), and so the producers obligingly didn't force her to do any, and as a result this one turned into a very bland, weak, and diluted version of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It's not a good adventure film, and it's certainly not erotic. There's a little nudity, and some ridiculous moments that are supposed to capture the kinkiness of the French comics, but overall this one was a disappointing bust. B000DZ7YN8:the_novel_would_be_better:scott_schiefelbein B000DZ7YN8 The Ice Harvest (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Harold Ramis,John Cusack,Billy Bob Thornton,Lara Phillips,Bill Noble (III),Brad Smith,Ned Bellamy,Connie Nielsen,Mike Starr,T.J. Jagodowski,Meghan Maureen McDonough,Tab Baker,Frank Gallo,William Dick (III),Oliver Platt,David Pasquesi,Laura Whyte,Steve King (II),Caroline Gehrke,Justine Bentley,Max Kirsch dvd 0 of 2 2.0 September 26, 2006 Scott Schiefelbein Portland, Oregon United States Harold Ramis's "The Ice Harvest" wallows in mid-market crime and holiday angst, but never really hits either the comic or noir heights to which it aspires. All the ingredients are there, but ultimately the movie lacks spice. In some movies, it works where all the characters move at a slow pace - "Nobody's Fool," for example. But a dark comedy needs some pep, and "The Ice Harvest" doesn't have it. A lot of that blame falls on the shoulders of John Cusack, one of my favorite actors. He is at his best when he is riffing one of his intelligent-yet-soulful monologues, like in "High Fidelity" and "Say Anything." Here, Cusack's job is to look morose and make the occasional comment - he may speak the fewest lines in any film he's made as a leading man, and that's a shame. Billy Bob Thornton tries to liven up the movie in his scenes, but the menacing actor is off-screen for huge swaths of time and his absence is felt. The same with the entertaining Oliver Platt, who plays a drunken buffoon as well as anyone - he's enjoyable on-screen, but when he's not there, we miss him. The bar is set pretty high for holiday-as-setting-for-dysfunction movies. None of the exchanges rise to the visceral heights of the husband-wife spat of "The Ref," for example. The movie is filled with small-time hoods who all seem hung-over or depressed rather than moved to exercise their savage wits. Instead, we get an ominous film that in many ways tries to evoke "Fargo" or "A Simple Plan," but doesn't get anywhere close. There are a few laugh-out-loud moments that I won't spoil that keep the movie from being a complete waste of time. But all in all, the movie is a downer, and when the winners are finally revealed at the end, it feels less like a triumph than it does a ho-hum conclusion. Throughout the movie, I kept wondering if this would have been a much more enjoyable movie where we got to see what was actually going on inside the minds of the characters . . . there seemed to be many scenes where the actors kept the best lines to themselves. Petty crime can be highly enjoyable, but not in "The Ice Harvest." B0000DKDUR:wow.__i_don't_care...:polarisdib_"dibness" B0000DKDUR Bad Boys II: DVD: Antoni Corone,Rey Hernandez,Charlie Johnson Jr.,Martin Lawrence,Jordi Moll ,Gary Nickens,Jason Manuel Olazabal,Joe Pantoliano,Theresa Randle,Henry Rollins,John Salley,Otto Sanchez,Jon Seda,Michael Shannon,Will Smith,Peter Stormare,Gabrielle Union,Yul Vazquez,Paul Villaverde dvd 2.0 February 18, 2006 PolarisDiB "dibness" Southwest, USA Long, tedious action adventure with repetitive dialog, bad plot holes, and generally boring characters is how to describe this little foray into following up the characters from Bad Boys. Marcus and Mike are out about, trying to find some ecstasy they've been alerted about. They get into a bunch of fights, a bunch of car chases, they get in trouble, they argue with each other. Then they go and they get into another fight, then they get in trouble, only this time they argue with each other first. Then they argue with each other, then get into a fight, then get in trouble. Then they get into trouble, argue with each other, and get into a fight. The fights? The same thing, over and over again. Marcus is upset because he feels his life is in danger. Mike is upset because he feels Marcus is bringing in negative energy. They parody relationship therapy. There's another thing happening. It's this Cuban antagonist. We don't really care about him, really. He just kind of runs around, being Cuban and evil and all. Then we get to see him get angry at people. Then he becomes devious. Then he becomes malicious and angry again. So we watch, for over two hours, with just enough action to keep it moving. Action that involves a certain camera movement, then a reverse shot, then the same camera movement, then the same reverse shot, then the same camera movement, then the same reverse shot... The only truly interesting action scene occurred in that house with the Rastafarians, with that spinning camera thing. That was pretty clever. That's why this film got any stars at all from me. Really, all I got from this film was the feeling that the filmmakers were trying to make the Bad Boys series, if there will ever be one (probably...) into the Lethal Weapon series. I also got a lot of stuff about terrible psychoanalysis which was, to me, Michael Bay telling the world that male attraction to action adventure movies is not some weird psychoanalitical crazy mess, but just good natured fun. Which is why the movie got a bit more of a higher rating from me. Otherwise, wow, was that tedious. --PolarisDi B000EGFT42:unnecessarily_epic...:smacky_"smacky" B000EGFT42 King Kong: DVD dvd 2.0 November 18, 2006 Smacky "smacky" Cinci. OH After 40 minutes of objective viewing, and shot after superfluous shot, I sat through another 30 minutes in pain. I've come to the fairly well informed conclusion that either Peter Jackson can ONLY do epics wheather it calls for it or not, or LOTR in all it's incarnations had immense levels of supervision for Jacksons from higher-ups. Kong is not an epic, it is a tragedy. Tell me to watch the whole thing, if you will, but if the film is constructed so poorly 70 minutes in, I don't need to. On another note. Jurassic park had better CGI than this. Mr. jackson, no more 'epic fly-by shots please. 0790729601:definitely_not_one_of_arnold's_best...:hard_2_impress_"parker" 0790729601 Eraser: DVD: Arnold Schwarzenegger,James Caan,Vanessa L. Williams,James Coburn,Robert Pastorelli,James Cromwell,Danny Nucci,Andy Romano,Nick Chinlund,Michael Papajohn,Joe Viterelli,Mark Rolston,John Slattery,Robert Miranda,Roma Maffia,Tony Longo,Gerry Becker,John Snyder,Melora Walters,Olek Krupa,Chuck Russell dvd 1 of 3 1.0 March 5, 2006 hard 2 impress "parker" Alabama Eraser has a few scenes that will keep your attention, but overall the movie displayed poor acting, stunts that are impossible and a mediocre plot. This movie possibly will be owned by many, but remembered by few. James Caan was the only talent that Eraser has to offer. Sorry guys, my wife bought it, I watched it, gave it away and divorced her B000BB96LW:euuuwww......creepy!:zoe_paris B000BB96LW Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: DVD: Tim Burton,Johnny Depp,Freddie Highmore,David Kelly,Helena Bonham Carter,Noah Taylor,Missi Pyle,James Fox,Deep Roy,Christopher Lee,Adam Godley,Franziska Troegner,AnnaSophia Robb,Julia Winter,Jordan Fry,Philip Wiegratz,Blair Dunlop,Liz Smith,Eileen Essell,David Morris (XVI),Nitin Chandra Ganatra dvd 1 of 4 2.0 October 25, 2006 Zoe Paris Beverly Hills, CA USA This movie creeped me out and not in a good way. Johnny Depp is an awesome actor and I usually find him sexy but in THIS stinker I find him really creepy and gross. Maybe it's the Michael Jackson-ish look he has going on with the black wig and white face. Could they have picked a more horrible look for WW? It looked like they took him to a costume store and put a 10$ wig and 5$ clown makup on him! I love Tim Burton's other movies but this one sucked BIGTIME! It gives a new perspective on Willy Wonka but this Willy is someone I would keep kids AWAY from. This movie is childish if you're an adult and pales compared to the original. If you're a kid it's way too dark and scary and has some adult humor which will leave kids asking "Auntie Zoe, what does that mean?" When are screenwriters going to figure it out? EITHER WRITE A KIDS MOVIE OR WRITE A GROWNUP MOVIE!!! It's really hard to do both in the same film. It seems like when writers try to make movies that appeal to adults and kids, they end up appealing to nobody! Maybe I am biased because I loved the original Gene Wilder version. I would have been open to seeing a remake if it was GOOD but this movie was dissapointing. It's amazing how so much money and effort go into special effects and expensive sets and the script itself is hollow with lousy characters. The whole thing just had a creepy vibe with almost sadistic undertones. The only reason I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 is because I love Depp and Burton, if you are not a fan of either, don't waste your time with this steaming pile of poo! B000127Z9G:lacking_alot_of_video_direction:margarita_"margarita" B000127Z9G Trainer's Edge - Killer Abs and Back with Michael Olajide: DVD: Michael Olajide dvd 2 of 12 2.0 September 9, 2004 Margarita "Margarita" Florida seems like this video could be useful, but the trainer is terrible at working the camera and makes you feel uncomfortable watching it, yet alone trying to work out to it....some of the moves were cool, but all in all i will trade this in for something else B000063VBJ:how_to_destroy_your_career_in_one_simple_movie:trevor_willsmer B000063VBJ The Vanishing: DVD: Jeff Bridges,Kiefer Sutherland,Nancy Travis,Sandra Bullock,Park Overall,Maggie Linderman,Lisa Eichhorn,George Hearn,Lynn Hamilton,Garrett Bennett,George Catalano,Frank Girardeau,Stephen Bridgewater,Susan Barnes,Rich Hawkins,Michael Kaufman,Sabrena Roddy,Andrea Lauren Herz,Joanne Schmoll,Allison Barcott,George Sluizer dvd 5 of 13 1.0 November 5, 2005 Trevor Willsmer London, England George Sluizer's original Dutch-French version of The Vanishing (aka The Man Who Wanted to Know) offers one of European cinema's most quietly disturbingly anonymous and everyday sociopaths, feeling his way one step at a time towards murder. If you've seen that version, you probably still can't get the final revelation out of your head, but the film had plenty more to offer than that, playing with chronology, subverting the usual cliches of its 'Lady Vanishes' plot (the hero wants to know what happened to his missing lover far more than he wants her to be alive) and throwing in some excellent characterization. I can only assume that for this 1993 US remake Sluizer was so determined that no-one else was going to get the chance to ruin his film when he was perfectly capable of doing it himself, but few people could have anticipated how comprehensively he trashes his own work. His career never recovered. Chief culprit is an astonishing performance by Jeff Bridges that has been overthought through in every detail to a truly disastrous level. A friend who produced one of his earliest movies noted that Bridges was a great instinctive actor as long as you stopped him thinking about what he was doing, and this film is the proof of the pudding. Every movement is overly mechanical in its precision, making him look like a rusty clockwork toy, while his voice is a bizarre mixture of Tootsie, Latka Gravas from Taxi and a Dalek who have all been taking elocution lessons from Dok-tah E-ville. No banality of evil here, just a looney walking around with an invisible sign over his head saying "Please. Let. Me. Kill. You. Thank you. For your. Consideration.' But the blame really needs to be shared out here. None of the performances are good: often, they don't even look good - Keifer Sutherland looks more like a baby hamster than a distraught man at his wits end in the hurried scenes at the gas station, Nancy Travis flounders badly and Sandra Bullock makes no impression at all as the object of his obsession. Not that they're given any help by either director or writer Todd Graff. The script is particularly weak. The chronology has been altered to put the focus firmly on Bridges at the expense of the couple at the opening of the film. Worse is the rush the film is in, draining the life and character from each scene in its race to get to the next. Rather than the high/low mood shifts in the couple's relationship or the apparently casual but careful establishing of the feel of the location, we just get a couple of arguments that give you the impression that he's probably better off without her. As for the new and improved happy ending - standard woman chased by nutter in the woods jeopardy stuff complete with lame `let's end on a joke like a TV cop show' moment - best not go there... which is advice that holds for this entire trainwreck of a movie. Even a shockingly bland and uninspired Jerry Goldsmith score can't do anything for this one. B00005RYKX:perfectly_decent,_perfectly_inoffensive,_and_perfectly_dull:emily_todd B00005RYKX Greenfingers: DVD: Clive Owen,Helen Mirren,David Kelly,Warren Clarke,Danny Dyer,Adam Fogerty,Paterson Joseph,Natasha Little,Sally Edwards (II),Peter Guinness,Lucy Punch,Donald Douglas (III),Kevin McMonagle,Julie Saunders,Jordan Maxwell,David Lyon,Jan Chappell,Timothy Carlton,Sudha Bhuchar,Ian East,Joel Hershman dvd 5 of 11 2.0 January 9, 2005 Emily Todd USA Joel Hershman's "Greenfingers", starring the now-famous (and utterly gorgeous) Clive Owen and Helen Mirren, is a sweet, cutesy, and utterly empty British romantic comedy. In this forgettable, generic chick-flick, inmates at a British minimum-security prison take up gardening. Initially, they are understandably reluctant to garden. But, get this, gardening ends up changing their lives! And, after his parole, Owen's character even commits another crime just so he can go back to prison and garden! And Mirren's character is so impressed with the innmates' gardening that she even has them garden for her! Wow, where do people get this stuff? Of course, this being a "romantic comedy" and all, there is a romance between Owen and Mirren's daughter that is so incredibly forced, awkward, and contrived that one cannot help but cringe as the two actors attempt to gaze lustfully at each other. In addition, peppered throughout are moments of in-your-face sentimentality and supposed "uplifting moments". And none of it works. For all its good intentions, "Greenfingers" is as drab and colorless as the cinderblock walls of the inmates' rooms. It's all perfectly decent, perfectly inoffensive, and perfectly dull B00005B209:reinventing_the_wheel:crabby_apple_mick_lee B00005B209 Love Potion #9: DVD: Tate Donovan,Sandra Bullock,Mary Mara,Dale Midkiff,Hillary Bailey Smith,Anne Bancroft,Dylan Baker,Blake Clark,Bruce McCarty,Rebecca Staab,Adrian Paul,Ric Reitz,Steven Burnett,Jordan Baker,Ken Strong,Gary Watkins,Scott Higgs,James Sbardellati,Libby Whittemore,David Baer,Dale Launer dvd 3 of 34 2.0 December 12, 2004 Crabby Apple Mick Lee INDIANAPOLIS, IN USA The flight into New York had been a long one; but I was gently revived when Kirsten Dunst met me at the airport. She was to be my escort that night at the Lincoln Center where the President would present me the Distinguished Writer's Cross-the highest award this nation can bestow on an author. I quickly slipped my only suitcase in the backseat and sat next to her as she drove her Mercedes S class sedan to the Waldorf Astoria downtown. "I have to admit that I didn't you who you were until I read STARLESS GRASSLANDS. I don't mean to embarrass you; but that book changed my life." I tried to be polite and gracious toward the compliment. For the remainder of the trip we had a nice conversation while I approved the fluid motion of her hands and legs as she maneuvered the controls of the automobile. I very much approved of her legs. As I departed the car, Kirsten leaned toward the open door to catch my eyes. "Don't forget. I'll be by at seven so we can go to the ceremony together. Please be ready." I expressed gratitude for her generosity and promised to be waiting for her seven sharp. The hotel staff greeted me and soon I entered the elevator for a quiet ride to the eighty sixth floor. As I entered the suite, the steward took my request to have my suit blushed, prepared and returned in a few hours. Finally, a bit of peace. I poured a small measure of whiskey into a chilled tumbler and then walked over to the large window looking out over the city below. For a few moments I contemplated the remarks I was to make at this evening's formal ceremonies, then I heard the hushed movement of stocking feet behind me across the room. I turned around and out of the bedroom to my left in walked Sandy Bullock dressed in a black sheer see through cat suit. "Well, Crabby, aren't you glad to see me?" Before I could recover from my surprise another set of feet wisped across the floor from the sitting room on the right. It was Jennifer Aniston dressed in the same black sheet cat suit. "Sweetheart, don't look at her. Come here to me." "Get out!" screamed Sandy. "No, you get out. It's not fair. I left Brad for him so I get him!" The two of them stood in angry silence staring at each other for a tense moment. Then Sandy leapt at Jennifer and instantly they were in a bitter fight hissing and scratching each other. It was a ferocious sight as pulled hair, shrieks of pain, and nylon tearing could be heard. Then almost a quickly as it began, the fighting pair disappeared into the sitting room. Several sharp punches were heard then a definite thump as a body fell to the floor. Sandy marched back into the room victorious. I ran to the door of the sitting room only to see Jennifer laid out on the floor out cold, spread eagle and naked. Before I could think of what to do Sandy tapped me on my shoulder. I turned around and there Sandy stood. A little worse for wear. Trying to catch her breath. Nude with her torn cat suit draped across her feet. "Forget her. She won't bother us now." Sandy brushed the stray hairs out of her face, smiled and stepped out of her nylon costume. She posed standing and anticipating my admiration. "Now I'm all sweaty and warm. I need a shower." Sandy turned her lithe body and walked into the bedroom and into the bathroom beyond. I turned around and wondered what I should do for poor Jennifer still laying unconscious on the floor. Then I heard Sandy calling. "Crabby, why don't you come and help me? You could soap up my......" OOPS!!!! Sorry!!! Err...just a little fantasy of mine. I meant to honestly review this movie but my more realistic nature took over. I swear my pitiful fantasy is actually much better than the story told here. You see, the cover of this DVD displays Ms. Bullock prominently with her name in big font letters. But in truth this movie focuses on Tate Donovan as the main character and only on Ms. Bullock as his unlikely love interest. As much as I "love" Sandra Bullock, I have to admit her filmography has not been kind to her. Her best films have been WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING, WRESTLING ERNEST HEMINGWAY and the much-unappreciated HOPE FLOATS. Unfortunately for each of these gems are several terrible movies like FIRE ON THE AMAZON, HANGMAN, SPEED 2 and this movie. The plot revolves around two "losers in love" who are unappealing both in looks and personality. Donovan comes across a love potion from a gypsy woman (an unrecognizable Anne Bancroft) and soon both Donovan and Bullock have the most desirable members of the opposite sex at their feet. All goes well until others find out their secret and Donovan and Bullock discover that their true love is actually between each other. The story is predictable and unfortunately not very funny or all that sweet. Chances are you can find a copy of this DVD fairly cheap and it is not a bad way to kill some time while you're waiting for your own boyfriend or girlfriend to get off work-or your friends to wake up from their naps-so you can really do something worth wild. B0002IQFFE:not_a_pleasant_christmas_story:sillysuki B0002IQFFE Santa vs. the Snowman 3D: DVD: Jonathan Winters,Ben Stein,Victoria Jackson,Don LaFontaine,Mark DeCarlo,David Floyd,Steve Oedekerk,Keith Alcorn,John A. Davis dvd 3 of 9 1.0 December 3, 2004 SillySuki North Carolina Someone bought this 3D DVD for my almost 5 year old daughter. We thought the special effects would be fascinating and they were. However, within minutes of the movie's beginning my daughter was in tears. I won't say why but she found the plot frightening. Several times during the movie I tried to talk her out of watching but she wanted to see what happened in the end. Fortunately the movie is relatively short. Overall, I found the story to be a cynical look at Christmas. As an adult, I think it might be humourous to watch after a hard day of Christmas shopping but I urge caution before showing it to young children. There was way too much animated violence to match the spirit of Christmas B0007P0XBO:looking_for_the_funny...:familyfirst_"myfamilyisfirst" B0007P0XBO Ocean's Twelve (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Brad Pitt,Catherine Zeta-Jones,George Clooney,Ed Kross,Julia Roberts,Don Tiffany,Anne Jacques,David Sontag (II),Larry Sontag,Andy Garcia,Casey Affleck,Dina Connolly,Scott Caan,Nelson Peltz,Mini Anden,Shaobo Qin,Jennifer Liu,Leah Zhang,Bernie Mac,Don Cheadle,Steven Soderbergh dvd 0 of 4 1.0 April 22, 2006 FamilyFirst "myfamilyisfirst" Rochester Hills, MI Wow - hard to put into words how bad this was...... We kept waiting for the funny - it never came - we didn't even watch the end.... when they started turning Julia Roberts (Tess) into the "real" Julia Roberts - well - we were done....... note funny - no......... B00005JKFX:down_by_law_dvd_dissapointment:n._a._snob B00005JKFX Down by Law - Criterion Collection: DVD: John Lurie,Roberto Benigni dvd 5 of 14 2.0 February 25, 2005 N. A. Snob Kansas City,MO USA The movie itself is just as good i remembered it. But the Criterion Collection DVD package, however, is so totally not worth the $40 plus postage i paid for it. I've gotten so much more bang for my buck with other "special edition"-type DVDs. i found the interviews and "extra" stuff dull. I want my money back B00005JKG9:i_have_a_different_opinion...:the_amateur_movie_critic B00005JKG9 Glengarry Glen Ross: DVD: Jack Lemmon,Al Pacino,Ed Harris,Alan Arkin,Kevin Spacey,Alec Baldwin,Jonathan Pryce,Bruce Altman,Jude Ciccolella,Paul Butler,Lori Tan Chinn,Neal Jones,Barry Rossen,Leigh French,George Cheung,Murphy Dunne,Dana Lee,Julie Payne,Gregory Snegoff,James Foley dvd 2.0 November 6, 2006 the amateur movie critic phoenix, arizona USA It is unusual that I disagree with so many great critics praising a movie where there is so much talent. This movie tries to deal with alot and does alot of it well BUT as a viewer, I am hugely distracted by Mamet's dialogue. No, I do not agree that people in the real business world talk like this! Real people do not mindlessly echo over and over and over the same phrases that they hear each other speaking. If I did that in my working environment my coworkers would think there was something wrong with me. Real conversation does not run in that kind of patter. After listening to the characters for ninety minutes, I finally came to the conclusion that many of the characters sounded alike and the one connection point was Mamet. Real people talk differently from each other. They use different and distinct speech patterns and phrases and slang. I've had this problem with Mamet before and I can't believe nobody has ever noticed this before - and I would doubt that I am the first. I wouldn't be surprised if - somewhere - some actor in some Mamet production has pondered this before. Come on! Good dialogue is like good acting: if it's really good, you don't notice it until the show's over. B00004RYUJ:no_title:c._l_wilson B00004RYUJ It Could Happen to You: DVD: Andrew Bergman,Nicolas Cage,Bridget Fonda,Rosie Perez,Wendell Pierce,Isaac Hayes,V ctor Rojas (II),Seymour Cassel,Stanley Tucci,J.E. Freeman,Red Buttons,Richard Jenkins,Robert Dorfman,Charles Busch,Beatrice Winde,Ginny Yang,Rene Rivera,Angel David,Anna Lobell,Claudia Shear,Jimmy Sabater dvd 1 of 3 2.0 May 5, 2006 C. L Wilson Elmhurst, Illinois United States What a disappointment! I remember Siskel and Ebert raving over this romantic comedy. Romantic, maybe, but comedy - never. Very predictable plot from beginning to end. And Rosie Perez was truly offensive. A few times I couldn't understand what she was saying. There is no way I could buy that she and Cage's character were attracted to each other. Maybe critics liked this movie because it had no sex, violence, or rough language. Although Cage does get shot in one hold-up scene. It was just that you knew what was going to happen every step of the way. I am beginning to Like Cage more and more as he ages. [ spoiler] I was really disappointed at the end to find out that the real people whom this story is based on were always happily married to their original partners. Either they shouldn't have changed it so much or they shouldn't have let us know about the real story it was based on.[end of spoiler] But Fonda and Cage were very engaging together B000F0UUIM:amazing_movie,_terrible_"remastering":rasselas B000F0UUIM The Searchers (Two-Disc Anniversary Edition): DVD: John Wayne,Jeffrey Hunter,Vera Miles,Ward Bond,Natalie Wood,John Qualen,Olive Carey,Henry Brandon,Ken Curtis,Harry Carey Jr.,Antonio Moreno,Hank Worden,Beulah Archuletta,Walter Coy,Dorothy Jordan,Pippa Scott,Patrick Wayne,Lana Wood,Mae Marsh,Nacho Galindo,John Ford,Nick Redman dvd 6 of 6 2.0 September 20, 2006 rasselas Berkeley, CA This is a review of the "Ultimate Collector's Edition," NOT a review of the film itself. If you're considering the purchase of a two-disc special edition, you probably already know that the film is great; you just want to know if this slick package is worth the pricetag. In short, it's not. And let me be absolutely clear about one thing: I have known and loved this film for years. A few sequences look properly spectacular, but after watching this DVD on two separate (and high-quality) televisions, I'm amazed that all of the low-light scenes have been rendered almost completely dark. Like, too dark to tell what's even *happening*. For instance, the scene where Brad (Harry Carey, Jr.) runs off to his death, the scene where Marty's (Jeffrey Hunter's) "bride" is serving coffee along the river, and even the pre-dawn scenes leading up to the final storming of the Comanche camp, are utterly lost in the dark. By contrast, the bare-bones 1997 DVD release features noticeably richer colors in the daytime scenes and total clarity in the low-light scenes I've just mentioned. Don't waste your money on this special edition; you'll be much happier if you just shell out the $10.99 for the 1997 release. B000AP04NI:the_reviewers_at_amazon_are_always_correct.:l._evans B000AP04NI Oklahoma! (50th Anniversary Edition): DVD: Gordon MacRae,Gloria Grahame,Gene Nelson,Charlotte Greenwood,Shirley Jones,Eddie Albert,James Whitmore,Rod Steiger,Barbara Lawrence,Jay C. Flippen,Roy Barcroft,James Mitchell,Bambi Linn,Jennie Workman,Virginia Bosler,Kelly Brown,Evelyn Taylor,Lizanne Truex,Jane Fischer,Marc Platt,Fred Zinnemann dvd 8 of 8 1.0 March 26, 2006 L. Evans The Woodlands, TX USA Old movies are great. I've been waiting for the release of Oklahoma! in the new technology DVD format - I wanted to use my new DVD up-converter. I have the Laser Disk version, and after reading the reviews, I will keep it until Fox gets its act totether. Fox should have a press release when they fix the problems reviewed here - until I know it's AT LEAST as good as my outdated Laser Disk, I'll wait B00005Y80H:this_spaghetti_needs_pepto_bismol:john_a_lee_iii_"jal3" B00005Y80H Boot Hill: DVD: Terence Hill,Woody Strode,Bud Spencer,Eduardo Ciannelli,Glauco Onorato,Alberto Dell'Acqua,Nazzareno Zamperla,Victor Buono,Lionel Stander,Leslie Bailey,Maurizio Manetti,Dante Cleri,Antonio De Martino,Adriano Cornelli,Arnaldo Fabrizio,Romano Puppo,Enzo Fiermonte,Luciano Rossi,Mirella Pamphili,Gaetano Imbr ,Giuseppe Colizzi dvd 6 of 6 2.0 November 4, 2005 John A Lee III "jal3" San Antonio, TX Don't expect a comedy in the vein of TRINITY or THEY CALL ME TRINITY. If you do, you are in for a fall. Both of those were silly but redeemed themselves by being entertaining. This one has no such pretensions. It is merely boring. The story concerns a corrupt mining company out to cheat the local town's folk out of their claims. They do this through intimidation and violence. When a couple of friends get hold of a claim, they put together a plan to secure that claim and those of the rest of the town from the bad guys. To do this, they enlist the aide of a traveling circus to serve as a distraction. They yell, they fight, they wrestle, they shoot and then they do it some more. Its not very exciting cinema. This production is made worse by the DVD. I suspect that the original film was a rather low budget affair. The DVD, however, is of such low quality that who could really tell? The edges are clipped off, the transfer is grainy and the effect is of someone holding a hidden handycam in a theater trying to bootleg it. IT was not worth the effort. Spaghetti westerns can be fun. This one, however, needs the Pepto Bismol right from the beginning to drive off the heartburn. B00005Y80H:trinity_is_great:john_j_hurley_jr B00005Y80H Boot Hill: DVD: Terence Hill,Woody Strode,Bud Spencer,Eduardo Ciannelli,Glauco Onorato,Alberto Dell'Acqua,Nazzareno Zamperla,Victor Buono,Lionel Stander,Leslie Bailey,Maurizio Manetti,Dante Cleri,Antonio De Martino,Adriano Cornelli,Arnaldo Fabrizio,Romano Puppo,Enzo Fiermonte,Luciano Rossi,Mirella Pamphili,Gaetano Imbr ,Giuseppe Colizzi dvd 2 of 4 1.0 August 6, 2001 John J Hurley Jr Cincinnati, Ohio United States This movie isnt worth the time to read this review. It sucks and I'm a big Trinity fan. My advice is keep searchin B000A2XA8M:dumb_story:dracula_fan B000A2XA8M One Missed Call: DVD: One Missed Call dvd 0 of 2 2.0 February 19, 2006 Dracula Fan California, USA This is the worst Asian movie that I have ever seen. The story is dumb and doesn't make any sense, especially the ending. And to top it off it isn't that scary - it only gets a little bit scary at the end. My recommendation: Don't get this movie. It is also too expensive. It you want to watch a good Asian horror movie, I have lots of recommendations. Wishing Stairs is pretty good. Koma is an excellent movie. A Tale of Two Sisters is pretty good. Good luck B00006LA7S:read_the_book_instead:silly_sister B00006LA7S Possession: DVD: Gwyneth Paltrow,Aaron Eckhart,Jeremy Northam,Jennifer Ehle,Lena Headey,Holly Aird,Toby Stephens,Trevor Eve,Tom Hickey,Georgia Mackenzie,Tom Hollander,Graham Crowden,Anna Massey,Craig Crosbie,Christopher Good,Elodie Frenck,Victoria Bensted,Shelley Conn,Jonty Stephens,Alexi Kaye Campbell,Neil LaBute dvd 2 of 4 2.0 March 20, 2006 Silly Sister South Carolina If this movie was ever going to have a chance, it needed to be about 4 or 5 hours long, or never attempted in the first place. Some books adapt well to being edited and condensed as a screenplay - Possession just can't be dealt with that way. What you have as a result is another story entirely. There just wasn't time enough, I guess, to develop the characters, or even to include half of them. The only character true to the book and left almost intact was Sir George. The rest were stripped of their layers and everything that made them fascinating, and we are left with painful stereotypes and, in the case of Roland Michell, a character who seems to have wandered on to the wrong set during filming. My best advice is that if you've read the book, skip the movie, but if you saw the movie, you should do yourself a favor and get the book B000BDH6IK:already_released_:a._pierre B000BDH6IK WWE WrestleMania - The Complete Anthology, Vol. 4 - 2000-2004 (WrestleMania XVI-XX): DVD: Paul Levesque,The Rock,Mick Foley,Paul Wight,Kurt Angle,Chris Jericho,Scott Taylor (IX),Chris Benoit,Mark LoMonaco,Devon Hughes,Jason Reso,Adam Copeland,Matt Hardy,Jeff Hardy,Michael Lockwood,Bob Howard,Peter Senerchia,Nelson Frazier Jr.,Jason Ahrndt,Rodney Leinhardt,Kevin Dunn (III) dvd 1 of 11 1.0 November 16, 2005 A. Pierre Somewheres Why release WrestleMaina's that are already on dvd? Anther thing WrestleMaina is months away, it was a perfect time to release the big four in order. Survivor Series entire series, then Royal Rumble, then WrestleMaina, and finally Summerslam. Made sense but WWE really doesnt think well sometimes. B000641YQO:let's_just_say_i'm_glad_i_saved_some_$$:mike_sweeney B000641YQO Wolf's Rain - Recollections (Vol. 4): DVD: Tensai Okamura,Mamoru Miyano,Kenta Miyake,Akio Suyama,Hiroki Shimowada,Arisa Ogasawara,Unsh Ishizuka,Mitsuru Miyamoto,Kaho K da,Takaya Kuroda,Mayumi Asano,Atsuko Tanaka,Maaya Sakamoto,Paul Stephen,Mike Reynolds,Kim Strauss,Johnny Yong Bosch,Peggy O'Neal,Lia Sargent,Michael Forest,William Knight (III) dvd 1 of 1 2.0 April 27, 2005 Mike Sweeney Salisbury, MA United States Well, This dvd is pretty bad, like everyone else said. It's 4 episodes recapping the previous 14, with narration from each character in the background. I believe they had to make these eps due to the fact that they needed to save some money in japan since they weren't getting high ratings on the anime series. Anyway, I didn't buy this dvd, because I have the japanese box set instead, which saved me a lot of $$. I watched each episode, and I must say the only part I liked was the opening and ending theme. Other than that, there really is no need to buy this dvd unless you are truly a die-hard wolf's rain fan. But, don't be surprised if you watch this dvd for 5 minutes and then throw it out the window. I really highly recommend renting this before you buy it, cause otherwise you are wasting your money B00000ING2:hudsucker_stinks:r._a_rubin B00000ING2 The Hudsucker Proxy: DVD: Tim Robbins,Jennifer Jason Leigh,Paul Newman,Charles Durning,John Mahoney,Jim True-Frost,Bill Cobbs,Bruce Campbell,Harry Bugin,John Seitz,Joe Grifasi,Roy Brocksmith,John Wylie,I.M. Hobson,Gary Allen,John Scanlan (II),Richard Woods,Jerome Dempsey,Peter McPherson,David Byrd (II),Ethan Coen,Joel Coen dvd 5 of 36 2.0 April 12, 2006 R. A Rubin Eastern, PA United States What really bothered me about Hudsucker Proxy: Capitalism is the wonder of the world providing food and subsidence to everyone, even Communist slaves and Fascist toady's under a democratic people; yet, Hollywood insists on blasting Corporate Culture, when the overwhelming majority of businessmen are not only honest, they are exemplary. So much Hollywood talent and money wasted on a bad idea, so what else is new? The Coen's have jumped the shark with this take off of the American Screwball Comedy of the 30's. I cringed every time Jennifer Jason Leigh tried to imitate Katharine Hepburn's classic gargle. The poor actress may have destroyed her career with this stinker. I can't stand Tim Robbin's politics, but must admit that he is the best actor to play a fool in the movies. He almost carries this farce. Paul Newman; however, is collecting a check. He's been collecting checks since the 50's. His salad dressing stinks too. I'm amazed at how much money the Coen's command in Hollywood on such flimsy pitches. I loved Fargo and enjoyed The Big Lebowski (not as much as some cult fans), but this film, why did they bother? B000CNESM6:sound_problems:crazy_reviewer B000CNESM6 South Park - The Complete Seventh Season: DVD: South Park dvd 3 of 5 1.0 October 16, 2006 Crazy Reviewer United States... I bought this back in October of 2006. Can someone who bought it more recently tell me if the sound issues have been fixed? I returned this item for a refund and won't be buying it again until Paramount fixes the sound issues. Parts of the show are very quiet; I had to turn the sound up to even make out the dialog. Then, a loud part comes on and almost blows my speakers. This happens multiple times per episode. Repeat this for six hours. If I wanted this kind of quality, I'd just download the episodes off the Internet. There will be a gap in my collection until this is fixed. I don't know why they can't pay someone $5.15 an hour to watch the DVD once before they make 10 million copies B00000JGOL:butchered_for_your_protection:juan_guzman B00000JGOL 54: DVD: Ryan Phillippe,Salma Hayek,Neve Campbell,Mike Myers,Sela Ward,Breckin Meyer,Sherry Stringfield,Ellen Albertini Dow,Cameron Mathison,Noam Jenkins,Jay Goede,Patrick Taylor (II),Heather Matarazzo,Skipp Sudduth,Aemilia Robinson,Daniel Lapaine,Erika Alexander,Thelma Houston,Mary Griffin (II),Don Carrier,Mark Christopher dvd 2 of 4 1.0 March 22, 2006 Juan Guzman Phoenix, AZ USA Trying to make a film concerning Studio 54 for a mainstream audience is a really bad idea. It's just not possible to do it and actually stay truthful to the climate of that era. Gays had a lot more influence on that scene than the film lets on. From what I understand, the original director's cut was gutted by Miramax before the film was released it and it shows. Other than Mike Meyers portrayal of Steve Rubell, there's hardly a gay character in sight. There's some very good actors in the film and their talents are simply wasted. Thank goodness the good music helped me get through this drivel. Anyone with a taste for fine filmmaking need not bother with this cinematic mistake B00000JGOL:sorry,_but_disco_(and_54)_were_actually_fun!:kra B00000JGOL 54: DVD: Ryan Phillippe,Salma Hayek,Neve Campbell,Mike Myers,Sela Ward,Breckin Meyer,Sherry Stringfield,Ellen Albertini Dow,Cameron Mathison,Noam Jenkins,Jay Goede,Patrick Taylor (II),Heather Matarazzo,Skipp Sudduth,Aemilia Robinson,Daniel Lapaine,Erika Alexander,Thelma Houston,Mary Griffin (II),Don Carrier,Mark Christopher dvd 3 of 5 1.0 July 20, 2005 KRA East End of LI I guess when any era becomes old enough for the "Nostaglia Craze" to hit, we get to see what exagerations get stretched to the point of lying. Case in point the 1950's were NOT such an innocent age, and the 1970's were NOT that wild. Studio 54, and the Disco Era in general were about Freedom, Great Music, Great People Watching, and in general having a hell of a goodtime. For the brief period that it ruled the music charts, Disco broke down barriers, and the stars of certain musical genres were able to crossover. I often call 1979 "the year that music got close to the light". My BIG issue with this movie is that It FAILED to show that for many of us we took advantage of the liberation of Disco's (like 54), and ENJOYED ourselves. It was glamorous, it was over the top, and IT WAS FUN. Amazing as it seems, many of us did not inhail cocaine like air, and for some of us who did indulge, we did not become adicts, or for that matter guilt ladden. Clubs like Studio 54 were great palaces that broke down many barriers, and helped us escape the many issues facing the nation in the late 70's. Too bad this movie did not convey it. B0002BSHWU:made_in_someone's_basement...:honeypickle_"honeypickle" B0002BSHWU Twenty Trucks: DVD: James Gardner dvd 2 of 2 2.0 February 14, 2006 honeypickle "honeypickle" Brooklyn, NY USA Wow, what a bore. The old stock footage is uneven and doesn't show enough of the truck. Other footage was taken on the fly when someone happened to have a camera on the street. The song is OK, but once that's over my son walks away. Why would a child who LOVES trucks walk away? Because some guy's voice (which sounds like it's in an echo chamber) comes on talking about a bunch of stuff he can't SEE on the screen. What's on the screen? More garbage stock footage. This looks and sounds like it was slapped together in someone's basement B0002BSHWU:would_not_recommend:book_mama B0002BSHWU Twenty Trucks: DVD: James Gardner dvd 3 of 3 2.0 January 14, 2006 book mama NY I own several Real Wheels movies and thought I would give this one a shot. I found the picture quality to be less than I expected and the footage seemed out of date. The narration was dull and boring, and the children's voices screaming the number of the truck to be annoying. I would recommend any of the Real Wheels series instead of this - they never fail to please my 3 1/2 year old truck lover B0002234LS:nothing_but_wasted_time:jeffrey_petersen_"fantasy_writer" B0002234LS Secret Window: DVD: Johnny Depp,John Turturro,Maria Bello,Timothy Hutton,Charles S. Dutton,Len Cariou,Joan Heney,John Dunn-Hill,Vlasta Vrana,Matt Holland,Gillian Ferrabee,Bronwen Mantel,Elizabeth Marleau,Kyle Allatt,Richard Jutras,Kevin Woodhouse (II),Vito DeFilippo,Sarah Allen (III),Isabelle Champeau,David Koepp dvd 2 of 10 2.0 April 14, 2006 Jeffrey Petersen "Fantasy Writer" Berkeley, CA USA I'm of the opinion that King's books rarely translate well into movies, and this is no exception. Some of King's work is fantastic, but unfortunately, a lot of it is simply tired old themes with nothing new. This falls into the latter category. A novel about a novelist, and one who has a hard time finding inspiration: Please Mr. King, which college creative writing program did you steal this idea from? The writer's ideas showing up in real life: From whence do these fantastic ideas pour forth? I won't bother to tell you the ending, because if you have the poor luck to watch the movie, you'll have already guessed it by the time you're half way through. It's all bad and hackneyed, from start to finish. I will give Steven King credit for putting his fame to good use though. If anyone without Mr. King's fame and built-in fan base tried to sell a story this trite, their manuscript would never make it through the slush pile. Maybe it takes a bunch of bad stories like this to turn out gems like the Gunslinger series, but it doesn't mean that we have to watch them B000BKDNX0:a_watery,_passive,_poorly_cast,_revisionist_production:adam_a._fine_"caretaker_of_the_arts" B000BKDNX0 Masterpiece Theatre: Elizabeth I - The Virgin Queen: DVD: Anne-Marie Duff,Tara Fitzgerald,Robert Pugh,Dexter Fletcher,Sienna Guillory,Ian Hart,Joanne Whalley,Michael Feast,Tony Guilfoyle,Bryan Dick,Stella Maris,Richard Syms,Tom Hardy,Stanley Townsend,Ken Bones,Pearce Quigley,Kevin McKidd,Alan Williams (XII),Jacob Moriarty,Marcello D. Ramos,Coky Giedroyc dvd 38 of 40 2.0 June 24, 2006 Adam A. Fine "Caretaker of the Arts" Las Vegas Filming the story of Gloriana is a virtual guarantee of success for a production studio, from Warner Brothers to BBC. The Virgin Queen still retains her power to enthrall, intrigue and mystify these 500 years after she came to the throne. She was perhaps England's last true absolute monarch, and certainly one of its greatest, if not most famous. Since the advent of film, she has been one of the most coveted roles to play. Indeed, few monarchs have been so closely chronicled, save perhaps her own father, Henry VIII, and Victoria. She has been portrayed by some of the most brilliant actresses: Sarah Bernhardt, Bette Davis, Judi Dench, Judith Anderson, Miranda Richardson, Flora Robson, Cate Blanchett, Helen Mirren, even Quentin Crisp, and most famously, and importantly, Glenda Jackson. And it must be said without doubt that Glenda Jackson's "Elizabeth R" is the defining portrait-- the most accomplished, historically accurate, and masterfully acted. Glenda Jackson is Elizabeth I reincarnate; there is simply none better, and likely never will be. So now we have Anne-Marie Duff in the red wig for 230 Masterpiece Theatre minutes. Perhaps for the sake of revisionists, we are offered a far less imperious monarch, one who is both reactive (the real one was) and passive (the real one was not). Duff is an odd choice. No beauty like Cate Blanchett, but Elizabeth was known for vanity, not beauty. Duff's Elizabeth, with quivering lip and watercolor behavior, seems filmed underwater, and make for an undesirable monarch-- certainly not the Gloriana of myth or fact. Where is her famous wit, her coy manipulations, her strong moral fiber, her intense devotion to state and loyal courtiers? Left with Glenda Jackson, I suppose. This Elizabeth is a simpering, love-struck maiden or a crass, 60-something hag (and only then do we see bits of fire in the performance). Hag works; crass manages; simpering loses the whole impact. A suavely elegant, very attractive and distinctly healthy Queen Mary I opens Elizabeth's story (no Catharine Parr, no Thomas Seymour, no childhood) but is quickly dispatched. Just as well, for she's thoroughly ill-cast--Mary was none of those things. (Far better was the wonderful Kathy Burke in the Blanchett version, though she was a bit of a Protestant caricature). Daphne Slater in the Jackson series was far more appealing, and perfectly written. Elizabeth's transition from prisoner to crown is possibly the greatest story of her long life. No part of her history defines and creates her personality more than these years-- the abuse by Seymour, imprisonment, exile, and finally her accession. Unfortunately, much of this key period is sped through. The fatal flaw in the series is the decision to cast Elizabeth mooning incessantly over Robert Dudley, later Earl of Leicester, here played by a childish, petulant Tom Hardy. There is no chemistry here; he is pretty, but vacant. Glenda Jackson's Dudley, Robert Hardy (no relation that I know of), is a bit of a fop, but he knows his place in court and Elizabeth's heart. Their chemistry is clear. This version of Dudley is a bit ridiculous-- how he would claim the Queen's heart for more than 30 years is a mystery in this performance. So is most of the casting (what's with the acrobat?) An egregious error in this production is the portrayal of suicide by Dudley's long-suffering wife Amy Robsart, whose death at 26 in 1560 remains to this day a mystery. More time should have been spent on the wooing of Elizabeth by the French Duc d'Alencon, who very nearly came to be her husband (again, the 1971 Glenda Jackson version handles this segment masterfully). All too soon and without sufficient explanation, we become immersed in the historically key, decades-long battle of wills and imprisonment of the impetuous Mary, Queen of Scots-- Elizabeth's 2nd cousin, granddaughter of Henry VIII's older sister Margaret, whose claim to the English throne made her a rallying point of Catholics, and a very real threat to Elizabeth (it was Mary's son James who succeeded Elizabeth in 1603, founding the ill-fated House of Stuart). Far more attention should have been paid to the case for and subsequent execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, which was Elizabeth's darkest hour-- forever bloodying her saintly propaganda. Likewise, more attention should have been given to Walshingham, Elizabeth's master of subversion, although William Cecil, Lord Burghley, is given fair due. The decisive Armada happens much too quickly, lessening its impact and giving far too much time to be spent on the stormy relationship of Elizabeth and Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex, portrayed by Hans Matheson, who is cast and directed as a bad-tempered, bipolar "Mama's Boy" (a very strange Oedipal twist here) whose hair, look and even attire speak far more to 2005 than 1585. The entire second half of the production is brought down by this admittedly strange relationship, here given a basketful of psychological issues left to the viewer to consider unraveling. The casting is awful, the acting mediocre, the personality baffling. This Essex is a wreck-- blame the revisionist director. Two significant annoyances: Elizabeth's (Duff's) accent isn't simply London middle-class, which would be fine, but stands in stark contrast to everyone else's appropriate English diction and clarity. She comes off as a guttersnipe. And worse of all-- distracting to the utmost-- is the incessant soundtrack that dominates--and not pleasantly-- the action and plot of the movie. The sheer volume of it is horrendous, to say nothing of the attempts at mixing courtly historical period music with Essex's electric guitar. My suggestion here is to rent this one, watch it as long as you can, and then return to Davis, Blanchett, Jackson, or even Dench. Overall, a disappointment. Were it not for 95% historical accuracy and enjoyable period costumes-- plus the decent acting (most of the problems are the director's fault, don't blame the actors), it would have earned one star. But this Queen is no legend, and this cast is horrendous. An inglorious Gloriana. B0001EQIJC:meledramatic_and_poor:d._mitchell B0001EQIJC Fat Man and Little Boy: DVD: Paul Newman,Dwight Schultz,Bonnie Bedelia,John Cusack,Laura Dern,Ron Frazier (II),John C. McGinley,Natasha Richardson,Ron Vawter,Michael Brockman,Del Close,John Considine,Allan Corduner,Joe D'Angerio,Jon DeVries,James Eckhouse,Todd Field,Mary Pat Gleason,Clark Gregg,P ter Hal sz,Roland Joff dvd 0 of 1 1.0 July 27, 2006 D. Mitchell As much as I like Paul Newman, this movie is very disappointing once you've seen the far-superior film "Day One". The portrayal of Oppenheimer and Groves is overly dramatic and totally unlike the behavior of real professional people. The movie dwells on romantic side stories instead of fleshing out the history and science of the Manhatten project. Be sure to see "Day One" if you are interested in this, and give this film a miss B000BKVQTS:4_stars_for_art_direction_--_1_star_for_movie:robin_simmons B000BKVQTS The Brothers Grimm: DVD: Matt Damon,Heath Ledger,Roger Ashton-Griffiths,Mackenzie Crook,Dana Dohnalova,Petra Dohnalova,Harry Gilliam,Martin Hofmann,Alena Jakobova,Radim Kalvoda,Barbara Luk sova,Rudolf Pellar,Josef Pepa Nos,Marika Sarah Proch zkov ,Petr Ratimec,Richard Ridings,Jeremy Robson,Anna Rust,Miroslav T borsk dvd 2 of 2 1.0 September 17, 2006 Robin Simmons Desert Hot Springs, CA United States There's a saying: "No one sets out to make a bad movie." BROTHERS GRIMM (Miramax) might prove otherwise. Near the beginning of his commentary, the usually brilliant Terry Gilliam actually says, "I didn't like the script, but I was out of work." Not a good sign but an honest admission from the former Python. Although wonderfully visualized, the Czech locations can't make-up for the muddled mess of a screenplay culled from perhaps the richest mother lode of raw story material available anywhere: The collected fairy tales of Wilhem and Jacob Grimm. In spite of stars Heath Ledger and Matt Damon as con artist exorcists who encounter real evil, a great poster and an OK trailer, audiences rightfully stayed away via quick word of mouth ("incomprehensible" "unwatchable"). Worthy extras of interest mainly to budding filmmakers are Gilliam's commentary and the featurette: "The Visual Magic of the Brothers Grimm. B00009W0W9:really_bad...:jay_amabile_"jay-ryan" B00009W0W9 Darkwalker: DVD: Dark Walker dvd 1.0 August 8, 2006 Jay Amabile "Jay-Ryan" www.TheSexyArmpit.com Don't waste your time. I usually give low budget horror a chance and I have an open mind, but this movie is utterly ridiculous. B00001QEE2:the_legend_reworked...:k._ostrowski B00001QEE2 Hercules (Limited Edition): DVD: Tate Donovan,Josh Keaton,Roger Bart,Danny DeVito,James Woods,Susan Egan,Bob Goldthwait,Matt Frewer,Rip Torn,Samantha Eggar,Barbara Barrie,Hal Holbrook,Paul Shaffer,Amanda Plummer,Carole Shelley,Paddi Edwards,Charlton Heston,Patrick Pinney,Lillias White,Van ese Y. Thomas,Ron Clements,John Musker dvd 1 of 9 2.0 September 3, 2006 K. Ostrowski To be fair, the legends of Herakles, as they were originally written, have little to do with this movie, but maybe that's for the best. Having grown up on Superman, Batman and the Justice League, I have a hard time calling a person like Herakles a hero. In the original legends, he was a warrior, but also a brute who eventually wound up killing his wife and children in a fit of rage. He also wasn't, as far as I can tell, as strong as in this version. Therefore, interpretations of Herakles are, I think, to be judged not on whether or not they deviate from the legend, but on where and why. Disney has attempted to take Herakles (or Hercules, in the Roman) and make it a story about a true hero, and a perfect one at that. There's nothing I like more than perfect heroes. They inspire me. Conceptually, I like the idea. Instead of Herakles being the illegitimate son of Zeus and a mortal woman, he's conceived in love by Zeus and Hera and turned mortal by a potion. Not bad. As changes go, it works better than most. Herc meets Meg at the beginning of his hero carreer and falls instantly in love with her and she with him (another deviation from the legend, and a very good improvement.) Of course, because Hera is his mother in this version, she can't be Herc's enemy, so they make his opponent Hades; lord of the dead, which could be worse, as changes go. I've never seen Hades as being all that bad of a guy, but that's how it goes. Then there's the Hydra, which is, if anything, much larger and more powerful than it was originally, so that's good too. Aside from this, however, I have to say I was disappointed with most of the changes. The titans, to start with, were underplayed considerably. It might have been premature to mention that they were Zeus' predecessors, but they could at least have given them powers similar to what they actually had, and a roughly-similar appearance. Oceanus, for example, lashing out with blasts of water from his hands like a fire hose, or Cronos reversing the movements of his olympian enemies would have made for an excellent action sequence, particularly since Hercules didn't beat the titans alone in the original stories, nor does it make sense that he should in this one (grabbing a whirlwind? Come ON now.) I actually didn't mind Hades' used-car-salesman demeanor all that much, though I didn't see a reason why he should have flame-based powers when that's clearly Apollo's territory. Further, I thought most of the Gods and Muses were given no credit at all in terms of their innately glorious nature. Why is this the case? I think Disney made the mistake, in this film, of not just trying to make the legends clean, but FUN as well, and there's nothing fun about war. I'm not saying they couldn't have made the concept work. In fact, I'm saying they could have made it work if they'd toned down the comedy and given the characters a bit of respect (Justice League style.) Still, for what it's worth, this is one of the few movies left in the world that isn't afraid to dwell on the concept of a hero, and for that it's worth at least one viewing. Rent it from your local video store, in my opinion, before you make your decision B000C20VS2:barely_a_movie:john_q._public_television_"pbs_supporter" B000C20VS2 National Lampoon's Barely Legal: DVD: Erik Von Dotten,Daniel Ferber dvd 1 of 11 1.0 February 24, 2006 John Q. Public Television "PBS supporter" USA This is poorly casted and scripted movie, has only one thing going for it, No annoying Chevy Chase around to make unfunny jokes, he did not have too, The cast here do that in abundance B000FZETU2:disappointing:mary B000FZETU2 The Firm - Cardio Dance Slim Down: DVD: Cardio Dance Slim Down dvd 2 of 2 1.0 September 27, 2006 mary TX USA This is the first time I have ever purchased a "The Firm" dvd. I was really disappointed in this one. Many of the moves are not properly explained. Some movements target only one side of the body and they don't bother having you switch sides to work the other. (really obvious in the salsa style section) It took a few times of doing to get all the moves right, but even after that it barely raises the heart rate. The warm up leaves much to be desired. The cool down continues the "dance" movements but at a "slower" rate and stretching the neck for one second on each side and the inner thigh for one second here and those are not enough to even make you realize that you are stretching. I am used to Denise Austin workouts, that are half the length but you actually feel like you did something when you are done. Not so with this "workout" at all. Definately a waste for someone who isn't just starting out. B0000TG9V0:very_bad.:rocknroll B0000TG9V0 Pearl Jam - Live at the Garden: DVD: Pearl Jam dvd 0 of 18 1.0 September 25, 2005 Rocknroll NZ Pearl Jam seem to be making a comeback witht their live performances at present, but this DVD shows the band at a less than impressive peak. They all look like they're pretty bored (especially compared with their previous shows) and have eaten to much throughout the tour before going on stage. A good DVD to avoid B0000TG9V0:a_joke.:last_exit B0000TG9V0 Pearl Jam - Live at the Garden: DVD: Pearl Jam dvd 0 of 15 1.0 July 10, 2005 Last exit NZ Pearl Jam used to be good, now they're just a joke and this DVD shows it. Do not buy this its awful. They were great until after 1998 B00063MAXQ:not_what_i_was_expecting:dindy_robinson_"swimming_kangaroo_books" B00063MAXQ Ladder 49 (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Jay Russell,Joaquin Phoenix,John Travolta,Jacinda Barrett,Robert Patrick,Morris Chestnut,Billy Burke,Balthazar Getty,Tim Guinee,Kevin Chapman,Jay Hernandez,Kevin Daniels,Steve Maye,Robert Lewis (VIII),Brooke Hamlin,Spencer Berglund,Karen Vicks,Desiree Care,Deidra LaWan Starnes,Peggy Cafferty,Marja Allen dvd 6 of 6 2.0 August 29, 2006 Dindy Robinson "Swimming Kangaroo Books" Arlington, TX United States Ladder 49 was not the type of film I expected-- I was hoping for a good, fast-paced action flick, which I got for about the first 5 minutes. The remainder of the 30 minutes that I watched was flashback to the rookie firefighter's first days at the station. Someone looking for drama and a story about the growth of a firefighter would probably like this movie. However, those looking for action should probably look elsewhere B00005Y7AM:what_a_way_to_end_it!:m.s._"classic_literature_fanatic" B00005Y7AM Anne Of Green Gables - The Continuing Story: DVD: Megan Follows,Jonathan Crombie,Schuyler Grant,Patricia Hamilton,Greg Spottiswood,Cameron Daddo,Douglas Campbell,Janet-Laine Green,Martha Henry,Barry Morse,Dan Lett,Nigel Bennett,David Gardner,Jill Frappier,R.D. Reid,Zack Ward,Miranda de Pencier,Dalene Irvine,Maggie Huculak,Sonia Laplante,Stefan Scaini dvd 5 of 5 1.0 August 8, 2006 M.S. "Classic literature fanatic" NJ United States I have been a huge fan of L. M. Montgomery's work since I was an eleven-year old girl living in the Caribbean. I've read and re-read, and re-read her stories again and again, and can't seem to get enough. The first two film installments in the Anne of Green Gables story are warm, beautiful, funny, inspiring and moving pieces of work, that are more or less faithful to Montgomery's original novels. The third installment is a travesty. Anachronism, bad dialogue, bad plot and plain old bad acting plague this "sequel". I say "sequel" in quotes, because the thing I dislike the most about the movie is the fact that the storyline is a complete departure from what Montgomery had envisioned for Anne so long ago. What a way to end it. That said, I've decided to purchase only the first two installments, and leave the third alone. I prefer to have Anne and Gilbert live out their literary lives in my imagination, than to poison my memory of them with the drivel that is Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story B000031WD9:movie_should_include_noose:wheelchair_hero B000031WD9 American Pie (Widescreen Unrated Collector's Edition): DVD: Jason Biggs,Molly Cheek,Jennifer Coolidge,Shannon Elizabeth,Alyson Hannigan,Chris Klein,Clyde Kusatsu,Eugene Levy,Natasha Lyonne,Christina Milian,Thomas Ian Nicholas,Chris Owen,Lawrence Pressman,Tara Reid,Woody Schultz,Seann William Scott,Mena Suvari,Eddie Kaye Thomas,Chris Weitz dvd 4 of 15 1.0 May 6, 2006 Wheelchair hero Seattle,WA American Pie: an immature, mindless, vapid, boring, blandly disgusting, humor lacking piece of over-rated trash packed full of cliches, highschool sterotypes, annoying horny teenaged behavior performed by a wonderful cast of grade A douchebags. 078323046X:sadly,:tyche_"the_real_tyche" 078323046X Darkman 2 - The Return of Durant: DVD: Larry Drake,Arnold Vosloo,Kim Delaney,Ren e O'Connor,Lawrence Dane,Jesse Collins,David Ferry,Jack Langedijk,Sten Eirik,Steve Mousseau,James Millington,Phillip Jarrett,Kevin Rushton,Graham Rowatt,Chris Gillett,David Clement,Catherine Swing,Anne Marie Loder,Adam Bramble,Harry Spiegel,Bradford May dvd 2.0 March 28, 2005 Tyche "The REAL Tyche" Simi Valley, CA USA The lack of Liam neeson and raimi's directing is what ruined this movie for me. While Mr. Vasloo is superb in his taking on the burden of the Liam created character and mr. Drake always has appeal, the movie as a whole needed a much better script. It was too predicatble, too phoney. On the bonus side, they did manage to keep the hapahazard and crazy comments Darkman makes during chases and fight scenes in tact, so that was a plus 6304765266:while_you_were_sleeping:p._nelson_"teacher" 6304765266 While You Were Sleeping: DVD: Sandra Bullock,Bill Pullman,Peter Gallagher,Peter Boyle,Jack Warden,Glynis Johns,Micole Mercurio,Jason Bernard,Michael Rispoli,Ally Walker,Monica Keena,Ruth Rudnick,Marcia Wright,Dick Cusack,Thomas Q. Morris,Bernie Landis,James Krag,Rick Worthy,Marc Grapey,Joel Hatch,Jon Turteltaub dvd 1 of 12 1.0 March 27, 2006 P. Nelson "teacher" Garland, TX USA This is one of my favorite romantic comedies. It is funny, touching, and has some of my favorite actors in it. And it doesn't only center around the main characters but has a great ensemble cast of very interesting people! B00005R87Q:horrible:j._brady B00005R87Q The Fast and the Furious: DVD: Thom Barry,Jordana Brewster,Vin Diesel,David Douglas (II),Noel Gugliemi,Beau Holden,Reggie Lee,Ted Levine,Chad Lindberg,Michelle Rodriguez,Vyto Ruginis,Ja Rule,Stanton Rutledge,Matt Schulze,Johnny Strong (II),Peter Navy Tuiasosopo,Paul Walker,Rick Yune,R.J. de Vera dvd 2 of 9 1.0 May 16, 2006 J. Brady PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC United States Absolutely unwatchable. Cliche-ridden. So silly it's very nearly offensive. It's like watching one long music video by a B-level rapper - full of dumb, beautiful women, buff, monkey-headed ghetto thugs, and jokey tricked-out cars. Without a doubt one of the worst movies I've ever seen. The script is laughable, the acting worse. Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are more "Dumb and Dumber" than "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". Awful B00009WVQV:2_stars_for_cameos:mitzigg04_"mittzigg" B00009WVQV Chasing Papi: DVD: Maria Conchita Alonso,Barbara Bermudo,Joy Enriquez,Ian Gomez,D.L. Hughley,Bryce Johnson,Henriette Mantel,Walter Mercado,Carlos Ponce,Sandra Ram rez (II),Diana-Maria Riva,Freddy Rodr guez,Roselyn Sanchez,Nicole Scherzinger,Ivette Sosa,Jaci Velasquez,Sof a Vergara,Eduardo Ver stegui,Lisa Vidal dvd 3 of 4 2.0 August 10, 2004 mitzigg04 "mittzigg" VA A dull dull movie that perpetuates stereotypes of latinos in the US and abroad. I was very bored with this movie and found the plot to be very insulting. I enjoyed seeing some of my favorite latino actors and performers on the big screen, but for a somewhat mainstreamed movie that one can buy in target, I think it's just a shame. The whole cast was pretty much of Latin America origin, but that did not do much to glorify latinos as capable and deserving actors on the spotlight. The plot and dialogue dehumanizies and insults many. B00009WVQV:lite_film_with_some_fun&hot_chicks:mistermaxxx@yahoo.com_"mistermaxxx" B00009WVQV Chasing Papi: DVD: Maria Conchita Alonso,Barbara Bermudo,Joy Enriquez,Ian Gomez,D.L. Hughley,Bryce Johnson,Henriette Mantel,Walter Mercado,Carlos Ponce,Sandra Ram rez (II),Diana-Maria Riva,Freddy Rodr guez,Roselyn Sanchez,Nicole Scherzinger,Ivette Sosa,Jaci Velasquez,Sof a Vergara,Eduardo Ver stegui,Lisa Vidal dvd 1 of 2 2.0 June 19, 2004 mistermaxxx@yahoo.com "mistermaxxx" usa the film is pretty lightweight on a whole but it has a nice charm with a well known Hollywood cliche in film making.I applaud the effort.the chicks in this Film are Happening Babes Fo SHO.but there ain't much to the Film but it has some fun to it B00023JHMW:maybe_it_just_hasn't_aged_well...:s._yates B00023JHMW Menace II Society: DVD: Allen Hughes,Albert Hughes,Tyrin Turner,Larenz Tate,June Kyoto Lu,Toshi Toda,Samuel L. Jackson,Anthony Johnson,Brandon Hammond,Glenn Plummer,Reginald Ballard,Khandi Alexander,Eugene Lee (III),James Pickens Jr.,Nancy Cheryll Davis,Jullian Roy Doster,Jada Pinkett Smith,Marilyn Coleman,Arnold Johnson,Saafir,Pooh Man,Mc Eiht dvd 1 of 2 2.0 January 5, 2006 S. Yates Bath, UK ok, I've only just seen this film for the first time, so it's hard to really judge the social impact it had 13 years ago and its importance in that respect, but this is not a particularly good film. I mean, it has its choice moments where it really comes together. the shot of caine downing a 40 in the korean grocers is imaginitively directed. any scene with o-dog is almost guaranteed classic status. samuel jackson's in it. and if you're a fan of dave chapelle's tyrone biggums crackhead character, the token crackhead in this film is worth a few laughs for his to-the-tee similarity. but that's really my problem with this film. serious issues are reduced to a series of ham-fisted archetypes straight out of central casting. and they're ALL here: the homey black grandparents, the nation of islam convert, the socially conscious mother whose son is starting to go down caine's road... all characters that might fare better in a different film that treats these issues with more subtlety and depth. take the french film 'la haine', for instance. it clearly took a lot of inspiration from menace 2 society, boyz n tha hood, etc., but its characters actually feel tormented, instead of just having lots of scenes written FOR them to show their torment. rather than just running through a laundry list of problems, one-by-one, scene-by-scene, it really gets to the heart of something bigger, some grander alienation that urban youths feel, which is what menace 2 society would like to be able to do. plus, if you can believe it, the hip-hop in 'la haine' is quite a bit better. so while I would definitely recommend seeing this film, keep the remote aimed and ready, finger on the fast-forward button. maybe about a half-hour of this film is really worth watching, whereas the other 70 minutes are mostly just dull moralising. oh yeah, and there's a really embarrassing-to-watch sex scene thrown in for no particular reason. oh, also, the filmmakers apparently think people who have just been shot look like they are being electrocuted while spitting out cherry slurpees. in a film that didn't try to carry so much social weight, that kind of thing would be ok because you could laugh it off as bad filmmaking, but it really just cheapens this one B00005QW5S:red-blue_glasses_is_better:m._taufiq_"a_friend" B00005QW5S The Ultimate 3-D Collection (Haunted Castle / Alien Adventure / Encounter in the Third Dimension) (Large Format) (Includes H3D Viewing System): DVD: Jasper Steverlinck,Kyoko Baertsoen,Harry Shearer,John Boyle,Pierre Lebecque,Bouli Lanners,Stuart Pankin,Cassandra Peterson,Andrea Thompson,Ben Stassen,Sean MacLeod Phillips dvd 4 of 11 1.0 November 17, 2005 M. Taufiq "a friend" The kit was not worth its price. The spatial effect is poor. I've been watching some much better 3d movies with much cheaper red-blue paper glasses. No, I don't have visual problem, and I rigged up everything correctly. The DVDs itself were not interesting. My kids were not impressed much. It were not made me happier with the pack. Sorry this review seems against the others, but it is my truth. I've stored it back into the box. I don't recommend this for you B000AAF1TU:disney_needs_to_get_it_together!:takemehome_"joey" B000AAF1TU Tarzan (Special Edition): DVD: Tony Goldwyn,Minnie Driver,Glenn Close,Brian Blessed,Nigel Hawthorne,Lance Henriksen,Wayne Knight,Rosie O'Donnell,Alex D. Linz,Taylor Dempsey,Jason Marsden,Erik von Detten,Blake McIver Ewing,Patti Deutsch,Amy Gleason,Paul Eiding,Jessica Rotter,Sherry Lynn,Jim Cummings,Linda Harmon (II),Kevin Lima,Chris Buck (II) dvd 15 of 17 1.0 October 21, 2005 takemehome "Joey" USA For months, Disney advertised this as a 2-Disc Special Edition DVD. But at the last minute, that second disc mysteriously disappeared. WHY? This is false advertising, and if I had my way, Disney would have a big fat lawsuit on their hands. It's unfair to force people who really want a 2-Disc to pay very expensive import prices to get one from the UK and to those of us who don't own a region-free player. They did this same crap to Alice In Wonderland, but the other way around. UK lost a disc that we have, and Paramount and Fox have done this to US fans of Titanic by dropping the 2-and-4-disc editions in the US, but not in the UK, and giving fans in the US a 3-Disc edition. I don't understand why these movie companies can't be consistent with their international releases and simply make a single version available for all people all over the world. Unfortunately, I have chosen not to buy this crappy excuse for a "Special Edition" DVD. I do not appreciate being lied to. I still love Disney movies as well as the excellent DVD editions, when Disney actually releases the product they've advertised for months, and I will continue to buy the QUALITY DVD releases, but I do not enjoy false advertisement 1896306233:gave_it_45_minutes_and_turned_it_off!:autumnhaze 1896306233 Born to Win: DVD: George Segal,Karen Black,Paula Prentiss,Jay Fletcher,Hector Elizondo,Robert De Niro,Ed Madsen,Marcia Jean Kurtz,Irving Selbst,Tim Pelt,Jos P rez (II),Sylvia Simms,Jack Hollander,Alex Colon,Max Brandt,Burt Young,Roland Kindhard,Jean David,Paul Benjamin,Charles McGregor,Ivan Passer dvd 1 of 7 1.0 November 13, 2001 Autumnhaze North Royalton, OH United States This movie was so boring and stupid, I turned it off after about 45 minutes. Maybe I had a poor copy, but I could barely understand what Paula Prentiss was saying -- and it wasn't because she was "under the influence!" I ran it back a few times but still couldn't make it out. From the other reviewers, it sounds like it got better but, if something doesn't grab my attention after 30 minutes, I say forget it B000BB96M6:a_big_waste_of_time!!!!:poohlicous_"book_maven" B000BB96M6 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: DVD: Tim Burton,Johnny Depp,Freddie Highmore,David Kelly,Helena Bonham Carter,Noah Taylor,Missi Pyle,James Fox,Deep Roy,Christopher Lee,Adam Godley,Franziska Troegner,AnnaSophia Robb,Julia Winter,Jordan Fry,Philip Wiegratz,Blair Dunlop,Liz Smith,Eileen Essell,David Morris (XVI),Nitin Ganatra dvd 0 of 3 1.0 November 5, 2006 Poohlicous "book maven" Los Angeles, CA I loved the original movie, and I love Johnny Depp so I thought this movie would be awesome.Wrong wrong wrong!! First of all, the child actors were horrible, well the Charlie and Mike characters were ok, but the two girl actors were the worst I've seen in a long time. And what did they do to Johnny Depp? He was so creepy and weird. I took my nine year old to see it in the theater, and even she almost fell asleep. If you really want a treat watch the original with Gene Wilder B00004RYKO:poor_release_of_movie:russell_ashenberg_"advit_book_reader" B00004RYKO Fallen: DVD: Gregory Hoblit,Denzel Washington,John Goodman,Donald Sutherland,Embeth Davidtz,James Gandolfini,Elias Koteas,Gabriel Casseus,Michael J. Pagan,Robert Joy,Frank Medrano,Ronn Munro,Cynthia Hayden,Ray Xifo,Tony Michael Donnelly,Tara Carnes,Reno Wilson,Wendy Cutler,Aida Turturro,Jeff Tanner,Jerry Walsh dvd 0 of 2 1.0 February 18, 2006 Russell Ashenberg "Advit book reader" Teaneck, New Jersey I found this movie very poor and totally a waste of my time. It's plot needs to be rewritten and it does not contain a deeper meaning. The ending was very disapointing and without proper conclusion. Denzel Washington did a great job playing the detective and John Goodman is a very good actor yet the other charaters did not do thier job and was poorly acted. My recommendation is to stay away from this movie and save your money. Buy somthing that has a good plot. D- is my ratin B000085EFC:boring:joan_ridgeway B000085EFC Pilates Complete for Everyone: DVD: Pilates Complete for Everyone dvd 0 of 3 1.0 July 13, 2006 Joan Ridgeway i practically fell asleep while watching this tape, the girl doing the exercises isn't even saying anything while she's doing it. It's a voice over! also she's all alone in a blank room. All the exercises are basically the same. I would suggest Mtv Pilates. It's a lot more fun 0780631315:bad_makeover_of_a_good_documentary:john_waghorn 0780631315 Stephen Hawking's Universe: DVD: Stephen Hawking,Maria Papathanassiou,Frank Langella,Gregory Benford,Jeff Rawle,Fred M. Niell dvd 1 of 1 1.0 October 10, 2006 John Waghorn Perth, Western Australia I bought this DVD to replace a worn Video from the BBC(British Broadcasting Commission). It was a bit of a shock. The original film has been edited and chopped up with bits of rubbish added through. It also now has a poor voice over. The whole feel of the film has been removed. All the PBS...and viewers like your rubbish? Where'd that come from. It was totallly funded via the BBC. The PBS editions mess up may have been funded by someone else. My copy is going Free as I won't be watching it again. Sincerely, do yourself a favour and source out a BBC edition. I give it (5 Stars)It is an awesome package. Inspiring and well told. Something to watch again and again(Hence I've worn out the video cassette B00005V9HH:the_usual_suspects:penelope_brandenburg B00005V9HH The Usual Suspects (Special Edition): DVD: Stephen Baldwin,Gabriel Byrne,Benicio Del Toro,Kevin Pollak,Kevin Spacey,Chazz Palminteri,Pete Postlethwaite,Giancarlo Esposito,Suzy Amis,Dan Hedaya,Paul Bartel,Carl Bressler,Phillip Simon,Jack Shearer,Christine Estabrook,Clark Gregg,Morgan Hunter,Ken Daly,Michelle Clunie,Louis Lombardi,Bryan Singer dvd 0 of 13 1.0 July 31, 2006 Penelope Brandenburg opened the sealed DVD case and Get Shorty was inside and not the Usual Suspects. I sent it back requesting a replacement and did not get a replacement. I got a credit, I think. Not sure. I would rather just have the correct movie B0001KL5IU:monk_is_junk!:r._a_pokatiloff_"ronpokatiloff" B0001KL5IU Monk - Season One: DVD: Adam Arkin,Daniel Dratch,Randall Zisk,Jerry Levine,Nick Marck,Adam Davidson,Jefery Levy,Stephen Cragg,Michael Nankin,Allison Liddi,Kevin Inch,Adam Shankman,Milan Cheylov dvd 1 of 48 1.0 July 17, 2006 R. A POKATILOFF "ronpokatiloff" ZION, IL USA I really want to give this piece of garbage a Zero. Actually, I only watched part of one episode, I don't know if it's from season one. I am a Columbo fan, and a detective writer. I saw a sniper shoot a man on a platform. The platform was almost located right up against a building the sniper was in! A toilet with flowers in it. He reacts to colds? I saw a classroom full of kids. EVERY ONE had a cold! Not very realistic. Kiddie video game pacing, with no proper build up. They don't make stuff for intelligent people anymore! If you are new to this series, watch some before you buy. Maybe some of it is ok. B0000ZG0TA:not_for_laptops,_or_widescreen_tv._trash:jigglypuff_of_doom_"jigglypuff_of_doom" B0000ZG0TA Nova - The Elegant Universe: DVD: Leonard Susskind,Gabriele Veneziano,Michael B. Green,Walter Lewin,Edward Witten,Cumrun Vafa,Brian Greene,Steven Weinberg,Amanda Peet (II),John Schwarz (II),Michael Duff (III),Joseph McMaster,Julia Cort (II) dvd 0 of 3 1.0 November 3, 2006 jigglypuff_of_doom "jigglypuff_of_doom" Brooklyn, New York USA some idiot edited this and put two bars on the top and bottom that are part of the video so in you watch this on a laptop or widescreen tv you will also get two bars on this side. this means that when you view it, it takes up about 25-35% of the screen with four black bars taking up most of the screen. i could not even watch 5 minutes of this. complete trash. B00064VQXA:not_really_investigation:c._shaham_"motek42" B00064VQXA C.S.I. Miami - The Complete Second Season: DVD: Mihai Mihalache dvd 2 of 9 2.0 November 21, 2005 C. Shaham "motek42" Beer Sheva, Israel The original CSI series is FANTASTIC because you figure out the crimes by finding the evidence. This series uses the CSI name without the investigating that makes the original so good. It is mainly a mellow-drama surrounding the lives of the characters. Some people will like the drama the writers have put togethor, but there's no mystery B00064VQXA:what_the.....:perfecto B00064VQXA C.S.I. Miami - The Complete Second Season: DVD: Mihai Mihalache dvd 5 of 32 1.0 April 11, 2005 perfecto Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Honestly, nothing about this show grabs me. I'm surprised this show gets such high Nielsen ratings every week. The writers tend to come up with similar stories all the time. But the biggest flaw is the acting. It is really laughable. Me and my friends watch this sometimes to laugh at how ridiculous everyone seems to be. Horatio Caine talks in a slow drawl all the time, saying the stupidest and most obvious things. Calleigh is always smiling at everyone and everything up to the point it gets irritating. None of the C.S.I team displays any emotion whatsoever, oh...except Horatio when he over does it. The stories are also terribly boring and utterly predictable. If there's a V.I.P suspect with a "history" with Horatio, yup...you guessed it, he's involved (either directly or indirectly). And also, if the suspect appears in about 10 minutes into the show...yea, it's not him. And Calleigh gets "evidence" such as DNA from saliva etc almost every episode using her sexuality. I mean, once or twice is alright...but I've seen about 8-10 episodes and she does it all the time. Every criminal here is an idiot, they are sure to leave all kinds of huge "clues" leading to them or their alliances. And every crime gets solved all the time. Oh, and is it just me or does the C.S.I team seem to know everything under the sun at their fingertips, no need for books or researching, they already have it that big brain of theirs. Think that's unlikely? Exactly my point. In short, I wouldn't move appointments or hurry home to watch this show. In fact, even if someone gives me this DVD set as a gift, I would probably keep it aside or maybe present it to someoene else. Watch this show if you're REALLY bored, with nothing else to do and no better use of your time. If you want real Crime Scene Investigation, watch the original C.S.I, Las Vegas. That's the best C.S.I....period 6305459541:this_dvd_makes_me_mad_as_&*%$#!:ryan_j_burkett 6305459541 Prince - The Hits Collection: DVD: Prince dvd 2 of 3 1.0 June 12, 2004 Ryan J Burkett Fayetteville, GA United States This is his absolute WORST videos, not his BEST. You are missing tons of classic moments such as: When Doves Cry, Let's Go Crazy, Mountains, Girls and Boys, Batdance, Partyman, Scandalous, Automatic, Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?, Sexuality, I Wish U Heaven, Glam Slam, Anotherloverholenyohead, America, and Thieves In The Temple. This is a crime. When is the real DVD coming out B00003CXTA:style_way,_way,_way_over_substance:dirk B00003CXTA The Mummy Returns (Widescreen Collector's Edition): DVD: Donna Air,Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje,Alun Armstrong,Freddie Boath,Bruce Byron,Joe Dixon,Oded Fehr,Tom Fisher,Brendan Fraser,John Hannah,Aharon Ipal ,Trevor Lovell,Shaun Parkes,Quill Roberts,The Rock,Rocky Taylor,Patricia Velasquez,Arnold Vosloo,Rachel Weisz dvd 0 of 1 2.0 October 14, 2006 Dirk Warren, OH United States I'm a fan of the 1999 "The Mummy" and was understandably looking forward to this sequel. In the summer of 2001 I went to catch it at the theater with two friends and after about ten minutes we were all bored senseless by the incredible bombardment of action and F/X. We just layed back in our seats for the next two hours in utter tedium. It's a curious thing that too much action (and F/X) in a film can be boring. It may not seem logical but it's true, and "The Mummy Returns" is Exibit A. I recently considered the possibility that my first impression may have been in error so I decided to re-watch it after over five years. Yet, after a mere 10-15 minutes I was again completely detached from the picture, even though there were all kinds of exciting things going on, or, at least, things that SHOULD HAVE been exciting. "The Mummy Returns" has a lot going for it: A great cast, locations, costumes, cinematography, F/X, etc. In addition it has a great Indiana Jones appeal. Unfortunately it all adds up to a cinematic piece of excrement. What went wrong? Simply put, no substance. "The Mummy Returns" abandons the characters, and the plot is utilized simply as a flimsy clothesline for action and F/X sequences. FINAL ANALYSIS: "The Mummy Returns" has so many ingredients right, but it somehow utterly fails. It's unadulterated cinematic JUNK. It should be utilized in filmmaking classes as the quintessential example of style over substance -- having all the right elements, including budget, and stupefyingly fumbling the ball. Needless to say this could have been a great film franchise, but it was not to be. "Returns" put an end to that. B0006J27WO:head_in_the_clouds_is_a_very_appropriate_title_for_this_movie:terence_allen B0006J27WO Head in the Clouds: DVD: Charlize Theron,Pen lope Cruz,Stuart Townsend,Thomas Kretschmann,Steven Berkoff,David La Haye,Karine Vanasse,Gabriel Hogan,Peter Cockett, lizabeth Chouvalidz ,Jolyane Langlois,Sophie Desmarais, lo sa Laflamme-Cervantes,Ivan Vukov (II),Sebastian Bailey,Michael Daniel Murphy,Linda Tomassone,Julian Casey,Lisa Bronwyn Moore,Frank Fontaine (II),John Duigan dvd 1 of 5 2.0 May 25, 2006 Terence Allen Atlanta, GA Charlize Theron, her real life boyfriend Stuart Townsend, and Penelope Cruz are all nice to look at, and have at times shown considerable tlane in their work, Theron having won as Osca for her role in Monster. But Head In The Clouds is one of those beautifully filmed films starring a beautiful cast that trying to stay beautiful in an increasingly ugly world, particularly Europe in the 1930s. From the Spanish Civil War to World War II, the stories of these three people who share a Paris flat together is supposed to be a sweeping tragedy that shows how world events and fate can conspire to thwart true love. Instead, it shows how silly things can be when you mix hedonism, narcissism, social responsbility, and sheer stupidity. You end up caring less about the characters, andwondering more how much more trouble will they get themselves in. This was a pretty stylish waste of time for everyone involved B0000541AK:cheesy_and_laughable:abel_robineau_"professional_photographer" B0000541AK Juice (widescreen): DVD: Omar Epps,Tupac Shakur,Jermaine 'Huggy' Hopkins,Khalil Kain,Cindy Herron,Vincent Laresca,Samuel L. Jackson,George Gore II,Grace Garland (II),Queen Latifah,Bruklin Harris,Victor Campos,Eric Payne,Sharon Cook,Darien Berry,Maggie Rush,Flex Alexander,Rony Clanton,Michael Badalucco,Jacqui Dickerson,Ernest R. Dickerson dvd 2 of 19 1.0 November 9, 2005 Abel Robineau "Professional Photographer" Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic One of the worst movies i've ever seen, no real plot and acting is as bad as it can get. Not even Samuel Jackson's appearance saves this sorry excuse for a movie. Horrible. Awful B000B7QAHO:stick_with_willy_wonka:g._mitchell_"greggmitch" B000B7QAHO Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: DVD: Johnny Depp,Freddie Highmore,David Kelly,Helena Bonham Carter,Noah Taylor,Missi Pyle,James Fox,Deep Roy,Christopher Lee,Adam Godley,Franziska Troegner,AnnaSophia Robb,Julia Winter,Jordan Fry,Philip Wiegratz,Blair Dunlop,Liz Smith,Eileen Essell,David Morris (XVI),Nitin Ganatra,Tim Burton dvd 3 of 9 1.0 October 18, 2006 G. Mitchell "greggmitch" Los Angeles, CA United States I could barely get through the...um...er...reimagination...of the childern's classic - while the set design and special FX are state of the art, as usual for a Tim Burton film, the actual movie is hard to watch. Why? Depp's "performance" is chock full of ticks and mannerisms, off-putting, flat, self-absorbed, and finally, one-note. Rather than the quirky fun of the original 1972 Gene Wilder version, Burton's film is more horror than fantasy, often casually cruel and sadistic to the point of being far from family fare. While deliberate on Burton's part, that doesn't make the final product any more watchable. It's one grim, dismal, downward spiral slog. Not much holidday fun, huh? As with most of Burton's other big, expensive failures, he knows how to CREATE a convincing world, but has no clue how to POPULATE it with characters and situations we identify with and/or could care less about. The final result is a film that's like a fragile, hermetically sealed curio on the shelf - nice to look at from afar, but hard to get attached to, much less involved with. What a waste of millions of studio $$$ B00015YVI6:don't_bother_with_it:makalow B00015YVI6 Hope Springs: DVD: Colin Firth,Heather Graham,Minnie Driver,Mary Steenburgen,Frank Collison,Oliver Platt,Mary Black,Ken Kramer,Chad Faust,Tony Alcantar,Bethoe Shirkoff,Alan Giles,Dolores Drake,Howard Storey,June B. Wilde,Susan Bonham,Kathryn Kirkpatrick,Andrew Keilty,William Joseph Firth,Mark Herman dvd 3 of 5 1.0 July 15, 2005 Makalow Upstate NY, USA This movie was quite honestly one of the worst movies I have ever seen. As a huge Colin Firth fan originally from a small town in Vermont, I thought that no matter what I had heard about the film I would enjoy it. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The main problem of the film was characterization. There were oftentimes no motivations or explanations whatsoever for the character's actions. One minute, the small town girl played by Heather Graham is working at a nursing home, then she's downing alcohol, then she's jumping around naked for absolutely no apparent reason (in fact, she doesn't even seem drunk), and all this entices the character Colin Firth to jump into bed with her. I think the Heather Graham character is supposed to be quirky, but because of the script and the way the film is cut, she comes off as schitsophrenic and unlikable. Then suddenly they are in a serious relationship which Colin dives into wholeheartedly even though he is supposed to be recovering from a breakup with his fiance (and this is no rebound relationship). Basically, the movie continues along this vein, with Minnie Driver showing up as the dark-haired British ex-fiance who you can't see ever having had a relationship with Colin (both actors are better in the much superior movie Circle of Friends). In any case, there are many more unexplained actions and wierd breakups/get back togethers before the movie thankfully ends. Additionally, the setting is completely misused, beginning with the sign that says more than 18,000 people live in Hope. In New England, that does not classify as a small town. They could have used the autumn setting and American-ness of the people as restorative to the Colin character. The suggestion of that is there, but it is never demonstrated - instead, they go to a spot that is supposed to be nice and the Heather Graham character downs a bottle of booze, and Colin Firth's character has no real explanation or feeling in his portraits of the town's people. Although the hotel owners are fun, if unrealistic, the mayor has been written as if he were a cartoon character. Finally, I don't neccessarily blame the actors for this awful movie, with the wierd cutting, it may have seemed like a good idea at the time. I think Colin Firth does his best at being an ambigious, but still likeable guy. Heather Graham, aside from not coming off as a small town girl at all, has absolutely nothing to work with, so you can't even blame her for the horrendous character she has. And everyone else, including Minnie Driver, is a complete caricature, although Minnie Driver incites some of the few amusing moments in the film. I feel bad to judge this movie so harshly, but it is unneccessarily bad, and I had been hoping for something at least fun. These actors all have much better movies out there. B00008K76O:body_by_ihop._brains_by_crayola.:james_stephen_garrett_"teep" B00008K76O The Awful Truth - The Complete DVD Set (Seasons 1 & 2): DVD: Michael Moore dvd 6 of 23 1.0 May 31, 2006 James Stephen Garrett "Teep" Arkham Asylum Here's the "Awful Truth": That you would be willing to let this man, a raving, terminally obese, incoherent highschool dropout, who is to truth what a lead block smeared with ketchup is to cheesecake---that you would let this man literally plunge his hamburger-grease stained mitts into your skull, forming the mushy stuff of your brain into little foamy pink chunks of liberal pabulum. And that you would pay him money to render the service! Yes, you could watch all of the episodes in "The Awful Truth": you would, no doubt, feel smug and superior to all those unenlightened troglodytes who voted for Bush. You might giggle a bit, which is a common side-effect of a political lobotomy. But at the end of the day, it is far better that you take your lead from antiquity: when Oedipus realized his own version of the "Awful Truth"---that he had whacked Pa, gotten jiggy with Ma, and generally made an a** of himself---he stabbed out his own eyeballs. Might I recommend the white-hot iron pokers? JS 6305181926:film:_4_stars,_dvd:_1:arealgenius 6305181926 The Ghost and the Darkness: DVD: Michael Douglas,Val Kilmer,Tom Wilkinson,John Kani,Bernard Hill,Brian McCardie,Emily Mortimer,Om Puri,Henry Cele,Kurt Egelhof,Satchu Annamalai,Teddy Reddy,Raheem Khan,Jack Devnarain,Glen Gabela,Richard Nwamba,Nick Lorentz,Alex Ferns,Kaycey Padayachee,Giles Masters,Stephen Hopkins dvd 4 of 5 2.0 March 29, 2006 ARealGenius Goose Creek, SC I preface all of my DVD reviews with the following note: There are more than enough film reviews on Amazon.com and, quite frankly, it's a bit ridiculous. A person can scroll through scores/pages of reviews without reading a single sentence about the quality of the DVD. If you want to review or discuss a film, go to IMDB. If you're reviewing the DVD, speak to the qualities (or lack thereof) of the audio and video; mention your opinions of the plot, acting, etc. but please don't write an essay! Now, on to my review of The Ghost and the Darkness on DVD. I remember wanting to see this movie when I was younger (when it was first released), but it wasn't until my sophomore year of college that I bought the DVD in order to write a term paper comparing the film to actual history. In terms of Hollywood, it's fairly accurate. The film itself, as entertainment, is great (it seems some people are analyzing it as if it were a documentary???). I'm a fan of both Douglas and Kilmer; they're fine here, but they've definitely done better work elsewhere. The plot moves along nicely and creates some definite tension and suspense. Additionally, the photography is beautiful and the soundtrack is great, too. Now the bad news: the DVD sucks. Period. And I'm not even complaining about the lack of extras here. The transfer is absolutely criminal, and those responsible for it should never work on another DVD project ever again. The print is clear and solid, but the aspect ratio is not correct AT ALL. I was mortified when I popped it into my player, only to be rewarded with a distorted image. Absolutely shameful...This film deserves a new anamorphic transfer in its original aspect ratio. VIDEO: C- AUDIO: A FILM: B B00007K028:heavy-handed,_predictable,_and_not_funny:wanda_b._red B00007K028 Citizen Ruth: DVD: Laura Dern,Swoosie Kurtz,Kurtwood Smith,Mary Kay Place,Kelly Preston,M.C. Gainey,Kenneth Mars,David Graf,Kathleen Noone,Tippi Hedren,Burt Reynolds,Lance Rome,Jim Kalal,Shea Degan,Vince Morelli,Marilyn Tipp,Lois Nemec,Tim Vandeberghe,Sebastian Anzaldo III,Alicia Witt,Alexander Payne dvd 3 of 5 2.0 April 9, 2006 Wanda B. Red Boston, MA I did not much enjoy this film, and I didn't find it very clever or funny. It's true, as other amazon reviewers have noted, that Citizen Ruth stereotypes both sides of the abortion issue. Does that make it an intelligent and even-handed comic treatment of a complex topic? No, indeed. Along the way, it also stereotypes poor people, middle class people, teenagers, drug addicts, Christians, and Vietnam veterans. That doesn't make it funny, though, because the satire is so heavy-handed and predictable. Simply tackling an important social topic, like abortion, isn't going to give a film the heft to generate either drama or humor. In my opinion, the film's pretentious take on a big issue just makes it creepy. There were too many close-ups of earnest, wide-pored, and angry faces. And Burt Reynolds as the national leader of the anti-abortion crowd was just peculiar. What was he doing in this film? And what are we supposed to make of his relationship with the young Eric? Laura Dern is a talented actress, and she does a creditable job with this part -- which because it straddles genres was a challenging one. But her talent couldn't redeem this film for me B000BPK2IY:empty_shell:frank_rhee B000BPK2IY Half Light: DVD: Demi Moore dvd 0 of 6 1.0 September 22, 2006 Frank Rhee the Netherlands I have never been a Demi Moore fan, but this movie is even worse than I imagined it would be. My kids picked it up in the videotheque. I decided to give it a fair chance and watched it together with them. Demi's acting is rather passionless, poor and disconnected. She looks old too ! She doesn't succeed at all in portraying a woman who is ravaged by the loss of her only child and by her own stupid fault and selfishness too. After just eight months after the tragedy she wanders off to some remote spot in Scotland to write a new novel. Yeah, sure. That's what I would do after losing my only child. I probably would be in utter shock for another 200 years or so. After five minutes you don't care at all what happens to her and what fate befalls her. You can see the few twists and turns in the plot coming miles before they happen. And all the illogical things start to get annoying very quickly. A guy who is alone on an island for years who doesn't know how to cook a fish and succeeds in burning it. And who puts the spare key to his home out in the open on the sill above the door in a place that is battered by gales almost weekly. A mobile phone that functions in the middle of nowhere. I expected a film with supernatural elements, but boy did I get fooled. Some of the photography and scenery was acceptable, but the CGI generated images of the lighthouse were done rather poorly. Alas, not a film that I can recommend to anyone. B000BPK2IY:painful.:robert_p._beveridge_"xterminal" B000BPK2IY Half Light: DVD: Demi Moore dvd 2 of 6 1.0 August 14, 2006 Robert P. Beveridge "xterminal" Lakewood, OH Half Light (Craig Rosenberg, 2006) I've been following some heated debate about this flick on movie boards, and it's brought a somewhat related (if tangentially) point into focus for me: why it is that movies like Darkness, the 2002 Spanish "thriller" with all the suspense of a Pee Wee Herman monologue, and Haute Tension, France's painfully bad 2005 attempt at horror, come over to America and fall flat. Well, I knew the answer, but really, you're all providing me with more evidence. You've never seen a good horror film in your life, have you? Because that's really the only way I can see justifying Darkness, Haute Tension, or Half Light as marginal, much less good, movies. Demi Moore plays Rachel Carlson, an American author living in Scotland with her husband Brian (Henry Ian Cusick) and their son Thomas (the wonderfully-named Beans el-Balawi, recently in the TV adaptation of Beneath the Skin). Thomas suffers a household accident, which leads to Rachel and Brian splitting up. Rachel's friend Sharon (Coupling's Kate Isitt) finds Sharon a lovely, secluded place on the coast to hole up and try to write (and why is it that dead kids always lead to parents going off somewhere secluded, where they're bound to be tormented by guilt?). Rachel meets a number of fine locals, including Angus McCulloch (The Mists of Avalon's Hans Matheson), keeper of an even more secluded lighthouse not far from her new place, with whom she feels an instant attraction. Despite being free of the marriage bond, Rachel's not quite sure what to make of her handsome stranger... ...and neither are we. There's obviously supposed to be chemistry between these two characters, but it's never realized. It's probably off looking for the film's suspense, which Rosenberg reminds us we're supposed to be feeling by inserting a few scenes that tread the ground of every suspense movie clich in the entire book. Once you've figured out the movie's big twists (yes, there's more than one, handled with all the delicacy afforded to, say, a road being repaved), which you will have done less than thirty minutes into the film, Rosenberg attempts to hit you with another big twist at the end. There's only one problem-- the movie's climactic scene is so befuddling that any attempt at inserting another plot twist that leads to the film's resolution does nothing but leave the viewer confused and unsatisfied. (Go look at the film boards in various places. There is one question that crops up over and over again. It relates to the utter inability of the climax to get its point across.) It's not often that I say Darkness is better than another horror film. After all, Darkness was about the most pointless exercise in mediocrity possible. But if you have died and gone to Hell, and you have a choice of which of the two to watch on endless loop for the rest of eternity, Darkness should be a no-brainer. Yes, this one's that bad. B000ANVNHQ:tremendous_disappointment!:emilio_castro B000ANVNHQ New Order - A Collection: DVD: Rob Gretton,Peter Saville,Bono,Pete Tong,John Robie,Jenny Seagrove,Colin Bell,Ian Curtis,Jon Savage,Gillian Gilbert,Bernard Sumner,John Barnes,Tony Wilson (II),Neil Tennant,Stephen Morris (III),Karin Berg,Peter Hook,Quincy Jones,Arthur Baker,Kevin Hewitt dvd 1.0 November 19, 2006 Emilio Castro San Diego, CA I've owned the LaserDisc version of "New Order Story" for 5 years and watch parts of it at least once a week, so I thought having the DVD version would be an upgrade. Not at all, it's a cheap transfer from LaserDisc. The DVD containing "A Collection" has defects in it. I mainly bought it so I could have the full version of the promo for "The Perfect Kiss", -which in "story" is almost ruined by Bono's horrible voice- but it turns out it has a huge skip in the DVD version. I didn't even care to test the rest of the disc and just returned it. B0000A02UG:if_you_are_looking_for_a_real_documentary,_this_is_not_it:k._shkolnyy B0000A02UG CNN Tribute - America Remembers - The Events of September 11th (Commemorative Edition): DVD: CNN Tribute dvd 14 of 16 2.0 October 22, 2005 K. Shkolnyy Texas The editor decided that I don't want to see how the plane crashes into WTC, or how people jump from windows, so, he cut pretty much all of that and who knows what else. Instead, there is a plenty of news people's talking into camera about where they were at the time and what they were thinking (and why do I care?), plus a bunch of stuff about anthrax to pad the little footage that was left. B0002ZDWVM:edited:sista_tone B0002ZDWVM Secret Things: DVD: Aude Breusse,Blandine Bury,Patricia Candido Trinca,Lydia Chopart,Alain Couesnon,Micha l Couvreur,Fabrice Deville,Pierre Gabaston,Aur lien Geneix,Arnaud Goujon,Lisa H r dia,Li s Kidji,Boris Le Roy,Roger Mirmont,Doroth e Picard,Coralie Revel,Sabrina Seyvecou,Olivier Soler,Viviane Th ophild s dvd 25 of 27 2.0 December 28, 2004 Sista Tone This DVD is edited from the original version. This movie is HOT, the cut DVD is NOT B00023BJGY:depressing:harry_ardolino_"june62" B00023BJGY Rock and Roll at 50: DVD: Various Artists dvd 1.0 November 9, 2006 Harry Ardolino "June62" Madison, CT USA Seeing what's become of the rock and roll legends I remember from when we were much younger, I found very depressing. I'd rather remember them the way they were 40 yrs ago. Even Jerry Lee looked like he was ready for the nursing home B000C3L2NE:the_aristocrats_-_dog_poop:eric_e._strauss_"more_reviews_at_eestrauss.com" B000C3L2NE The Aristocrats: DVD: Penn Jillette,Paul Provenza dvd 1 of 6 2.0 October 26, 2006 Eric E. Strauss "more reviews at eestrauss.com" Absolute Dog Poop - with corn. So there is this joke that all the comedians know about, and there are a million ways to tell it, and they get really raunchy. There, that's the movie. I saved you two hours. Oh but there's a kicker, the joke isn't funny and everyone knows it. Yet, of course, some of the comedians tell it like it's the funniest thing in the world - Sarah Silverman, Gilbert Godfried, Bob Sagat, and South Park are definite highlights. And I love Sarah Silverman. However, the awful cinematography, horrific editing, and terrible production value of this film make impossible for me to fathom why people didn't burn down the theaters when they realized this film wasn't getting any better. I would have at least demanded a refund, and $100/hr billed in 15 minute increments. I think Sarah Silverman saved the day again B00022XE6S:excuses,_excuses:paravil B00022XE6S Spartan: DVD: Tia Texada,Derek Luke,Val Kilmer,Jeremie Campbell,Bob Jennings (II),Lionel Mark Smith,Johnny Messner,Chris LaCentra,Renato Magno,Mark FitzGerald,Tony Mamet,Clark Gregg,Ron Butler,Steven Culp,Vincent Guastaferro,Robert Bella,Lana Bilzerian,Aaron Stanford,Annie Morgan,Geoffrey Pierson,David Mamet dvd 5 of 13 2.0 April 18, 2006 Paravil your closet so I'm supposed to believe that the horrible dialogue, bad acting, and ridiculous plotting is on purpose just because Mamet is a respected guy? how about we call a dog a dog and just move on B000BUE5D2:1_star_for_universal's_piss_poor_transfer_to_dvd:spy-hunter B000BUE5D2 Knight Rider - Season Three: DVD: Peter Crane,Roy Campanella II,Virgil W. Vogel,Bruce Kessler,Paul Stanley,Gil Bettman,Bruce Seth Green,Daniel Haller,Harvey S. Laidman,Robert Foster,Gino Grimaldi,Charles Watson Sanford,Alan Myerson,Bob Bralver,Charles Bail,Gilbert M. Shilton,Sidney Hayers dvd 4 of 5 1.0 April 3, 2006 spy-hunter Honolulu, HI This show is my all time favorite, however Universal has gone and dicked it up by leaving out various sound effects and a teaser, and a wrong Season Premier Intro! DVD is meant to bring out the best in media, not the worst, how could they lose sound effects? Unbelievable! Just doesn't seem possible... SEASON 4 is no better... UNIVERSAL PLEASE READ THIS AND RE-RELEASE SEASON 3 AND 4 ALREADY, THE FANS ARE EXTREMELY PISSED OFF! B000BWFSOA:horrid!:c._larcom B000BWFSOA Why Wal*Mart Works and why this makes some people C-R-A-Z-Y!: DVD: Ron Galloway,Ron & Robert Galloway dvd 23 of 34 1.0 March 17, 2006 C. Larcom This documentary is poorly produced, has terrible sound quality and stereotypical "life affirming" stories. There was nothing in here to support Wal-Mart, their business practices or their philosophy B000063W1O:a_disappointment:wildernessofpain B000063W1O 24 Hour Party People: DVD: Steve Coogan,John Thomson,Nigel Pivaro,Lennie James,Shirley Henderson,Martin Hancock,Mark Windows,Chris Coghill,Paddy Considine,John Simm,Ralf Little,Dave Gorman,Andy Serkis,Danny Cunningham,Paul Popplewell,Ron Cook,Raymond Waring,Peter Kay,Mark E. Smith,Naomi Radcliffe,Michael Winterbottom dvd 3 of 13 2.0 June 27, 2005 wildernessofpain California, United States First of all, I am a Joy Division and New Order fan; therefore, I tried to like this. Really, I did. Sadly, this film stinks. The focus is not on the bands themselves, but on the obnoxious character known as Tony Wilson. What a monster! Either it was the actor's depiction or he does truly have a horrid personality in real life. Maybe I'm not British, but I did not find 24 Hour Party People to be very funny. Only a few scenes made me grin. The randomness added very little to the overall quality of the film. In addition, the camera work was very jerky. Looked like it was done by a novice (and yes, I'm one myself, having made two movies) The only redeeming aspect has to be the scenes with Joy Division. Too bad the members of this band are minor characters. I can only hope that the biopic of Ian Curtis currently in production will be much, much better B00009QG5O:poor_quality_transfer:robert_stevenson B00009QG5O Little House on the Prairie - The Complete Season 1: DVD: Maury Dexter,Victor French dvd 4 of 6 1.0 August 30, 2006 Robert Stevenson San Jose, CA USA I'm very surprised that this product has as high a rating as it does, I suppose most are simply glad the show is available on DVD. However, the transfer to DVD is absolutely horrible. On an opening night shot on disc 1, there is so much junk on the film that one would think one was seeing lightning bugs -- inside the house! The colors on these prints aren't even as good as what is shown on TVLand. This show might be 30 years old, but they cannot be using the best prints available. There is another irritating tip-off of the cheapness of this package -- the music on the closing credits is wrong -- or is this my imagination? For those who are defending this package, the upcoming Daniel Boone DVD set is a good item to compare it with. That show aired in 1966 and the remastered print is fantastic. Studios and re-issue companies can do a good job when they choose to. It's a real shame that, in this age of big-screen TVs, this program will look so shoddy. It's apparent that with such a popular show, they could have recouped the investment 0792163087:a_travesty:carl_the_hammer 0792163087 Angela's Ashes: DVD: Andrew Bennett,Joe Breen,Robert Carlyle,Oisin Carney Daly,Sean Carney Daly,Liam Carney,Aaron Geraghty,Peter Halpin,Blaithnaid Howe,Michael Legge (II),Eanna MacLiam,Ronnie Masterson,Pauline McLynn,Devon Murray,Shane Murray-Corcoran,Tim O'Brien (IV),Ciaran Owens,Shane Smith (III),Emily Watson dvd 4 of 7 2.0 December 15, 2005 Carl The Hammer Bryson City, NC First let me say that I thought Angela's Ashes was an absolutely terrific book and Frank McCourt fully deserved his Pulitzer Prize. This movie was a horrendous let down. No one involved with the film seemed to have a clue about how to depict real deprivation and poverty. Everything was a Hollywood version of suffering and misery, from Emily Watson's pretty red coat standing in for the real Angela's gray rag to the beautifully lit Irish streets and of course John "let me tell you how you're supposed to feel right now" Williams' cloying, inappropriate music. The acting from the children was great. They were absolutely the best part of the film. Of course, given the constraints of film and the average audience tolerance for unpleasantness such as oozing eyes, pimples and bad teeth all the kids were pleasing to look at, clear skinned and attractive. At least they could act! Emily Watson was given little to do. Robert Carlyle was good although Alan Parker seemed determined to sanitize the ambiguities of McCourt's father by only showing little episodes of drunkeness and thoughtlessness. Parker tends to be an extremely literal, by-the-numbers director with little understanding of subtlety (look what he did in the Pink Floyd's "The Wall"). This time he was clearly given a mandate by the Hollywood bigwig producers not to make the film too "depressing" or "grim" so that audiences would accept it. The film ends up being a choppy, gentrified, soulless version of one of the best modern books ever written. Really a shame and a waste of resources. B00067AVKQ:in_cold_blood:movie_fan_"fan" B00067AVKQ In Cold Blood: DVD: Anthony Edwards,Sam Neill dvd 15 of 18 1.0 March 7, 2006 Movie Fan "Fan" Arkansas This is a made for TV movie and not the original film. Do not waste your money on this re-make. Buy the original that was released in 1967 and starred Robert Blake B00005K3OT:boring:michael_larocca_"http://www.chinarice.org" B00005K3OT Chocolat (Miramax Collector's Series): DVD: Juliette Binoche,Alfred Molina,Carrie-Anne Moss,Judi Dench,Antonio Gil-Martinez,Johnny Depp,H l ne Cardona,Harrison Pratt,Hugh O'Conor,Lena Olin,Gaelan Connell,Peter Stormare,Elisabeth Commelin,Aurelien Parent Koenig,Ron Cook,Victoire Thivisol,Guillaume Tardieu,John Wood,Leslie Caron,Mich le Gleizer,Lasse Hallstr m dvd 0 of 10 2.0 August 27, 2006 Michael LaRocca "http://www.chinarice.org" Chiang Mai, Thailand Highly acclaimed. That, I knew. I watched the first 30 minutes, which is 1/4 of the movie, before I decided to hang it up. New lady moves into a conservative French town and opens a chocolate shop. This upsets the local church, even before she begins unleashing secret desires and so forth with her sinful chocolate. Okay. Can you really carry 2 hours with this single plot? Nope. This one's boring. B00008MZ0O:one_of_the_worst_movies_ever_made:afzal_syed_"afzal" B00008MZ0O The Fast and the Furious (Full Screen Tricked Out Edition): DVD: Thom Barry,Jordana Brewster,Vin Diesel,David Douglas (II),Noel Gugliemi,Beau Holden,Reggie Lee,Ted Levine,Chad Lindberg,Michelle Rodriguez,Vyto Ruginis,Ja Rule,Stanton Rutledge,Matt Schulze,Johnny Strong (II),Peter Navy Tuiasosopo,Paul Walker,Rick Yune,R.J. de Vera dvd 2 of 10 1.0 May 19, 2006 Afzal Syed "Afzal" Lawrence, KS USA I saw this movie yesterday thinking it'd be exciting. I sure am glad that I survived after watching this terrible excuse for a movie. There's no story line, the acting is pathetic, whoever gave Vin Diesel the idea that he can act. Like an earlier reviewer observes it's about who's dumber the guys who made this movie or the ones who gave it a good review B00008MZ0O:this_movie_would_have_been_acted_better_if_they_used_real_retards!!!!!!!:rustic_fences_"beer-hall_honky-tonk" B00008MZ0O The Fast and the Furious (Full Screen Tricked Out Edition): DVD: Thom Barry,Jordana Brewster,Vin Diesel,David Douglas (II),Noel Gugliemi,Beau Holden,Reggie Lee,Ted Levine,Chad Lindberg,Michelle Rodriguez,Vyto Ruginis,Ja Rule,Stanton Rutledge,Matt Schulze,Johnny Strong (II),Peter Navy Tuiasosopo,Paul Walker,Rick Yune,R.J. de Vera dvd 2 of 12 1.0 January 9, 2006 Rustic Fences "Beer-Hall Honky-Tonk" Vermont I can't give it any less than one star but what the heck, The girls were hot so there's the one star. Other than that I am literally dumber after watching this movie! I swear to god! I passed out after watching this film because I got so stupid I forgot to breathe! They should stop beating around the bush and hire retards from the mental home to play the lead roles because lord knows they would have done a better job! Even if they just ran around the set yelling "1,2,3, Potato Salad, March!" The dialogue would have been 1000 times better. Message to the producer: Give it up loser!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! B00005NRNU:a_movie_on_castellano,_how_boring.:christophe_e._johnson B00005NRNU Boss of Bosses: DVD: Chazz Palminteri,Angela Alvarado,Jay O. Sanders,Clancy Brown,Daniel Benzali,Mark Margolis,Dayton Callie,Patricia Mauceri,Al Ruscio,Sonny Marinelli,Philip Williams,Steven Bauer,Gino Marrocco,Dominic Cuzzocrea,Tony Nappo,Renato Rizzuti,Ron Gabriel,William DeMeo,Louis Di Bianco,Michael A. Miranda,Dwight H. Little dvd 2 of 6 2.0 November 28, 2005 Christophe E. Johnson I love Chazz P. and I can see why he would want to give the other side of the Castellano epic, but man is this movie boring. Castellano has to be one of the most uninvolved mobsters ever to take the reins of a crime family. If you know the history of this guy, than you should agree, and if you don't, read some books about him. As powerful as he was, he sure didn't know much about running a crime family as did his predecessors, which this film doesn't portray. The film also has terrible actors portraying both Sammy the Bull and John Gotti. An insult at that. If you like mafia movies and don't care about the history of its real-life characters than by all means watch it. If you do, skip it, you'd be better off reading a book B0007A2GSW:hate_it!:auburn_niewiadomski_"king_kucalochoo" B0007A2GSW The Incredibles (Full Screen 2-Disc Collector's Edition): DVD: Maeve Andrews,Michael Bird (IV),Wayne Canney,Kimberly Adair Clark,Spencer Fox (II),Eli Fucile,Holly Hunter,Samuel L. Jackson,Jason Lee,Dominique Louis,Bud Luckey,Craig T. Nelson,Teddy Newton,Bret 'Brook' Parker,Elizabeth Pe a,Lou Romano,Wallace Shawn,Jean Sincere,Sarah Vowell dvd 1.0 November 18, 2006 Auburn Niewiadomski "King Kucalochoo" Florida To violent for anyone! This movie is horrible. The cast is good, but the plot stinks! Its just this family who have super powers. Then this kid wanted to be Mr. Incredibles side kick. (in a way)Mr. Incredible says no so then he hates him. Then the kid turns evil and kills people, and wants every body to like him. Thats origanal. There are barely any jokes you laugh once every 20 minutes, and there is way to much violence. Killing, guns, punching, bombs, and they say stupid words sometimes. I do not like the person who directed this film because he should not like violence. So I do not recommend this movie to anyone. Especially the 2 disc special edition! B00005JNX0:what_the_hell_were_they_thinking?:carolyn_"dedicated_yaoi_fan." B00005JNX0 Madagascar (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Stephen Apostolina,Sacha Baron Cohen,Cody Cameron,Cedric the Entertainer,David Cowgill,Elisa Gabrielli,Christopher Knights,Oskar Kuchera,Masha Malinovskaya,Tom McGrath (VII),Chris Miller (VII),Devika Parikh,Jada Pinkett Smith,Andy Richter,Chris Rock,David Schwimmer,David P. Smith,Ben Stiller,Conrad Vernon dvd 2.0 November 21, 2006 Carolyn "Dedicated Yaoi Fan." NSW, Australia Well what can I say about this movie? Well one thing is: It wasn't what I'd expected. Those who'd seen the movie before told me it was bore and had absolutely nothing to it but I still wanted to see it. I was wrong and they were right. The movie is about a Zebra named Marty who wants to go to `the wild', bring in a lion called Alex who is self obsessed, a hippo named Gloria who is overprotective and a Giraffe named Melman who need psychiatric care. Marty escapes the zoo to go on an overnight holiday while his friends overreact and try to `help' him, but four get pinned in Manhattan as ferocious beasts and are shipped back to Africa. Along the way boat is hijacked by the penguins (who are the cutest characters besides the two chimps) and get stranded in Madagascar, meeting a dumb bunch of lemurs. That's basically the whole movie in a nutshell. The group fight, Alex returns to his lion instincts and they get back on the boat. End of story. The entire look of the 3D Animation was terrible as well. They should have continued with Shrek 3 instead of making this movie. It's pointless to watch. The most interesting thing in the entire DVD was the `Penguins Christmas Caper', which wasn't the short movie itself, but the man who played Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants is the polar bear. For those of you planning to buy this DVD, stay away. It's a huge rip off. It's just something to keep you waiting for Shrek 3 B00068GTK6:not_worth_buying:heidi B00068GTK6 A Fool and His Money: DVD: Daniel Adams,Jonathan Penner,Gerald Orange dvd 4 of 4 1.0 August 27, 2005 Heidi Being a huge fan of Sandra Bullock, I bought this movie thinking it would be fun and cute like her other work. Nope, this movie is garbage. First thing I noticed was that the sound quality is extremely poor which goes along hand in hand with the poor camera angles and shoots. The acting is very bad and the story line is simply ridiculous. Over all, it's not a movie worth buying. B0002Y4T92:very_unhappy:rahul_khosla B0002Y4T92 Crossroads Guitar Festival: DVD: Eric Clapton,J.J. Cale,B.B. King,James Taylor (XVII),Rocky Frisco,Jeff Beck,Pat Metheny,Carlos Santana,ZZ Top,Ron de Moraes,Ron de Moraes dvd 3 of 20 1.0 August 4, 2006 Rahul Khosla I have still not received this product and am being bounced from staff to staff by DHL Global Mail. This is a ridiculous and unacceptable situation. I will never use Amazon again, I feel cheated B0001I562S:not_for_pre-teens:grinalltheway B0001I562S A Far Off Place: DVD: Reese Witherspoon,Ethan Embry,Jack Thompson,Sarel Bok,Robert John Burke,Patricia Kalember,Daniel Gerroll,Maximilian Schell,Miles Anderson,Fidelis Cheza,Taffy Chihota,Anthony Chinyanga,Brian Cooper,Magdalene Damas,John Indi,Sebastian Klein,Isaac Mabhikwa,Bertha Msora,Japan Mthembu,Charles Pillai,Mikael Salomon dvd 2 of 9 2.0 February 12, 2006 Grinalltheway children for "Alaska", adults for "Walkabout", and teens for "Blue Lagoon" It is unfair to judge a children's film by the same non-technical standards you would judge a film made for a more mature audience. That said, I had a difficult time figuring out the intended target audience for Disney"s "A Far Off Place", an odd mix of "Alaska", "Walkabout", and "Blue Lagoon". Since each of these films had a different target audience (children for "Alaska", adults for "Walkabout", and teens for "Blue Lagoon"), "A Far Off Place" suffers from a poorly matched and confused mix of story elements, the attempt to appeal to multiple target audiences ultimately makes it unappealing to all audiences. Despite some positive comments on this database, "A Far Off Place" did not impress audiences at the time of its 1993 release and has generated little interest since. Based on stories by South African writer Laurens van der Post, "A Far Off Place" is the story of three teenagers: Nonnie (Reece Witherspoon as a girl raised on South African game preserve), Harry (Ethan Randall as a visiting American boy) and Sorel Bok (as their young Bushman guide Xhabbo) who attempt to evade a gang of ivory poachers by fleeing into the Kalahari Desert. Ethan Randall is actually Ethan Embry from "Can't Hardy Wait". Although recommended for ages eight and up, most younger viewers will be deeply disturbed by the early scenes, where the family's idyllic life is ended by a night attack on their home by the poachers. The house is burned and the parents are murdered. And more mature viewers will be deeply disturbed by the next scene where Nonnie turns into Rambo and kills most of gang in a sequence credible only to a horrified eight-year old. At this point it begins to look like "Walkabout", a story of an Australian girl, her little brother, and a young Aborigine on his ritual journey to manhood. In a significant deviation from the book Xhabbo's wife does not accompany the group into the desert. "Walkabout's" more adult theme of interracial sexual awakening is replaced by a "Blue Lagoon" romance between the two white teenagers, a reflection of the film's narrower values and more modest ambitions. The scenes shot in the desert are almost the equal of "Alaska" for scenic beauty but "Alaska"s" more realistic survival challenges are superior to the blend of survival skills and mystic powers that Xhabbo demonstrates to his two companions during their journey. There is an element of "The Gods Must Be Crazy" in this clash of cultures but the film does not go very far (bad pun intended) with the concept. Both "Alaska" and "A Far Off Place" insert the element of poacher violence into the journey, to the detriment of the basic story. 'Walkabout" did not need this and found sufficient story material in the enormity of the survival experience. Bok is excellent as the young Bushman and Randall/Embry's performance is solid if unexceptional. Those interested in Witherspoon's early work would be better served checking out her great debut performance in "The Man In the Moon" and avoiding this career misstep. Those looking for a children/family story should stick with "Alaska". Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child B0001I562S:postmodern_american_teenyboppers_meet_shaka_zulu:gordon_comstock_"gord" B0001I562S A Far Off Place: DVD: Reese Witherspoon,Ethan Embry,Jack Thompson,Sarel Bok,Robert John Burke,Patricia Kalember,Daniel Gerroll,Maximilian Schell,Miles Anderson,Fidelis Cheza,Taffy Chihota,Anthony Chinyanga,Brian Cooper,Magdalene Damas,John Indi,Sebastian Klein,Isaac Mabhikwa,Bertha Msora,Japan Mthembu,Charles Pillai,Mikael Salomon dvd 3 of 24 1.0 December 14, 2005 Gordon Comstock "Gord" Hudson, IN Well, this was about as formulaically politically correct as a movie can get, unfortunately: the female teenage protagonist (played by Witherspoon, whose acting powers have increased dramatically since her stilted acting here) acts masculine and heroic, the male teenage protagonist acts craven and flippant. At one ridiculous point, the girl runs around acting like a commando, a veritable one-gal army, blowing up the bad guys, while the boy hides in a cave sniveling. Later, when the boy tries to assert himself by offering to carry the gal's backpack as they cross a desert, the gal snaps at him, Bella Abzug-style, and walks quickly ahead, leaving him in the dust. Clearly a modern radical feminist thing going on here, and what is most unfortunate is that this movie was made for a young audience and therefore is in keeping with the modern radical feminist propaganda which is brainwashing young women into unnaturally behaving like men. Of course, in the real world, the result for such manly girls, once they become women, is that men do not choose them and they remain alone, and therefore become bitter--ironically and inevitably blaming men, of course. In this movie, the wimpy teenage guy falls for the brassy, masculine gal--but that's why they call them movies. When are these post-modern writers, artists, and other culture-shapers with an agenda going to realize that when they tout modern radical feminism, they are touting something unnatural--men simply do not prefer masculine females. Men want someone to COMPLEMENT them, not COMPETE with them. Men crave FEMININITY in females, not FEMINISM. Wow, is there ever a difference in those two forms of comportment! This poor teenage guy depicted in this movie, at least his character does progress a little bit: by the end of the movie, instead of craven and flippant, he graduates to something akin to a metrosexual-type with a wild-boy haircut, if that is even a step upward. But the plucky gal--she's still the one in charge in this fictitious world of upside-down gender relations. Uh, another problem with this movie--and there are many--is when the kids are going through the Kalahari Desert, something which should be, and for a time is here depicted as, a foreboding and life-threatening task. Yet we see Witherspoon in this desert frolicking with a dog; and we see the boy's flippancy and joviality emerge in a totally out-of-place manner, considering the dire situation they are in. The sense of urgency which had been built up is totally excreted away by these light-hearted, inane scenes. Look, I dig Disney kid movies--more realistic ones. You know, old style Disney movies. You take "Old Yeller" for example. Now there was a quality kid movie, and quite true to life. This movie was not. It had a plastic, spoiled-American-materialistic-teenybopper feel throughout. Disney has gone down the tubes. In any number of ways, they've been subverted by radical Marxist agendas (Note: One more of these was the fact that an African Bushman was allowed to evince a pagan ritual from his PC pagan religion--something called "tapping," while the Caucasians were of course not shown evincing any sign of their un-PC Judeo-Christian religion--this is bias, folks, leftwing, PC bias, same as the aforementioned feminist bilge). I am learning to run, not walk, away from Disney stuff, and this movie was further cause for me to do so. 6305487871:an_anachronism:elijah_chingosho 6305487871 Noah's Ark: DVD: Jon Voight,Mary Steenburgen,F. Murray Abraham,Carol Kane,James Coburn,Mark Bazeley,Jonathan Cake,Alexis Denisof,Emily Mortimer,Sydney Tamiia Poitier,Sonya Walger,Dino Marnika,Michael O'Malley,William Dayble,Joseph Spano,Jonathan Encavey,Jonathan Biggins,Howard Stanley,Daniel Daperis,Julie Day,John Irvin dvd 8 of 10 1.0 March 31, 2006 Elijah Chingosho Nairobi, Kenya Having watched great movies in the Bible series such as Joseph, David, Abraham, Jacob, Moses and Samson and Delilah and other good ones pertaining to scriptures, I was looking forward to another fantastic and educative film. What a let down by this anachronism. How low can one go! This is a disappointing and misleading movie that perverts the word of God. If you do not believe in God, have never read the Bible, particularly Genesis but have heard of Noah from hearsay, perhaps this movie might be of some entertaining value, a mediocre one at that. If you are looking for a movie with an accurate account of Noah's ArK, don't aggravate yourself. Avoid this movie like a plague. 6305487871:noah's_ark_-_jon_voigt:n._shulte 6305487871 Noah's Ark: DVD: Jon Voight,Mary Steenburgen,F. Murray Abraham,Carol Kane,James Coburn,Mark Bazeley,Jonathan Cake,Alexis Denisof,Emily Mortimer,Sydney Tamiia Poitier,Sonya Walger,Dino Marnika,Michael O'Malley,William Dayble,Joseph Spano,Jonathan Encavey,Jonathan Biggins,Howard Stanley,Daniel Daperis,Julie Day,John Irvin dvd 0 of 2 2.0 November 25, 2005 N. Shulte Santa Clara, CA This movie is not very realistic. The sets are great!, but the story is a Biblical SNAFU! They had the chance to embellish the real story, without compromizing the Bible's account, but chose instead to incorporate incidents that were thousands of years later, which impeached any incredibility it might have had. I didn't like it much for that reason. B0009X763W:dreck_2:roland_e._zwick B0009X763W The Ring Two (Unrated Widescreen Edition): DVD: Naomi Watts,Simon Baker,David Dorfman,Elizabeth Perkins,Gary Cole,Sissy Spacek,Ryan Merriman,Emily VanCamp,Kelly Overton,James Lesure,Daveigh Chase,Kelly Stables,Cooper Thornton,Marilyn McIntyre,Jesse Burch,Michael Chieffo,Steven Petrarca,Michael Dempsey,Kirk B.R. Woller,Jeffrey Hutchinson,Hideo Nakata dvd 2.0 October 28, 2006 Roland E. Zwick Valencia, Ca USA "The Ring Two" is a horror film that gets so bogged down in the minutiae of its storytelling that it simply forgets to be scary. Naomi Watts and David Dreckman return as the mother and son who have recently fled to a remote section of Oregon in an attempt to escape the murderous clutches of Samara, the ghost of a young girl whom they encountered in the previous film. However, like any specter worth her salt, Samara has managed to track the pair down and quickly begins her scheme of possessing the boy as a way of returning to the land of the living. This is an extraordinarily under-whelming thriller that is little more than a series of extremely mild shocks (if you even want to call them that) interrupted by long stretches of hopelessly dull exposition. The story itself makes very little sense, and the climax is so blas and half-hearted that I couldn't be sure the movie had actually ended until the credits started rolling by. "The Ring Two" has a few impressive special effects up its sleeve, but not nearly enough to relieve the tedium that afflicts so much of the movie. In a mere two installments, this series seems already to have run its course. If this "Ring" comes a-callin`, don`t answer B000AYELC4:a_who-dunnit_detective_film:reliable_reviews B000AYELC4 The Moonstone: DVD: Greg Wise,Keeley Hawes,Terrence Hardiman,Mellan Mitchell,Peter Vaughan,Patricia Hodge,Rachel Lumberg,Nicholas Lane,Surinder Duhra,Lesley Sharp,Kacey Ainsworth,Scott Handy,Paul Brooke,Anton Lesser,Antony Sher,Roger Walker,Janet Henfrey,Elizabeth Berrington,Bobby Bernard,Peter Jeffrey,Robert Bierman dvd 2 of 3 2.0 September 29, 2006 Reliable Reviews Carmel Valley, California If you like Murder-Mysteries; you might like this. Attractive leads perform an average script. Technically, good costumes, good lighting, attractive sets. The story holds your attention. The detective is interesting, and his sleuthing has some interest. If you like a light Whodunnit; you may like this. As good as anything on TV today. I rated this 2-stars, compared to "Road to Avonlea, Third season" mystery episode with Christopher Reeve, which I rate 4-stars. Not as clever as the TV show "Columbo"; but the period setting may make up for this. This did not have what I was looking for, some adventure, more believability, more charm, and more cleverness. The sets are attractively "staged"; rather than sets that take you there. Has pleasant characters; but not deep. Some good humor personality with the servants. The appeal is for one who likes a light, Whodunnit detective film, in a period setting; without my great expectations. I remember "Young Sherlock Holmes" as better; though I saw it a long time ago. B0009X775Y:not_for_kid:juthasinee_kudaka_"pook" B0009X775Y Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus: DVD: John DeSantis,Stevie Vallance,Kelly Sheridan,Andrea Libman,Colin Murdock,Kathleen Barr,Lalainia Lindbjerg,Chantal Strand,Jessica Amlee,Mark Hildreth,Russell Roberts,Brian Drummond,Greg Richardson (IV) dvd 1 of 2 2.0 March 20, 2006 Juthasinee Kudaka "Pook" U.S.A I bought 2 Barbie DVD and this is one of them. It's dark and scary at the beginning and the story line is not that great compare with the other one I have (Mermaidia). It doesn't attract my daughter like Mermaidia and she doesn't like it that much. Don't buy this. Get the Mermaidia one B0009X775Y:snotty_barbie:inhabitant B0009X775Y Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus: DVD: John DeSantis,Stevie Vallance,Kelly Sheridan,Andrea Libman,Colin Murdock,Kathleen Barr,Lalainia Lindbjerg,Chantal Strand,Jessica Amlee,Mark Hildreth,Russell Roberts,Brian Drummond,Greg Richardson (IV) dvd 1.0 March 11, 2006 Inhabitant Earth My daughters are not Barbie doll fans...but they do like the movies. So do I. All but this one. The Pegasus were beautiful...but it stopped there. We thought Barbie was too snotty and disrepectful in her manner of speaking. Bring back the nice Barbie! Her 'boyfriend' was just as snotty. We didn't like the evil Wenlock...and the way he preys on teenage daughters forcing them into marriage. In one scene Wenlock throws a tray of food into one of his wives face. That was shocking and sad. Our copy of this dvd went into the trash B0006Z2NQI:sorry_i_got_it:wamophile B0006Z2NQI The Star Chamber: DVD: Michael Douglas,Hal Holbrook,Yaphet Kotto,Sharon Gless,James Sikking,Joe Regalbuto,Don Calfa,John DiSanti,DeWayne Jessie,Jack Kehoe,Larry Hankin,Dick Anthony Williams,Margie Impert,Dana Gladstone,David Proval,Robin Gammell,Matthew Faison,Fred McCarren,Michael Ensign,Jason Bernard,Peter Hyams dvd 0 of 2 2.0 August 6, 2006 WAMophile USA could have been a truly interesting film, just plain simpleminded and annoying B000A0D1Q0:scewed_and_slanted_:s._segal_"world_power" B000A0D1Q0 The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior: DVD: Warrior,Sgt. Slaughter,Vince McMahon,Steve Borden,Bruce Pritchard,Chris Jericho,Eric Bischoff,Rick Rude,Jim Ross (III),Jerry Lawler,Adam Copeland,Steve Lombardi (II),Ric Flair,Jason Reso,Ted DiBiase,Randy Savage,Gene Okerlund,Jim Johnston (III),Andr the Giant,Bobby Heenan,Kevin Dunn (III) dvd 6 of 12 1.0 June 15, 2006 S. Segal "World Power" Bronx, NY They spend the first half of this movie saying how great the Ultimate Warrior was. The journey is awesome! Then all of the sudden, the paid WWE guys just began to bad-mouth the Warrior. Maybe he did have questionable judgment - but why are they trying to make us feel bad about someone we loved? They take some very low blows. They say that the Warrior was a bad wrestler. Actually he seemed just fine to me when I was young, and I really can't distinguish one's ability from the other. They just all gang up on him and make outragious allegations. Vince says quickly that the reason why the Ultimate disappeared for 3 years was because he failed a drug test. As soon as he says this, they fade to black then come back with a new issue. What drug use? Which drugs? Presumably they're talking about steroids. But what about that high and mighty Hulk Hogan with his admitted drug use. Let's not talk about that - let's just keep ganging up on the Warrior. They completely ridicule him changing his name to the Warrior. And they also just try to badmouth him so much. Who cares that none of the wrestlers liked him? I don't! He excited the heck out of me way more than any of the dorks who say bad things about him -including Hulk. And oh yeah - they don't even let the Warrior defend himself. Why did I have to find out from IMDB.com that he was asked to appear but declined? Why don't they address this? This "docu" is more slanted than "Fahrenheitt 911" Every wrestling and Ultimate Warrior fan will start out loving this docu then hating it. It just leaves you with a bitter taste in your mouth, tired of all of the whining and bitter trash talking. B00067075K:mhhh....:v._v. B00067075K Let's Hip Hop: DVD: Bob Rizzo,SEth Stewart dvd 1.0 October 31, 2006 V. V. If you love hip hop then don't buy this video. It's a mix of movements that are NOT hip hop B00013KCLS:michael_moore_:_propaganda_stooge_of_the_uaw:k._beuchert_"history_buff" B00013KCLS Roger & Me: DVD: Michael Moore dvd 5 of 19 1.0 July 2, 2006 K. Beuchert "History buff" Tampa FL Michael Moore filmed this propaganda,partially financed by the United Auto Workers, to distract attention from the real reason GM was forced to shutter plants - the Japanese auto invasion, made possible by GM's unhealthy cost structure. The company was burdened with exorbitant UAW wages, something union friendly Michael Moore does his best to conceal. So Roger Smith becomes the reason for the plant closings. Years of losses at GM have shown Moore's twisted arguments to be exactly what they were then - phoney UAW sponsored lies to shift attention away from the primary role played by the UAW in the death spiral of the automakers. Moore and others pretend GM management had dropped the ball, but GM lost tens of thousands of engineers and salaried staff, let go long before any unionized line workers felt any pain. ALL of GM's problems are the result of the lack of profits resulting from the UAW albatross - slow redesign cycles, lack of money for research, you name it. Moore will never mention how the UAW has screwed the consumers for the past 70 years and how now that consumers have a choice, they find the better value in Asian autos. Nobody wants to pay a UAW worker to bolt on a fender while making more than their family doctor. The UAW has fixed labor prices for long enough. Enough is enough and Moore is shown to be the stooge of the unions with this preposterous piece of slanted fiction he laughingly calls a "documentary." B0006J288M:neat_little_collection:pop_culture_punk B0006J288M Classic Cartoon Favorites - Starring Mickey: DVD: Starring Mickey dvd 17 of 20 2.0 December 24, 2004 Pop Culture Punk Philadelphia PA This is a pretty good collection for the Mickey beginner. I wouldn't purchase it however if you already have the Walt Disney Treasures "Mickey Mouse in Living Color" series because all the shorts are on those DVDs as well B000053VAZ:a_trip_through_hell:samantha B000053VAZ Benny and Joon: DVD: Johnny Depp,Mary Stuart Masterson,Aidan Quinn,Julianne Moore,Oliver Platt,CCH Pounder,Dan Hedaya,Joe Grifasi,William H. Macy,Liane Alexandra Curtis,Eileen Ryan,Don Hamilton,Waldo Larson,Irvin Johnson,Shane Nilsson,Leslie Laursen,Faye Killebrew,Ramsin Amirkhas,Lynette Walden,Amy Alizabeth Sanford,Jeremiah S. Chechik dvd 3 of 15 1.0 July 8, 2006 Samantha Those who describe this story as "cute" and Joon as "quirky" aren't paying attention. For me, this movie was a trip through hell with a final destination of insanity. The writers slickly throw just enough whitewash on top to let most people ignore the darkness. Yes, Depp is great, given what he has to work with, but overall I am very sorry that I was subjected to this horribly stupid, insensitive movie B00020HBZK:it_had_potential:e._dillow B00020HBZK Wolf's Rain - Leader of the Pack (Vol. 1): DVD: Mamoru Miyano,Kenta Miyake,Akio Suyama,Hiroki Shimowada,Arisa Ogasawara,Unsh Ishizuka,Mitsuru Miyamoto,Kaho K da,Takaya Kuroda,Mayumi Asano,Atsuko Tanaka,Maaya Sakamoto,Paul Stephen,Mike Reynolds,Kim Strauss,Johnny Yong Bosch,Peggy O'Neal,Lia Sargent,Michael Forest,William Knight (III),Tensai Okamura dvd 3 of 18 1.0 March 27, 2005 E. Dillow With great music and a setting that reminds you of "Vampire Hunter D" it sucks you into watching the series. The plot turns out to be terrible and the idea of where the wolves came from and where they are going is underdeveloped and disappointing. The animation is good, which is a must have for me, but it wasn't enough to redeem the series B00004XPPI:cheap_bad_prequel:s.d.s B00004XPPI Cruel Intentions 2: DVD: Amy Adams (III),Sh ko Akune,Christophe Davidson,Robin Dunne,Barry Flatman,Nicholas Guilak,Teresa Hill,Barclay Hope,Andrew Kraulis,Tane McClure,David McIlwraith,Jonathan Potts,Keri Lynn Pratt,Mimi Rogers,Hans Schoeber,Sarah Thompson,Caley Wilson,Deanna Wright,Clement von Franckenstein dvd 3 of 6 2.0 March 15, 2005 S.D.S MARYLAND I only give it 2 stars for the shower scene with the Twins. Really bad acting and plot that makes little sense. Trying to be like the original movie but falls way short. Its just bad acting with stupid and mean characters. Not worth it except for the brief shower scene. B000AAF1U4:amw:vance_daniel_"amw" B000AAF1U4 The Emperor's New Groove - The New Groove Edition: DVD: David Spade,John Goodman,Eartha Kitt,Patrick Warburton,Wendie Malick,Kellyann Kelso,Stephen J. Anderson,Eli Russell Linnetz,Bob Bergen,Tom Jones,Rodger Bumpass,Robert Clotworthy,Jennifer Darling,Patti Deutsch,John Fiedler,Miriam Flynn,Geri Lee Gorowski,Jess Harnell,Sherry Lynn,Danny Mann,Mark Dindal dvd 1 of 6 1.0 August 10, 2006 Vance Daniel "AMW" santa fe, tx I normally praise Disney's animated movies, but I've got to draw the line somewhere. I can't believe the average review for this movie was 41/2 stars. I found the characters in this movie annoying, even more annoying than that suv commercial where that guy walks out of his house and parachutes off the cliff. I urge you to buy Treasure Planet, any Disney Pixar film,Tarzan before this one B000J10ER4:truth,_justice_=_deadbeat_dad_&_peeping_tom?:frank B000J10ER4 Superman Returns (Full Screen Edition): DVD: Brandon Routh,Kate Bosworth,Kevin Spacey,James Marsden,Parker Posey,Frank Langella,Sam Huntington,Eva Marie Saint,Marlon Brando,Kal Penn,David Fabrizio,Tristan Lake Leabu,Ian Roberts (VII),Vincent Stone,Jack Larson,Noel Neill,James Karen,Stephan Bender,Peta Wilson,Jeff Truman,Bryan Singer dvd 1.0 November 18, 2006 Frank noticably absent There are two main reasons why this Superman film fails to fly inspite of the special effects. What Singer and company have missed is the heart of Superman - virtues. The ideal of the American way (noticably absent) is supposed to go hand in hand with truth and justice. Donner made the mistake in the 70's of having Superman sleep with Lois, and now Singer adds insult to injury by having Superman discover he has an illegitmate child that he doesn't take responsibility for (deadbeat dad). Using his super powers to invade the privacy of Lois in her home, drags Superman down to the level of creepy (peeping tom). The second issue concerns personality. Routh and Bosworth look nice but have no charm and no chemistry. These are the two ingredients that made Reeves and Kidder so endearing. A new director, writers, and cast is needed. Until then, at least there's Superman 1. B0007N1JC8:primer:digitaladvisor_"expect_the_best" B0007N1JC8 Primer: DVD: Brandon Blagg,Keith Bradshaw,Jay Butler (II),Chip Carruth,John Carruth,Shane Carruth,Jon Cook,Carrie Crawford,Eric De Soualhat,Casey Gooden,David Joyner (II),Delaney Price,Jack Pyland,David Sullivan (IX),Juan Tapia,Samantha Thomson,Anand Upadhyaya,Ashok Upadhyaya,Ashley Warren dvd 2 of 16 1.0 August 2, 2006 Digitaladvisor "Expect the best" Australia What looks like a good movie to watch quickly turns into disappointment. Whilst you expect some plot to come together (at least on first viewing) - it is strung together to confuse - even to frustrate the viewer. I was given no warning about the really really bad quality. Having a HD Large display does not help either. The sound is annonying as is irritating. In fact I got a refund on the movie hire! I don't expect overboard special effect and CGI overlays. I expected the quality to be above a cheap CAM recorder however. The plot is complicated and the noise in the background adds to the disorientation which is done on purpose. On the other note: The cheap and nasty props do not add anything to crediblility either. Stay clear - but if you have the time and want to view the movie - settle back and expect a "student" movie from some high School college. This movie although good in concept fails. I would like some production house to take it on board - create the situation with some convinving special effects (to help the storyline), better sound, widescreen and convincing props. It could have been a brilliant movie but is spoiled by bad quality and unconvinving props. B00005BKZK:this_movie_doesn't_deserve_any_stars!:tracey_kemp_"olly_oxanfree" B00005BKZK Go Fish: DVD: Guinevere Turner,V.S. Brodie,Anastasia Sharp,T. Wendy McMillan,Marianna,Jamika Ajalon,Elspeth Kydd,Susan Gregson,Jennifer Allen,Migdalia Melendez,Shelly Schneider-Bello,Walter Youngblood,Carolyn Kotlarsky,Mimi Weddell,Joanna Brown (II),Julia LaFleur,Arthur C. Stone,Dorothea Reichenbacher,Alfredo D. Troche,Lisa Raymond,Rose Troche dvd 2 of 4 1.0 February 17, 2006 Tracey Kemp "olly_oxanfree" TX I was seriously considering purchasing this movie, but luckily I saw it at blockbuster one night and decided to rent it before I made up my mind. I think it was the smartest move I've made in my entire life because this movie turned out to be, not only the worst lesbian movie, but probably one of the worst movies ever made! The reviews I've seen for this movie are way too generous I must say. Believe me when I say that I am not a strict critic...I can be easily entertained by the corny ones. But this one could not be salvaged, and one star is much more than it deserves. The fact that is in black and white can be overlooked, but the bad acting, and pseudo-artistic scenes reminded me of a film made in middle school. Unfortunately, my girlfriend and I were unable to get through the first 30 mins, so I am unable to rate this movie wholly. All I can say is please rent it at least B000EOTUSA:cheesy,_sensational_and_plodding:june_bug B000EOTUSA Rough Riders: DVD: John Milius,Tom Berenger,Sam Elliott,Gary Busey,Brad Johnson (II),Illeana Douglas,Chris Noth,Brian Keith,George Hamilton,R. Lee Ermey,Nick Chinlund,Dale Dye,Holt McCallany,Geoffrey Lewis,James Parks,Dakin Matthews,Mark Moses,William Katt,Francesco Quinn,Adam Storke,Titus Welliver dvd 0 of 1 2.0 November 11, 2006 June Bug Planet Earth I was really looking forward to movie. My goal was to expand my understanding of this historical period. Many of the scenes looked like they used old sets from the 50's Westerns and the lighting technique was disappointing, these alone did not turn me off from watching. My real gripe about the movie was the dialogue and the acting. Within the first 10 minutes of the movie, a stage coach is robbed, my attention was drawn to the portrayals by the actors. They were not believable and the dialogue just sounded like something that came out of book for young readers. Later, when alerted that the posse is nearly upon them, the other rider responds with such uncharacterist language for a male ruffian that I laughed. As the movie plodded forward, scene after scene left me wondering, how quickly was this thrown together and how come they didn't rehearse more. I felt my patience to endure several more hours an unfair punishment. I generally try to watch a movie entirely but frankly, I think it was an embarrassment and waste of time. Maybe it got better (that is why I gave it two stars) but I find that doubtful. I am wondering if both Tom Berrenger and the other author missed to many classes of Script Writing 101. B0001GF2DS:worst_film_ever:cornfield_"gen" B0001GF2DS The Good, the Bad & the Ugly (Extended Version Collector's Set): DVD: Eli Wallach,Clint Eastwood,Lee Van Cleef,Aldo Giuffr ,Luigi Pistilli,Rada Rassimov,Enzo Petito,Claudio Scarchilli,John Bartha,Livio Lorenzon,Antonio Casale,Sandro Scarchilli,Benito Stefanelli,Angelo Novi,Antonio Casas,Aldo Sambrell,Al Mulock,Sergio Mendiz bal,Antonio Molino Rojo,Lorenzo Robledo,Sergio Leone dvd 1 of 20 1.0 September 11, 2006 Cornfield "Gen" Berwyn, PA USA I have seen many pathetic films in my life. This topped them. Did I rate one star? Sorry- I meant negative 11 stars. It was the absolute worst movie I have ever seen in my entire life. It was a total waste of three hours when I could have been sleeping. There was no point. The script and storyline were pathetic. The gore was overdone- too much blood, killing, and the like. It was totally historically inaccurate, and the Civil War scenes were so grossly unrealistic that it was laughable. All Civil War veterans are rolling over in their graves. Any scene that was supposed to be touching was pathetic. One of the abolsute bombs was when Clint Eastwood fires off a canon twice with his cigar- yet he does not even load it- either time. And somehow, without even aiming the canon, he knocks his 'friend' off his horse. The movie is a failure. F-A-I-L-U-R-E. Crappy. Junky. Just plain DUMB. STUPID. PATHETIC. I am not going to waste any more words on it. Just....whatever you do....save your money. Don't buy it. It's not worth 50 cents B000EHSVFU:"family_values"_dreck:roland_e._zwick B000EHSVFU Cheaper By the Dozen 2: DVD: Steve Martin,Bonnie Hunt dvd 2.0 September 30, 2006 Roland E. Zwick Valencia, Ca USA Cinema-wise, you know you're witnessing the beginning of the end when the best Hollywood can come up with is a SEQUEL to a REMAKE (it`s not often that two crimes of unoriginality are committed in a single film). But that is exactly what "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" turns out to be - and the result, quality-wise, is pretty much what one would expect. This is one of those alleged family comedies in which the adults (the male adults at any rate) are infinitely more immature in their attitude and behavior than the children they are raising. Steve Martin returns as the prolific father of twelve who is beginning to sense that his children, as they are growing older, no longer want to spend quality time together as a family. To rectify the situation, he takes them all on a vacation to a favorite lake resort - a move that threatens to turn into a full-scale disaster when the Bakers find themselves embroiled in a fierce competition with a neighboring family of snooty overachievers led by Eugene Levy, a patriarch who runs his brood with so much spit-and-polish regimentation that he makes Captain Von Trapp look like a touchy-feely pushover in comparison. One might be tempted to call this a distended version of a "Brady Bunch" episode and leave it at that, but even that show, for all its lack of sophistication, didn't portray the father as a total and irredeemable doofus with serious developmental issues and the emotional maturity of a bratty six-year-old. Besides the daddy-is-a-dope stereotype, all "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" has to offer is lame slapstick, a silly pre-pubescent "Romeo and Juliet" subplot, and push-button scenes of emotional uplift in which a crescendo of swelling violins serves as the cue for the tears to start flowing. The drearily unoriginal screenplay comes replete with the requisite dog-humping incidents and poop jokes, and not one but TWO scenes of an elderly handicapped gentleman rolling off into the lake in a wheelchair. Any more of these films and Planned Parenthood won't have to mount a fundraising drive for years to come B0002CX1NY:making_a_poor_film_useful_in_the_classroom:j._t._easton B0002CX1NY The Devil's Arithmetic: DVD: Kirsten Dunst,Brittany Murphy,Paul Freeman,Mimi Rogers,Louise Fletcher,Lilo Baur,Nitzan Sharron,Shelly Skandrani,Daniel Brocklebank,Kirsty McFarland,Rachel Roddy,Ieva Jackeviciute,Philip Rham,Daniel Rausch,Paulina Soloveicik,Stewart Bick,Rimantas Bagdzevicius,Liubomiras Lauciavicius,Sonata Paliukaityte,Vaidotas Martinaitis,Donna Deitch dvd 2.0 November 21, 2006 J. T. Easton Las Vegas, NV After reading the novel by Jane Yolen with my 7th grade classes, I was eager to view the film version. I had heard conflicting views of the film- it's great, it's horrible, etc. After viewing it for myself, I must agree with those who gave it negative reviews. However, despite its lack-luster performance, the film did serve a purpose in the classroom. True, the film leaves something to be desired. They change multiple plot points with no explanation other than to just change them. Editing was not a driving force because they could have easily made small changes to keep the film focused for a teenage audience while maintaining the strength behind the story. Rivka becomes her cousin and other characters are neglected completely. Major events in the rising action are left out, thus leaving the movie drab and disappointing. Overall, very few of my students liked the film adaptation of Jane Yolen's novel, which they found so riveting. On a brighter side, because of so many differences, viewing the film after reading the novel provided an excellent opportunity for students to practice comparison/contrast writing through T-Charts and Venn diagrams. It also allowed them to perform some higher level thinking and questioning skills. After reading the novel and viewing the film, most of my students agreed that the book was much better- something a reading teacher loves to hear! B000FUF6QI:a_goody-goody_propaganda_video:eurasian_caesar_"caesar-novus" B000FUF6QI National Geographic - Inside 9/11 (Commemorative Edition): DVD: Steve Coll,Caspar Weinberger,Nicholas Schatzki,Osama bin Laden dvd 6 of 11 2.0 September 17, 2006 Eurasian Caesar "caesar-novus" Peshawar, N.W.F.P, Pakistan This is a "goody-goody" Ronald Reagan propaganda style film. By that I mean that it tries to portray the US as the good guys being hit by the bad ones. It doesn't say what dirty role the US CIA had in birthing the whole horrible genie of fundamentalis Islam, how it set up, equipped and nurtured not only Bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda, but a whole bunch of other loathsome Islamic terror outfits now stalking the globe - like the Islamic Brotherhood and the Taliban for instance: all just to defeat the USSR, and gain access to hydrocarbon rich regions, to fuel the greedy American consumerist lifestyle which US citizens take so much for granted. I am not a "conspiracy theorist"; these people are usually an absurd breed, going off at the other extreme tangent. I live in Peshawar, the hotbed of CIA mischief in the 1980s and 90s (and even now), and the area where I live - the University Town - housed all the actors on this stage: the US officials and spies, their clubs, the Afghan "Mujahideen" leaders' houses, etc. etc... I grew up seeing all this going on literally next door, and so would like to apprise my American friends of the unpleasant truth. The National Geographic and the Reader's Digest magazines are two long established icons of US media culture that have served as the unofficial (and therefore hard to suspect) mouthpieces of some of the most outrageous US propaganda drives... Never trust their political commentaries, although their articles about polar bears and planets can be very nice.. B000EHSVQE:bor-r-r-r-ring!:keith_a._mather B000EHSVQE Napoleon Dynamite - Like, the Best Special Edition Ever!: DVD: Jon Heder,Efren Ramirez,Jon Gries,Aaron Ruell,Diedrich Bader,Tina Majorino,Sandy Martin,Haylie Duff,Trevor Snarr,Shondrella Avery,Bracken Johnson,Carmen Brady,Ellen Dubin,J.C. Cunningham,James Stevens (VIII),Brian Petersen,Brett Taylor,Tom Lefler,Elizabeth Miklavcic,Scott Thomas (IX),Jared Hess dvd 2 of 12 1.0 October 18, 2006 Keith A. Mather Personally, I can't see this movie for dust. In fact, I find it extremely annoying. The only video worse than this one is "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Yecch! Napoleon Dynamite, no offense to the actor, literally puts me to sleep. I don't mind his friend Pedro, and I also don't mind his brother (the dude with the glasses) or his grandmother, or even his irksome uncle, but Napoleon himself is as dull as dishwater. If they'd only take his character out, I'd probably enjoy this movie a little better. B0001Z4P3M:crap:john_q._public_television_"pbs_supporter" B0001Z4P3M X-Men Evolution - Season 2, Volume 3: Enemies Unveiled: DVD: Steven E. Gordon dvd 5 of 37 1.0 November 13, 2005 John Q. Public Television "PBS supporter" USA I was disapointd in this show. It was mad and release by Warners (MARVEL's biggest rival and DC's parent company), This new take on the X-Men had them behave like horny teenage doofuses,and don't get me started on the crappy writing. Just like X2 was not the X-Men, this show was also the same. It was in Name Only, and speaking as the only loyal Marvel fan here, That says i all B00009MGEM:scary,_if_you_think_movies_like_hostel_are_scary:r._stanton B00009MGEM House of 1,000 Corpses: DVD: Chad Bannon,William Bassett,Karen Black,Erin Daniels,Dennis Fimple,Walton Goggins,Sid Haig,Chris Hardwick,Jennifer Jostyn,Irwin Keyes,Matthew McGrory,Sheri Moon,Bill Moseley,Robert Allen Mukes,Michael J. Pollard,David Reynolds (VII),Tom Towles,Rainn Wilson,Harrison Young dvd 0 of 2 2.0 October 24, 2006 R. Stanton Outside Boston, MA USA This movie is just not scary. I'm a HUGE horror movie fan and this movie has no tension in it, no edge of your seat fear. I liked the sequel "Devil's Rejects", but that isn't much of a "horror" movie either (unless you think "From Dusk Til Dawn" is scary). "1,000 Corpses" is about as scary as "Hostel". It should never be mentioned in the same breath as "Texas Chainsaw", because other than trying to look like a gritty 70's horror flick, it has nothing in common with "Chainsaw". It has a few moments, but they are ruined by cartoon-like scenarios. Still Zombie has potential, his follow up "Reject's" was a definite improvement. I didn't hate it, it's just not a scary horror movie. Nothing new, no tension, but entertaining in some scenes, so I'm giving it 2 stars B00009MGEM:can_this_be_any_more_of_a_texas_chainsaw_copy?_(inferior):jesse_nelson_"scazzy" B00009MGEM House of 1,000 Corpses: DVD: Chad Bannon,William Bassett,Karen Black,Erin Daniels,Dennis Fimple,Walton Goggins,Sid Haig,Chris Hardwick,Jennifer Jostyn,Irwin Keyes,Matthew McGrory,Sheri Moon,Bill Moseley,Robert Allen Mukes,Michael J. Pollard,David Reynolds (VII),Tom Towles,Rainn Wilson,Harrison Young dvd 0 of 2 2.0 October 6, 2006 Jesse Nelson "scazzy" Tucson, AZ USA In essence, this is a Texas Chainsaw remake, but here's the difference, and why it's far inferior. I don't care one iota for the "victims." I can barely tell the females apart. The guys are so obnoxious, I look forward to them dying. Unlike Texas Chainsaw (parts one and two, horror masterpieces!), this movie shows the "psycho family" (hmmm... kind of like Texas Chainsaw?) far too much. A little goes a long way, too much? OVERKILL! Many plot holes, and take away the music, there was some really bad acting. It gets two stars for the cool middle inserts in funky film style, and also the one great sequence where the cops are killed. But in general, Rob Zombie should not get writing credit for this. It's Texas Chainsaw Massacre, only nowhere near as good B0000C2IQD:torture_to_watch:pjb_"jordanpjb" B0000C2IQD Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Special Edition): DVD: Dick Van Dyke,Sally Ann Howes,Lionel Jeffries,Gert Fr be,Anna Quayle,Benny Hill,James Robertson Justice,Robert Helpmann,Heather Ripley,Adrian Hall,Barbara Windsor,Davy Kaye,Alexander Dor ,Bernard Spear,Stanley Unwin,Peter Arne,Desmond Llewelyn,Victor Maddern,Arthur Mullard,Ross Parker,Ken Hughes dvd 1 of 17 1.0 June 25, 2006 PJB "jordanpjb" Salt Lake City -- SL2002 I hate to trash on an American Classic... but this was truly horrible. I thought my son would like this due to the flying car. It took hours of TORTURE to get to that scene. Horrible, horrible film. Mindless, drawn-out banter, and weak story line. Our copy eventually broke (stepped on?) --- we felt SOOO lucky to have it gone. "One Star" seems like a generous rating B000056JQC:did_we_see_the_same_movie??:tess_roberts_"saoirse" B000056JQC Forces of Nature: DVD: Ben Affleck,Sandra Bullock,Maura Tierney,Steve Zahn,Blythe Danner,Ronny Cox,Michael Fairman,Richard Schiff,Athena Maria Bitzis,Afemo Omilami,David Strickland,Jack Kehler,Janet Carroll,Meredith Scott Lynn,George Wallace,Steve Hytner,John Doe,Anne Haney,Bert Remsen,Julie Ivey,Bronwen Hughes dvd 2 of 4 1.0 March 2, 2005 Tess Roberts "saoirse" Dallas, TX Okay, the script is not the most imaginative I've ever seen, but I like the actors (especially Ben's best man) so I was friendly with this movie for the most part. I didn't even mind the obvious holes in the plot, such as...why do these characters not have credit cards or cell phones? Or at least, why don't they use them? Oh no, much more plausible that Ben will have to strip dance in a gay bar for $150 to buy a car to drive to NC. I didn't even mind the fact that the whole "We're married and my husband's a doctor." charade was so predictable. Oh Gee, he's pretending to be a doctor and he's on a tour bus with a bunch of elderly people. D'ya think someone might have a heart attack and "Dr. Holmes" might have to step up? And uh, they're pretending to be married and Oh! surprise there's the best man and maid of honor! D'ya think they're gonna get busted? What killed it for me was that ridiculous ending. It was obviously supposed to be a surprise (and it was) but there seemed to be no other reason for it than to pull a fast one on the audience. I felt cheated. I spent the entire movie getting emotionally involved with the relationship between Sarah and Ben, and I really cared about how they would handle things with the fiance and Sarah's little boy and all that. I cheerfully became disengaged from the relationship between Ben and Bridget, I totally believed neither one of them was ready to get married or right for each other. The film spent an inordinate amount of time showing me they're not right for each other and that this wedding was not meant to happen. RIGHT UP TO THE LAST MOMENT, we think he's breaking it off with Bridget. Instead, what the heck let's just go ahead and get married after all. Huh? He left Sarah sitting out there waiting for him in a HURRICANE!!! after making her promise that she would still be there when he got back. This man obviously doesn't have a clue what he wants in life, and I'm expected to believe they lived happily ever after? Not only that, but what does it teach us about taking this commitment seriously? It teaches us that if our instinct is telling us "don't do it!" and our genitals are yearning for someone else and even Mother Nature seems to be working hard to prevent this marriage, aw heck go on ahead and do it anyway. It's just marriage. It's romantic! You could get lucky and live happily ever after! It's been my experience, when things aren't feeling just right as you approach that wedding, turn and run. The last thing you should do is close your eyes, grab your balls and take the leap B00005Y1UV:poor_man's_truth_serum:_caffeine_and_sugar._:a._gyurisin_"good_friend,_damn_fool" B00005Y1UV Eye For An Eye: DVD: Sally Field,Ed Harris,Olivia Burnette,Alexandra Kyle,Kiefer Sutherland,Joe Mantegna,Beverly D'Angelo,Darrell Larson,Charlayne Woodard,Philip Baker Hall,Keith David,Wanda Acuna,Geoffrey Rivas,Armin Shimerman,Natalia Nogulich,Nicholas Cascone,Stella Garcia,Justine Johnston,Wayne P re,Joan Crowe,John Schlesinger dvd 1 of 3 1.0 September 10, 2006 A. Gyurisin "good friend, damn fool" The Flatlands of Illinois There is a pattern in Hollywood when it comes to drama/revenge films such as Eye for an Eye. It is an extremely simple pattern that is regenerated time and time again because audiences like to not be surprised. They are prepared for the bad guy to die at the end, whilst the victim or top-billed actor/actress comes out as the hero at the end. It is meant to give us a sense of security and comfort, but for this critic it is getting old. Eye for an Eye is a perfect example of film that falls deep within that tired genre of film. From the opening credits of this film, you could count the steps that each actor was going to make all the way to the very end. The pauses could be guessed, the lines could have been written the night before, and the acting was nothing short of mediocrity at its best. It was guaranteed that the actors would be overly dramatic, the violins would always shrill around Kiefer, and there would be horrendously underdeveloped plotlines that would lead nowhere. This is your typical revenge film with no excitement, no frills, nothing that would make it stand out from the rest. The late director John Schlesinger played it safe with one of his final films, which will promise to bore and completely not satisfy you to the bitter end. Where did Eye for an Eye go wrong? I don't think I need to count all the ways for you, but some of the bigger issues that I had with this feature was the complete unknown of the characters. I have major issues with stories that escape realism to allow the main character to seem more dramatic. What was Sally Field's job? I know that is a small detail, but it better highlights my complaint that our central family (the McCanns) were not as developed as I would have liked to have seen. I had no clue her daughter had a stutter until two seconds before her death, yet it seemed to be a bigger key element as the film progressed. Ed Harris literally walked through his character, proving that Field's husband could have been played by a plastic bag and still seen the same level of emotion. The only character worth watching, and was developed briefly, was Kiefer. He was 100% evil in this film and it kept this film geek worth watching until the very end. Yet, we didn't even know that much about him either (which upset me). Schlesinger obviously knew the story that he was about to tell with Eye for an Eye very well, the actors I believe even knew the story and they probably didn't even need to read the script, and the story played it safe from the beginning, but it wasn't what I wanted to see. I expected film like this to come out during the 80s, not in 1996. It was pathetic to see name actors like Ed Harris, Sally Field, Phillip Baker Hall, Keith David, and Kiefer Sutherland walk through this film like it was a fly in the pan. Nothing stood out in this film, nothing made me want to rewatch the brutality of it, and nothing made me feel excited about these actors. This was a literal "nothing" film. It lent nothing to the cinematic world except (and I stress this a bit) another peg in a very tired genre known as the "Revenge Thriller". After watching this film I said to my wife that I thought Sally Field was completely overdramatic throughout the course of it, overplaying the small parts and completely exploding the bigger elements, which made me think of a High School drama production. It was amateur at best, but she said that is why directors use Sally, because she is known for being overly dramatic. This is a pure example of a good thing gone badly. Sally saw success with it once, but as she continues it only creates bad cinema. There were times during Sally's bigger speeches that I found myself laughing. I couldn't help myself, but her focus on certain words and clich reaction to others just seemed cardboard instead of lifelike. The same could be said for Ed Harris who obviously has discovered that he doesn't have to play the outlaying father any further in films. He was completely wasted in this film. Was there any emotion with him? I didn't see any. Then there was the pitiful contribution by Hall and David that begin with intrigue, but were dropped faster than a big ole sack of potatoes. Also, did Mantegna take a class on how to be a one-dimensional clich ? Urg, his portrayal of the police office was a disgrace to those that genuinely play one-dimensional police officers. Again, the only actor worth watching was Kiefer because he not only spoke with evil, but demonstrated that he was capable of anything vile. It was his sole performance that made this film decent to watch to the end. If I have to talk about the story I think I am just going to go mad myself. Field over dramatized the entire film, thus creating uncertainty amongst the viewer. Did Kiefer get a bad image because he was bad or because Field wanted to see him as evil? That could have been a great avenue for this film to travel, but alas, ole safe Schlesinger didn't take us down that darker path. I needed more to develop what Hall and David were doing at the support groups, but it seemed like that story was dropped rather quickly as the ending needed to be wrapped up gently in a comfort blanket for viewers. This was yet another dark avenue that was not explored. I felt as if I saw these dark avenues with the director and the cast, yet we chose to stay on the lighted path. That, coupled with the poor acting, just created a film that didn't catch my attention and fully contributed nothing to the cinematic world. Overall, in case it wasn't obvious, this wasn't a good movie at all. In fact, I could go through the rest of my life without thinking of this movie again. I thought only horror movies had the stated Scream rules and somehow could stick to the same tired pattern over and over again, but with Eye for an Eye it became obvious that it the "Revenge Thrill" fell into that same pattern. The only trouble is that horror films actually have fun with that repetitive structure, this film did not. Sally Field was horrible and should really consider a strong independent film to bring her back to the spotlight, while everyone else was forgettable. The only fun part was watching Jack Bauer play the epitome of evil. Watch this film for Kiefer, but nothing else. Skip it! Grade: * out of **** B00005Y1UV:only_for_kiefer:k._gittins B00005Y1UV Eye For An Eye: DVD: Sally Field,Ed Harris,Olivia Burnette,Alexandra Kyle,Kiefer Sutherland,Joe Mantegna,Beverly D'Angelo,Darrell Larson,Charlayne Woodard,Philip Baker Hall,Keith David,Wanda Acuna,Geoffrey Rivas,Armin Shimerman,Natalia Nogulich,Nicholas Cascone,Stella Garcia,Justine Johnston,Wayne P re,Joan Crowe,John Schlesinger dvd 0 of 2 2.0 September 6, 2006 K. Gittins CA USA This is a surprisingly poor movie. Although it has some well-known actors, and a notable director, the material was just presented badly and predictably - like a lousy late night TV-movie with profanity inserted to liven it up. The movie makes a simplified joke of the legal system and its sterotypical failings (though legitimate in many cases). It also glosses over the grieving process of the family, ignores the normal safety warnings to the remaining child, overdoes Kiefer Sutherland's character flaws (which are considerable nevertheless), and generally oversimplifies everything into a neat package to which you already know the ending because of the spoiler title. In one particularly-bad scene, after taking martial arts classes and other measures to prepare herself mentally and physically, Sally's character simply stares open-mouthed and dumbfounded at Keifer's character when they meet on the street and he talks to her. I don't know what I missed that the 4- and 5-star reviewers like so much. I only see wide-spread mediocrity. I would only recommend this for fans of Keifer. "Ssssssorry", Sally, not your best role or movie. Ditto Ed Harris, whose other movies I generally like. B00005RRJI:snooze_alert:james_d._martin_"james_martin" B00005RRJI Come Undone: DVD: J r mie Elka m,St phane Rideau,Dominique Reymond,Marie Matheron,Laetitia Legrix,Nils Ohlund,R jane Kerdaffrec,Guy Houssier,Violeta Ferrer,Robert Darmel,Marie-Claire Durand,Charline Levaque,Sarah Reyjasse,Gildas Chotard,Eric Savin,Maxence Rabret,S bastien Lifshitz dvd 1 of 9 2.0 May 2, 2005 James D. Martin "James Martin" Nashville, TN Subtitled guy's mom is sick. The guy is also depressed. Meets a ex-hustler on beach. They kiss, fight, make-up, over and over.(most of the movie) They break up. Boy meets hustler's ex and they play with dog on beach. The End B0006FYOTC:like_to_waste_your_time?_then_you'll_love_this_one.:republican_hater B0006FYOTC October Sky (Special Edition): DVD: Jake Gyllenhaal,Chris Cooper,Laura Dern,Chris Owen,William Lee Scott,Chad Lindberg,Natalie Canerday,Scott Miles (II),Randy Stripling,Chris Ellis,Elya Baskin,Courtney Cole-Fendley,David Dwyer,Terry Loughlin,Kailie Hollister,David Copeland (III),Don Henderson Baker,Tom Kagy,Donald Thorne,Justin Whitsett,Joe Johnston dvd 2 of 32 1.0 March 30, 2006 Republican Hater Michigan I saw this one in the theater after a friend of a friend convinced me to see it with him (he was seeing it for a second time.) After the first ten minutes, I wanted to leave. If you like formulaic and predictable movies that attempt to convince dumb American youth from small, hick towns that they actually have a future beyond their local Wal-Mart or becoming mince-meat in Iraq, then this movie is for you! However, if you like movies that actually challenge you to think, don't waste your time with this one B000EXDSCA:awful:like_that B000EXDSCA Valley of the Dolls (Special Edition): DVD: Barbara Parkins,Patty Duke,Paul Burke,Sharon Tate,Tony Scotti,Martin Milner,Charles Drake,Alexander Davion,Lee Grant,Naomi Stevens,Robert H. Harris,Jacqueline Susann,Robert Viharo,Joey Bishop,George Jessel,Susan Hayward,Leona Powers,William H. O'Brien,Darlene Conley,Owen Bush,Mark Robson dvd 0 of 11 1.0 September 13, 2006 Like That Ann Arbor, MI This terrible movie has singing! Bad singing, and lots of it! Overacted, trite, and BORING! All those good reviews, I thought it would be campy and cool, but it's NOT! B000EXDSCA:the_worst_film_adaptation_ever?:megzi B000EXDSCA Valley of the Dolls (Special Edition): DVD: Barbara Parkins,Patty Duke,Paul Burke,Sharon Tate,Tony Scotti,Martin Milner,Charles Drake,Alexander Davion,Lee Grant,Naomi Stevens,Robert H. Harris,Jacqueline Susann,Robert Viharo,Joey Bishop,George Jessel,Susan Hayward,Leona Powers,William H. O'Brien,Darlene Conley,Owen Bush,Mark Robson dvd 1 of 5 1.0 August 6, 2006 Megzi and the reason she committs suicide I absolutely abhor this film. Want to know why? Because it labled 'Valley of the Dolls' and everything Jacqueline Susann ever wrote into 'great campy fun'. Now I don't know this for certain, but I don't think Jacqueline Susann wanted people to see her books as cheesy comedies. I think she wanted people to take her work seriously, and with this awfully made film, no one did. To others, the film might be so bad it's funny, but to devoted fans of the book it's just depressing. The movie was made in 1967, a year after the book was published and you can see that Jacqueline Susann was ahead of her time, because the film is poorly adapted and very censored. You know you have a problem when the book would receive an R rating if transferred onto the screen, but the movie is only rated PG. Besides the sex scenes, language, pill popping and other thematic elements that are left out, important details to the plot are also missing. Anne's hatred of Lawrenceville, Helen Lawson's screen time, Jennifer's complicated and somewhat absuive relationship with Tony, Allen and Gino Cooper, Henry's character development, Jennifer's relationship with the Senator (and the reason she committs suicide), the tragic ending, etc are all either missing or are shortened down. I don't care if the movie would have been almost three hours long, I think if they had stuck close enough to the book, then everything would have been fine. What a shame. And please don't mention the casting of actors. Save for Patty Duke, I thought everyone else did a horrible job. Some of the actors didn't even look the physical part (in the book Anne is actually a blonde, Helen Lawson has dark hair and Jennifer is curvy). The thing that really gets me though is why has this film never been remade? It's almost forty years later, and I think that this story definately deserves to be given justice and have a proper film adaptation. How about Kate Bosworth as Anne Welles, Scarlett Johansson as Jennifer North, Keira Knightly as Neely O'Hara, Joaquin Phoenix as Lyon Burke, and Liza Minnelli as Helen Lawson? Well I doubt that will ever happen, so in the meantime I recommend reading the book instead, and taking it seriously the way Jacqueline Susann had intended it to be B00005MM6R:nick_cage_in_a_bad_role:kiel_johanson B00005MM6R Time to Kill: DVD: Giuliano Montaldo,Nicolas Cage,Ricky Tognazzi,Patrice-Flora Praxo,Gianluca Favilla,Georges Claisse,Robert Liensol,Vittorio Amandola,Pao Pei Andreoli,Mario Mazzarotto,Michele Melega,Franco Trevisi,Giancarlo Giannini dvd 6 of 14 2.0 August 7, 2000 Kiel Johanson Seattle, WA United States Nicky Cage was not very good in this cinematic decomplishment, as he turns in a horrible acting job in this dull and boring movi B000095J70:if_you_need_music_scrubbed_clean_for_kids...:"hinnj" B000095J70 Kidz Bop - Everyone's A Star!: DVD: Kidz Bop Kids dvd 4 of 4 2.0 August 29, 2003 "hinnj" Cincinnati, OH USA Then why not take some responsibility as a parent and encourage the kids to sing something else? The songs are fairly cloying adaptations of the originals, which arguably weren't that bad ("What a girl wants" and "Get this party started" were fairly tame to begin with). Just encourage the little ones to listen to classical music if you fear the outside world will corrupt their minds B0009ETDCI:disturbing:randy_moore B0009ETDCI Bad Guy: DVD: Ki-duk Kim (II),Jae-hyeon Jo,Won Seo (II),Yun-tae Kim,Duek-mun Choi,Yoon-young Choi,Yoo-jin Shin,Jung-young Kim,Gung-Min Nam dvd 5 of 11 2.0 July 5, 2005 Randy Moore This is an intriguing movie that compels the viewer to search for the film's deeping meaning. I am sure that I missed much of that meaning. However, one aspect of it is painful clear. The crux of this movie centers on the premise that seemingly innocent women can be sexually exploited and over time they were come to accept and thrive on that exploitation. I found that premise disturbing and unrealistic. Also, it left me with the fear that women hating men could use that premise to justify their abuse of the opposite sex. If so, this movie could contribute, in a small way, to the perpetuation of the subjugation of women or at least the fantasy thereof. Watch this movie if you must, but be critical of its assumptions about male/female relationships. B000F8O2M4:confusing,_too_many_characters,_difficult_to_follow_story_line:a._vegan B000F8O2M4 Syriana: DVD: Stephen Gaghan,Kayvan Novak,George Clooney,Amr Waked,Christopher Plummer,Jeffrey Wright,Chris Cooper,Robert Foxworth,Nicky Henson,Nicholas Art,Matt Damon,Amanda Peet,Steven Hinkle,Daisy Torm ,Peter Gerety,Richard Lintern,Jocelyn Quivrin,Mazhar Munir,Shahid Ahmed,Bikram Singh Bhamra,Roger Yuan dvd 2.0 November 19, 2006 A. Vegan Ontario Canada Simply put: the movie is boring. Clich upon clich is confirmed and story lines never come together. It seems as if the director was unsure whether to make a movie or a documentary. The main plot is very thin (a CIA agent is ordered to kill an oil prince, gets caught and then warns the prince (why?)) and therefore some elements were added to make the movie more interesting. So, a kid dies, which results in the "natural" response of the father: freely advising the person indirectly responsible for his son's death. The lawyer has a drunk "friend" and keeps him around, why, no one knows. Some kids become suicide terrorists and blow up a ship. All in all, this is one of the worst movies I have seen in quite a while. I was neither entertained nor intellectually challenged. I neither laughed nor cried, I did not gain an understanding nor was I compelled to learn more or take up a cause. It meant nothing to me, which in my eyes is the worst one can say about a movie. Save your money, save your time, choose another movie. B0002KRTUW:a_tale_told_by_a_teenager,_signifying...?:r._sardrena B0002KRTUW The Butterfly Effect: DVD: Eric Bress,J. Mackye Gruber,Ashton Kutcher,Melora Walters,Amy Smart,Elden Henson,William Lee Scott,John Patrick Amedori,Irene Gorovaia,Kevin Schmidt (III),Jesse James,Logan Lerman,Sarah Widdows,Jake Kaese,Cameron Bright,Eric Stoltz,Callum Keith Rennie,Lorena Gale,Nathaniel DeVeaux,John Tierney,Kendall Cross,Ted Friend dvd 2 of 6 2.0 October 1, 2006 R. Sardrena The premise - that one could change specific events in ones' past through psychic concentration - could have been the foundation for a fascinating thriller. I don't condemn the film's corollary either: that each change produces new, unforseeable tragedies. It's the way the story is told - its ham-fisted dialogue and plot, its forced obscenity at every turn - that reveals its teen sensibilities. It is therefore fitting that the director's preferred ending is included here. It is the perfect catharsis for teens who "...wish I was never born! B000067FP6:compared_to_the_real_story?:c._ray_"cully" B000067FP6 Wolfen: DVD: Ralph Bell,Dehl Berti,Max M. Brown,Sarah Felder,Albert Finney,Peter Michael Goetz,Sam Gray,Gregory Hines,Chris Manor,John McCurry,Tom Noonan,Dick O'Neill,Edward James Olmos,Anne Marie Pohtamo,Donald Symington,James Tolkan,Reginald VelJohnson,Diane Venora,Jeffery Ware dvd 0 of 3 1.0 April 1, 2006 C. Ray "Cully" Northern Nevada You only need to read the book by Whitley Strieber to know how truly disappointing this movie is. B000B6CO3E:poor_transfer,paging_criterion:claxon,bill B000B6CO3E Burn!: DVD: Gillo Pontecorvo,Marlon Brando,Evaristo M rquez,Renato Salvatori,Norman Hill,Dana Ghia,Valeria Ferran Wanani,Giampiero Albertini,Carlo Palmucci,Thomas Lyons,Joseph P. Persaud, lvaro Medrano,Alejandro Obreg n,Enrico Cesaretti,Cicely Browne,Maurice Rodriguez dvd 6 of 6 2.0 March 31, 2006 Claxon,Bill Since we know there is another version of "Burn" out there,i would suggest you wait for it and check rotten tomatoes.com and get an idea of its quality.You can not judge the quality of this film by the pan and scan,poorly coordinated color transfer that sony has issued.Brando told larry king it was his favorite film;not if he saw this package 6305078319:modern_sensibilities_set_in_1600s_venice:pilgrim 6305078319 Dangerous Beauty: DVD: Catherine McCormack,Rufus Sewell,Oliver Platt,Fred Ward,Naomi Watts,Moira Kelly,Jacqueline Bisset,Jeroen Krabb ,Joanna Cassidy,Melina Kanakaredes,Daniel Lapaine,Justine Miceli,Jake Weber,Simon Dutton,Grant Russell,Peter Eyre,Carla Cassola,Gianni Musi,Michael Culkin,Ralph Riach,Marshall Herskovitz dvd 1.0 November 12, 2006 Pilgrim Notice I said rent ... Read the Amazon editorial review, they are tiptoeing around saying this movie doesn't really work. Modern language, ideas, and sensibilities make the whole thing feel like a contrived stage play. And it seems to be mostly on stage sets ... there isn't much of Venice in here, so don't rent it for that reason. (Notice I said rent ...) The script is weak. The setup for the lead character's transition to life as a courtesan is abbreviated and unconvincing. There are too many horrible moments for this to be romantic. The story has so much more potential. The only reason to see this movie is to check out Catherine McCormack. Rufus Sewell is always good as well. Otherwise the casting is absurd. Fred Ward and Oliver Platt stand out as being miscast. Jacqueline Bisset fails to persuade here B000F7CMRW:gobbledygook_&_self-righteousness_&_pretentious_twaddle_make_for_a_terrible_movie:jonathan_lapin_"fletcher_rabbit" B000F7CMRW Syriana (Full Screen Edition): DVD: Kayvan Novak,George Clooney,Amr Waked,Christopher Plummer,Jeffrey Wright,Chris Cooper,Robert Foxworth,Nicky Henson,Nicholas Art,Matt Damon,Amanda Peet,Steven Hinkle,Daisy Torm ,Peter Gerety,Richard Lintern,Jocelyn Quivrin,Mazhar Munir,Shahid Ahmed,Bikram Singh Bhamra,Roger Yuan,Stephen Gaghan dvd 2 of 9 1.0 November 6, 2006 Jonathan Lapin "fletcher rabbit" Brooklyn, NY USA there is a certain new-fangled school of screenwriting that thinks that if you put a bunch of characters on screen and have them make no sense of one another but sound as if theyre being profound, then they ARE. the prime example of this in recent years is the abominable "crash", but at least that was (somewhat) assuaged by strong performances. this -- arguably the worst "mainstream" motion picture of 2005 -- is redeemed by nothing. an excruciatingly long 2 hours, and as much as i (usually) enjoy george clooney, i might never forgive him for this drek B000F7CMRW:not_good...:bob B000F7CMRW Syriana (Full Screen Edition): DVD: Kayvan Novak,George Clooney,Amr Waked,Christopher Plummer,Jeffrey Wright,Chris Cooper,Robert Foxworth,Nicky Henson,Nicholas Art,Matt Damon,Amanda Peet,Steven Hinkle,Daisy Torm ,Peter Gerety,Richard Lintern,Jocelyn Quivrin,Mazhar Munir,Shahid Ahmed,Bikram Singh Bhamra,Roger Yuan,Stephen Gaghan dvd 6 of 10 2.0 October 11, 2006 Bob Las Vegas, NV United States Just rented this dvd and was quite surprised. Normally, I'm a big George Clooney and Matt Damon fan. However, in this film, their talents were underutilized and did not make up for the poor script, editing, and direction which made this film quite dull to watch. While the idea behind the movie is good, it could have been more entertaing, dramatic, or suspensful. As another reviewer remarked, I was quite tempted to shut it off after 45 minutes and watch something else. But, I did suffer through to the end, where the film just sort of ends and leaves viewers hanging.. B000C65Z20:a_well_acted_snooze_fest_with_juvenile_politics:j._king_"shrike63" B000C65Z20 The Constant Gardener (Full Screen): DVD: Fernando Meirelles,Ralph Fiennes,Rachel Weisz,Hubert Kound ,Danny Huston,Daniele Harford,Packson Ngugi,Damaris Itenyo Agweyu,Bernard Otieno Oduor,Bill Nighy,Keith Pearson,John Sibi-Okumu,Donald Sumpter,Archie Panjabi,Nick Reding,Gerard McSorley,Juliet Aubrey,Jacqueline Maribe,Donald Apiyo,Pete Postlethwaite,Samuel Otage dvd 3 of 15 2.0 September 26, 2006 J. King "shrike63" Ramstein, Germany This is billed as a thriller but there are hardly any thrills. It would have benefitted from some judicious cutting to make it a little leaner. The shaky camera work detracts from some decent scenery. The politics of the film contain no subtlety or shades of gray; I can almost see a couple of college sophomores hitting the bong and sitting down to hash out the script: Bong-hitting liberal student who has no clue about the real world #1: ...and then she discovers the evil corporation has been testing... BHLSWHNCATRW #2: (Interrupts) "Evil Corporation"? Why are you being redundant? The only plus for my wife and I was the acting, which was great. Fiennes was especially good, underplaying his character in the early parts of the film, resulting in a character with depth and nuance. I only wish the rest of the film was worthy of the performances contained within it B0002CTSUO:only_if_your_a_prince_fan:love_machine_"love_machine" B0002CTSUO Graffiti Bridge: DVD: Jerome Benton,Michael Bland,Tevin Campbell,Ingrid Chavez,George Clinton,Morris Day,Damon Dickson,Rosie Gaines,Jimmy Jam,Jesse Johnson (II),Garry Johnson,Kirk Johnson,Terry Lewis (III),Monte Moir,Tony Mosley,Phillip C,Prince,Levi Seacer Jr.,Mavis Staples,Miko Weaver dvd 2.0 August 17, 2006 Love Machine "Love Machine" Boise In the early 1990's this movie was definitely made for that era. Just look at the clothing and hair. High top fades etc. Graffiti Bridge was definitely unique. It should have been released on cable t.v. instead of the theater. It was more of a musical then a actual movie. Prince somehow has his own ways of doing things in his own world. And he may not care about record sales or what people think of what he puts out, but it makes even the most loyal fans question what he is doing. The talent he has is amazing but he's become just a mediocur artist. This lack luster film may be remembered a hundred years from now. But as of now it's just what you call a get up and walk out film. I'm a prince fanatic, a die hard fan, but man the potential this guy has to be a mega star of our time he fails to meet. You haft to make people believe in you and really reach them and relate. If only Prince could relate to what people are feeling now and what they want. Prince somehow fell behind because the youth of this generation moved on while he stayed stagnet. I think he shut the world out and it just went on turning. Record sales may not matter to him, but fans you must keep loyal. Graffiti bridge is a film in my collection and I just look at it as my collection but nothing more. It's a film that makes you think. It's spiritual and there are some warm moments. Now Purple Rain is something not to be missed. I recommend that one. Enjoy B000AM4PG8:skip_this__this_is_not_j-horror:benjamin_kidman B000AM4PG8 J Horror Anthology: Legends: DVD: J Horror Anthology Legends dvd 0 of 8 2.0 December 3, 2005 Benjamin Kidman SanFrancisco,CA United States Oh man, this is really (...)!!! I rent this DVD,I REALLY, REALLY glad, I rented it didn't buy this Crap! I thought this series of GHOST stories come from J-Horrors. Would be real shocking and scary,Gory. That's what u expected from j-horror!!..It was looks like our TWILLIGT ZONE series was made for TV have silly special effects..Kind of slow pasted stories little silly suspense here and there..Just lame! Wasn't scary at all!. . Definitely SKIP this, It just wasting time and money, I was wondering another review from "THOM" Did he really SAW this movie or someone told him about it? ..He gave this movie 5 STARS????? LOL!! U TRIPPIN DUDE!!.B B00005RERN:meet_john_doe:deborah_c._raia B00005RERN Meet John Doe: DVD: Gary Cooper,Barbara Stanwyck,Edward Arnold,Walter Brennan,Spring Byington,James Gleason,Gene Lockhart,Rod La Rocque,Irving Bacon,Regis Toomey,J. Farrell MacDonald,Warren Hymer,Harry Holman,Andrew Tombes,Pierre Watkin,Stanley Andrews,Mitchell Lewis,Charles C. Wilson,Vaughan Glaser,Sterling Holloway,Frank Capra dvd 0 of 13 1.0 July 19, 2005 Deborah C. Raia I purchased this DVD a while ago - FYI - A documentary of the anaconda was in the case and not the movie. I went to the web site to complain and my profile could not be found. Here, years later, when I'm finally placing another through Amazon They found my account and noted that I purchased Meet John Doe. I guess it's a little late to complain now B00066TBH6:disaster_says_it_all:jill B00066TBH6 WTC 9/11/01 Day of Disaster: DVD: Steve Spak Productions dvd 18 of 23 1.0 June 24, 2006 Jill Nibley, Utah I recently purchased this DVD and was beyond disappointed with it. I actually ended up fast forwarding just to get through it. I expected a true documentary with maybe a few interviews with people who were there, with the firemen, or anyone at all but the video is mostly silent. I can hear the fire fighters radios but most of it is so staticky it's hard to make out. The film has a few comments by the person taping it but that's it. The film also pretty much stays focused on just a couple of areas of rubble. I found nothing at all in this film that brought any emotion to me other than boredom. I own several other documentaries that I watch over and over as I don't want to forget the feelings I felt on 911 but this film is lacking greatly in bringing any kind of human element to this horror that was inflicted on our country. This DVD was a HUGE waste of both my time and money. B0007UM8WG:dreadful_and__insulting:spyder B0007UM8WG Meet The Fockers (Full Screen Edition): DVD: Robert De Niro,Ben Stiller,Dustin Hoffman,Barbra Streisand,Blythe Danner,Teri Polo,Owen Wilson,Spencer Pickren,Bradley Pickren,Alanna Ubach,Ray Santiago,Tim Blake Nelson,Shelley Berman,Kali Rocha,Dorie Barton,Jack Plotnick,Wayne Thomas Yorke,B.J. Hansen,J.P. Manoux,Myra Turley,Jay Roach dvd 2 of 4 1.0 September 23, 2006 Spyder Napa, CA, USA Like other reviewers, I found MeetThe Parents mildly amusing and this sequel was in the 3 for $25 bin at Hollywood so I figured "Why not?" Well here's why not. It presents the main character's parents as crude, clueless buffoons, and having no social judgement whatsoever, but it seems the writers want the audience to think of them as cool and hip. And for some odd reason they live in a house that resembles the castle on Fantasy Island. I'm surprised they didn't include a sex with a midget scene. Nobody would want their daughter to marry into this family let alone a right wing former CIA agent, who was set up as an object of ridicule. Oh, and they had to be Jewish too. Streisand and Hoffman should be ashamed of themselves portraying their own people in such an unflattering way. {"Our people don't shoot ducks, dear") Do former CIA agents make enough money to live in mansions and buy a custom built RV that would cost at least $250 k? The toilet humor and profanity wouldn't have made it into "Dumb and Dumber" Nothing reedeming or funny here. Fuhgeddaboutit 6305133514:rear-view_mirror_propaganda_piece:d._leisure 6305133514 Lean on Me: DVD: Morgan Freeman,Beverly Todd,Robert Guillaume,Alan North,Lynne Thigpen,Robin Bartlett,Michael Beach,Ethan Phillips,Sandra Reaves-Phillips,Sloane Shelton,Jermaine 'Huggy' Hopkins,Karen Malina White,Karina Arroyave,Ivonne Coll,Regina Taylor,Michael P. Moran,John Ring,Tyrone Jackson,Alex Romaguera,Tony Todd,John G. Avildsen dvd 3 of 21 1.0 July 23, 2005 D. Leisure San Ramon, CA United States I'll cut to the meta-chase since plot and story have already been well outlined in previous reviews... The basic message of this film seems to be that state controlled "education" is worthy of resurrection and total dictatorship is the way to achieve it. Though the latter point is probably true, the former is questionable indeed. Why try and save an obviously moribund and mindless system of government indoctrination from its own demise? Don't blame the kids, you have only to look at the state of the world to see the utter failure that so-called educated people have already created everywhere, with world fascism now its ultimate fruitage, and the kids at some level know it...Clearly we urgently need a new vision of education altogether, but this film only asks us to glorify what has already died... B00004CXIA:i'm_sorry..._i_find_this_badly_written._spoilers!:paulo_leite B00004CXIA Fallen: DVD: Denzel Washington,John Goodman,Donald Sutherland,Embeth Davidtz,James Gandolfini,Elias Koteas,Gabriel Casseus,Michael J. Pagan,Robert Joy,Frank Medrano,Ronn Munro,Cynthia Hayden,Ray Xifo,Tony Michael Donnelly,Tara Carnes,Reno Wilson,Wendy Cutler,Aida Turturro,Jeff Tanner,Jerry Walsh,Gregory Hoblit dvd 8 of 20 1.0 December 17, 2005 Paulo Leite Lisbon, Portugal Yes, this is a supernatural psycological thriller... but far from a good one as far as I'm concerned. I love these kinds of stories and I went to see this film with a lot of excitement... first because it has a interesting subject. Second because it has a great actor. I thought Denzel Washington would never associate himself with a bad script... but I was wrong. But Denzel is always top notch. The rest isn't. By now you already know the story. A good detective... a killer who happens to me a demon who happens to pass from person to person just by touch... the hunt... blah blah blah.... The script is idiot from page one. The killer (as we will see as the story develops) travels by simple touch. So... excuse me... why doesn't the killer passes to a guard as he is going to be executed??? I mean... The guy is sooo powerful (and mobile) that I find it unbelievable that he gets to be executed in the first place. But... ok... let's give the screenwriters a break. Somewhere in the middle of the film, the demon enters a cat. Ok... so he can enter all kinds of animals. Fine. Later on, the main character learns that in order to defeat the demon, he must kill his body in a place where there is nobody around. His brilliant idea: the forest. Full of animals. Was I the only one who did not know the ending before it came???? Want more? In an interesting twist, the protagonist kills an innocent man and later on... his own brother. And no one will believe the truth! How is he gonna get out of such a mess??? In the world of storytelling, there are only two ways of getting out of such an impossibly difficult situation: EITHER the screenwriter is brilliant and finds a believable way to save his character from the master mess built by the screenwriter himself - so he should know! (and then we get some sort of positive ending despite everything...) OR something deep inside the protagonist fails and he loses the battle against evil (despite the fact that there was a way out). First line of solution: Die Hard, The Fugitive. Second line of solution: S7ven, Chinatown. We have none of that here. Instead we have an evil god against a simple man (great starter for drama, right?) ...BUT the man gets weaker and weaker and weaker... and the demon gets stronger and stronger... to the point where we get the fact that the demon IS invincible long before he actually wins. And the great turnaround never comes. Obviously we all hope he will be defeated... and that's why I kept myself seated all through the film... because if there was a way out... it would be brilliant. If the character dropped the towel... it would be thought provoking to say the least. But no... the ending was easy and predictable. The screenwriter could not achieve one of the two possible lines of solutions. He wrote the first thing that came to his mind and hid himself under "The story ends bad" label. Without any depth. Every villain has a weak point. It is up to the hero to explore it (may he loose or win). The only problem the hero faces here is a stupid lack of data. We have the data the moment the demon enters a cat. That's why we know how's gonna end. What about the girl who helps Denzel? What about his nephew? Shouldn't they be part of the ending too? Don't come with the "this is an open-ending" kind of talk! Do I sense a smell of desire for a sequel? Quick! Gas masks!!!! Or... as A.C.Doyle would write: "Quick, Dr. Watson, the needle!" Despite a stupid screenplay. Denzel is always great. B000063UR1:dust_off_your_bong_for_this_one!:rick_deckard_"vampire" B000063UR1 Silent Running: DVD: Bruce Dern,Cliff Potts,Ron Rifkin,Jesse Vint,Roy Engel,Mark Persons,Larry Whisenhunt,Steve Brown (IX),Cheryl Sparks,Joseph Campanella,Douglas Trumbull dvd 3 of 18 1.0 January 31, 2006 Rick Deckard "Vampire" So Cal Sit down under a tree, give it a big hug, fire up you bong and go to sleep. That's what I was waiting for Freeman to do all movie. It's a shame that special effects that were so ground breaking were waisted on this Sci-fi Hippie flick. I'm surprised that Freeman's suit wasn't tie-dyed. Keep your money say no to drugs! B0006H31SU:it's_okay:brooke_"boo" B0006H31SU Dance Fitness for Beginners with MaDonna Grimes: Urban Street Heat: DVD: MaDonna Grimes dvd 1 of 6 1.0 July 26, 2006 brooke "boo" USA i bought this thinking that this would be fun and a decent workout, i tried it a few times but just couldnt get in to it. it go's a bit fast but i know i could get used to it, but they have very big steps and they lung into it and i think it would be better if they work up to it i kept finding myself rewinding it to do the step corretly i dont realy strive for perfection i just want to do it some what right. there are better ones out there than this, but i think i am going to try it again cuz it wasnt so bad that i am going to quit it B00005LK94:not_for_young_children:jessie_"304" B00005LK94 Fly Away Home (Special Edition): DVD: Jeff Daniels,Anna Paquin,Dana Delany,Terry Kinney,Holter Graham,Jeremy Ratchford,Deborah Verginella,Michael J. Reynolds,David Hemblen,Ken James (II),Nora Ballard,Sarena Paton,Carmen Lishman,Christi Hill,Judith Orban,Jeff Braunstein,John Friesen,Chris Benson,Kevin Jubinville,Philip Akin,Carroll Ballard dvd 2 of 38 1.0 May 16, 2006 Jessie "304" The Great State of Texas I saw this movie for the first time, and I found out that it is very VERY violent. And I laughed at some good parts, but the scene where Amy hits the wildlife keeper on the head with a frying pan for trying to cut the baby geese's wing IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT YOUR KIDS TO SEE. I think that this movie should be taken off the market, but this type of film has no place in the lives of young children. B0002ZDVFY:one_sided_expert's_review:cheng_kuang_chien_"jchien2000" B0002ZDVFY Da Vinci Code Decoded: DVD: Dan Brown,Henry Lincoln,Dan Burstein dvd 10 of 20 1.0 September 6, 2005 Cheng Kuang Chien "jchien2000" Cary, NC USA The DVD is really a deception. All the experts invited are the ones that support Gnostic theory. I was hoping that I can see a balanced view related to this subject. Instead, I only see the point of view of the pro Dan Brown's experts. I think we should invite the famous evangelists, theologists, and scholars from the protestant, cathodic and liberal to discuss the issue. The DVD does not even discuss why the Gnostic theory was rejected in the first century. B0000505IM:u_won't_care_for_this_one:michael_n._ryan B0000505IM U-571: DVD: Matthew McConaughey,Bill Paxton,Harvey Keitel,Jon Bon Jovi,David Keith,Thomas Kretschmann,Jake Weber,Jack Noseworthy,Tom Guiry,Will Estes,Terrence 'T.C.' Carson,Erik Palladino,Dave Power,Derk Cheetwood,Matthew Settle,Rebecca Tilney,Carolyna De Laurentiis,Dina De Laurentiis,Burnell Tucker,Rob Allyn,Jonathan Mostow dvd 9 of 20 1.0 May 10, 2006 Michael N. Ryan Bel AIr, Maryland USA Sat down and saw this one on televion. Only good service was that now I know buying the DVD would be a waste of money. What was actually achieved by the British is portrayed as an American achievement. Slanders the U-boat men portraying them as heartless marauders. Other than allied Propoganda pieces, There are no incidents of U-boats machinegunning people in lifeboats. The movie itself I have little respect. Basicly Plotless and unrealistic. Action scenes unbelievable. Characters Two Dimensional. This film Awful. B0006Z2NAY:pedigree_vs._filigree.__filigree_wins.:a_reviewer B0006Z2NAY Howards End - The Merchant Ivory Collection: DVD: James Ivory,Vanessa Redgrave,Helena Bonham Carter,Joseph Bennett (III),Emma Thompson,Prunella Scales,Adrian Ross Magenty,Jo Kendall,Anthony Hopkins,James Wilby,Jemma Redgrave,Ian Latimer,Samuel West,Mary Nash (II),Siegbert Prawer,Susie Lindeman,Nicola Duffett,Mark Tandy,Andrew St. Clair,Anne Lambton,Emma Godfrey dvd 1 of 9 2.0 August 22, 2006 A reviewer Period dramas are, by definition, delicate commodities: they're balanced on that, ahem, "razor's edge" between high brow and just plain fussiness. I think "Howard's End" is a case of a robust novel buried in tea time and English lace. Milliners, set designers and Helena Bonham Carter's hair stylist had their job cut out for them on this one B00004RYFW:not_as_avertised..editted_movie_:donald_l._gitchell B00004RYFW Good Morning, Vietnam: DVD: Barry Levinson,Robin Williams,Forest Whitaker,Tung Thanh Tran,Chintara Sukapatana,Bruno Kirby,Robert Wuhl,J.T. Walsh,Noble Willingham,Richard Edson,Juney Smith,Richard Portnow,Floyd Vivino,Cu Ba Nguyen,Dan Stanton,Don Stanton,Danny Aiello III,John Marshall Jones,James McIntire,Peter Mackenzie,No Tran dvd 0 of 2 2.0 July 25, 2006 Donald L. Gitchell the movie is good except this version has been editted and cut out sceens, very disapointtin B00000ILEG:bad!:"grpdagod" B00000ILEG 8 Man: DVD: Yasuhiro Horiuchi,Mickey Curtis,Jo Shishido,Sachiko Ayase,Etsushi Takahashi,Daisuke Shima,Tadao Nakamaru,Kai Shishido,Osamu Ohtomo dvd 2 of 6 1.0 October 9, 2000 "grpdagod" Mt. Prospect, IL United States this is NOT a good movie! Bad acting, story, and picture! I was hoping this would be the first anime of the 8man After dvd I had but Alass it was not. Pass on this one unless U HAVE 2 have it B000EWBKMG:didn't_like_it,_couldn't_finish_it:amazon_reviewer B000EWBKMG The Producers (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Nathan Lane,Matthew Broderick,Uma Thurman,Will Ferrell,Gary Beach,Roger Bart,Eileen Essell,Michael McKean,David Huddleston,Debra Monk,Andrea Martin,Jon Lovitz,Bryn Dowling,Meg Gillentine,Kevin Ligon,Ray Wills,Marilyn Sokol,Brad Oscar,Tory Ross,Brent Barrett,Susan Stroman dvd 2.0 November 14, 2006 Amazon Reviewer Seattle, WA USA I really enjoy both Nathan Lane & Matthew Brodderick. I'm a marginal fan of Will Ferrell (in this movie, I thought he was *way* over the top). And it seems, nothing in this movie/musical really gels. I knew Nathan Lane sings really well, and was actually pleasantly surprised at Matthew Brodericks singing voice. Not pitchy at all - good voice. But the plot was lame & slow. The songs didn't flow well. And, I belived it was too much "stage" and not enough of a movie. And, I didn't really find it that "dark" (even though that's how this movie was advertised). Mild satire maybe, but nothing near dark. It's more accurately described as bland! Frankly, nothing in it worked for me. It was a big disappointment. If you're *really* into musicals, then you might like it just for the singing - that's the only reason I stuck with it for the first 45 minutes. Maybe my grandparents would like it... I don't know. I'm somewhat confused by the positive reviews here. But I just had to shut it off - there was nothing advancing the plot or the characters, so I just didn't care how it ended. 1 star for the plot, 1.5 stars for the screenplay, 2 stars for the singing B000H0MN1M:dark_drama_that_does_not_end_well:judah B000H0MN1M Witch Hunter Robin - Anime Legends Complete Collection: DVD: Akeno Watanabe,Dorothy Elias-Fahn,Dave Mallow,Jerry Gelb,Mela Lee,Tony Oliver,Catherine Battistone,Michael Forest,Kirk Thornton,Takuma Takewaka,Julie Maddalena,Wendee Lee,Richard Epcar,Tom Wyner,Shinpachi Tsuji,Tony Pope,Akino Watanabe,Michelle Ruff,Kari Wahlgren,Hiro Yuuki,Shuko Murase dvd 2 of 5 2.0 August 19, 2006 Judah Terre Haute In USA The biggest draw for me in anime is an engaging plotline that really makes you think in new directions. Witch Hunter Robin was recommended to me by a fellow lover of the more serious type of anime. I didn't like it; I found the plotline to be predictable and forced with a 'so-that's-it?' ending I hated. The animation is top quality with lots of dark tones and the music is appropriately spooky. Good visuals don't make up for bad story though. This serious drama geared is towards adults, and not children. If you like dramatic build-up that delivers, humor, or romantic comedy give this a pass B00005Y6YB:this_dvd_stinks....extremely_poor_resolution_...remaster_soon?:richardson_"jrj" B00005Y6YB Lonesome Dove: DVD: Robert Duvall,Tommy Lee Jones,Danny Glover,Diane Lane,Robert Urich,Frederic Forrest,D.B. Sweeney,Rick Schroder,Anjelica Huston,Chris Cooper,Timothy Scott,Glenne Headly,Barry Corbin,William Sanderson,Barry Tubb,Gavan O'Herlihy,Steve Buscemi,Frederick Coffin,Travis Swords,Kevin O'Morrison,Simon Wincer dvd 2 of 2 1.0 September 24, 2006 Richardson "JrJ" Soggy California USA Hi folks, Don't get your pants in a bunch at the low review...its NOT for the movie..its for the appallingly bad DVD. Grainy and soft...I can't believe they couldn't produce a finer representation of a multi award winning and in general beloved piece of work by all concerned. This isn't even VHS quality...but then ARTISAN isn't known for quality... its cheap enough to get anyway and throw away when a REAL quality version is released. B000085EF8:do_not_watch_this_movie_if_you_like_anne_of_green_gables:light B000085EF8 Anne of Green Gables (Classic 1934): DVD: George Nichols Jr.,Anne Shirley,Tom Brown,O.P. Heggie,Helen Westley,Sara Haden,Murray Kinnell,Gertrude Messinger,Charley Grapewin,Hilda Vaughn,June Preston,George Offerman Jr.,Frank Darien,Margaret Armstrong,Ben Hall,Bonita Granville,Paul Stanton (II),Ann Miller dvd 6 of 12 1.0 February 24, 2005 Light Portland, OR USA I made the mistake of watching it after seeing how many stars (4) it received from other viewers. The plot was butchered, the characters twisted, the story ruined, a pure agony. Marilla is fat and ugly. Wasn't it supposed to be Rachel Lynde's character? Matthew is sly and conniving and very outspoken. What happened to endearing shy Matthew? Rachel Lynde had been merged with Mrs. Barry, Dianna's mother, and hence Mrs. Rachel Barry (Oh brother). Dianna is a petit blond and not a dimpled raven black haired damsel, who gets married behind the scenes without her bosom friend who was sent to Queens at 18 as a punishment. Anne and Gilbert are secret lovers brutally separated by Marilla who is crossed with Gilbert's father for stealing Matthew's sweetheart many years ago. Get the picture? This movie has no merits as related to the book. It might have some as a stand-alone creation but I haven't found any. I wasted nearly an hour and a half of my life and was bitterly disappointed, irritated and nauseated. The creators of this movie were definitely not kindred spirits! Do yourself a favor, if you really like the Anne books don't watch this movie. Oh, and I do wish Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings) will fall in love with the books and make proper and ACCURATE movies out of them. Do you hear me Peter? B000BZISX0:never_achieving_its_goal:robert_carnevali_"electronics_enthusiast" B000BZISX0 Making Love: DVD: Michael Ontkean,Kate Jackson,Harry Hamlin,Wendy Hiller,Arthur Hill,Nancy Olson,John Dukakis,Terry Kiser,Dennis Howard,Asher Brauner,John Calvin,Gwen Arner,Gary Swanson,Anne Haney,Stanley Kamel,Charles Lucia,Doug Johnson,Ben Mittleman,Mickey Jones,Joseph G. Medalis,Arthur Hiller dvd 1 of 2 2.0 October 27, 2006 Robert Carnevali "electronics enthusiast" Trenton, NJ United States I'll be right up front and admit that I do not own this DVD. I hesitated writing a review for it because of that fact. But then I realized that if you're reviewing a DVD, 90% of the review must be based on the movie itself, and having saw the movie when it was released, and having seen it again on the various cable channels, I felt I could write a respectable reveiw. Frankly, the movie barely approaches a "B-Movie" status. It's only claim to fame is that it was the first major Hollywood motion picture that did not portray homosexuals in a bad light. The plot is rather unbelievable, naming the fact that all three main characters are leaders in their field.... successful author, high-ranking network producer, top-rate doctor. Nobody has a profession, or is in a position, with which the audience can relate. The dialog is forced and, at times, rather cliche. Acting is acceptable, though supporting cast members are rather amateurish. Direction is functional, at best. One glaring problem is the tendency for the movie to suddenly switch from drama to documentary. After or before key scenes, the camera cuts to a monologue from one of the main characters. The effect is startling, doesn't advance the story, and only serves to distract the viewers and lessen the already-weak emotional impact of the film. To its credit, the actors did whole-heartedly portray gay characters and gay love scenes. At the time, gay characters were never portrayed in a positive light from the media, and it was a great risk to do so here. There were no previous movie experiences of this topic that the director and actors were able to draw on, and they did the best they could. It was a very ambitious project and was supposed to be ground-breaking and revolutionary, but the weaknesses in the film never raised it high enough to truly make much of a difference in society. This is absolutely proven by the fact that Brokeback Mountain, released about two decades later, had to work very hard to break the same stereotypes that Making Love previously attempted to break. The difference is that Brokeback Mountain was a true work of art impeccable in its execution and actually broke ground and stereotypes, and Making Love all but disappeared in the annals of time. If you're a collector of good film, this really wouldn't be part of your collection. To add into a collection of films showing early portrayals of homosexuals and homosexual relationships, it would be very appropriate. Sadly, it really is good for only that one reason, as part of a collection of gay films throughout the years B000063K2C:overrated,_juvenile_writing:daniel_kuhn B000063K2C Now and Then, Here and There (Complete Collector's Boxed Set): DVD: Akemi Okamura,Kaori Nazuka,David Brimmer,Rachael Lillis,David Moo,Kayzie Rogers,Rica Matsumoto,Azusa Nakao,Reiko Yasuhara,Frank Frankson,Dan Green (III),Lisa Ortiz,Kerry Williams (II),Ed Paul (II),K ji Ishii,Yuka Imai,Crispin Freeman,Jack Taylor (VI),Scottie Ray,Hiroko Konishi,Akitar Daichi dvd 5 of 11 2.0 August 5, 2006 Daniel Kuhn Atlanta, GA This series might be considered a classic if watched by a 12-year-old, but adults will see though the indistinct plot and characters. Most of the plot's famous "unpleasantness" is just tacked on to the main story, and is of no significance. Apart from putting several of the characters though lots of physical abuses, nothing much gets accomplished thought the series. The main female character clocks about 100 words of dialog across the entire series, so don't bother waiting for any meaningful information from her. The male lead has the typical task of pointing out all the flaws in the alternate world he's been transported to, inbetween having the stuffing beaten out of him. The most arbitrary abuses are handed out to a young woman, who's included in the story for no reason except to be abused- you can almost hear the writers saying, "I got it! Let's rape a little girl, that'll make it REAL! Yeah, Yeah, I like it!" Having served her purpose, the character then vanishes until being plopped back in near the end of the series, so a little more misery can be dumped on her. All the characters suffer from lack of depth and motivation. The releative standout would be the villian, who suffers from bipolarism, and alternates between terror, anger, delight, and misery, somtimes all within the same scene. Too bad that was about all he did in the show. Well, that's about enough. If you have an appetite for "Kid saves alternate universe" themed anime, then you may like this. But I found it lifeless and massively overrated B0009PLLNQ:gay_men_with_mullets_and_celtic_accents:r._o._bjarnason_"librarian" B0009PLLNQ Alexander - Director's Cut (2-Disc Widescreen Special Edition): DVD: Anthony Hopkins,David Bedella,Jessie Kamm,Angelina Jolie,Val Kilmer,Fiona O'Shaughnessy,Connor Paolo,Patrick Carroll (III),Brian Blessed,Peter Williamson,Morgan Christopher Ferris,Robert Earley,Aleczander Gordon,Christopher Plummer,Gary Stretch,John Kavanagh,Nick Dunning,Marie Meyer,Mick Lally,Colin Farrell,Oliver Stone dvd 2.0 November 13, 2006 R. O. Bjarnason "Librarian" Texas Alexander is portrayed as a neurotic and tortured individual who is shoved into power and conquest by his mother and turned into a monster by lust for authority. The character in this movie appears to have very little in common with the ambitious and thoughtful young man described by Aristotle. Watching this movie you get the feeling that Alexander and his men were a gang of sexually confused young boys who conquered the ancient world pretty much by accident. There is far too much emphasis here on the non-essential, and every conflict in this story is a contrived account of Alexander's strained relationships with his mother, father, friends and his own identity. If you're looking for a narrative on the epic story of the most important figure of ancient Greece, look elsewhere. This is the story of insignificant things in the life of a man who happened to be significant. B0009PLLNQ:a_re-spelling_of_'sucks'!:scott_ny B0009PLLNQ Alexander - Director's Cut (2-Disc Widescreen Special Edition): DVD: Anthony Hopkins,David Bedella,Jessie Kamm,Angelina Jolie,Val Kilmer,Fiona O'Shaughnessy,Connor Paolo,Patrick Carroll (III),Brian Blessed,Peter Williamson,Morgan Christopher Ferris,Robert Earley,Aleczander Gordon,Christopher Plummer,Gary Stretch,John Kavanagh,Nick Dunning,Marie Meyer,Mick Lally,Colin Farrell,Oliver Stone dvd 0 of 3 1.0 November 1, 2006 Scott NY NYC How do you spell 'sucks'? Easy - A-L-E-X-A-N-D-E-R! I loved Stone's JFK, but this... Words fail me, but I'll try to find a few. Okay, the pros? Angelina Jolie. I've never been a big fan of hers, but, boy, was she the hottest woman alive in this movie! More pros? Hmmm. Certainly not the action sequences which were muddled and hard to follow. Certainly not the weird Irish accents the lead characters adopted. Certainly not the story. This is just one of those films you believe can be so bad and that something cool is gonna happen the instant you hit the off button, so it stays your finger. My advice? HIT THAT BUTTON! And I won't even mention the blonde wig! B0009PLLNQ:alexander_(2-disc_widescreen_special_edition):robert_e._s._porter B0009PLLNQ Alexander - Director's Cut (2-Disc Widescreen Special Edition): DVD: Anthony Hopkins,David Bedella,Jessie Kamm,Angelina Jolie,Val Kilmer,Fiona O'Shaughnessy,Connor Paolo,Patrick Carroll (III),Brian Blessed,Peter Williamson,Morgan Christopher Ferris,Robert Earley,Aleczander Gordon,Christopher Plummer,Gary Stretch,John Kavanagh,Nick Dunning,Marie Meyer,Mick Lally,Colin Farrell,Oliver Stone dvd 0 of 6 2.0 July 30, 2006 Robert E. S. Porter Winnipeg, MB Canada Great movie. The problem is in the medium of delivery. There are 2 dvds in the package. Each dvd contains approximately 1/2 of the movie. The audience/customer would be better served if the entire movie was on one dvd. In addition, the 2nd dvd is defective. The scene where Alexander's father is assasinated consists of some normal footage, many lengthy 'still' pictures, no picture at all for a period of time, and a short period that looked like satelite feed was breaking -- all on a dvd that's supposed to be flawless B000056BB4:plot_holes:terran_"terran" B000056BB4 Gossip: DVD: James Marsden,Lena Headey,Norman Reedus,Kate Hudson,Eric Bogosian,Edward James Olmos,Joshua Jackson,Sharon Lawrence,Marisa Coughlan,Kwok-Wing Leung,Mif,Poe,Vicky Lambert,Kenya Massey,Noam Jenkins,Stephanie Mills,Raven Dauda,Kristin Booth,Novie Edwards,Shanly Trinidad,Davis Guggenheim dvd 1 of 2 2.0 February 13, 2006 Terran "Terran" Sunny CA USA The first half hour of this 90 minute movie is actually quite good. In fact, it is enthralling and has an interesting twist in that we don't know the real fact behind whether a young woman was violated by her boyfriend while unconscious. According to the rumor (the rumor being a school experiment conducted by three roommates) she was, however, but we the audience don't know that. However, the young woman is quick to think she has been raped. Why there is no attempt at a physical exam, is unexplained, especially since the young woman involved has the reputation of being a professional virgin, however it turns out she isn't, so that's why the movie lasts longer than 30 minutes. Fortunately, we're not dealing with unwanted pregnancies, either, so this doesn't turn into a soap opera. However, we do have the dreamboat "hero" who dreams up the rumor about her being raped, and who exhibits unlikeable traits throughout. But that's true of the three leads - the roommates are all unlikeable, being insufferably full of themselves. The last half of the film, 'dreamboat' takes the turn as lead character, and it's his story we're following, whereas his female roommate had the first half of the film, and basically it's her introduction to the audience of all the characters. Turns out 'dreamboat' and the young woman victim have a history together; which means issues they have to work out, and everyone else (in a way, the entire student body and its faculty and local law enforcement) is sucked into their story and mutual thirst for truth, though the characters don't have the same truth in mind - it's about vengeance; not justice. And vengeance when it's not the comic book variety, isn't fun for an audience, it's just distasteful. In other words, the man and woman should have been shut up together in a room so they could have worked it out for themselves, and left the rest of us alone. So from a brilliant first half-hour - and btw how does the roommate penniless art student have the dollars for all that tech equipment? - we degenerate into a constantly weaving pattern of lies and deceptions that seems more pointless than clever. There is merely too much story, so it becomes ridiculous. A basically good premise is ruined. If you are a fan of any of the stars involved, it might be worth viewing, if only once, but the film as a whole will probably leave a vile taste in your mouth. Perhaps that's the ultimate message on a film about the dangers of spreading GOSSIP, or in this case deliberate lies, is that what goes around comes around, and also it will leave you feeling sick to your stomach. I almost recommend you watch the first 30-45 min then quit midway, but anyone will watch all the way thru at least once, just to be sure where this is headed B0000BV1K8:the_name_says_it_all:tina_"lagoose27" B0000BV1K8 The Shu: DVD: Jean-Claude Van Damme,Lawrence Taylor (II),Lloyd Battista,Carlos G mez (II),Manol Manolov,Chris Moir,Billy Rieck,Kaloian Vodenicharov,Malakai Davidson,Veselin Kalanovski,Ivo Tonchev,Juan Fern ndez,Raicho Vasilev,Milos Milicevic,Michael Bailey Smith,Jorge Luis Abreu,Marnie Alton,Michail Elenov,Yuri Safchev,Robert LaSardo,Ringo Lam dvd 1 of 5 1.0 January 8, 2005 tina "lagoose27" Lubbock, TX United States this movie is one of the 3 ~worst~ movies I've ever seen. these 98 minutes seemed more like 6 hours. and for chrissake - he's NOT an american B00009YXHN:mediocre_sequel_to_a_excellent_original:skippy_johnson B00009YXHN H.P. Lovecraft's Bride of Re-Animator: DVD: Jeffrey Combs,Bruce Abbott,Claude Earl Jones,Fabiana Udenio,David Gale,Kathleen Kinmont,Mel Stewart,Irene Forrest,Michael Strasser,Mary Sheldon,Marge Turner,Johnny Legend,David Bynum,Noble Craig (II),Kim Parker (III),Charles Schneider (II),Rebeca Recio,Jay Evans,Brian Yuzna dvd 4 of 6 2.0 January 24, 2005 Skippy Johnson Corpus Christi,TX This tepid,disappointing sequel is far better than Beyond the Re-Animator but dosen't equal a good sequel to the excellent original. Dr.Herbert West and his friend Dan re-animate dead bodies and when Dan's girlfriend is dying she is re-animated just like Bride of Frankenstein. The gore effects are good including the crawling eyeball but the movie becomes tedious and more predictable as it goes along. The new director Brian Yuzna does a good job taking over Stuart Gordon but this movie fails to entertain and make watchable that this looks like a Sci/Fi channel movie that would debut on TV and the movie is just disappointing compared to the first with a new cast(Except Jeffrey Combs and Bruce Abbott),lower production values and lower budget,and tepid to atrocious acting. If you seen the first your not missing much but for some reason you can recommend this instead of Beyond the Re-Animator. B00005JNZU:i_don't_get_it:trevor_d._hoier_"thoier" B00005JNZU The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Unrated Widescreen Edition): DVD: Steve Carell,Catherine Keener,Paul Rudd,Romany Malco,Seth Rogen,Elizabeth Banks (II),Leslie Mann,Jane Lynch,Gerry Bednob,Shelley Malil,Kat Dennings,Jordy Masterson,Chelsea Smith (II),Jonah Hill,Erica Vittina Phillips,Marika Dominczyk,Mindy Kaling,Mo Collins,Gillian Vigman,Kimberly Page,Judd Apatow dvd 2 of 6 1.0 September 27, 2006 Trevor D. Hoier "thoier" Santa Monica, CA United States There is one thing I finally grasped upon watching 'The 40 Year Old Virgin', however. I came to the realization that Hollywood has to remake movies now over and over and over again because the films that try to be unique ('The 40 Year Old Virgin') are so awful that studio heads need to go elsewhere for their ideas. Of course, they're laughing all the way to the bank because the brain dead inside and outside of the continental United States will be for, and laugh at, anything. This film is popular because Steve Carrell makes the same faces and has the same delivery that he did/does on 'The Office', and people just love those mannerisms (Ricky Gervals is better in the same role, by the way...but that's neither here nor there). It certainly couldn't be because it's funny. The general concept of a 40 year old virgin has promise. That concept added with the most boiled down Middle School potty jokes is not. That concept added to a girl who wants to take him home but is too drunk to drive, yet she does it anyway and runs into dozens of objects is not. That concept added with a cross eyed Asian woman waxing his hairy chest while they show extreme close up's of Carrells large nose as he screams vulgarities into the lens is not. That concept added with 60 year old Middle Eastern Salesmen using every sexual metaphor out loud is not. You get the drift. Maybe the boat left and I wasn't on the boat. Maybe I'm not 12 years old anymore and am amused by jokes you used to hear outside at recess playing tether ball and eating Chocodiles. If you like juvenile humor, watch something like 'Better Off Dead' or 'Caddyshack'. Watch a movie that doesn't have to try so hard to write something vulgar to get a laugh. Sincerely, Bill Cosb B000FZETJS:please_enter_a_title_for_your_review:pancake_repairman_"pancake_repairman" B000FZETJS Stella - Season One: DVD: Stella dvd 2 of 19 2.0 September 22, 2006 pancake_repairman "pancake_repairman" gfjdhgfjhgj One of the most overrated comedy shows ever. Basically the calibre of a high school talent show. In a way it reminds me of Tom Goes To The Mayor, seemingly fitting into a comedy niche I don't understand which is more about being weird than being clever, but it seems like it's even more about being dull than being weird. I've heard improv described as being not about trying to think of something funny to say but just saying whatever comes into your head. I think these guys took that a bit too much to heart. Maybe the fans see some subtle naunces I'm missing, but to me it seems like I could have written most of this material with little effort. B0006Q93ZG:great_on_the_movie_part.__terrible_on_the_"scholarly"_remarks_parts.:trish_"lorica_lady" B0006Q93ZG The Gospel of John: DVD: Christopher Plummer,Henry Ian Cusick,Stuart Bunce,Daniel Kash,Stephen Russell (II),Diana Berriman,Alan Van Sprang,Richard Lintern,Scott Handy,Lynsey Baxter,Diego Matamoros,Nancy Palk,Elliot Levey,Andrew Pifko,Cedric Smith,Tristan Gemmill,Stuart Fox,David Meyer,Nicolas Van Burek,William Pappas,Philip Saville dvd 1 of 1 2.0 November 12, 2006 Trish "Lorica Lady" USA This movie would get 5 stars if it were not carressing with one hand - portraying the Gospel of John beautifully through the movie - and slapping Yahushua/Jesus and serious scholars in the face with the other hand. The so-called "scholarly" comments, for example about how the Gospel was written 200 years after the events, are by and large intellectually dishonest and quite simply inaccurate. Even the lowliest of Bible scholars, if honest, will realize this. It is very sad to see people making a buck off the Bible, while trying to tear it down at the same time. The worst examples of Scripture put downs are in the 3rd DVD. I gave the movie to a relative without that add on B0000640SG:straight_garbage..:marcus_bautista_"army_soldier" B0000640SG House II: The Second Story: DVD: Arye Gross,Jonathan Stark,Royal Dano,Bill Maher,John Ratzenberger,Lar Park-Lincoln,Amy Yasbeck,Gregory Walcott,Dwier Brown,Lenora May,Devin DeVasquez,Jayne Modean,Ronn Carroll,Dean Cleverdon,Doug MacHugh,Mitzi Kapture,David Arnott,Kane Hodder,Susan Isaac,Gus Rethwisch,Ethan Wiley dvd 2 of 7 1.0 November 27, 2005 Marcus Bautista "Army Soldier" Germany ..I recently purchased the first "House" movie, i remember watching it as a kid, it was apparently alot scarier during my adolesence, anyways the second one came with it for free, and i must say it was garbage, i did not have the patience to sit thru this crap, i now use this dvd disc as a cup coaster.Peace B0000640SG:fun,_but_absolutely_pointless...:ferd_iz_"ferd" B0000640SG House II: The Second Story: DVD: Arye Gross,Jonathan Stark,Royal Dano,Bill Maher,John Ratzenberger,Lar Park-Lincoln,Amy Yasbeck,Gregory Walcott,Dwier Brown,Lenora May,Devin DeVasquez,Jayne Modean,Ronn Carroll,Dean Cleverdon,Doug MacHugh,Mitzi Kapture,David Arnott,Kane Hodder,Susan Isaac,Gus Rethwisch,Ethan Wiley dvd 1 of 3 2.0 December 30, 2004 Ferd Iz "Ferd" SC USA I was a fan of House(the first of the series) and so purchased the combo DVD set of House and House 2. I watched both movies with a friend recently and we decided that while House is pretty good, House 2 is definitely the kind of movie you waste an hour and a half on. It is really quite dumb, but some of the creatures(i.e. "catter-dog" as I like to call him) are kind of fun to see. I would suggest skipping the second House unless you just want to watch a movie to see how dumb a sequel can really be;- B00003CXRA:by_and_large,_a_waste_of_time.:filmfan B00003CXRA Enemy at the Gates: DVD: Jospeh Fiennes,Rachel Weisz dvd 1 of 3 2.0 August 8, 2006 Filmfan Denmark The beginning is very well done, then the only interesting parts are the cat-and-mouse between Jude Law and Ed Harris. The rest of the film is bad, I'd say. Luckily, I recorded it from TV. It is now erased. (By the way, one of the Amazon reviewers who also disliked the film wrote that Bob Hoskins is American. He's from England. B000GIXEIG:don't_waste_your_time:m._davis B000GIXEIG Beowulf & Grendel: DVD: Sturla Gunnarsson,Gerard Butler,Ingvar Eggert Sigur sson,Stellan Skarsg rd,Sarah Polley,Eddie Marsan,Tony Curran,Martin Delaney,Rory McCann,Ronan Vibert,Hringur Ingvarsson,Spencer Wilding,Gunnar Eyj lfsson,Philip Whitchurch,Mark Lewis (VIII),Elva sk lafsd ttir, lafur Darri lafsson,Steinunn l na orsteinsd ttir,G sli rn Gar arsson,Gunnar Hansson,Benedikt Clausen dvd 2 of 8 1.0 October 20, 2006 M. Davis cineamatically grounded This was the most obnoxious time waster I have ever witnessed. I kept waiting for the Monty Python Troup to show up. The acting was horrid. What was with the rocks and urinating on the door?? I found myself rooting for Grendel. Of the 33 people in the theater, 10 got up and left half way through. This was a story of great heros, not neurotic children. Too bad Gerard Butler's career has come to this. I hope the Beowulf saga ends here and no attempt is made to do a sequel as discussed in the director interview. I would have been ashamed to put my name on this piece of work B0000AOV3W:how_do_you_make_incest_*dull*?:verity_brown B0000AOV3W Close My Eyes: DVD: Alan Rickman,Clive Owen,Saskia Reeves,Karl Johnson (II),Lesley Sharp,Kate Gartside,Karen Knight (II),Niall Buggy,Campbell Morrison,Annie Hayes,Maxwell Hutcheon,Geraldine Somerville,Helen FitzGerald,Christopher Barr,Gordon Salkilld,Choy-Ling Man,John Albasiny,Marie Passarelli,Jan Winters,Stephen Poliakoff dvd 0 of 1 1.0 June 17, 2006 Verity Brown Midwest Banks of the Muddy For a topic this edgy, this is an incredibly dull film. The actors are good enough, mind you. But they can only do so much, because the real problem with this film is the script. For the first twenty minutes or so of screen time, the viewer is led through a series of confusing and rather disconnected scenes involving the perpetually discontented Natalie and the nice young man who turns out to be her younger brother. (You *might* not pick up on that fact at first, since there are minimal references to it in the first third of the film--certainly the two *look* nothing alike.) Finally the main part of the plot begins, with Natalie just as discontented, despite being married to a wealthy and quirky-but-ultimately-nice guy (Alan Rickman, for whose sake I watched this film at all--not worth it), and with her brother seemingly happy with his life, but somehow still willing to be drawn into a sexual relationship with his sister. From that point, things spiral--no, that's too dynamic a word to describe it--*mosey* out of control, with the fickle sister trying to break off the affair, the poor brother (the only particularly sympathetic character in the film) becoming obsessed with the relationship, and the worried hubby's suspicions growing (although not in the right direction). There's so much here that *could* have been fascinating and compelling, but isn't, on any level. The plot just wanders aimlessly through an only semi-believable situation, scattering out the occasional pebble of human misery with its slogging feet. This video seems to have disappeared from most rental shops--mercifully for the public--but I certainly wouldn't recommend resorting to buying it. B0000AOV3W:really_pretty_dull_for_such_a_button-pushing_topic_:susieq B0000AOV3W Close My Eyes: DVD: Alan Rickman,Clive Owen,Saskia Reeves,Karl Johnson (II),Lesley Sharp,Kate Gartside,Karen Knight (II),Niall Buggy,Campbell Morrison,Annie Hayes,Maxwell Hutcheon,Geraldine Somerville,Helen FitzGerald,Christopher Barr,Gordon Salkilld,Choy-Ling Man,John Albasiny,Marie Passarelli,Jan Winters,Stephen Poliakoff dvd 3 of 8 2.0 August 18, 2005 SusieQ New York I wasn't impressed by this film. First of all, I could never "buy" that Saskia Reeves and Clive Owen were a brother and sister. Nothing in their mannerisms or physical appearances would lead you to believe that they are related. Nor does the backstory provided by the film give any credibility to their supposed brother-sister relationship. They might as well have been unrelated lovers having a difficult relationship due to their massive immaturity and character problems, because that's how the relationship came across. Personally, outside of the button-pushing topic of incest, I found this movie dull and sometimes tawdry. Clive Owen looked and acted like a low-grade truculent Lawrence Harvey, and Saskia Reeves was simply annoying (like her character, a weak, hopeless drifter from job to job and man to man.) The only actors who showed any real feeling were Alan Rickman as the husband, and Karl Johnson as Clive Owen's AIDS-stricken boss. Karl Johnson has the best scene in the film: he goes to a meeting with sores around his mouth and in a wheelchair, obviously suffering from AIDS, and this very fact intimidates the guy he's gone to meet. The man keeps trying to subtly jerk his uneaten lunch away from any contact with the Karl Johnson character, and in the end Karl Johnson seizes the guy's sandwich and bites it, then offers the other guy a bite, pushing the sandwich into his face, basically...it's a scene that crackles with his anger & pain at being trapped by this illness, which is going to kill him, while this corrupt and self-important man is able to function normally. But aside from that wake-up call, the film dragged, and by the time Clive Owen's character was shouting in the climatic scene his realization that he's been used by his "sister" to inflate her sense of self-importance, I was long gone, with my head nodding. Much ado about nothing, frankly. One star for the soundtrack; one star for the performances of Alan Rickman (what little he has to work with, he shines) and Karl Johnson. Die-hard Clive Owen fans such as myself; eeeh, pass on this. B00020X96A:poor_movie:j._o'preska B00020X96A Gettysburg: Three Days of Destiny: DVD: James Choate,Patrick Falci dvd 6 of 18 1.0 December 5, 2004 J. O'Preska Heidelberg, Germany This DVD is quite expensive but yields little to justify the cost. The film lacks any real drama and becomes terribly boring after the first ten or so minutes. The acting is hopeless...really, really bad! Although there are many "soldiers" involved in the battle scenes, it's all pretty unconvincing, considering the carnage of the real conflict. In all honesty, as much as I enjoy movies of the Civil War, I'd like to return this for a refund. Alas, that's a prospect that has,indeed, gone with the wind. Thumbs down to this one B00020X96A:are_there_lower_ratings?:scott_anderson_"sharpsburg" B00020X96A Gettysburg: Three Days of Destiny: DVD: James Choate,Patrick Falci dvd 6 of 17 1.0 August 20, 2004 Scott Anderson "Sharpsburg" Shepherdstown, WV Stick with Ted Turners "Gettysburg", what can I honestly say about this work of fluff. Nothing B000H5U832:ok_film.._less_than_ok_dvd..:michael_march_"cowmix" B000H5U832 Cars (Full Screen Edition): DVD: Owen Wilson,Bonnie Hunt dvd 2.0 November 22, 2006 Michael March "Cowmix" Phoenix, AZ First off, I am a HUGE Pixar fan. In November in '95 I took my company to see Toy Story and within 6 months of that showing I got rid of most of the employees that didn't like the film. I've seen every Pixar film at least 5o times. Nuff said. Anyway, I liked the film Cars.. but not as much as other Pixar flicks.. Its still good.. However, the DVD is underwhelming: a) no commentary b) horrible deleted scenes c) not much in extras. The Route 66 mini-documentary is ok though.. This DVD is about as bad as the first release of A Bug's Life.. another skimpy release on DVD.. Finally, they didn't include a tribute to Joe Ranft.. That's a huge crime in itself. B000FQVX78:i_know_where_u_can_get_originals:j._rosen B000FQVX78 Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983 & 2004 versions, Two-Disc Widescreen Edition): DVD: Richard Marquand dvd 1.0 November 22, 2006 J. Rosen NYC These dvd's are a joke. If you want the ORIGINAL full length movies on dvd go on ebay. You will find versions copied from LASERDISC. They are in widescreen, digital quality, original audio and full length. They are superior to the old VHS Copies and much better then these new Dvd's. Viva la revolution......... B00008438U:okay_for_30_years_ago,_maybe:backcountrybum B00008438U The Andromeda Strain: DVD: Arthur Hill,David Wayne,James Olson,Kate Reid,Paula Kelly,George Mitchell (II),Ramon Bieri,Peter Hobbs,Kermit Murdock,Richard O'Brien (II),Eric Christmas,Mark Jenkins,Peter Helm,Joe Di Reda,Carl Reindel,Ken Swofford,Frances Reid,Richard Bull,John Carter (IV),Emory Parnell,Robert Wise dvd 2.0 November 23, 2006 backcountrybum BOISE, ID USA This movie is laughable today. It's very dated, and it shows. It's not worth your time. The acting is so-so, but felt forced (like William Shatner style). The storyline is okay. By today's standards, it appears like a low budget flick B00005B4BI:strarring_3_of_my_least_favorite_actors_in_a_nothing-new-here_flop:matthew_watson B00005B4BI Pay It Forward: DVD: Kevin Spacey,Helen Hunt,Haley Joel Osment,Jay Mohr,James Caviezel,Jon Bon Jovi,Angie Dickinson,David Ramsey,Gary Werntz,Colleen Flynn,Marc Donato,Kathleen Wilhoite,Liza Snyder,Jeanetta Arnette,Hannah Werntz,Tina Lifford,Loren D. Baum,Nico Matinata,Zack Duhame,Shawn Pyfrom,Mimi Leder dvd 0 of 1 2.0 November 22, 2006 Matthew Watson Indiana Well, my title says it all. There is nothing special or amazing about this movie. I don't like the three main actors, and the ending was just laughable. Sorry, but it was a stupid movie B000ICM5XA:how_many_times_can_this_story_be_filmed?:grady_harp B000ICM5XA You, Me and Dupree (Full Screen Edition): DVD: Owen Wilson,Kate Hudson,Matt Dillon,Michael Douglas,Seth Rogen,Ralph Ting,Todd Stashwick,Keo Knight,Bill Hader,Lance Armstrong,Jason Winer,Sidney S. Liufau,Billy Gardell,Eli Vargas,Houston McCrillis,Bob Larkin,Suzanne Ford,Finessa Pineda,Tasha Smith,John Ruby (III),Anthony Russo (II),Joe Russo (II) dvd 2.0 November 23, 2006 Grady Harp Los Angeles, CA United States YOU, ME AND DUPREE is a formula film, a template designed for teenage guys who feel the need for potty mouth, noisy, crude guy things movies. There have been a lot of these films of late (all spinoffs of The Wedding Crasher image) and one wonders if there is a saturation point. Relating the story is rather pointless as it is a one-line joke (?). Dupree (Owen Wilson playing Owen Wilson) is the best man at his buddy Matt Dillon's wedding to Kate Hudson (the You and Me) and subsequently moves in with them, causing all manner of mayhem and bad taste and faux pas and grim situations (think toilet problems etc). And that is it. Michael Douglas was brought in to play a flat role as Kate Hudson's father who objects to her marriage blah blah blah. Ask directors Anthony and Joe Russo for the rest. We know that Hudson, Dillon and Douglas have much better roles to offer (Wilson seems to have found his niche), and the only reason films like this keep getting made is because they make money (for some reason) at the box office. The film is silly, tacky, tired and should only be rented if the shelves in the video store are otherwise empty... Grady Harp, November 06 B000C65Z1G:the_big_sleep:joe_doherty_"old_buff" B000C65Z1G The Constant Gardener (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Fernando Meirelles,Ralph Fiennes,Rachel Weisz,Hubert Kound ,Danny Huston,Daniele Harford,Packson Ngugi,Damaris Itenyo Agweyu,Bernard Otieno Oduor,Bill Nighy,Keith Pearson,John Sibi-Okumu,Donald Sumpter,Archie Panjabi,Nick Reding,Gerard McSorley,Juliet Aubrey,Jacqueline Maribe,Donald Apiyo,Pete Postlethwaite,Samuel Otage dvd 1.0 November 21, 2006 Joe Doherty "old buff" County Wexford,Ireland Here we have what has to be one of the most mind bogglingly boring movies ever made! I couldn't believe what I was watching! Moreover,I am aghast that this film garnered some acclaim and that some reviewers on these pages even saw fit to award this dreck with an unbelievable four and five star rating. What is going on? Is it me or them that has totally lost the plot of what movies are supposed to be all about? Am I naive to think that movies should first and foremost entertain? Where oh where was the entertainment in this lame effort of a film with its unsteady shaky comera work,hamfisted confusing screenplay lacking energy and inventiveness and the cloying performance of modern cinema's most tedious and overrated sleep inducing actor Ralph Fiennes? How I long for the good old days when we had great movies with great actors from great writers and great directors and which achieved what they set out to do - entertain.Sadly with the emergence of such a travesty as "The Constant Gardener" it appears that we unfortunate "real" film lovers are in for a dismal viewing future. B000GYI3MM:rehash_of_the_1st:matt_abbott_"mattabbott" B000GYI3MM The Butterfly Effect 2: DVD: Eric Lively,Erica Durance,Dustin Milligan,Gina Holden,David Lewis (IV),Andrew Airlie,Chris Gauthier,Susan Hogan,JR Bourne,Lindsay Maxwell,Zoran Vukelic,Jerry Wasserman,John Mann (II),Tom Bulmer,Veena Sood,Brad Kelly,Caeli MacAulay,Malcolm Stewart,John R. Leonetti dvd 1.0 November 22, 2006 Matt Abbott "mattabbott" USA This movie is a rehash of the first, but it is a crappy, unconvincing, emotionally uninspiring movie. Let me guess what part 3 will be about: A guy who looks at video or pictures goes back in time, does not alter that timeline the way he wants (i.e. always worst case scenario) and ends up killing himself in the end for the sake of everyone else B000H5U5V2:relieved_i'm_not_the_only_one_who_feels_this_way:john_i._wolf_"myspace.com/mathandscience" B000H5U5V2 Paul McCartney - The Space Within US: DVD: Paul McCartney dvd 2.0 November 24, 2006 John I. Wolf "myspace.com/mathandscience" Los Angeles After seeing the real show in L.A., my girlfriend and I were really looking forward to the DVD. And after last night's viewing, I went to bed kinda creeped out and actually felt a little guilty that I didn't like the whole thing that much. I'm relieved to see that other fans just couldn't handle all the audience shots either. This DVD tries so hard to define Paul's place in our lives and his impact on the world through his music that it ends up blowing it for those of us who already know, feel, and live it. They tried to document his music and its impact instead of just filming it. If you're from Mars and this is your first day on Earth, you might appreciate the way the DVD attempts to explain the relevance of Paul's work. If you've been on this planet for awhile, chances are you're already up to speed and just want to see the band and hear the music B000I2KJR4:read_the_book:joshua_s._danheim_"rap_sucks" B000I2KJR4 The Da Vinci Code (Special Edition Giftset): DVD: Tom Hanks,Audrey Tautou,Ian McKellen,Jean Reno,Paul Bettany,Alfred Molina,J rgen Prochnow,Jean-Yves Berteloot,Etienne Chicot,Jean-Pierre Marielle,Marie-Fran oise Audollent,Rita Davies,Francesco Carnelutti,Seth Gabel,Shane Zaza,Andrew Clark,Fausto Maria Sciarappa,Joe Grossi,Denis Podalyd s,Harry Taylor,Ron Howard dvd 0 of 1 2.0 November 22, 2006 Joshua S. danheim "Rap Sucks" This really isnt a bad movie if you havent read the book, if you have read the book then think of this as another story based on the same subject. i understand that a book to movie will leave certain things out, and i accept that, but to completely change the ending is not excusable. What was wrong with the way the book ended? Like i said if you havent read the book you will like this movie although they do solve these very complex puzzles after a glance at them(even though they hide a very very valuable secret that will change the world). If you havent read the book or seen the movie do yourself a favor and pick up a copy, its a better story and its cheaper if bought in the paperback, if you dont have time to read it then get it on audio disk or tape B000H7I6CU:ok_film.._less_than_ok_dvd..:michael_march_"cowmix" B000H7I6CU Cars (Spanish Language Widescreen Edition): DVD: Cars dvd 2 of 5 2.0 November 22, 2006 Michael March "Cowmix" Phoenix, AZ First off, I am a HUGE Pixar fan. In November in '95 I took my company to see Toy Story and within 6 months of that showing I got rid of most of the employees that didn't like the film. I've seen every Pixar film at least 5o times. Nuff said. Anyway, I liked the film Cars.. but not as much as other Pixar flicks.. Its still good.. However, the DVD is underwhelming: a) no commentary b) horrible deleted scenes c) not much in extras. The Route 66 mini-documentary is ok though.. This DVD is about as bad as the first release of A Bug's Life.. another skimpy release on DVD.. Finally, they didn't include a tribute to Joe Ranft.. That's a huge crime in itself. B000H7I6CU:the_worst_pixar_movie_ever:joseph_knecht B000H7I6CU Cars (Spanish Language Widescreen Edition): DVD: Cars dvd 2 of 7 1.0 November 20, 2006 Joseph Knecht Castalia I consider myself a huge pixar fan. This is easily the most insipid Pixar movie ever. Pixar ran out of pixie dust while making this one. I have read the rave reviews and am scratching my head trying to figure what it was that they like about this movie. Pixar, if you are listening, please, please, dont embarass yourself by dishing out this sort of c-grade stuff. I expect more from you B000I2J2WC:read_the_book:joshua_s._danheim_"rap_sucks" B000I2J2WC The Da Vinci Code (Full Screen Edition): DVD: Tom Hanks,Audrey Tautou,Ian McKellen,Jean Reno,Paul Bettany,Alfred Molina,J rgen Prochnow,Jean-Yves Berteloot,Etienne Chicot,Jean-Pierre Marielle,Marie-Fran oise Audollent,Rita Davies,Francesco Carnelutti,Seth Gabel,Shane Zaza,Andrew Clark,Fausto Maria Sciarappa,Joe Grossi,Denis Podalyd s,Harry Taylor,Ron Howard dvd 0 of 1 2.0 November 22, 2006 Joshua S. danheim "Rap Sucks" This really isnt a bad movie if you havent read the book, if you have read the book then think of this as another story based on the same subject. i understand that a book to movie will leave certain things out, and i accept that, but to completely change the ending is not excusable. What was wrong with the way the book ended? Like i said if you havent read the book you will like this movie although they do solve these very complex puzzles after a glance at them(even though they hide a very very valuable secret that will change the world). If you havent read the book or seen the movie do yourself a favor and pick up a copy, its a better story and its cheaper if bought in the paperback, if you dont have time to read it then get it on audio disk or tape B000F7CMRW:the_details_are_wrong,_the_big_picture_is_inexistant:housemaidsknee_"housemaidsknee" B000F7CMRW Syriana (Full Screen Edition): DVD: Kayvan Novak,George Clooney,Amr Waked,Christopher Plummer,Jeffrey Wright,Chris Cooper,Robert Foxworth,Nicky Henson,Nicholas Art,Matt Damon,Amanda Peet,Steven Hinkle,Daisy Torm ,Peter Gerety,Richard Lintern,Jocelyn Quivrin,Mazhar Munir,Shahid Ahmed,Bikram Singh Bhamra,Roger Yuan,Stephen Gaghan dvd 2.0 November 23, 2006 Housemaidsknee "Housemaidsknee" Hanover, NH The details are all fine if you don't know the middle east - but are not well researched and inconsistent. I won't bore you with the list. All the big picture takeaway is that the middle east and big oil are a complicated business with many parties that have a big stake. Tell us something new. The overall storyline does not have much else going for it - I was expecting more intrigue, a more synthesized story line. A disappointment. B000HCO83Q:disappointing_--_especially_for_the_x-men_fans!:rebecca_operhall_"lightningrose" B000HCO83Q X-Men - The Last Stand (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Hugh Jackman,Halle Berry,Ian McKellen,Famke Janssen,Anna Paquin,Kelsey Grammer,Rebecca Romijn,James Marsden,Shawn Ashmore,Aaron Stanford,Vinnie Jones,Patrick Stewart,Ben Foster,Ellen Page,Michael Murphy,Josef Sommer,Shohreh Aghdashloo,Dania Ramirez,Bill Duke,Daniel Cudmore,Brett Ratner dvd 2.0 November 21, 2006 Rebecca Operhall "lightningrose" Southern New Mexico If you have read (and enjoyed) any of the X-men, save your $, buy the graphic novel of the original dark Phoenix saga, and pretend this movie wasn't made. If you want to see some special effects & aren't that hung up on character development, I'd still just rent it B000GIXEIG:expected_so_much,_got_so_little...left_feeling_disappointed:a._simpkins B000GIXEIG Beowulf & Grendel: DVD: Sturla Gunnarsson,Gerard Butler,Ingvar Eggert Sigur sson,Stellan Skarsg rd,Sarah Polley,Eddie Marsan,Tony Curran,Martin Delaney,Rory McCann,Ronan Vibert,Hringur Ingvarsson,Spencer Wilding,Gunnar Eyj lfsson,Philip Whitchurch,Mark Lewis (VIII),Elva sk lafsd ttir, lafur Darri lafsson,Steinunn l na orsteinsd ttir,G sli rn Gar arsson,Gunnar Hansson,Benedikt Clausen dvd 1 of 1 2.0 November 24, 2006 A. Simpkins Medford, NJ United States Saw this Movie at the actual Premier in NYC and met Sturla Gunnerson and I told him exactly how I felt. Gerard Butler needed a bigger horse. I expected so much more out of this film and felt empty handed leaving the theater. Sarah Polleys language was uncalled for in the film. They could have written better lines. The fade in, fade out was like a child filming with a video camera. The film was funny at times and mixed with gore. Like eating sweet and sour. Being a Gerard Butler fan I was distressed after watching this film. Why did he do this? Gerry Butler is an incredibly talented actor and made the most out of the poor lines and bad pony riding scenes. This unfortunately will not be one of his great films he has done in the past like The Jury, Please or The Phantom of The Opera. I expect Mr. Butler to be past these B films and know he does have much better stuff in the works...than goodness. All in all the film was terrible. The scenery was captivating and breathless. I at times found myself saying wow, but it was about the story of Beowulf & Grendel and it did not meet my expectations that I have read even in the easiest translations. All I can say is Mr. Butler your an incredible talent, becareful what you choose. Movies like this can paved the way to a downward spiral. I know Mr. Butler is indeed better than this. 0790740443:'science'_fiction_it's_not....:literatewalrus 0790740443 Soldier: DVD: Kurt Russell,Jason Scott Lee,Jason Isaacs,Connie Nielsen,Sean Pertwee,Jared Thorne,Taylor Thorne,Mark Bringleson,Gary Busey,K.K. Dodds,James Black (II),Mark De Alessandro,Vladimir Orlov,Carsten Norgaard,Duffy Gaver,Brenda Wehle,Michael Chiklis,Elizabeth Dennehy,Paul Dillon,Max Daniels,Paul W.S. Anderson dvd 0 of 6 2.0 January 29, 2006 LiterateWalrus Upstate SC, USA The basic premise of this movie could be quite interesting - how does a man trained as a 'killing-machine' integrate back into society. Yes, it's been done before but still holds promise. The plot was adequate. The acting was believable - no complaints there. I particularly enjoyed Sean Pertwee as 'Mace'. And Jason Isaacs has long been a favorite actor. But what ruined the movie for me was the science. I'm not a fanatic - I have no problems with FTL travel or spaceships 'banking' on turns or loud explosions in space in movies. And I realize that movies are not 'real'. But I've never seen more 'bad' science in any one movie. My son and I watched this together and it turned into a contest seeing who could catch more bloopers. I could go on and on detailing the scientific and logic errors in this movie - but it would take me all night. It spoiled the whole movie for me 0790740443:el_sucko!:john_mozuke_"john_mozuke" 0790740443 Soldier: DVD: Kurt Russell,Jason Scott Lee,Jason Isaacs,Connie Nielsen,Sean Pertwee,Jared Thorne,Taylor Thorne,Mark Bringleson,Gary Busey,K.K. Dodds,James Black (II),Mark De Alessandro,Vladimir Orlov,Carsten Norgaard,Duffy Gaver,Brenda Wehle,Michael Chiklis,Elizabeth Dennehy,Paul Dillon,Max Daniels,Paul W.S. Anderson dvd 1 of 13 2.0 January 28, 2006 John Mozuke "John Mozuke" Parts Unknown, WV United States I am a big fan of Kurt Russell but this movie sucks. And as Forrest Gump said, "thats all I have to say about that. B0007NFMCG:the_turtles_are_great_but_this_dvd_is_not:j._dilly B0007NFMCG Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Original Series (Volume 2): DVD: Michael Gough (II),Bill Martin (IV),Joan Gerber,Nicholas Omana,Bumper Robinson,Hamilton Camp,Elizabeth Daily,James Avery,Cam Clarke,Barry Gordon,Jennifer Darling,Alan Oppenheimer,Maggie Roswell,Rob Paulsen,Jack Angel,Peter Renaday,Tony Jay dvd 3 of 24 2.0 December 16, 2005 J. DILLY OHIO GROWING UP, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THE TURTLES BUT THIS DVD STINKS. THE ONLY PLUS IS THAT I CAN HAVE THE ORIGINAL EPISODES IN CONVENIENT DVD FORM RATHER THAN TRACK DOWN A BUNCH OF OLD VHS TAPES. THIS DVD IS NO DIFFERENT FROM THE SEASON ONE AND SEASON THREE DVD'S. THEY ALL HAVE SPELLING ERRORS AND TITLE ERRORS AND EACH ONE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN PRODUCE IN A HALF-A$$ FASHION JUST TO CAPITALIZE ON THE NEW TURTLE'S SUCESS. WHICH BY THE WAY THE NEW TURTLES ARE MUCH BETTER THAN THE OLD ONES. ON THE SEASON THREE DVD THE PACKAGE REFERS TO "BEBOP" AS BEBOB, NICE EDITING JOB. I GUESS IT WAS TO HARD TO GET THAT ONE RIGHT. ALSO ALL THREE OF THE DVD'S ARE BARE BONES WITH NO SPECIAL FEATURES. THE PRICE DOES HOWEVER REFLECT THE CRAPPY JOB THE STUDIO DID ON THIS MOST OF THESE DVD'S CAN BE PURCHASED FOR AROUND 10 BUCKS. I JUST WISH THAT PETER LAIRD HAD THE RIGHTS TO THE OLD SHOW SO THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE SOME JUSTICE ON DVD B000G5SIEO:dvd's_are_defective!!!!!!:pookerbears B000G5SIEO Roseanne - The Complete Fifth Season: DVD: Roseanne dvd 0 of 7 1.0 October 9, 2006 Pookerbears Pennsylvania Unfortunatly this DVD set is defective. On disc 1 episode 3 the picture just freezes and then loops back to the opening scene. I sent one back to Amazon then got a replacement and had to send that one back as well. So I thought maybe the ones at the store might not be defective so I bought a copy at Target and it's the same problem! I've written to Anchor Bay twice and they haven't bothered to reply. This situation really angers me because I love this season but am not going to waste money on a defective product. Don't buy this DVD until the problem is resolved!!!! B00007CVT8:not_great,_but_ok:s._scott_"ky" B00007CVT8 Do You Wanna Know a Secret?: DVD: Michael Sarysz,Dorie Barton,Joseph Lawrence (II),Jeff Conaway,Sara Premisler,James Mapes,Jack McGee,Greg Cipes,Sterling Rice,Angela Taylor,Britton Purvis,Tom Jay Jones,Chad Allen,Leonora Scelfo,Elsie Escobar,Robert Crooks,Del Tenney,Margot Hartman,Victoria Bass,Kyle Hayse,Thomas Bradford dvd 1 of 2 2.0 April 12, 2005 S. scott "Ky" I got this movie on sale a couple years ago. It looked pretty good, but you know how most of that goes. I really lke movies like Scream, I thought it would be like that, but nope. This movie was a hundred percent perdictable. I knew everything that was gonna happen in this movie. From the first seen you can tell it's gonna suck. *Spoiler* The first seen has a guy walking down a dorm hallway, when he hears a door open and close and goes to check it out. The lights flicker (Wow how original) and a person... in a really, really stupid mask shows up and kills him with an ax. This is what happens throughout the entire movie. Don't waste your time or money. If you really want to see it i would suggest renting it... not worth more than 3.00 anytime B00005NTNS:good_but_not_great.:starfire B00005NTNS 4 for Texas: DVD: Frank Sinatra,Dean Martin,Anita Ekberg,Ursula Andress,Charles Bronson,Victor Buono,Edric Connor,Nick Dennis,Richard Jaeckel,Mike Mazurki,Wesley Addy,Marjorie Bennett,Virginia Christine,Ellen Corby,Jack Elam,Jesslyn Fax,Fritz Feld,Percy Helton,Jonathan Hole,Jack Lambert,Robert Aldrich dvd 1.0 August 6, 2006 Starfire Ojai, California I guess I expected more out of this movie but I confess I was mildly disappointed in it. At first, the movie seems to be having a hard time making up its mind whether to be a comedy or a drama and the resulting mish mash is a bit unsettling. Still, it was a great cast; Dean Martin was particularly adept at westerns, much more so than Frank Sinatra, who pretty much plays Frank Sinatra in this one. It is fun to see the two of them compete for the ladies, in this case, Anita Ekberg and Ursula Andress. The bad guys are well represented by Victor Buono and Charles Bronson. A fun movie but not particularly memorable. B00005AKTS:disappointing:mark_d._miller_"the_wyzard" B00005AKTS The Ninth Gate: DVD: Johnny Depp,Frank Langella,Lena Olin,Emmanuelle Seigner,Barbara Jefford,Jack Taylor (II),Jos L pez Rodero,Tony Amoni,James Russo,Willy Holt,Allen Garfield,Jacques Dacqmine,Joe Sheridan,Rebecca Pauly,Catherine Benguigui,Maria Ducceschi,Jacques Collard,Dominique Pozzetto,Emanuel Booz,Lino Ribeiro de Sousa,Roman Polanski dvd 1 of 4 2.0 August 23, 2006 Mark D. Miller "the wyzard" San Francisco Beware the reviews that say this is an underrated classic and masterpiece and all that. Was real disappointed by 9th Gate. This film is tepid, there is none of the satanic intensity/ambiance that you find in 'Rosemary's Baby' It's too Hollywood, surprisingly, considering the maverick presence of Depp/Polanski. Film opens well, with a suicide and Depp's opportunistic character who seems to straddle the moral fence, but it never creates the proper mood or atmosphere. Exorcist 3, which I was equally disappointed in, at least was more satanic. I won't spoil anything for those who do want to see it, but the showdown scene between Depp and those he is purusing is awkward and poorly directed. Emmanuelle Seigner comes across more like a hippy chick than a Demona. And the 'showdown with the devil' is a letdown to say the least. This film could have been great but Polanski dropped the ball, considering he was the producer/director/co-screenwriter, and the film fails in all three areas. It's not horrible, so I give it 2 stars. But don't buy this film, rent it only. Buy Angel Heart instead B00006GF6H:got._to._be._kidding.:follow_your_heart_"art_is_it's_own_reward" B00006GF6H Downtown 81: DVD: Giorgio Gomelsky,Bobby Grossman,Daniela Morera,Bern Nix,Bradley Field,Patrick Geooffrois,Snuky Tate,Steven Brown (VI),John Morton (XI),Coati Mundi,Saul Williams,Ann Carlyle,Chris Stein,Chica Nakanishi,Ma Chang,Betsy Sussler,Deborah Harry,Marty Thau,Elliott Murphy,George Dubose,Edo Bertoglio dvd 2 of 10 1.0 September 27, 2005 Follow your heart "art is it's own reward" CA USA OK, Basquiat, at age 19- see the actual person. PERIOD(so wonderfully played by Wright in movie "Basquiat")What a major trainwreck of film this is.Should have stayed where it was buried. Sorry, won't waste my time to list all the many, very many reasons, already wasted my money. B00005BGSB:very_poor_quality_dvd's,_very_disappointed:matthew_a._brown_"matt" B00005BGSB Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Movie Collection: DVD: David Suchet,Philip Jackson (II),Bruce Alexander,Ben Bazell,Nigel Bellairs,Peter Blythe,Oliver Bradshaw,Carolyn Colquhoun,Christopher Eccleston,Karen Gledhill,Joe Greco (III),Laurence Harrington,Mary Healey,Helen Horton,Trilby James,Kevork Malikyan,Joanna Phillips-Lane,Julie Smith,Sara Stewart,John Warner,Ross Devenish,Renny Rye dvd 13 of 21 1.0 September 5, 2002 Matthew A. Brown "Matt" Seattle, WA USA I recently discovered this set available on DVD and was very excited, since I've been a fan of David Suchet, Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot for a long time. I was really looking forward to viewing these, however the poor quality of the image was apparent to me in the first scene and it didn't get better. The image quality is actually worse than what I've seen on aired on television via cable. The picture appears to be composed of thousands of tiny vertical lines, which are easily discernable and difficult to ignore. I'm amazed Acorn would release such a great series in such a low quality package and then charge so much for it. I will definitely not buy any other titles by Acorn Media B00029NKSS:buy_only_the_first_set...:k._m_pizzi B00029NKSS The Persuaders!, Set 2: DVD: Persuaders dvd 6 of 9 2.0 August 9, 2004 K. M Pizzi San Mateo, CA United States The first set was very entertaining--a spy/crime caper spoof with dashes of comic brilliance provided by Moore and Curtis--Set II is another kettle of fish altogether. The second set is strictly played for laughs--there is little or no character development and the plots and dialogue run rather thin. Frankly, I hoped for more. For those who wish to obtain a true collector's set of this highly entertaining series, would do better to purchase the Network DVD Megaset Special Edition of The Persuaders, now available thru AmazonUK with some delighful extras including bumpers, promotional materials, episode commentaries, tv spot interviews, title sequences, and hour-long interviews with director, Robert Baker, Tony Curtis, and Roger Moore. Tony Curtis' unabashed comments regarding the production team, guest-star Joan Collins's antics on the set, and his marijuana bust en route to London for the taping of the first episode, are absolutely priceless in this Network DVD set. Surprisingly, the acute observer will notice that some of the episodes in the second box of the A&E set are written by none other than Terry Nation--who would go on to pen a bigger and more serious series SURVIVORS in the UK four years later-when will that be available in the US? B00003IPFA:fairly_interesting_documentary_about_adhd:areaman666_"areaman666" B00003IPFA Half Japanese - The Band That Would Be King: DVD: Maureen Tucker,Jad Fair,Penn Jillette,David Fair,Jeff Feuerzeig dvd 0 of 2 2.0 August 20, 2005 areaman666 "areaman666" Portland, OR USA This is a documentary about ADHD-not Half Japanese. Most of the so-called critics can't remember a dambed thing except for how great they are for recognizing the greatness of Jad while continuously ranting about their major label conspiracy theories. Penn Jillette even goes so far as to brag about how he conned a homless person out of Jad's material and then threatened Jad with physical violence if he ever talked to the guy. If you're interested in mental illness and sleazy people like Penn Jillette stroking themselves then by all means watch this. If you're interested in a great American rock band then just buy the albums and listen. B00004WZZA:oh,_those_poor_racists_lost_their_slaves,_how_sad!:doc_savage_"doc_savage" B00004WZZA Gone with the Wind: DVD: Clark Gable,Vivien Leigh,Leslie Howard,Olivia de Havilland,Thomas Mitchell,Barbara O'Neil,Evelyn Keyes,Ann Rutherford,George Reeves,Fred Crane,Hattie McDaniel,Oscar Polk,Butterfly McQueen,Victor Jory,Everett Brown,Howard C. Hickman,Alicia Rhett,Rand Brooks,Carroll Nye,Marcella Martin,Victor Fleming,George Cukor,Sam Wood dvd 6 of 25 1.0 October 13, 2006 Doc Savage "Doc Savage" San Diego, CA (1) Scarlett O'Hara is the least likable "heroine" I've ever seen. She has no redeeming qualities. (2) We're supposed to sympathize with the South and feel nostalgia for the good old days when white folks could own black folks? (3) This movie is way too long and dull. (4) I'm glad they burned Atlanta to the ground. (5) There was nothing honorable or respectable about the Old South and the plantation way of the life. The "gentlemen" were nothing but racists who thought they were aristocrats because blacks did all their work for them. (6) I'd rather watch "Mandingo" than this racist garbage any day of the week B0000844LI:a_waste_of_time_and_money:p._hall B0000844LI Modulations: Cinema for the Ear: DVD: Iara Lee,DJ Spooky,Karlheinz Stockhausen,Robert Moog,Derrick May,Rob Playford,David Kristian,Carl Cox,Genesis P-Orridge,Danny Tenaglia,Afrika Bambaataa,Arthur Baker,Moby dvd 2 of 18 1.0 August 3, 2005 P. Hall gulf coast of florida A poorly-conceived, poorly put together mess. Don't bother B0002S94CK:and_people_think_this_thing_is_good?_money_doesn't_grow_on_trees,_but_sorry_movies_do.........:jefferson_dollar_"iroppoi_otoko" B0002S94CK Universal Soldier (Special Edition): DVD: Jean-Claude Van Damme,Dolph Lundgren,Ally Walker,Ed O'Ross,Jerry Orbach,Leon Rippy,Tico Wells,Ralf Moeller,Robert Trebor,Gene Davis,Drew Snyder,Tommy 'Tiny' Lister,Simon Rhee,Eric Norris,Michael Winther,Joseph Malone,Rance Howard,Lilyan Chauvin,Monty Laird,Joanne Baron,Roland Emmerich dvd 2 of 6 1.0 July 31, 2005 Jefferson Dollar "Iroppoi otoko" richmond, virginia Let me start by saying if you are considering purchase of this film, make your own decision as to if you will purchase it. This is simply my opinion of the film. This movie has horrible fight scenes that don't appear to be martial arts at all. Basically, Van Damme is in another film which does not capitalize on his martial arts abilities, and forces him into a stiff choreographed position. They found some buff guys, okay, big deal. They put them in a film, and say that they are super soldiers with extra ordinary skills. These guys don't have that. Vin Diesel has far better choreography by himself. I have said this about other films and I will say it about this one as well. The cast & crew benefited from the production of this film, so it doesnt affect them. They go home happy believing they did a good job. You, the consumer, you go and see it on the shelf and recognize a star on the cover and consider buying it. Wrong move as for this film. You will waste money that could have been put into your retirement, or used to buy your children school paper as they educate themselves. Save that money and put it where it belongs. This is not worth your cash B000BYA5GO:more_like_a_documental:mago_"mallo" B000BYA5GO Lord of War (2-Disc Special Edition): DVD: Andrew Niccol,Nicolas Cage,Bridget Moynahan,Jared Leto,Shake Tukhmanyan,Jean-Pierre Nshanian,Jared Burke,Eric Uys,David Shumbris,Stewart Morgan,Jasper Lenz,Kobus Marx,Stephan De Abreu,Jeremy Crutchley,Ian Holm,Tanya Finch,Lize Jooste,Yaseen Abdullah,Donald Sutherland,David Harman (II),Neil Tweddle dvd 0 of 8 2.0 September 4, 2006 Mago "Mallo" Colombia This is a very slow movie and it seems more like a documental about war, geopolitics and weapons trade. There is almost no dialogues B00005QFE5:is_this_chinese_film_only_in_french?:wallace_smith_"tn435" B00005QFE5 The Road Home: DVD: Ziyi Zhang,Honglei Sun,Hao Zheng,Yulian Zhao,Bin Li,Guifa Chang,Wencheng Sung,Qi Liu,Bo Ji,Zhongxi Zhang,Yimou Zhang dvd 1 of 6 1.0 August 14, 2006 Wallace Smith "TN435" Chicago I am confused - Does anyone know who owns this DVD whether this chinese film The Road Home is in FRENCH AUDIO ONLY for this Sony dvd? It's not in Mandarin, Cantonese or any other chinese dialect? The answer will determine whether I buy it or not. B0000AOX0A:pretty_lame:anthony_foster_"empirestatebuddy" B0000AOX0A Prince Of Darkness: DVD: Donald Pleasence,Jameson Parker,Victor Wong (III),Lisa Blount,Dennis Dun,Susan Blanchard,Anne Marie Howard,Ann Yen,Ken Wright,Dirk Blocker,Jessie Lawrence Ferguson,Peter Jason,Robert Grasmere,Thom Bray,Joanna Merlin,Alice Cooper,Betty Ramey,Jessie Ferguson,John Carpenter dvd 1 of 10 1.0 August 24, 2006 Anthony Foster "empirestatebuddy" new york city maybe i'm spoiled by big-budget sci-fi films, but i thought this movie kind of stunk. it felt and looked like a TV movie and wasn't scary, at all. the best/funniest part was how no one could remember the one lady's name or face, and everyone described her the same way--"the one with the glasses." "Oh, her--haven't seen her." LOL B0007KIFLE:terrible!:joe_t._"bluesharpfan" B0007KIFLE Blue Chips: DVD: Nick Nolte,Mary McDonnell,J.T. Walsh,Ed O'Neill,Alfre Woodard,Bob Cousy,Shaquille O'Neal,Anfernee 'Penny' Hardaway,Matt Nover,Cylk Cozart,Anthony C. Hall,Kevin Benton,Bill Cross (IV),Marques Johnson,Robert Wuhl,Bobby Knight,Rick Pitino,George Raveling,Sam Armato,Larry Bird,William Friedkin dvd 1 of 10 1.0 February 14, 2005 Joe T. "BluesHarpFan" Houston, Texas Okay, this movie is a complete waste of time for even the most diehard college basketball fans. Nick Nolte does a fine job acting like Bob Knight coaching UCLA, or in this case, the fictional Western Univ. That is until the 'real' Bob Knight coaches Indiana against Nolte's fictional team in the climactic game at the end. I was a student at IU when Nolte was going to every Indiana home game in order to study how a real college basketball coach acts. At the time Indiana was number 1 in the nation so Nolte got a lot of attention for his role. However, the acting by Shaq, Hardaway, and Matt Nover was absolutely HORRID! The plot centers around a legendary b-ball court (Nolte as a Knight rip-off right down to the sweater) who is turned to cheating by those nasty alumni and boosters. He takes his dirty team through the season and plays number 1 Indiana at the end. The Real Bob Knight shows up with a cast of former IU b-ball legends and one Duke legend in Bobby Hurley. Anyway, after beating the squeaky clean Indiana team Nolte rats out the alums and boosters for their recruiting violations. Other than Nolte nobody gives a really solid performance. Mary McDonnell is good but she's hardly in the movie. Bob Cousy plays the AD and he does an okay job for a guy who isn't even an actor. Hardaway is terrible and Matt Nover is just plain horrible. The only part really worth watching is the final game between Indiana and Shaq's team. It does a good job of taking you inside the huddle as you actually see and hear Knight diagram plays and Nolte does the same. However, it just turns into a highlight reel of Shaq dunking. If you want to see a good b-ball movie just watch Hoosiers again. Also, I'd like to be on whatever mind altering drugs the people who gave this movie 5 stars were taking. B0002V7TZG:don't_be_fooled:emily_bronte_"bayareababies" B0002V7TZG NFL Films Super Bowl Collection - Super Bowls XXI-XXX: DVD: NFL dvd 13 of 25 1.0 January 7, 2005 Emily Bronte "bayareababies" CA, USA This is NOT a collection of the superbowls, played from start to finish, as some of the reviewers would lead you to believe. I got this for my father so he could watch the 49ers tromp all over the Broncos over and over again (since they certainly haven't been up to much lately!). Unfortunately, all we got was a collection of highlights, with so many "up close and personal" shots, that it was almost nauseating to watch on a bigger screen TV. An expensive disappointment, surely B00000JKWE:this_is_the_dubbed_version:taddese_zicke B00000JKWE Swordsman II: DVD: Siu-Tung Ching,Stanley Tong,Jet Li,Brigitte Lin,Michelle Reis,Waise Lee,Rosamund Kwan,Kar Lok Chin,Fennie Yuen,Yee Kwan Yan,Chi Yeung Wong,On-on Yu,Shun Lau,Audrey Wasilewski,Kwok Leung Cheung dvd 1 of 2 1.0 June 5, 2004 Taddese Zicke Florida, USA Dubbed and renamed. See the original Swordsman II instead B0000AUHPK:does_not_do_the_book_justice:jeanette_c. B0000AUHPK Wuthering Heights: DVD: Juliette Binoche,Ralph Fiennes,Janet McTeer,Sophie Ward,Simon Shepherd,Jeremy Northam,Jason Riddington,Simon Ward,Dick Sullivan,Robert Demeger,Paul Geoffrey,John Woodvine,Jennifer Daniel,Janine Wood,Jonathan Firth,Jon Howard,Jessica Hennell,Trevor Cooper,Steven Slarke,Rupert Holliday-Evans,Peter Kosminsky dvd 2 of 3 2.0 August 28, 2006 Jeanette C. Utah, United States Wuthering Heights the novel grabs you at the first page and drags you through passion, betrayal, madness, despair, greed, hatred, and revenge. It's not necessarily a pleasant read, but always an engrossing one. Emily Bronte's characters jump off the page and will continue to haunt you long after you've finished the book. Modern day moviemakers have had a notoriously bad time translating any of the Bronte sisters' works into film and this is no exception. The characters are representations in name only and fail to capture any of the true spirit behind this amazing book. Juliet Binoche and Ralph Fiennes are two of the best actors working in film today, but this movie is a definite low point for both. As Heathcliff and Catherine, Fiennes and Binoche seem to have failed to grasp the depth or the passions of the characters and their performances are flat and bland. Binoche's personality is too grounded and mature for the wild and carefree Cathy so she compensates with endless giggling that got on my nerves. Fiennes comes across as greasy and sullen instead of a tormented and complex soul; he simply does not have the charisma or the depth to play such a demanding role. The other characters are likewise lacking in realism, only Janet McTeer fares well, she is fabulous as Ellen Dean. Even if the acting were better, the story does not capture the essence of the book. Everything moves too quickly, the film jumps around frequently and large plot holes are left either unexplained or are patched quickly with a few brusque words. Sinead O'Conner's appearance as Emily Bronte to bookend the film is contrived and unnecessary. This film was very obviously made on a budget and the sets and costumes show it. The wigs are dreadful and the costumes are for the most part, ugly and unflattering. Fiennes actually looks potbellied in some of his vests! Maybe someday someone will make a film that does this remarkable book justice. This isn't it B0002JJTYC:a_female_james_bond: B0002JJTYC Alias - The First Three Complete Seasons (Amazon.com Exclusive): DVD: Jennifer Garner,Ron Rifkin,Michael Vartan,Bradley Cooper,Merrin Dungey,Carl Lumbly,Kevin Weisman,Greg Grunberg,David Anders,Melissa George,M a Maestro,Rachel Nichols, lodie Bouchez,Balthazar Getty,Lena Olin,Victor Garber dvd 0 of 52 1.0 April 1, 2005 Alias must the most boring and dumbest show on TV in years. The acting is lame and EVERYONE is always looking down and try to act. The story is boring and always so typical James Bond. Don't waste your money and time on this crappy non-funny piece of crap. B00006RJFF:z:cz_"z" B00006RJFF Hollywood Sins (Unrated): DVD: Hollywood Sins dvd 3 of 5 2.0 June 9, 2006 CZ "Z" USA I'm not sure what everyone else watched, maybe I was expecting to much after reading these other reviews, but I was more than just a little disappointed. The women are attractive that is for sure, but that's the only thing this movie has going for it. The sex footage was over before is started. At the most they lasted about 30 seconds. I'm not looking for hard-core porn, but this was far from what I was looking for. My suggestion is 'buyer-be-aware' B000069I04:happy_holiday!:anders_nissen B000069I04 My Bloody Valentine (Ws Sub): DVD: Paul Kelman,Lori Hallier,Neil Affleck,Keith Knight (II),Alf Humphreys,Cynthia Dale,Helene Udy,Rob Stein,Thomas Kovacs,Terry Waterland,Carl Marotte,Jim Murchison,Gina Dick,Peter Cowper,Don Francks,Patricia Hamilton,Larry Reynolds (II),Jack Van Evera,Jeff Banks,Pat Hemingway,George Mihalka dvd 0 of 2 2.0 July 28, 2006 Anders Nissen Falun, Sweden, Europe 20 years ago, there was a terrible accident in the mine on Valentine's Day. The following year one of the miners, Harry Warden, takes a terrible revange on those responsible for the accident. Since that day, there is no celebration of Valentine's Day in the little town Valentine's Buff. Until now (that is 1981). But Harry Warden seems to have returned to stop the celebration. The music as music is quite good, but it doesn't lead the film in any direction, so it's not helping. The story is recycled, which is good, but could have been much more minimalistic. Why not just have the party and let the miner kill the kids? And trying to put a twist to the story by "explaining" things is seldom very helpful. The murderar places human hearts in Valentine boxes which is distasteful but not really scary. A variation on the holiday theme, that could have been a bit more focused. B000059HAE:ahhhhhhh_ha_ha_ha_ha_haaaaa!!!!:christophe_e._johnson B000059HAE Zardoz: DVD: John Alderton,Daisy Boorman,Katrine Boorman,Telsche Boorman,Niall Buggy,Christopher Casson,Sean Connery,Bairbre Dowling,Bosco Hogan,Reginald Jarman,Sara Kestelman,Sally Anne Newton,Charlotte Rampling,Jessica Swift dvd 3 of 15 1.0 March 21, 2006 Christophe E. Johnson Are you kidding me!? This movie is beyond all redemption. Sean Conery is a disgrace to himself, running around in a red diaper with pirate boots on. WTF! What's with all the naked women in this thing? Why do they have to be naked? They're hideous looking in the face and body. My God, my eyes! If this is the product of the "love" generation and what they found to be entertaining and mindfully stimulating, no wonder our society is crazy. I just can't get over how profoundly corny and simple the plot and effects are, it's downright insulting to the human brain. Whoever wrote this and was crazy enough to finance it, should be killed and then studied so we don't have another idiot of this caliber spawned B0000ZBONW:if_a_movie_ever_deserved_negative_stars...:s._valdez B0000ZBONW MTV's Wuthering Heights: DVD: Erika Christensen,Mike Vogel,Christopher Masterson,Johnny Whitworth,Katherine Heigl,John Doe,Aimee Osbourne,Katelin Petersen,Adam Taylor Gordon,Seth Adkins,Thomas Delauney,Michelle Deliz,Cordelia Gonz lez,Edward Marshall,Suri Krishnamma dvd 2 of 6 1.0 July 7, 2005 S. Valdez This is the worst version of 'Wuthering Heights' I have ever seen. Please, if you are a fan of Emily Bronte's classic, don't waste your time on this movie. I don't know how anyone could try out for a part in a movie without reading the book it was based off of first. (None of the actors read the novel.) Instead, try seeing the 1939 or 1992 version, they ARE worth your time and money B00029LO0Y:disney's_worst_animated_feature:lee_neville_"lee" B00029LO0Y Home on the Range: DVD: G.W. Bailey,Bobby Block,Steve Buscemi,Carole Cook,Charlie Dell,Judi Dench,Charles Dennis,Marshall Efron,Joe Flaherty,Cuba Gooding Jr.,Charles Haid,Estelle Harris,Lance LeGault,Sam J. Levine,Randy Quaid,Ann Richards (II),Richard Riehle,Roseanne,John Sanford (II) dvd 3 of 3 2.0 September 4, 2005 Lee Neville "Lee" London, ENGLAND I first saw the movie poster and wasn't particlularly inspired by the idea of cows going after an evil cow rustler. But then I heard composer Alan Menken (who had worked on Beauty & The Beast and Aladdin) was attached and this made me rethink my position. Then unfortunately the trailer made me rethink my position back to what it was before. Still, I went into the movie theater ready to give "Home On The Range" a chance... ...and fell asleep. I found the soundtrack uninspired and the story incredibly weak. I admit the animation is fine (but not spectacular) and some of the jokes are funny but they are very few and far between. Apparently "Home On The Range" was meant to be released before "Brother Bear" but because of story issues it was delayed. I don't think it should have been made in the first place. It has also ruined the work laid out by "Brother Bear" for a new Disney renaissance. I think whoever said yes to this movie should be fired, because not only is it terrible, but it ended mainstream 2-D animation for Disney, a massive loss to the entertainment industry. The DVD has an audio commentary (with rather overconfident directors if you ask me considering this movie is a disaster). There is also a behind the scenes featurette, games, art review and music video- more than this movie that never should have happened deserves. B00005ALMI:paris_when_it_stinks.:j._kara_russell_"film_buff/actress/artist" B00005ALMI Paris When It Sizzles: DVD: William Holden,Audrey Hepburn,Gr goire Aslan,Raymond Bussi res,Christian Duvaleix,Michel Thomass,Dominique Boschero,Evi Marandi,Noel Coward,Mel Ferrer,Marlene Dietrich,Tony Curtis,Richard Quine dvd 2.0 November 13, 2006 J. Kara Russell "Film buff/Actress/Artist" Hollywood - the cinderblock Industrial town I'm a fan of Audrey Hepburn and this movie relys heavily - too heavily on her charm. And unfortunately, it is some of her worst acting work, posey, sing-song, and superficial. Now, if you've read her bio, and know what was going on with her and Holden, that could explain it, but still, this film is very static. Like most Heburn films, a highlight is her clothes, her style, her self. This film self-consciously relys on this when the script itself could simply have been better. There are some very fun cameos by big performers that raise moments here. This film would have benefited greatly by a better comic actress in the lead. Jayne Mansfield could have been a hoot in this, Thelma Ritter too, in a very different way, somebody with less style and more off beat snap, crackle, and pop. (Thelma Ritter and William Holden paired in a romantic comedy... I'm all ready laughing!) Before I hit this too harshly, this film was intended to be a trifle, the kind of movie that has bright colors and light plot for a hot summer day that sizzles. For that, it is adequate. The remake, ALEX AND EMMA suffers very much from the same problems. They actually improved the script, and gave the leading lady room to make some very wacky choices, but both films seem to have suffered from "settling for a star" when a less mainstream, more zany actress was needed. OK, this doesn't stink...it has Audrey, but it certainly doesn't sizzle B00005JLON:one_star_just_to_be_kind:tim_d._slater B00005JLON Brown Sugar: DVD: Taye Diggs,Sanaa Lathan dvd 0 of 7 1.0 September 21, 2005 Tim D. Slater Actually not going to be kind........... What a load of RUBBISH B0007N19BO:they_ruined_a_good_thing!:m._bailey_"fourkids'mom" B0007N19BO Hot Wheels - Acceleracers - Ignition: DVD: Hot Wheels dvd 7 of 11 1.0 September 1, 2005 M. Bailey "fourkids'mom" Herndon VA I have four kids, boys and girls, ages 3 to 8. We all LOVE Hot Wheels, World Race. We previewed the first Acceleracer movie, and were VERY disappointed! I agree that perhaps it is targeted to some older kids, but that leaves a void for the younger ones. Why do the characters have HUGE, unnatural feet and arms (not to mention Lani's breast augmentation)? Lani now looks like a streetwalker, Taro (my favorite) like a cheap hood, and what happened to Marky? The themes have turned dark, the behavior (street racing, violence, nastiness) provides an incredibly poor example. A movie that was very safe and innocuous has turned into a minefield for my children. I disagree with some reviewers that the kids "don't pay attention" to those parts...we will not let our kids watch this trash! My kids and their parents are mystified at why such a good thing was allowed to go so far down. We told them it is rated PG (I agree with that reviewer) and they might watch it when they are older. Parents beware--do not trust materials marked for children to necessarily be appropriate B0000CBY1C:it's_a_mad_mad_mad_world:glade_kemper_"glade" B0000CBY1C It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: DVD: Spencer Tracy,Milton Berle,Sid Caesar,Buddy Hackett,Ethel Merman,Mickey Rooney,Dick Shawn,Phil Silvers,Terry-Thomas,Jonathan Winters,Edie Adams,Dorothy Provine,Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson,Jim Backus,Ben Blue,Joe E. Brown,Alan Carney,Chick Chandler,Barrie Chase,Lloyd Corrigan,Stanley Kramer dvd 0 of 2 1.0 November 10, 2006 Glade Kemper "Glade" Tulsa, Ok. Funniest movie I've ever watched.I think I busted a rib laughing. B0000CBY1C:mad,_mad,_mad,_mad_world_dvd:edward_f._gillum B0000CBY1C It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: DVD: Spencer Tracy,Milton Berle,Sid Caesar,Buddy Hackett,Ethel Merman,Mickey Rooney,Dick Shawn,Phil Silvers,Terry-Thomas,Jonathan Winters,Edie Adams,Dorothy Provine,Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson,Jim Backus,Ben Blue,Joe E. Brown,Alan Carney,Chick Chandler,Barrie Chase,Lloyd Corrigan,Stanley Kramer dvd 0 of 19 1.0 August 27, 2006 Edward F. Gillum I returned this as I found out it was either letterbox or wide screen format, I only buy or want tapes or dvds that fill the entire tv screen, otherwise I dont buy the 6305505802:i_see_there_is_no_187:no_eye_contact 6305505802 Deep Cover: DVD: Laurence Fishburne,Jeff Goldblum,Victoria Dillard,Charles Martin Smith,Sydney Lassick,Clarence Williams III,Gregory Sierra,Roger Guenveur Smith,Alex Colon,Julio Oscar Mechoso,Erik Kilpatrick,Joseph Ferro,Tyrin Turner,Roberto Santana,Sandra Gould,Lira Angel,Kamala Lopez-Dawson,Shannon Macpherson,Bruce Paul Barbour,Def Jef,Bill Duke dvd 0 of 3 1.0 January 7, 2006 No eye contact North Carolina Making it no reason to even consider getting this filler filled P.O.S B000FDEV48:yellowbeard:d._glass_"purpledaze" B000FDEV48 Yellowbeard: DVD: Mel Damski,Graham Chapman,Peter Boyle,Cheech Marin,Tommy Chong,Peter Cook,Marty Feldman,Martin Hewitt,Michael Hordern,Eric Idle,Madeline Kahn,James Mason,John Cleese,Kenneth Mars,Spike Milligan,Stacey Nelkin,Nigel Planer,Susannah York,Beryl Reid,Ferdy Mayne,John Francis (II) dvd 1.0 November 3, 2006 D. Glass "purpledaze" Okla I was told this was hilarious. Cheech and Chong and so many others. Not only were theye barely there, I must have missed the funny part. I wish I'd missed the whole movie. Don't bother B00065GVIO:wonderful_production_value,_bummer_story:tracy_veneman_"tracyelainerose" B00065GVIO He Knew He Was Right: DVD: Oliver Dimsdale,Laura Fraser (II),Anna Massey,Bill Nighy,Geoffrey Palmer,Christina Cole,Geraldine James,Jane Lapotaire,Raymond Coulthard,Maggie Ollerenshaw,Stephen Campbell Moore,Caroline Martin (II),Amy Marston,Joanna David,David Tennant,Barbara Flynn,Claudie Blakley,Fenella Woolgar,Ron Cook,Patsy Palmer,Tom Vaughan dvd 15 of 24 2.0 August 25, 2005 Tracy Veneman "tracyelainerose" Northern CA, USA I am a BBC devotee and officionado and purchased this dvd sight unseen because it seemed to ooze of excellent epic BBC storytelling and visual feasting. However, I was only partially correct. It is excellently produced and beautiful to behold but the story is depressing and even a bit silly. I left the film feeling robbed, disappointed, sad, and a bit unfulfilled. I viewed it only once and then sold it on e-bay at a cut-rate price. Do yourself a favor and save your time and money 0966185048:all_the_good_parts_are_cut_out:some_reviewer_"me" 0966185048 Losing Control: DVD: Kira Reed,Doug Jeffery,Anneliza Scott,Clay Greenbush,Jennifer Ludlow,Julie Jordan dvd 3 of 3 1.0 January 1, 2006 Some Reviewer "Me" Gadsden, AL USA What a disappointment! Every time it gets hot, it cuts straight to the end. The movie is entirely foreplay!! B000A6CLKQ:episiodes_5:_editing:1:baruch_weiss_"baruch" B000A6CLKQ SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete 3rd Season: DVD: S bastien Desjours,Santiago Ziesmer,Walt Dohrn,Dan Povenmire,Sherm Cohen,Jay Lender,Sam Henderson,C.H. Greenblatt,Aaron Springer,Paul Tibbitt dvd 1 of 22 1.0 January 10, 2006 Baruch Weiss "Baruch" Chicago IL While I have not purchased this box set I have seen many of the episiodes several times as I am a fan of Spongebob allthough he and Patrick can be a bit pathetic at times. For example, in "The Idiot Box" when they order a TV just to play in the box. Anywhyey as someone has said in there reviews some dummy snipped out "Just One" bit of the episiode "Just One Bite" which is my personal favorite spongebob episiode because of the music as well as the humor. You all know it so there's no need for explanation. I think it's so pathetic that certain scene's in cartoons have to be snipped out 630522207X:wasn't_what_i_expected...:helena_"mona" 630522207X How Stella Got Her Groove Back: DVD: Angela Bassett,Taye Diggs,Whoopi Goldberg,Regina King,Suzzanne Douglass,Michael J. Pagan,Sicily,Richard Lawson,Barry Shabaka Henley,Lee Weaver (II),Glynn Turman,Phyllis Yvonne Stickney,Denise Hunt,Lisa Hanna,James Pickens Jr.,Philip Casnoff,Lou Myers,D'Army Bailey,Art Metrano,Carl Lumbly,Kevin Rodney Sullivan dvd 2.0 August 1, 2006 Helena "Mona" Houston, TX USA This film was not what I expected. It was so plain. I was about ready to turn it off. Others may like it though. B000A8AX2W:too_commercialized_and....:mark33_"mark33" B000A8AX2W Warren Miller's Impact: DVD: Warren Miller dvd 5 of 7 2.0 October 23, 2005 Mark33 "Mark33" Alabama I bought this movie without seeing it first and have now watch it at least two times through. Some chapters, I watch several more times. This movie has three things against it. First, I was very disappointed with the number of product placements in this movie. It takes alot away from the whole movie. Second, it has too much of the same stuff that can be seen in any recently released WM movie. Same people doing the same exact things. Third, the sound track was way below par. I'm still a Warren Miller fan and the movie does have some good ski footage. But, I don't think the WM bunch went out of their way to make this a good ski movie. B0002J58HO:not_as_good_as_1st_release:l._biskup B0002J58HO Red Heat (Special Edition): DVD: Arnold Schwarzenegger,James Belushi,Peter Boyle,Ed O'Ross,Laurence Fishburne,Gina Gershon,Richard Bright,J.W. Smith,Brent Jennings,Gretchen Palmer,Pruitt Taylor Vince,Michael G. Hagerty,Brion James,Gloria Delaney,Peter Jason,Oleg Vidov,Saveli Kramarov,Gene Scherer,Tengiz Borisoff,Roger Callard,Walter Hill dvd 5 of 5 2.0 January 7, 2005 L. Biskup Wellington, Ohio United States Don't bother wasting your money if you think you are upgrading like I did. The earlier ARTISAN release is still much better than this special edition. The image is better and ALSO the sound. I don't know what Lions gate thought they were doing, but remastered? no. I compared both several times before writing this even though I only had to compare once. Might as well wait for a HD DVD to come out, this is a waste unless you want the additional features B00006FI0R:has_the_whole_world_gone_mad?:daroake_"darragh" B00006FI0R Jason X: DVD: Melyssa Ade,Kristi Angus,Boyd Banks,Dylan Bierk,Chuck Campbell,David Cronenberg,Lexa Doig,Todd Farmer,Yani Gellman,Kane Hodder,James Isaac,Melody Johnson,Derwin Jordan,Peter Mensah,Barna Moricz,Jonathan Potts,Lisa Ryder,Robert A. Silverman,Dov Tiefenbach,Phillip Williams dvd 1 of 4 1.0 April 17, 2006 Daroake "Darragh" Ireland An average customer review of almost 4 stars? Have you people all gone mad or worse still have amnesia? Jason supposedly went to hell yeah? Then why is still in one piece. This time round, the government realise there's nothing they can do to stop Jason and have him captured. He is cryogenically frozen so he can come to no harm. Unfortunatley, he and a doctor stay that way for over 400 years and reside in space! Yes space! The budget for this movie was impressive and the special effects are indeed good. There may be more elaborate death scenes and a high body count but it's just not enough! This sequel sounds more like a Star Trek episode and completely ignores or escapes the true origins of a good Friday the 13th flick. Supposedly, a TWELFTH Friday the 13th movie is being made (if you count the excellent Freddy Vs Jason). While Freddy Vs Jason was indeed impressive, there is absolutely no way either killer can survive a film on their own anymore B000ERVK4Y:a_visual_textbook...:richard_l._masse B000ERVK4Y My Name Is Bill W: DVD: James Woods,JoBeth Williams,James Garner,Gary Sinise,George Coe,Robert Harper,Ray Reinhardt,Fritz Weaver,Rick Warner,Joe Inscoe,Susan Duchow,Rich Valliere,Mark Joy,William Aylward,Richard Travis (II),Mike McBlair,Wally Doyle,Norman Aronovic,Bruce Ed Morrow,Catherine Shaffner,Daniel Petrie dvd 2 of 2 1.0 August 11, 2006 Richard L. Masse Boynton Beach Florida I am a recovering alcoholic with 19 years of continuous sobriety. "My Name is Bill W" is a visual textbook I use to introduce new sponsees to the concept of AA. A very helpful indoctrinating tool for the newcomer B00013RC7A:disappointed:c._merkle B00013RC7A Dying Young: DVD: Julia Roberts,Campbell Scott,Vincent D'Onofrio,Colleen Dewhurst,David Selby,Ellen Burstyn,Dion Anderson,George Martin (II),A.J. Johnson,Daniel Beer,Behrooz Afrakhan,Michael Halton,Larry Nash,Alex Trebek,Richard Friedenberg,Duncan Henderson,Bettina Rose,Howard Morris,Fran Lucci,John M. Rosenberg,Joel Schumacher dvd 2.0 November 8, 2006 C. Merkle The plot of the story was ruined by the immorality and language. This could have been a beautiful story if sexual immorality and profane language had been eliminated. It is possible to have something beautiful and clean where when you finish you feel that you have experienced something encouraging and uplifting. Dying Young and the plot of sickness and someone caring is beautiful. Falling in love is beautiful but it is degraded by stooping to immorality. I threw it in the trash as I would not share it with those that I love B0009S4IGK:huh?!:n._marin_"movie_lover" B0009S4IGK The Holy Girl: DVD: Mercedes Mor n,Carlos Belloso,Alejandro Urdapilleta,Mar a Alche,Julieta Zylberberg,M a Maestro,Marta Lubos,Arturo Goetz,Alejo Mango,M nica Villa,Leandro Stivelman,Manuel Schaller,Miriam Diaz,Rodolfo Cejas,Maria Victoria Mosca Coll,Ornella Velazco,Guadalupe Pardo Hernandez,Ana Carolina Beltran,Rodolfo Cabrera,Maria Susana Falcon,Lucrecia Martel dvd 3 of 29 1.0 February 11, 2006 N. Marin "movie lover" New Brunswick, NJ United States I own over 250 DVDs, with a huge mixture of types. This is the worst movie for this year I've seen so far. What a waste of my time. Go ahead and see it, but I don't recommend it B0001B3ZCI:shouldn't_have_made_the_final_cut.:film_noir_fedora B0001B3ZCI In the Cut: DVD: Jane Campion,Jennifer Jason Leigh,Meg Ryan,Micheal Nuccio,Allison Nega,Dominick Aries,Susan Gardner,Sharrieff Pugh,Nick Damici,Heather Litteer,Daniel T. Booth,Yaani King,Frank Harts,Sebastian Sozzi,Zach Wegner,Mark Ruffalo,Patrice O'Neal,Funda Duval,Theo Kogan,Sandy Vital,Sharon Riggins dvd 2 of 10 1.0 March 6, 2006 Film Noir Fedora Let me break it down for you in a nutshell, people. It's a murder mystery in which the film's protaganist thinks she knows who the killer is. But, she has her doubts. But she saw a tatto of a spade on the guy's arm. He has the same thing. But what does she do? She has sex with him. Sex, sex, and more sex. If you suspect somebody of being a killer than why on earth would you have sex with him? Plus, 50% of the movie is just plain old sex and sex talk. I don't think this was a perfectly planned movie, to tell you the truth. Final Verdict: It's easily forgetable and needs to go right before it starts B000G1R39E:coyote_ugly:james_stephen_garrett_"teep" B000G1R39E Stephen King's Desperation: DVD: Tom Skerritt,Steven Weber,Annabeth Gish,Ron Perlman,Shane Haboucha,Kelly Overton,Matt Frewer,Sylva Kelegian,Charles Durning,Henry Thomas,Ewan Chung,Alain Uy,Trieu Tran,Chris Calilung,Clint James (II),Tom Parker (VI),Sammi Hanratty,Mick Garris dvd 3 of 4 2.0 October 12, 2006 James Stephen Garrett "Teep" Arkham Asylum Alright: take a step back, and tell me there isn't something decidedly wrong, even militantly spooky, about the American Southwest. You know what I'm talking about? No? Let me clarify, then. We're driving, Me & Thee, across some barren stretch of ancient Arizona moonscape, and we've hit upon what I call the Magic Hour: when the Day is laying down its sword in honor of Old Man Night, and the setting sun is really firing up all those sleeping reds and oranges and deep, feral yellows, up on the rocks, the hills, the cliffs, the crags, the bluffs. Can you see it? Can you hear the coyotes keening and wailing and hi-yi-kee-yi-ing away back up in some box canyon, where those black-rooted stunty trees wave their straggly, evil, twisted arms towards an absentee Heaven? We still think of America as a young country, and maybe that's just our innocence talking. Because this land is just as ancient as any trod by the African or Chinese, and can't you just smell the Terrible Old Blood-Secrets buried down under the Earth when you're out on the high desert? Sure. As the town of Desperation's former Sheriff (former, in that he's going through something of a---ah, Midlife Crisis) would say, Gosh, yes. The guts and sheer, pulpy, bloody visceral glory of Stephen King's novel "Desperation" rides that seam of ancient, buried, hulking horror like a 40-something housewife saddling up the mechanical bull at Gilley's, and that's half its charm---which is why I was expecting so much with Mick Garris's cinematic version, and, no doubt, why I was just so damned disappointed. The setup, the build, the execution---everything about "Desperation" cuts thematically close to the territory King marked with his bad-doggie tale "Cujo". Remember "Cujo"? Something ancient and unspeakably evil, and deeply stupid and hungry---something nasty lies all coiled-up in a dark cave.Until Cujo---big, bumbling, naive, benevolent---comes lumbering into its domain. And gets eaten. Devoured. Turned into a shambling, rabid hulk of its former lovable slobbery self, transformed into a ravenous engine of death with one single design: to spread carnage, red and raw and toothy, across the trembling land. Now, just as the arc and trajectory of the bullet isn't all that mindful of its casing, so too the unsleeping Ancient Evils of Cujo and Desperation aren't too picky about their corporeal hosts. Whether it's a 300-pound dog or a 300-pound lawman, the only real concern is where to pile the bodies. Or so you'd think. Sadly, "Desperation" is a tiny little bang, and a ton of whimper: 15 minutes of shivery brilliance, and what feels like about 8 hours of unbridled dullness. That bristling tale of ancient, sleeping, hungry Evil---Tak ripped out of his slumber with the explosion of the charges in the Rattlesnake Pit, and his unquenchable desire to eat his way out into the guts of the little town of Desperation---all of the novel's frantic hardscrabble fight against a mounting, relentless Evil is wasted by Mick Garris's listless, uninspired direction. It's as if Garris burned up his budget hiring Ron Perlman to run the numbers as Collie Entragian, and then outsourced the rest of the flick to Bangalore. Hell, they even dragoon some worn-out mountain lion to take a chunk out of flabby old Charles Durning's patooshka, and even that doesn't jack up the Excite-O-Meter on this miserable thing. Not that I'm complaining about Perlman: this sad little flick bumps and grinds and gets its Crawling Kingsnake groove-on *only* when Entragian is on the screen, and Perlman is the perfect choice as the Lawman who goes all Economy on us and squeezes both Good Cop *and* Bad Cop into one body, then goes on to Downsize his jurisdiction. With extreme prejudice. Tak! "Desperation" has its 15 minutes of brilliance with that fatal traffic stop: everything is just about note perfect. Those lying, impossibly high wild-blue Western skies; the Trooper lurching out of his cruiser, that Gary Cooper drawl just crackling out over the silence of the High Desert, the spike of Dread at the curt command to step out of the car succeeded by a queasy flood of relief when---thank God!---it's just a busted-tail-light. It's here, in the seconds before "Desperation" lurches forward zombie-style into B-grade horror, that the movie succeeds, that it creeps and crawls the way the book did. It is here that the film conjures up the loneliness of the Vast Stretches, the realization---something most American suburbanites go to their graves without knowing---that there are wild spaces on this crazy planet where you could be murdered and buried without anyone knowing how, or why. While the coyotes howl, the scorpions scuttle and clatter, the black widows stalk and spin and move itchingly towards their prey. Gosh, yes. JS B000G1R39E:movie_worked_for_everybody_but_the_audience:d._j._smith B000G1R39E Stephen King's Desperation: DVD: Tom Skerritt,Steven Weber,Annabeth Gish,Ron Perlman,Shane Haboucha,Kelly Overton,Matt Frewer,Sylva Kelegian,Charles Durning,Henry Thomas,Ewan Chung,Alain Uy,Trieu Tran,Chris Calilung,Clint James (II),Tom Parker (VI),Sammi Hanratty,Mick Garris dvd 3 of 4 2.0 September 25, 2006 D. J. Smith Mountlake Terrace, WA USA So I thought I only saw pieces of the ABC presentation of Desperation. On TV I thought I missed the chapter about the first family, David's family, and how they came to be in the town jail. It turns out I didn't miss anything, that's the way it was filmed. When I heard the film was available on DVD and "R" rated, too, I vowed to rent it and see the movie as it was designed to be seen. Curses, gore, adult scares and, perhaps a booby! One wouldn't expect anything but the most watered down presentation on ABC but the "R" rated version, oh boy! The DVD, rated "R", was EXACTLY the same presentation word for word and scene for scene with the only difference being the exclusion of commercials. I'm going to say, and prove me wrong, that the "R" rating was slapped on the DVD to intice people to rent it to see the original adult version. What a sneaky rip-off. How can they do that? Overall, the movie was not great. The ending was completely tacked on and I got a little tired of the sermonizing. The performances were OK, with the exception of Ron Perlman's performance. He was outstanding. I know Amazon sells this DVD but they also sell the book and the book is much more satisfying. It's hard to believe the same guy that wrote the movie also wrote the book. I'm sure everybody made lots of money on this project but I'd like my money back B000B5IONE:if_only_she_had_gotten_the_stigmata_sooner_it_would_have_been_over_quicker!:jen B000B5IONE Chrono Crusade - Complete Collection: DVD: Koh Yuh,Jay Hickman,Michelle Maulsby,Christine M. Auten,Melinda DeKay,Paul Locklear,James Reed Faulkner,Greg Ayres,Marcy Rae,Caroline Day,Ted Pfister,Kira Vincent-Davis,Akira Ishida,Chad Townsend,Chris Patton,Chris Anderson (VII),John Swasey,Nancy Novotny,Tiffany Grant,Junko Minagawa,Gene Tognacci dvd 0 of 11 1.0 June 25, 2006 Jen Corpus Christi, TX This review might contain some spoilers....I was disappointed with this anime. After all the reviews I read I was expecting alot more. It was slow in some parts and granted you knew somehow she would have to die considering her contract with a demon Chrono she just all of a sudden gets a stigmata and it is pretty much over. There was some humor but all in all I would not waste money on it. Infact, I took my collection down to the local half price books and sold it the day after I purchased it B00009W0TU:don't_waste_your_time_and_money.:haven's_mom B00009W0TU Sesame Street - Rock and Roll!: DVD: Carlo Alban,Alan Arkin,Paul Benedict,Larry Block,Lexine Bondoc,Ruth Buzzi,Eugene Byrd,Jim Henson,Jim Martin,Roscoe Orman,Randall Balsmeyer,Victor DiNapoli,Ken Diego,Stan Lathan,Ted May,Eva Saks,Bob Schwarz,Lisa Simon,Emily Squires,Jon Stone dvd 1.0 August 1, 2006 Haven's Mom Woodland Hills, CA Boring, boring, boring. What a "let down"! It's dated and just not good. It was torture sitting through this. Want a good SS video, go with What's the Name of that Song or the 25th Annivesary Celebration. They are great from beginning to end B0001FGBUC:"hollywood"_surf_documentary:p._giovinazzo B0001FGBUC Step into Liquid: DVD: Jim Knost,Bruce Brown,Alex Knost,Kelly Slater,Mike Parsons (VI),Dave Kalama,Robert 'Wingnut' Weaver,Taj Burrow,Robert August,Chris Malloy,Laird John Hamilton,Ken Collins,Ami DiCamillo,Shawn Barron,Rochelle Ballard,Gerry Lopez,Rob Machado,Peter Mel,Layne Beachley,Jesse Brad Billauer,Dana Brown (II) dvd 3 of 10 2.0 March 15, 2006 P. Giovinazzo The voice over sounds like the guy from the hoky motivational videos everyone had to watch in high school. This is an overly-sentimental piece of sh*t. Some, and only some, of the visuals are really incredible (the tow-in scenes)..the rest is a feel-good, surfers-are-awesome waste of time. I love to surf...for my own reasons. It's not because I need to feel like a part of a big "community". For authentic, thought-provoking surf films, check out "thicker than water", "brokedown melody" and "september sessions". Save "step into liquid" for the people who fall all over themselves for the next predictable hollywood offering B000G0O5F0:not_focused_and_not_aimed_at_right_age_level:kelly_davis B000G0O5F0 Sesame Street - Elmo's Potty Time: DVD: Sesame Street dvd 2 of 2 2.0 November 11, 2006 Kelly Davis We bought several different potty training videos and this was, unexpectedly, the worst. The reason: It lacks focus. It comes off as more of a production made by people who never had kids, or at least don't remember what potty training is all about. It goes back and forth between Elmo and short film and animated clips that focus on independence and doing things for yourself. But it doesn't really hold a 2 year old's interest and the song lyrics and such are overly complicated for a child of that age. My older daughter, who's potty trained for years now, watched it more than my son who grew bored really fast. If you are going for entertainment, get this DVD, but if you want your little one to start giving up diapers, go with Potty Power B00005QSMV:white_christmas:robert_thornburg_"retired_still_reading" B00005QSMV White Christmas: DVD: Michael Curtiz,Bing Crosby,Danny Kaye,Rosemary Clooney,Vera-Ellen,Dean Jagger,Mary Wickes,John Brascia,Anne Whitfield,Leighton Noble,Sig Ruman,Hal Taggart,Lorraine Crawford,Kenner G. Kemp,Sayre Dearing,Les Clark,Glen Cargyle,Marcel De la Brosse,Percy Helton,Dick Stabile,Richard Keene dvd 0 of 4 1.0 February 20, 2006 Robert Thornburg "retired still reading" Boston, Massachusetts This experience was TOTALLY UNSATISFACTORY!!! I received a notice that the product had been shipped; it included a very long number to trace the shipment. It was promised for February 6th, but did not arrive. On February 16th you wrote me that the shipment was never made. Now which is it? Did you have it, and misplace it in the process, or did you lie when you said it was already send out? I have had otherwise good results in my purchases from amazon, but this is a real mess-up. I wrote to ask how to reorder, and this is the only response since then. Is there anything you can do to change this problem.? Do you reprint reviews of your service B000GFRI4K:this_movie_needed_a_rating_:_r:jgregg_"jaygregg" B000GFRI4K Broken Trail: DVD: Robert Duvall,Thomas Haden Church,Gwendoline Yeo,Greg Lawson,James Russo,Shaun Johnston,Bill Baksa,Philip Granger,Todd Allen,Rusty Schwimmer,Peter Skagen,Scarlett Li,Greta Scacchi,Donald Fong,Scott Cooper (III),Olivia Cheng (II),Duncan Fraser (II),William Marquez,Jadyn Wong,Valerie Tian,Walter Hill dvd 1.0 November 25, 2006 jgregg "jaygregg" California, USA Sorry but this movie certainly showed a horrific side of the old west. Sure there were some noble men and victimized young Chinese girls, but they were way outnumbered by the rotten men and women depicted in the movie. I do not find very graphic violence, nudity, and rape on the top of my must watch list. I skipped to the ending on the second disk B0006A9FS2:abysimal:brian_a._bernardoni B0006A9FS2 Who's Your Daddy (Unrated Widescreen): DVD: Andy Fickman,Colleen Camp,Brandon Davis,Kadeem Hardison,Christine Lakin,Ali Landry,Marnette Patterson,Robert Ri'chard,Lin Shaye,Charlie Talbert,Josh Jacobson,Justin Berfield,William Atherton,Robert Torti,Ryan James Bittle,Martin Starr,David Varney,Tara Boger,Ileanna Simancas,Eve Katz,Terita Jackson dvd 8 of 13 1.0 September 12, 2005 Brian A. Bernardoni Chicago, Illinois One of the worst films of a generation. Many talented comedic (Dave Thomas - Colleen Camp) were wasted in this decrepit piece of digital doggeral. B0006A9FS2:if_only_i_could_give_it_zero_stars...:tyler_durden_"mutton_man" B0006A9FS2 Who's Your Daddy (Unrated Widescreen): DVD: Andy Fickman,Colleen Camp,Brandon Davis,Kadeem Hardison,Christine Lakin,Ali Landry,Marnette Patterson,Robert Ri'chard,Lin Shaye,Charlie Talbert,Josh Jacobson,Justin Berfield,William Atherton,Robert Torti,Ryan James Bittle,Martin Starr,David Varney,Tara Boger,Ileanna Simancas,Eve Katz,Terita Jackson dvd 6 of 10 1.0 August 17, 2005 Tyler Durden "Mutton Man" Area 51-A Who in the hell gave this movie the green-light? God-awful performances and such immature jokes that only a child can laugh at... this may perhaps be THE worst movie ever created. And I'm the kind of person that appreciates anything... but this... this is just pure, 100% crap. This will most likely be the only time I will ever say "I want my two hours back" and MEAN it. And I only watched this movie for Marnette Patterson, but even she couldn't save this movie B0007XBKP4:wonderful,,_exhilarating_"psychoanalytic"_comedy:eugenia_maldonado B0007XBKP4 What's New Pussycat: DVD: Clive Donner,Peter Sellers,Peter O'Toole,Romy Schneider,Capucine,Paula Prentiss,Woody Allen,Ursula Andress,Eddra Gale,Katrin Schaake,El onore Hirt,Jean Par d s,Jacques Balutin,Jess Hahn,Howard Vernon,Michel Subor,Sabine Sun,Nicole Karen,Jacqueline Fogt,Daniel Emilfork,Tanya Lopert dvd 2 of 5 1.0 July 4, 2006 Eugenia Maldonado Mexico City, Mexico D. F. Mexico Peter Sellers as well as Peter O'Toole and all the beautiful women: Capucine, Romy Schneider, etc, make ot his movie an extraordinary satire of the 60's. Was really that world that mad? Of course! You couldn't stand life without a psychonalist. Thus, the film reflects precisey that. The lack of self-confidence, the incapacity of accepting the values of that decade, till -happy ending, of course- O'Toole and Schneider get married and lived happily everafter. And everybody has surpassed their personal crises. Good for the movie. The humour is just wonderful. I recommend it most enthusiasticall B0007XBKP4:believe_it_or_not..._it's_terrible._:stephen_v._funk B0007XBKP4 What's New Pussycat: DVD: Clive Donner,Peter Sellers,Peter O'Toole,Romy Schneider,Capucine,Paula Prentiss,Woody Allen,Ursula Andress,Eddra Gale,Katrin Schaake,El onore Hirt,Jean Par d s,Jacques Balutin,Jess Hahn,Howard Vernon,Michel Subor,Sabine Sun,Nicole Karen,Jacqueline Fogt,Daniel Emilfork,Tanya Lopert dvd 3 of 8 1.0 May 1, 2006 Stephen V. Funk Chicago, IL The year: 1965. The cast: Peter Sellers. Peter O'Toole. Woody Allen. Ursula Andress. The soundtrack: Burt Bacharach. Tom Jones. Dionne Warwick. Manfred Mann. The movie: Believe it or not -- terrible. Really... as in unwatchable (other than the relatively entertaining animated opening credits.) Painfully unfunny slapstick routines, actors seemingly reading their lines off of cue cards, and no plot to speak of. Not even fun to watch for 60's camp value like The Party or Casino Royale... I had to turn it off at about the halfway mark. Grade: Incomplete Safest bet: Get the soundtrack, skip the movie... B0007XBKP4:what_for_pussycat?:randy_keehn B0007XBKP4 What's New Pussycat: DVD: Clive Donner,Peter Sellers,Peter O'Toole,Romy Schneider,Capucine,Paula Prentiss,Woody Allen,Ursula Andress,Eddra Gale,Katrin Schaake,El onore Hirt,Jean Par d s,Jacques Balutin,Jess Hahn,Howard Vernon,Michel Subor,Sabine Sun,Nicole Karen,Jacqueline Fogt,Daniel Emilfork,Tanya Lopert dvd 4 of 7 1.0 March 30, 2006 Randy Keehn Williston, ND United States I am a big fan of Woody Allen and I presume that I will eventually get around to seeing all of his movies. Prior to viewing "What's New Pussycat?", I would have presumed that I would enjoy each and every movie. However, "What's New Pussycat?" has shown me that even Woody Allen can make a disaster movie. What is wrong with this movie is just about everything. The acting can only do so much with an impossibly awful script and a director who seems to want to magnify the faults rather than cover them up. We start with a man whose problem is that he must seduce every acttractive woman he sees. Peter O'Toole won the rights to play this character and he is surrounded by beautiful women. He proceeds to make it all seem so boringly ridiculous. He calls all his femine friends "pussycat" which gets old after a while. He constantly displays a bewildered expression coupled with a rather interested/disinterested approach toward his playmates. He seeks the help of a sexually challenged psychiatrist played by Peter Sellers. Sellers does his best with what little he has to work with. He has the Dr. Strangelove accent down pretty good and he is constantly on the make but the humor that emerges is so weak as to be embarassing at times. Woody Allen wrote the script, which is the most shocking disappointment of the whole picture. I once heard a comedian remark that a good comic writer can give you 10 new jokes of which you can use 3. With Woody Allen, the comedian said, you can use all 10. In "What's New Pussycat?", I wish there HAD been at least three good jokes. This overlong look into the problems that O'Toole's character suffers from eventually attempts to save itself with a sort of Bennie Hill-style slapstick. I take that back; there's no justifiable reason to besmirch the good name of Bennie Hill by associating it with this turkey. Anyway, the movie ends in a chateau with a sort of musical beds involving all of O'Toole's mistresses. An incomprehensible brouhaha ensues and the revelers escape to a neighboring go-kart track. (Presumeably all fashional French Chateaus have a conveniently adjacent go-kart track). This enables the movie to sink so low that it boggles the mind. After all, we have some top talent in Allen, Sellers and O'toole and we see them spontaneously go go-kart-riding off into the sunset (or the side of a building, or a mud puddle, or something meant to be funny). I was glad to be done with the movie. Woody Allen is a great talent. Peter Sellers was a great talent. Peter O'Toole was a great talent. Watch them in their other productions but spare yourself the one movie that each one of them should not have made B0000AQS8L:dora_never_came_as_of_this_date:diane_l._waleski B0000AQS8L Dora the Explorer - Meet Diego: DVD: Kathleen Herles,Harrison Chad,Marc Weiner,Sasha Toro,Muhammed Cunningham,Jake Burbage,Ashley Fleming (III),Jose Zelaya (II),Elaine del Valle,Adam Sietz,Ashley Rose Orr,Eileen Galindo,Gary Conrad,Arnie Wong,Sherie Pollack,George S. Chialtas dvd 0 of 4 1.0 March 19, 2006 Diane L. Waleski I am still awaiting receiving Dora the Explorer meets Diego.......I have ordered it twice once before Christmas and kept updating my order to ship when received and then I ordered it later and canceled the original order because it looked like it was available and then I got a delay again.......if you have any update on when this will be in and shipped I would really like to know......everything else that I have odered and has come from Toys R Us through Amazon I have been very pleaase with........ B00004XQOU:shockingly_revisionist_and_doctrinaire_view_of_jazz_history:pika_pika B00004XQOU Jazz - A Film by Ken Burns: DVD: Wynton Marsalis,Keith David,Duke Ellington,Branford Marsalis,Gary Giddins,John Coltrane,Frank Sinatra,Matthew Broderick,James Lincoln Collier,Louis Armstrong,Stan Levey,Gene Krupa,Joya Sherrill,Fats Waller,Harry Connick Jr.,George Wein,Jimmy Rowles,Lionel Hampton,Art Blakey,Milt Jackson,Ken Burns dvd 1 of 1 1.0 November 19, 2006 Pika Pika Nintendoland Throughly dismisses all Jazz after 1960, including Fusion, Free Jazz, and everything thereafter. Marsalis actually calls Cecil Taylor's music "self-indulgent bullsh**" Apparently Taylor was not allowed to rebut this during the film. How was that allowed to air on the supposedly intellectual (but more likely agenda-driven) on PBS, I will never understand. If you think Swing is the only valid form of Jazz, you will love this series. If you think Coltrane is a God, you get five minutes' summary. So lets see here: 15 hours on Louis Armstrong and Duke, 5 minutes on Coletrane, and a total didmissal of everything after Duke's death. Reminds me of the Republisuck's "Fair and Balanced" nonsense. PBS, this is your wake-up call. Stop trying to rewrite history - Jazz ain't in a museum. Just ask the artists (most of whom are alive) whom Burns left out. Metheny, you out there B0001ZDLTG:school:keru B0001ZDLTG NOVA: Dying to Be Thin: DVD: Nova dvd 8 of 14 2.0 December 12, 2003 keru Hawaii I had to watch it in my 8th grade PE class and it is very informative and somewhat graphic. It shows the scariness of it and makes you eat for one thing! You wont ever forget it B0001WTUKI:horrible: B0001WTUKI Reckless: DVD: Robson Green,Francesca Annis,Michael Kitchen,David Bradley (IV),Daniela Nardini,Conor Mullen,Julian Rhind-Tutt,Margery Mason,Kathryn Hunt,Kathryn Pogson,Debra Stephenson,David Boyce,Malcolm Raeburn,Maggie Fox (II),Jeremy Turner-Welch,Verity Hewlitt,Tara Daniels,Martine Browne,Owen Aaronovitch,Chris Donnelly,David Richards (II),Sarah Harding dvd 5 of 35 1.0 March 14, 2003 Don't bother trying to watch this terrible mini series. It is a six hour bore, an unbelievable love triangle between three people who have absolutely no chemistry for each other. There is no heat in this story, no real passion, no real romance. It is a dry, boring, drawn out, and uninspired as they come. The writing is atrocious, and while the actors should be given credit for not choking on the swill they have for dialogue, they are completely unbelievable. The story is utterly predictable, though it goes off on pointless tangents and ignores potentially interesting subplots, and the only thing surprising is that anybody ever thought it would be a good idea to make this drivel. It doesn't even meet the expected level of technical proficiency, with terrible editing, pathetic sound, and blatant continuity problems. Take those six hours of your life and use them for something more worthwhile. The BBC has made many better mini series, and pretty much any one of them would be preferable B00005JCAA:artsy_flop:nada_"matrixtrilogy" B00005JCAA Meet Joe Black (Ultimate Edition): DVD: Brad Pitt,Anthony Hopkins,Claire Forlani,Jake Weber,Marcia Gay Harden,Jeffrey Tambor,David S. Howard,Lois Kelly-Miller,Jahnni St. John,Richard Clarke (II),Marylouise Burke,Diane Kagan,June Squibb,Gene Canfield,Suzanne Hevner,Madeline Balmaceda,Julie Lund,Kay Gaffney,Anthony Kane,Joe H. Lamb,Martin Brest,Mitchell Leisen dvd 0 of 1 1.0 November 25, 2006 Nada "matrixtrilogy" USA Next to A Night At the Roxbury (another Will Ferrell zero) this is the worst movie I've ever seen. So maudlin and it dragged on and on and on. It could actually make the viewer pray for death to end the torture so I guess it has some authenticity. Brad Pitt's particularly bad - one facial expression (blank) and a painful monotone delivery. I think he got some award aptly represented by a carved WOODEN statue of Keanu Reeves. Mr. Brangelina Jolie looks awful next to a brilliant thespian like Anthony Hopkins. Bottom line: this movie stinks and so (ironically) does Pitt B00005YUN6:a_great_film,beware_of_public_domain_versions!:jake_marsico B00005YUN6 Metropolis: DVD: Alfred Abel,Gustav Fr hlich,Brigitte Helm,Rudolf Klein-Rogge,Fritz Rasp,Theodor Loos,Erwin Biswanger,Heinrich George,Rose Lichtenstein,Arthur Reinhardt,Hanns Leo Reich,Walter Kuehle,Heinrich Gotho,Helen von M nchofen,Dolly Grey,Fritz Alberti,Margarete Lanner,Olaf Storm,Rolf von Goth,Hilde Woitscheff,Fritz Lang dvd 2 of 2 2.0 May 31, 2003 Jake Marsico Flagstaff,AZ "Metropolis",Fritz Lang's 1927 silent masterpiece,is one of the most important films ever made and also a great one! But over the years,this film has been reedited,recut,and shortened which ruins the exact vision of an extrordinary filmmaker.Since its stay on the Public Domain shelf,the prints and image quality have over the years been poor.I DO NOT recommend the following versions:1.the Goodtimes Video release has poor image quality and even worse,NO MUSICAL SCORE! 2.The now-notorious Madacy DVD, which is about 5 times as worse as the Goodtimes video release,contains horrible,blurry image quality,freeze-frame opening titles,and an annoying musical score! Just recently,TCM (Turner Classic Movies) has broadcast the brand-new,beautifully restored 2002 restoration of "Metropolis" which I taped off of and trust me,it's well worth it! Buy the Kino restored version on either VHS or DVD,but DO NOT buy the horrible Public Domain versions which can definitely rip you off! A Terrific film and thanks to Kino for making this restored version a definite must-see! I also recommend the 1984 rerelease by Giorgio Moroder (which is now unfortunately out-of-print)and buy the soundtrack to go with it B0000634CA:english_soundtrack_version_vastly_inferior_to_the_hong_kong_original:p._burdick_"pataburd2" B0000634CA Jing wu ying xiong: DVD: Jet Li,Siu-hou Chin,Ada Choi,Shinobu Nakayama,Yasuaki Kurata,Billy Chow,Paul Chiang,Cheung-Yan Yuen,Toshimichi Takahashi,Jackson Liu,Shun-Yee Yuen,Paul Chu,Gordon Chan dvd 1 of 1 2.0 October 26, 2006 P. Burdick "pataburd2" Oneonta, NY United States Can someone please tell me where to get the re-mastered DVD version of this film with Chinese audio and English subtitles? The recent Hong Kong Legends release is crazy: Chinese audio, or English audio, but NO English subtitles! I have the original Chinese language/English subtitled (the subtitles are imbedded) version of this movie on a Universe VCD and, based on the merits of its available Chinese audio/English subtitles alone, it is a better movie--by magnitudes--than the one(s) commercially available to the (hapless) U.S. market. The English dubbing on this DVD, even though well synchronized with the actors' lips, takes so much away from the film nevertheless, especially its "Chinese-ness," which is a major reason I enjoy this movie genre. Take, for example, the scene where our hero first returns to Jing Woo School after learning of his master's death and sees First Senior fight a challenge match with a visiting master. After handily defeating the challenger, First Senior actually saves face for the beaten master which the English soundtrack completely (and deplorably) misses. Also, at the very end of the U.S. release film, Chen says he is going back to his Japanese girlfriend. In the original, Hong Kong release, he actually goes off to fight the Japanese with the resistance movement. Between these two examples, there are many such, gross audio mis-cues; enough, at least, to take three stars away from an otherwise five-star martial arts film: the best of Jet Li's filmography, and perhaps the best of the "modern" Martial Arts genre, period. The same criticism holds true for Jet Li's The Tai Chi Master (released in the U.S. as the English-dubbed Twin Warriors). It's an English soundtrack superimposed over a Chinese movie, often stripping the film of its unique cultural content/identity/nuance, forcing the film through an American "knock-down-shoot-'em-up" template and reducing the potential for mental (as opposed to strictly visceral) enjoyment to a pitiful minimum. We end up with a film typically devoid of humor, character development and silver screen "intimacy," a film precariously out of balance with, and far flung from, its careful directorial intent. If you value the full content--visible and audible--of Chinese martial arts films, but lack facility in the host language, then the next best thing is a well-subtitled, original language version. And this release clearly is not that--by a long, long, long shot. B0000542C5:read_between_the_lines:b._k._stepp B0000542C5 Blue Sky: DVD: Jessica Lange,Tommy Lee Jones,Powers Boothe,Carrie Snodgress,Amy Locane,Chris O'Donnell,Mitch Ryan,Dale Dye,Timothy Scott,Annie Ross,Anna Klemp,Anthony Rene Jones,Jay H. Seidl,David Bradford (III),Matt Battaglia,Rene Rokk,Fred Scasso,Victor Iemolo,Bronson Page,Raphael Rey Gomez,Tony Richardson dvd 1 of 2 1.0 August 17, 2006 B. K. Stepp USA If you read between the lines on all these glowing reviews, you will find out that this is a ridiculous movie with some good (not great) acting. Jessica Lange basically does an impression of Marilyn Monroe with a southern accent. Well not all of the time, since her accent seems to come and go. The amount of effort that you will spend trying to suspend your disbelief will negate any good qualities this movie has. Skip it unless you really, really, really love Jessica Lange. By the way, if this movie is set in the early sixties, why does the daughter have a peace sign on her bedroom wall? This is the same daughter that finds a grenade in a drawer and promptly pulls the pin and tosses it to her boyfriend! Puh-lease B0000648WV:not_enough_puppet_characters!:haven's_mom B0000648WV Elmo's World - Babies, Dogs & More: DVD: Sesame Street dvd 1 of 2 2.0 July 6, 2006 Haven's Mom Woodland Hills, CA This video is boring. Too much talking and too little talking from the muppet characters. Might be suited more for an older child but mine is 13 months so there has to be constant colorful characters for her to be interested B00005JH9C:the_film_that_condemns_itself:tobb_delow B00005JH9C Sullivan's Travels - Criterion Collection: DVD: Eric Blore,William Demarest,Byron Foulger,Robert Greig,Porter Hall,Margaret Hayes,Esther Howard,Veronica Lake,Joel McCrea,Torben Meyer,Charles R. Moore,Frank Moran,Franklin Pangborn,Victor Potel,Georges Renavent,Harry Rosenthal,Almira Sessions,Robert Warwick,Richard Webb dvd 0 of 6 2.0 February 20, 2006 tobb delow Delray Beach, FL USA Of course the Criterion Collection has wonderful extras and a great transfer. The problem is the film itself. Preston Sturges made some genuinely profound films such as The Lady Eve, Unfaithfully Yours, and Hail the Conquering Hero that are rich and complex experiences. But Sullivan's Travels is simplistic, pretentious, and false. As the film's characters themselves point out, poverty is only intersting to the rich, whose view of it is distorted. Odd-faced character actors in dingy sets make a rich man's view of poverty and not at all related to the real thing. Sturges was one of the most highly-paid men in America, so his view of the subject matter is (like characters say in the film) based on cliche. The climax with its chain-gang laughing at a cartoon, is pretty dopey and a fairly unconvincing argument for comedy. Sturges would do better to point to how comedy in his best films allows him to examine self-deception, angry love, role playing and a host of other themes--in other words how humor gets into the darkest and most ambigous areas of human life that "serious" drama cannot so easily reach. This film is exactly the kind of film that Sullivan wants to make--which is why it is so overearnest and uninteresting. If you want to see the genious of Preston Sturges, watch any of his other films (even Harold Diddlebock) in their entirety. After the first 10 minutes a simplemindedness takes over Sullivan's Travels that make makes it a dispiriting film. B0000844I8:ultimate_edition?_review_of_dvd_features_only:wisconsin_dad B0000844I8 Stargate (Ultimate Edition): DVD: Kurt Russell,James Spader,Viveca Lindfors,Alexis Cruz,Mili Avital,Leon Rippy,John Diehl,Carlos Lauchu,Djimon Hounsou,Erick Avari,French Stewart,Gianin Loffler,Jaye Davidson,Christopher John Fields,Derek Webster,Jack Moore (IV),Steve Giannelli,David Pressman,Scott Alan Smith,Cecil Hoffman,Roland Emmerich dvd 5 of 9 1.0 June 18, 2006 Wisconsin Dad Fond du Lac, Wisconsin United States I love Stargate, and give the movie 5 stars. I own a VHS copy, and have watched it many times. With that said this "Ultimate Edition" is not ultimate at all. There are no real special features. The documentary is a cheesy one that explores if there is a real stargate, but there are no...NO...behind the scenes/making of Star Gate insights at all. This documentary has nothing to do with the cast/crew/design/production of the movie. This does not, by any means, make this DVD ultimate. This DVD edition isn't ultimate at all, but extremely mediocre. The only special feature on this disk is a producer/director audio commentary that can run during the movie. That's it. Really. No kidding 6305907099:what?:pink_ipod 6305907099 Wishful Thinking: DVD: Jon Stewart,Mel Gorham,Desiree Casado,Joe Mosso,Frank Senger,L zaro P rez,James LeGros,Drew Barrymore,Jennifer Beals,Eric Thal,Adam Park dvd 1 of 14 1.0 January 5, 2004 Pink Ipod This movie was so stupid, everyone listens to Nina when she is clearly messing with their lives. They are stupid enough to believe her, and well I don't even know what else happens cause I saved myself and changed the channel B00005221I:substandard_&_unacceptable_dvd_quality_-_cheesy_&_inferior_episodes:annessa_r._bailey B00005221I Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete First Season: DVD: Sarah Michelle Gellar,Nicholas Brendon dvd 1 of 6 1.0 July 16, 2006 Annessa R. Bailey Tampa, FL USA What a disappointing purchase this was! I have never purchased a dvd set that was this bad in quality without it being pirated. Actually, I've seen vhs copies with better audio/video quality. If I had not purchased the set from Amazon itself I would have thought, I did get a cheap bootleg. The sound is a bit flat, which I could deal get over, but the picture quality is just horrendous! All of the episodes are grainy, pixilated, and some even blur a bit. There are whole episodes where the show is so dark you can hardly tell what is going on. It's a waste of money to buy dvd's like this. Shame on Fox for releasing them this bad! As for the show itself, well, it would be kind to say it was okay. In truth, it is not that great. I wonder how the show made it to season two at all. The acting was bad, the dialog was atrocious, the stories were subpar; I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Usually, a shows first season is the best or at the least good enough to make you want to see the next run, but not this one. In short, DO NOT buy this set even if you are a fan. You can tape reruns on the FX channel in better quality! B00023XW3M:so_so:computer_chick_"old_movie_collector" B00023XW3M His Girl Friday: DVD: Cary Grant,Rosalind Russell,Ralph Bellamy,Gene Lockhart,Porter Hall,Ernest Truex,Cliff Edwards,Clarence Kolb,Roscoe Karns,Frank Jenks,Regis Toomey,Abner Biberman,Frank Orth,Helen Mack,John Qualen,Alma Kruger,Billy Gilbert,Pat West,Edwin Maxwell,Wheaton Chambers,Howard Hawks dvd 0 of 22 2.0 March 10, 2006 Computer Chick "Old Movie Collector" Slidell, LA USA His Girl Friday is an OK movie about newspaper reporters in the early part of the 20th century. I think it was supposed to be funny, and it may have been at the time, but most of the dialog was lost on me B00009W0U4:not_worth_the_hype_or_the_hatred:the_grackle B00009W0U4 Irreversible: DVD: Monica Bellucci,Vincent Cassel,Jean-Louis Costes,St phane Derd rian,St phane Drouot,Albert Dupontel,Michel Gondoin,Mourad Khima,Christophe Lemaire,Abbate Michael,Eric Moreau (II),Philippe Nahon,Jo Prestia,Titof dvd 1 of 2 2.0 November 12, 2006 The Grackle Los Angeles, CA United States The simple truth is, this movie is boring. Yes, it has a really long (not to say interminable) rape scene in it, and yes, some guy gets his head smashed in with a fire extinguisher. But so what? It's still boring. We just sort of drift around from moment to moment, through what seem to be virtually unscripted scenes, backwards through the "story," which has pretty much no focus or ultimate impact. Then it's over and you get to do something more interesting, like shine the silverware. Don't get me wrong, I like dark and disturbing films (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, anyone?), but I prefer them to at least be interesting and involving. I'd take anything David Cronenberg ever made over this, and I'm including the early stuff B00009W0U4:different,_yes...:robert_b._martin_"slickjik" B00009W0U4 Irreversible: DVD: Monica Bellucci,Vincent Cassel,Jean-Louis Costes,St phane Derd rian,St phane Drouot,Albert Dupontel,Michel Gondoin,Mourad Khima,Christophe Lemaire,Abbate Michael,Eric Moreau (II),Philippe Nahon,Jo Prestia,Titof dvd 0 of 2 2.0 September 8, 2006 Robert B. Martin "slickjik" San Marcos, Ca United States WARNING: SPOILERS. Opening scene is quite shocking. Some graphic effects. There is more male nudity and male genitalia than female. There is only one quick...very quick female genitalia shot near the beginning, or "end" of the movie. Since the movie begins with the "ending scene" and ends with the "opening scene". The rape scene is violent, with graphic language. Obviously actual penetration is achieved (anal)...but none shown. Not even a good boob shot. You "of course" see the male genitalia (big deal)! Movie is revenge driven...and that seems to be about it. Doesn't have a great script...may be good to the French...but, not to US standards. Movie is in French with English subtitles. B000929UNM:not_true_celtic:emma_l._killingbeck B000929UNM The Best of Riverdance: DVD: Michael Flatley,Jean Butler,Eileen Martin,Mar a Pag s,Areleen Ni Bhaoill,Pat Roddy,Colin Dunne,Katie McMahon,Morgan Crowley,Tarik Winston,Daniel B. Wooten,Eileen Ivers,Ivan Thomas (IV),Liam Neeson,Brend n de Galla ,Joanne Doyle,Yolanda Gonz lez Sobrado,John McColgan dvd 3 of 8 2.0 June 7, 2006 Emma L. Killingbeck PASS ON THIS ONE. THE ORIGINAL WAS OK, BUT IF YOU WANT GREAT MUSIC, GREAT DANCING, AWESOME SETS, TRULY CELTIC--EVEN WITH THE HUGE EGO OF MICHAEL FLATLEY, WHO IS, BY THE WAY AN EXTRAORDINARY TALENT, BUY HIS SHOW "FEET OF FLAMES" TOTALLY TOE-TAPPING AWESOME. THIS WILL BE NO DISAPPOINTMENT LIKE THE SO CALLED "BEST OF RIVERDANCE" IT HAS NO SPANISH DANCE, NO SPIRITUALS, NO HIP-HOP, NO RUSSIAN DANCE. ALL WELL AND GOOD FOR MANY. BUT FEET OF FLAMES IS TOTALLY IRISH & CELTIC, WHICHEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT. EMMA KILLINGBECK SCOTS&IRISH TO THE COR B00005JM4Q:"i'm_the_guy_in_the_frozen_food_section_dialling_911.__i_swear."_:steven_y._"professional__imaginaut" B00005JM4Q Anger Management (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Adam Sandler,Jack Nicholson,Marisa Tomei,Luis Guzm n,Jonathan Loughran,Kurt Fuller,Krista Allen,January Jones,John Turturro,Nancy Walls,Lynne Thigpen,Woody Harrelson,Kevin Nealon,Allen Covert,Adrian Ricard,Peter Spruyt,Roger Clemens,Rudolph W. Giuliani,Cody Arens,Marisa Chandler,Peter Segal dvd 2.0 May 12, 2006 Steven Y. "Professional Imaginaut" Yancy Street Peter Segal's "Anger Management" is a film with nothing going for it. It is best described as boring, annoying, and devoid of laughs. Mild-mannered Dave Buznik (Adam Sandler) is sent to anger management counseling after an unfortunate misunderstanding. He immediately develops a problematic relationship with Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson), the self-help expert leading the sessions. As the two men spend more and more time together, Buznik starts to wonder if his counselor is the one who should be undergoing counseling. "Anger Management" just does not get as much mileage out of its premise as it would like. It is essentially a one-joke film that wears out its welcome very quickly. Sandler and Nicholson are saddled with a script that fails to produce even a snicker. Furthermore, the parade of cameos throughout the film add nothing to the story and just feel like a lame attempt to squeeze in as many recognizable faces as possible into the proceedings. Truth be told, "Anger Management" is one of those projects that was green-lighted because of the talent involved and not because of its quality. B0000EMYAY:buyer_beware!!:zeke B0000EMYAY Karen Voight: Burn & Firm - Circuit Training: DVD: Karen Voight dvd 3 of 4 1.0 February 14, 2006 Zeke Alaska I really hate how all these exercise videos are repackaged and called something different. It's damn confusing. At any rate, just be aware that if you buy "Sleek Physique" (ALSO called "SLIM Physique" in different packaging!) from Karen Voight you are getting to same stuff from this DVD. Shame B000F6IHTA:puhhhhlease!:oldzapatos B000F6IHTA Equinox (Criterion Collection): DVD: Christopher,Bonner,Hewitt,Connell dvd 1 of 8 2.0 August 30, 2006 oldzapatos Los Angeles, CA United States In the annals of Criterion this has to be one of their most bloated, pointless offerings. This film is just ridiculously bad, not fun, just kind of depressing to see so much wasted effort on such a pathetic script. If you really want to watch 1960s Willis O'Brien-inspired stop motion animation watch anything by Harryhausen and call it good. Equinox works only as a curiosity or Mystery Scince Theater 3000 fodder. If you want to see great low-budget Southern California filmaking, watch "Halloween" B000059H70:not_as_good_as_i_had_expected:acec_"jay" B000059H70 Air Supply - The Definitive DVD Collection: DVD: Air Supply dvd 2.0 August 18, 2006 AceC "Jay" San Carlos, CA USA I like Air Supply songs. This DVD is a big disappointment. Sound quality could have been better B000059HAB:not_good_for_teachers_and_students:tammy_"teacher" B000059HAB Soul Food: DVD: Vanessa L. Williams,Vivica A. Fox,Nia Long,Michael Beach,Mekhi Phifer,Brandon Hammond,Jeffrey D. Sams,Gina Ravera,Irma P. Hall,Carl Wright,Mel Jackson,Morgan M chelle Smith,John M. Watson Sr.,M.T. Alexander,Lawrence Petty,Marcia Wright,Bernard Mixon,Hamp Clemons,Theron Touch Lykes,Martell Hill Edmond,George Tillman Jr. dvd 1 of 7 2.0 April 6, 2005 Tammy "Teacher" Camden, NJ Movie has a lot of cursing, and nudity as well. I was very disappointed because I thought the reviews made it sound like I could show it to high school students B0000DC14U:groden_continues_his_conspiracy_theories_in_spite_of_evidence_to_the_contrary:deb_koenig_"zeb_koenig" B0000DC14U JFK: Assassination Files: DVD: JFK-Assassination Files dvd 4 of 59 1.0 August 24, 2005 Deb Koenig "Zeb Koenig" Fergus Falls, MN Robert Groden suggests that the Zapruder film of the Kennedy Assassination has been tampered with to cover up the real killers of Kennedy. In my opinion, his "evidence" is shaky at best. Groden has made a lucrative living off of proposing alternative theories of who "really" shot Kennedy, and here he is in 2003 suggesting that there was a conspiracy to kill Kennedy despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary presented by ABC, CBS, and many books. Groden needs to finally realize that the Kennedy assassination has been solved definitively, and his continuation of conspiracy theories is clearly his lame and pathetic attempt to keep his money cash-cow alive. Don't draw a conclusion based on this DVD! Look at other sources listed below and then draw your conclusion: 1. ABC's Peter Jennings presentation of the Kennedy Assassination (available on Amazon.com) clearly shows that Oswald was the one and only killer of JFK. 2. CBS's Dan Rather's special program on the Kennedy Assassination (available on CBS website) also suggests that the preponderence of the evidence points to Oswald as the lone killer. 3. The book "Case Closed", by Gerald Posner. He uses the physical evidence collected in Dallas, logic, and his ability to see through the fallicies of the conspiracies to show that Lee Oswald is the lone assassin. 4. The book "Marina and Lee", by Priscilla Johnson McMillian. This book shows that Oswald was certainly capable of the assassination, and the circumstances of his life point to the conclusion that he killed Kennedy. My advice is to watch this DVD first, and then look at the sources I list above, and then make an intelligent conclusion. If you are like me, you will see that Groden really has nothing solid to stand on. Jim "KOnedog" Konedog, Kennedy Assassination Stuudent 0767804341:wtf_happened?:t._j._fuller 0767804341 Riverdance - Live From New York City: DVD: Jean Butler,Colin Dunne,Mar a Pag s,Katie McMahon,Morgan Crowley,Tarik Winston,Daniel B. Wooten,Eileen Ivers,Ivan Thomas (IV),Eileen Martin,Liam Neeson,John McColgan dvd 2 of 5 1.0 April 4, 2006 T. J. Fuller Pensacola, FL This is not about Riverdance. This is about what this disc did to murder it. I popped it in, expecting to seemy favorite dance scenes (while conveiniently skipping the singing), when all of a sudden I'm at the finale. All I could say was "WTF?!", "WTH?!", or words to that effect. This "SuperBit" edition cuts out half -- HALF -- of the scenes this performance had to offer, including (but certainly notlimited to) Riverdance and Trading Taps. Not only that, but (unless the "high def" only works for high-end TVs) the video quality is equal to my old VHS copy. I sincerely hope this problem only occurs on my copy, but I suggest to get a refund webpage ready, because the atrocious product I received royally screws this great perform up the --- B000CNDJOO:boring,_uninspiring,_lackluster,_and_down-right_silly_exercise_video!!!:zarah_mayes B000CNDJOO Fighting Fit, Fighting Fat Club with Harvey Walden: DVD: Harvey Walden IV dvd 3 of 7 1.0 October 12, 2006 Zarah Mayes Chicago, IL United States PLEASE do NOT waste your time or money on this much-hyped piece of trash. Not only is Harvey Walden unconvincing in his role as drill sargeant, he lacks passion as is evident by the body language and expressions of the exercisers in the video. Unlike other excercise gurus, he does not exercise WITH you, instead he stands on the sidelines and barks out commands. The production quality is very low budget. It looks like it was shot using a camcorder. The set is bland and melancholy, and THERE IS NO MUSIC! All you hear is the loud marching of the feet of the exercisers, who display NO enthusiasm at all. And, I for one, can't blame them. I only hope they got paid for what must have been an extremely painful project for them. I was never more bored in my life. Walden's cuing is off, and furthermore, it is difficult to follow an excercise instructor who does not do the moves with you. That's just crazy. What was he thinking? I have no words to describe how awful this video is. I wish I could give it 0 stars. Don't waste your money. PLEASE!!!! The other reviewers must be new to exercise because I can't understand how they couldn't see that this video lacks what an experienced exerciser would expect. If you want a high-powered, energizing, effective calorie burning workout you will not like this video at all. You will be sorely disappointed for sure. Instead try Kathy Smith's Peak Fat Burning or any one of her step workouts B000244G7C:are_you_kidding_me?:alec_sprinkle_"hawk_teflon" B000244G7C Copper Mountain: A Club Med Experience: DVD: Jim Carrey,Alan Thicke,Richard Gautier,Ziggy Lorenc,Rod Hebron,Jean Laplac,Randi Brooks,Toni St. Vincent,Bita Jaretta,Bruce Carr,Paul Lodi,Jean-Claude Killy,Damian Lee,Edwin Halsnes,Barry Stone,Robert Gage,Danny Marks,David James (IV),Steve Sexton (II),Mike Utley,David Mitchell dvd 6 of 6 1.0 March 5, 2005 Alec Sprinkle "Hawk Teflon" OKC The only thing worse than seeing this movie is the fact that it plays automatically all over again when it's over. This is a glorified music video of horrible music. Jim Carey should not be on the cover of this movie either, as he is in about 15 to 20% of the whole thing. They should have had whoever the musical artist was. I honestly don't even know the plot of this movie, and I'm not kidding. I laughed so hard out loud ... when I had to read the back of the DVD case to remember what it was supposed to be about. The sound? They interlaced two songs (one in your right speaker, one in your left) that don't even match. If you want an idea for a good movie, read the back of this DVD case, and follow that plot, as the director sure steered clear of it. Alan Thicke ... I thought I knew ye! Oh, and I gave it one star only because I couldn't find the "Give me my money back" option. ***EDIT*** It's currently selling at $.16 in the used section. That says something right there. It's almost tempting to buy to give to people. I go to a university out in OKC, and we've passed it around the dorm telling everyone "It's the best movie ever! It's SO funny!" blah blah blah ... then, they get mad after they lose an hour of their life, but have no problem passing it around to others and doing the same to them B000244G7C:idiotic,_boring,_nonsensical_waste_of_time:m._schreuder B000244G7C Copper Mountain: A Club Med Experience: DVD: Jim Carrey,Alan Thicke,Richard Gautier,Ziggy Lorenc,Rod Hebron,Jean Laplac,Randi Brooks,Toni St. Vincent,Bita Jaretta,Bruce Carr,Paul Lodi,Jean-Claude Killy,Damian Lee,Edwin Halsnes,Barry Stone,Robert Gage,Danny Marks,David James (IV),Steve Sexton (II),Mike Utley,David Mitchell dvd 3 of 4 1.0 August 7, 2004 M. Schreuder provo, utah United States The acting was stiff and vapid, the filming was grainy and amateurish, the story was non-existent. A good Rx for insomnia, this forgettable piece of rubbish has only one redeeming quality: Seeing young Jim Carey trying to make the most of a boring script and insipid role B000GB775E:a_nice_idea_turned_to_utter_drivel_by_an_incompetent_production_team.:steve_forsyth_"sforsythnoe" B000GB775E Just My Luck: DVD: Lindsay Lohan,Chris Pine,Faizon Love,Samaire Armstrong,Bree Turner,Missi Pyle,Makenzie Vega,Carlos Ponce,Tom Fletcher (III),Danny Jones,Harry Judd,Dougie Poynter,Tovah Feldshuh,Jaqueline Fleming,Dane Rhodes,Mikki Val,Ira Hawkins,J.C. Sealy,Marcus Hester,Ameer Baraka,Donald Petrie dvd 2.0 September 8, 2006 Steve Forsyth "sforsythnoe" Euless, TX USA Poor Lindsay Lohan - it seems between bad choices in films and even worse choices in real life, she may be about to destroy her career before it even takes off. As an actress, she is falling into some very rough waters where she is expected to carry films on her shoulders before she has even had a chance to mature in her craft. As a child actress, she was a natural fit for her spate of Disney appearances, with FREAKY FRIDAY her crowning achievment. However, as a young adult, the pressure is much higher, as is the bar of success. And movies like this are NOT helping. But to be fair, one cannot place the blame on Ms. Lohan. The fact is, she has already had a turn in a non-Disney role which paid off exquisitely. MEAN GIRLS offered us the first glimpse of Lindsay in a post-Disney world. The timing was on, the interaction with the cast was superb, and everything just fell into place. But then again, that film also benefitted from a knockout script by a knockout writer (Tina Fey). JUST MY LUCK has NONE of these things going for it. Perhaps ironically, Ms. Lohan's latest vehicle is quite an unlucky choice for her. We have a promising premise in the concept of a boy and girl with opposing luck. Lohan is lucky, Chris Pine is not. Inevitably through the courses of movie magic, we know that the two will end up trading places (much like Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd once did in . . . what was the name of that movie again?) The only mystery for the viewer is whether this will occur through a wise old Asian or a wise old Gypsy. (Spoiler - it's the gypsy! OK, I know, I shouldn't be giving these things away!) Like I said, we all know this is going to happen. What we DIDN'T know was that it was going to take THIRTY-FIVE minutes to get there! So, we kill one full third of the movie being bombarded with example after example of Lohan's good luck and Pine's bad luck. By the time they make the switch, I had already lost interest and was planning my lunch. After the predictable bout of sudden bad luck, Lohan learns that an ill-timed kiss with Mr. Pine was what caused the change of fortune. Problem is, the kiss was at a masquerade party, and she doesn't know whom she kissed. What follows is perhaps the film's only somewhat enjoyable sequence as Lohan tracks down and ambushes 20 strangers with sudden and embarassingly public kisses trying to get her luck back. Sadly, this brief bright spot ends too quickly, and it is back to the formula as Lohan and Pine meet and fall in love anyway, not knowing that they are the ones who caused each other's luck to change. If predictable hook-ups make you happy, you might find some charm in this final third of the film - that is if you can overlook the sudden need for Lohan's best friend to become a song-writer in what was obviously a "what do we do with the final act?" tacked-on storyline with positively no set-up beforehand. The problem with this film is that it comes across as very "slapped-together" (To borrow from Mad TV, it was "JUST MADE IN TEN DAYS). Is the director to blame? While Donald Petrie has a few hits to his name (MISS CONGENIALTY, GRUMPY OLD MEN, and MYSTIC PIZZA) he also has more than a few duds (THE ASSOCIATE, WELCOME TO MOOSEPORT, MY FAVORITE MARTIAN). Or perhaps it is the writing team? To date, the two credited writers have yet to muster up a single true hit, and one gets the sense that a more competent writing team would have taken a better direction with the plot and have not wasted the obvious talent that Ms. Lohan does in fact possess. Personally, I would have liked to have seen the producers take a risk and make Lohan a much more loathsome character to begin with than she is. Her character comes off as too nice to hate, and yet too shallow to root for. Whoever is to blame, this is clearly a sub-par effort at best, and one I hope Lindsay (or her casting agent) will learn from. With four movies coming down the pike, she still has a shot at transitioning into a much more serious career. I like that she has taken smaller ensemble roles recently (such as PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION and BOBBY). A very smart play on her part. Let's hope she can steer clear of JUST MY LUCK roles for awhile B0002EJ7KS:plot_was_predictable:l._watkinson B0002EJ7KS She Fought Alone: DVD: Tiffani Thiessen,Brian Austin Green,Isabella Hofmann,David Lipper,Maureen Flannigan,Keith MacKechnie,Jessie Robertson,Babs George,Marietta Marich,Jill Parker-Jones,Richard Jones (IV),Ashley Jones,Rachel Wolfe,Lisa Cassidy,Reed Frerichs,Christopher Dahlberg,Shane Steiner,Scarlett McAlister,Lidia Porto,Tonie Perensky,Christopher Leitch dvd 4 of 6 2.0 October 21, 2005 L. Watkinson Dereham, Norfolk United Kingdom I liked this movie but I also didn't like it. the story line was very predictable. I saw a similar movie of true movies. the acting was fairly good. it does go to show how ignorant people are when it comes to Rape.after watching this movie I realise why many rapes go unreported B00006L92P:possibly_jamie_lee's_worst:movie_dude B00006L92P Blue Steel (1990): DVD: Jamie Lee Curtis,Ron Silver,Clancy Brown,Elizabeth Pe a,Louise Fletcher,Philip Bosco,Kevin Dunn,Richard Jenkins,Markus Flannagan,Mary Mara,Skipp Lynch,Mike Hodge,Mike Starr,Chris Walker,Tom Sizemore,David Ilku,Andrew Hubatsek,Joe Jamrog,Matt Craven,Reginald Wells,Kathryn Bigelow dvd 1 of 2 2.0 February 2, 2003 Movie Dude Georgia Every once in a while someone comes up with a movie and makes the terrible assumption that as long as they put a well known actor/actress in it that everything will turn out good. Blue Steel is one of those movies. Jamie Lee Curtis plays a rookie cop who is being held responsible for civilian casualties (or should I say murders) which she did not commit. Sounds like an interesting plot, right? It would be had the script not been so poorly written. The supporting actors give such a bland/typical performance that not even Jamie Lee could have saved the dialogue. Aside from the acting, the film does not give the action packed performance that it promises. Some scenes are quite dull and as you are watching you wonder half way through the movie when the cop (Jamie Lee) is going to finally kill the psychopath whose been after her. So why do I give Blue Steel an extra star? Well, I'll just say that if you are a fan of Jamie Lee Curtis you might want to watch this if it comes on television. Just don't pay over $3 to rent it and certainly don't buy it B00005BCK5:meanwhile,_back_in_the_60s.:mike B00005BCK5 Deep Core: DVD: Craig Sheffer,Terry Farrell,Bruce McGill,Harry Van Gorkum,Wil Wheaton,James Russo,Ron Yuan,James Lew,Kenneth Choi,Dean Cameron,Donald Li,Catherine Kwong,Joseph Patrick Kelly,Dean Biasucci,Garrison Hershberger,Judie Aronson,Bert Rosario,Dane Northcutt,Melanie J. Elin,Fran ois Chau,Rodney McDonald dvd 6 of 6 2.0 January 5, 2002 Mike Hampshire United Kingdom This is just like an updated B movie from the sixties and I enjoyed it. It's real comic book stuff. The effects are not bad, the pace hardly flags and the cast seem to be enjoying themselves so it's easy viewing. I enjoyed this more than big budget films such as Evolution or Jurassic Park 3. But I think the absence of big names will put people off, not that it matters because the cast here do a fine job. And if big names don't matter to you then you could do a lot worse than watch this B0000DG5ML:nightmare_before_hannukah:ga_girl B0000DG5ML Eight Crazy Nights: DVD: Seth Kearsley dvd 2 of 6 1.0 December 2, 2004 GA GIRL Alexandria, VA I love Adam Sandler. Well, I used to love him, before he made Eight Crazy Nights. Not only was this cartoon not funny, it was downright trash. I would not recommend this "feature" to anyone. "Eight Crazy Nights" was short on story, long on time, and wearing on patience. I kept watching in hopes that this cartoon would redeem itself; I needed some justification for wasting the 2 hours of my life that I will never get back. Needless to say, I stuck it out until the credits, and now I have to live with the facts that I: 1.) watched the movie; and 2.) I'll never get that time back. So now I sit here, typing away a review I doubt anyone will read, wasting more of my precious life on that ridiculous movie! HUMBUG! Watch "Ishtar," you'll get more out of it. Oh, and I only awarded one star because Amazon insists you give everything at least one star. I did this under protest. B000CQQI8U:the_acting_will_kill_you._18_out_of_100:wisconsin_dad B000CQQI8U Death Tunnel: DVD: Steffany Huckaby,Melanie Lewis (II),Yolanda Pecoraro,Kristin Novak,Annie Burgstede,Jason Lasater,Gary Wolf,Robyn Corum,Gill Gayle,Brian Dyer,Reenie Varga,Jilon Ghai,Jesse Bernstein,George W. Harr Jr.,B.J. Winslow,Joan Farrell,Laura Corum,Sarah Tilford,Lucy Cabrera,Annika Klein,Philip Adrian Booth dvd 0 of 2 1.0 August 27, 2006 Wisconsin Dad Fond du Lac, Wisconsin United States Death Tunnel began with promise. Early in the movie we were treated to some unique visuals, wonderful music, and a good feel. Them the actors opened their mouths and Death Tunnel fell apart. Death Tunnel is the story of 5 college girls who, seeking an initiation into a party clique, are picked into a hazing ceremony which leads them to an old hospital where white plague victims were slaughtered. The building holds much more than they suspect, including angry (and dull!) ghosts. From here the madness ensues and the blood flows. Death Tunnel drags after the first 30 minutes, and holds few frights. The story gets dull once the girls are trapped, for nothing really happens other than 45 minutes of filming tricks. During this time we are tortured with an abundance of horrible acting; some of the worst in an horror film I have seen this year. The acting leaves you scratching your head, wondering how any film studio will give a director/producer $2 million to make Death Tunnel and allow them to squander the money on junk talent. And in the end, that is what kills Death Tunnel: pitiful acting. The acting is scary, the movie isn't. Run away from this stinker. Run very, very far away and don't look back. Total Score (out of 100) = 18 11 (out of 50). Enjoyment. A rating based on my overall enjoyment of the film. 0 (out of 10). Acting. How good was the acting? 2 (out of 10). Immersion. Did the movie suck me into the story? 5 (out of 10). Intangibles. Special effects. Movie pace. Is the movie forgettable, or something you will talk about and remember for weeks? Years? 0 (out of 10). Must see. Is this movie worth seeing/renting? 0 (out of 10). Must buy. Is this movie a must buy/purchase B00003CX9E:if_citizen_kane_is_a_great_film,_what_would_a_bad_film_be_like?_:stephen B00003CX9E Citizen Kane: DVD: Georgia Backus,Fortunio Bonanova,Sonny Bupp,Ray Collins,Dorothy Comingore,Joseph Cotten,George Coulouris,Herman J. Mankiewicz,Agnes Moorehead,Everett Sloane,Paul Stewart,Buddy Swan,Philip Van Zandt,Orson Welles dvd 2 of 22 1.0 July 20, 2006 Stephen To enjoy Citizen Kane, you have to be able to answer the question above. I just hate almost everything about this film. I think it's easy to create a hype how such a terrible film look great and deep. Many people will fall for it. But it's very hard to make a truly GREAT FILM! B00004WMG0:not_representative_of_the_rave_phenomenom:daniel_oh_"critic" B00004WMG0 Better Living Through Circuitry: DVD: Moby,Lord T. Byron,McGuinnes,Lady Galore,Shai De La Luna,Roni Size,DJ Die,MC Dynamite,Suv,Onallee,DJ Krust,Frankie Bones,Jonny Stevens,Jack Dangers,BT,Scott Kirkland,Ken Jordan,Alex Spurkel,Roxanne (II),James Lumb,Jon Reiss dvd 5 of 13 2.0 April 24, 2003 Daniel Oh "Critic" Buena Park, CA United States This is not a movie, in a classic sense. This is a set of interviews of dj's & promoters. I'm fine with that however the djs that participates are not the best representations of the electronic industry. Where is Paul Oakenfold, Paul Van Dyk, Sasha, Digweed, Dave Seaman, Deep Dish , Dj Dan... and countless other famous dj's? I understand that the budget might have been too small to invite one of those dj's mentioned above for an interview or so ...but in this movie there are lots of dj's that are not that well representative of an industry that's becomming smaller and smaller. For your money's worth, buy a breakbeat dance video where you will be more entretained than a documental wanna be.. B0001HAGU6:great_variety,_poor_transfers,_really_bad_sound:lee_malatesta B0001HAGU6 SciFi Classics Collection 50 Movie Pack Collection: DVD: Sci Fi Classics 5o Movie Pack dvd 12 of 12 2.0 August 24, 2006 Lee Malatesta Cincinnati, OH United States First off, let me say that this is a great collection of really bad sci-fi movies. The selection spans several sub-genres of the classic sci-fi age. You've got Gamera movies, Hercules movies, outer space movies. The whole gamut. Unfortunately, the sound is very bad and the movies are not closed captioned. As an individual with a hearing problem, the soundtrack was almost indecipherable due to the constant hum that permeates most of the transfers. The video is also problematic, but no where near as bad as the sound B0001HAGU6:for_cinemasochists_only:steven_utley B0001HAGU6 SciFi Classics Collection 50 Movie Pack Collection: DVD: Sci Fi Classics 5o Movie Pack dvd 18 of 20 2.0 March 26, 2006 Steven Utley Bearing in mind that the 50 MOVIE PACK line is what it is, no-frills packages of public-domain films, I have to say that SCI FI CLASSICS is not up to the level of MYSTERY CLASSICS and HORROR CLASSICS, which I also own. I've watched everything in the MYSTERY and HORROR sets, and, while the latter is padded with flicks that properly belong in the former, I didn't feel cheated by either. Moreover, some of the films included, such as DETOUR, IMPACT, BLUEBEARD, and TOO LATE FOR TEARS, actually are classics of a sort, deserving of repeated viewings. Only about 36 of the 50 films included in SCI FI CLASSICS remotely qualify as science fiction or even as "sci fi" -- and the only "classics" among them are famous (or infamous) anti-masterpieces on the order of ROBOT MONSTER, TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE, MESA OF LOST WOMEN, and SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS; the balance comprises sword-and-sandal strongman epics, e.g., HERCULES AND THE TYRANT OF BABYLON, and jungle epics, e.g., WHITE PONGO, QUEEN OF THE AMAZONS, and Clyde Beatty's LOST JUNGLE. If you simply must have copies of low-budget programmers such as UNKNOWN WORLD, HORRORS OF SPIDER ISLAND, and THE INCREDIBLE PETRIFIED WORLD on hand for those occasions when THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL doesn't ring your chimes, you'll like this package. Otherwise, beware B000067J2X:unmemorable_except_for_the_leading_actors'_good_acting:t._nakajima B000067J2X Dead Heat (2001): DVD: Kiefer Sutherland,Anthony LaPaglia,Radha Mitchell,Lothaire Bluteau,Daniel Benzali,Kay Panabaker,Denis Arndt,Charles Martin Smith,Michael Benyaer,Craig Veroni,Marco Roy,Gary Hetherington,Bill Whiting,Frank Cassini,Alf Humphreys,Peter Flemming,Amy Adamson,Mark Acheson,Frederick Pleasure II,James Jackson (VI),Mark Malone dvd 1 of 1 2.0 October 16, 2006 T. Nakajima Kyoto, Japan Kiefer Sutherland stars in `Dead Heat' a crime drama in which the star of hit TV series `24' can show more tender side of the character than he is often associated with. He plays Pally, 35-year-old Boston cop who is forced to retire because of the heart problem, and his acting is very good. Overall, however, there is not much that I can recommend in `Dead Heat' except some nice touch in showing the characters. The film tries to include as many things as possible, but few of them really materialize. The story looks rather like a familiar one. Because of his early retirement, Pally starts to drink, and even thinks of committing suicide. His relationship with his estranged wife Charlotte (Rhada Mitchell) is not going well and he is not happy to know that she is now going out with someone else. But Charlotte is also nice and caring, so she persuades Pally's brother Ray (Anthony LaPaglia) to visit him. Ray, who is accused of not being a law-abiding citizen by his too earnest brother, has a good plan to make money easily, and offers it to Pally. It is about buying a racehorse cheap, he says, and it is an easy job because he happens to know that the horse, which has not win any races recently, is actually misdiagnosed, only suffering from a polyp a small operation can remove. When everything is going well, things get suddenly complicated because of a gambling-addicted jockey Tony (Lothaire Bluteau). From here, the story snowballs into blackmail, caper and even murder, but the film's overall tone is always light, not taking itself very seriously. Unfortunately, for all their effective acting from Sutherland, LaPaglia, Mitchell, and Bluteau, the weak and unsure direction totally fails to give momentum to the otherwise unremarkable film. It is not funny when it tries to make us funny, and it is not romantic when it tries to be romantic. Feeble direction simply misses several good opportunities to make good use of the jockey's sullen little daughter Sam (Kay Panabaker, her feature debut), who could have been a little surprise (or gem) in this unconvincing plot. It is true that Kiefer Sutherland shows in `Dead Heat' another side of acting talent, which is less eccentric and intense than most of the roles he had played, or he would play. That is good news, and the only good news here B000056AXZ:low_quality_sword_and_sandal_movie:octavius B000056AXZ Demetrius and the Gladiators: DVD: Victor Mature,Susan Hayward,Michael Rennie,Debra Paget,Anne Bancroft,Jay Robinson,Barry Jones,William Marshall,Richard Egan,Ernest Borgnine,Charles Evans (IV),Ray Spiker,Richard Burton,Russell Johnson,Woody Strode,George Eldredge,Paul Kruger,Nosher Powell,Kenner G. Kemp,Frank Hagney,Delmer Daves dvd 5 of 20 1.0 September 2, 2005 Octavius United States Delmer Daves' mediocre direction of the sequel to the equally pathetic film "The Robe" starring Richard Burton. A totally contrived film that demonstrates no competence in either screenplay, direction, acting, or historical accuracy of any sort. Avoid at all costs unless you're expecting to see it as a comedy. Compared to Kubrik's incredible direction for 'Spartacus' a few years later, the gladiatorial scenes in this film are second rate. Even the low budget film 'Barabas' with Anthony Quinn had better direction than this worthless film. The screenplay is contrived, the script is worthless, and the acting utterly shallow from everyone on this film: at least 'The Robe' had Richard Burton. Victor Mature continues to act as if he just came out of a cocktail lounge after a few martinis too many. Jay Robinson continues his idiotic and ridiculous performance of Caligula as if the character were a retarded bufoon instead of the diabolical genius of cruelty and perversion (See Hurt's performance in the BBC's 'I, Claudius' to see how a good actor handles this character.) In short, reading the New Testament or going to a church sermon is far more entertaining and historically faithful than watching this garbage film. Just the fact that Victor 'Manure' is in this film says it all. Ignore this pathetic film and watch 'Spartacus', 'Barabas', or even the fantasized 'Gladiator' for some good Gladiatorial films. As for Biblical films, 'Ben Hur', 'The Ten Commandments' or 'Quo Vadis' are films that are worth watching much more than this putrid Hollywood junk. B000GI3KGC:the_uses_of_disenchantment:thecableguy B000GI3KGC Hard Candy: DVD: David Slade,Patrick Wilson,Ellen Page,Sandra Oh,Odessa Rae,Gilbert John dvd 1 of 5 2.0 November 11, 2006 thecableguy Yeeouch! Think "I Spit on Your Grave" with a very good art director. "Audition" for the Lolita set. If you feel Kevin Bacon got off too easy in "The Woodsman," or you enjoy sitting through entire "Law and Order: SVU" marathons on TNT, this film has something for you. Everyone else be advised to stay far, far away B00004XOCX:one_of_the_worst_movies_ever!!!!!!!!!:r._wilkerson_"edarh_wooilkerson" B00004XOCX Annie Hall: DVD: Woody Allen,Diane Keaton,Tony Roberts,Carol Kane,Paul Simon,Christopher Walken,Janet Margolin,Charles H. Joffe dvd 0 of 3 1.0 October 25, 2006 R. Wilkerson "edarh wooilkerson" Chesterfield, VA USA Why is this movie a classic? The plot line was nonexistent, and the characters were completely unlikeable.The implication that Annie Hall was a lesbian didn't make any sense! Woody Allen's character was completely freeky and there was not a single purpose for him being there. Come to think of it, THERE WAS NO PURPOSE FOR THIS MOVIE!!!!!! So save yourself and never watch this film B0000714EN:over_done:tjl1886 B0000714EN Gang Tapes: DVD: Trivell,Darontay McClendon,Darris Love,Don Cambell,Six Reasons,Sonja Marie,Aura Ruiz,Tasheia Woodward,Andrew Stoddard,Michelle Marie White,Rochelle (VI),Kevin Wiseman,Dwayne Whitehead,Bruce Lemon,Champagne Powell,Nancy Whitworth,Nana Murphy,Tramonde Myers,Lil' Skrappy,Celeste Bowen,Adam Ripp dvd 0 of 3 1.0 February 23, 2006 TJL1886 Chicago, IL USA "Over done" is the best way to describe this over-the-top attempt to view gang life from the eye of a "stolen" video camera. B0000B1OCU:desperation:eik_nyl_"e" B0000B1OCU Intimacy (R-Rated Full Screen Edition): DVD: Mark Rylance,Kerry Fox,Susannah Harker,Alastair Galbraith,Philippe Calvario,Timothy Spall,Marianne Faithfull,Fraser Ayres,Michael Fitzgerald,Robert Addie,Deborah McLaren,Rebecca R. Palmer,Greg Sheffield (II),Vinnie Hunter,Joe Prospero,Sian Reeves,Paola Dionisotti,Marcello Walton,Christian Malcolm,Amy Lindsay,Patrice Ch reau dvd 27 of 36 2.0 March 23, 2005 Eik Nyl "E" Controversy courted the release of this film and people went to see it for the actual depictions of sex between the actors, thinking somehow it would be pornographic or titillating. But this film showed two desperate, middle-aged strangers (with all their flaws abundantly clear) meeting once a week for no-strings-attached encounters. The fact that the audience sees graphic moments adds only to the "desperate", tawdry, pathetic feel of their relationship. Naturally, one of the two of them becomes too curious and wants to know more about the other partner, one of the greatest pitfalls in the dangerous pursuit of anonymous encounters: sooner or later, anonymity is not good enough anymore. B000F0UUCI:yes_it_is_that_bad:william_a._carroll_"bill_carroll" B000F0UUCI Amazon Jail: DVD: Oswaldo De Oliveira,Elizabeth Hartmann,Maur cio do Valle,Sandra Graffi,L gia de Paula,Elys Cardoso,Shirley Benny,M rcia Fraga,Regina Lopes,K tia Spencer,F tima Nunes,S rgio Hingst,Jo o Paulo Ramalho,Wilson Sampson,Siegrid Schneider,Pedro Cassador,Roque Rodrigues,Marthus Mathias,F bio Vilalonga,Osmar Alves,Miriam Rodrigues dvd 1.0 October 8, 2006 William A. Carroll "Bill Carroll" North Bend, OR United States Believe Dooby's one(zero) star review. Not even worth a FREE rental. Not worth your precious time. You have been warned B000F0UUCI:don't_believe_the_hype...:dellamorte B000F0UUCI Amazon Jail: DVD: Oswaldo De Oliveira,Elizabeth Hartmann,Maur cio do Valle,Sandra Graffi,L gia de Paula,Elys Cardoso,Shirley Benny,M rcia Fraga,Regina Lopes,K tia Spencer,F tima Nunes,S rgio Hingst,Jo o Paulo Ramalho,Wilson Sampson,Siegrid Schneider,Pedro Cassador,Roque Rodrigues,Marthus Mathias,F bio Vilalonga,Osmar Alves,Miriam Rodrigues dvd 5 of 5 1.0 June 30, 2006 Dellamorte I bought this DVD based on the review of it on the DVD Drive in web site. Either the person who reviewed it has never seen an exploitation movie before, or was not old enough to view one in the first place. He made it sound like the most graphic and disturbing prison movie ever. You would have thought it compared to the 'Ilsa' movies the way this guy went on about it. I'm not sure what movie he saw, but it wasn't this one. When the most extreme scene in the movie involves a person being shot at falling over bloodlessly like an old western, you have to wonder why exactly it merited an "unrated" version. I guess it's worth it if you want to see naked women dancing around in a circle, but it you want to see a gritty violent movie, buy something else B00008O38G:lame_!__lame_!__lame_!:r._heisler B00008O38G McHale's Navy (1997): DVD: Tom Arnold,Tom Ayers,Ernest Borgnine,Bruce Campbell,Henry Cho,Tommy Chong,Scott Cleverdon,Anthony Jesse Cruz,Tim Curry,David Alan Grier,Brian Haley,Eduardo L pez Rojas,Honorato Magaloni,Debra Messing,Guillermo R os,Robert Schuch,French Stewart,Dean Stockwell,Danton Stone dvd 3 of 7 1.0 November 2, 2005 R. Heisler Ernest Borgnine would be spinning in his grave if he were dead. There is absolutely nothing funny about this movie! The actors should be embarrassed! I could only stomach 25 minutes of viewing and it was about as funny as a viewing in a mortuary. I can't believe I paid $9.99 for this DVD. What a fool I was. Learn from my mistake B0000694ZH:let_me_explain:systemstructure_"system_uses_meditate!" B0000694ZH Iron Chef USA, Two Culinary Clashes: DVD: William Shatner,Alessandro Stratta,Todd English,Jean Francois Meteigner,Roy Yamaguchi,Michael Burger,Elise Neal,Bruce Vilanch,Brande Roderick,Mark Famiglietti dvd 6 of 10 1.0 January 24, 2005 SystemStructure "System uses Meditate!" town, WA United States The reason the original "Iron Chef" was such an awesome show was entirely due to the bad translation and over the top voice acting. Therefore, without these elements, it becomes a pathetic charade of the original program. I was, at one time, a hardcore cult fan of "Iron Chef" because of the hilarious voice overs and true, foreign zest of Chairman Kaga and the gang. I really didn't care much for the cooking or whatever food was being prepared. The real heart of the show was the voiceovers and the mad, zesty zeal with which the Japanese chefs went over something as inane as cooking. I loved "Iron Chef" in much the same way as I loved the original "Mystery Science Theater 3000." They were both quirky tv cult shows that gave a certain sense of community among their hardcore fans. This new show really doesn't cut it in any way, shape, or form. I'm not being unpatriotic or anything, I'm just saying why this new show is so weak. Also, I noticed that once the translators of the original show started figuring out the show was a huge hit, they ruined their own voiceacting by being all self concious. The original few seasons of the first "Iron Chef" are where it's at! Once again, I don't watch this show for the cooking, I watch it for the odd, bizarre translations and cheesy voiceacting B0000694ZH:if_your_a_true_iron_chef_fan_{foodtv}_dont_waste_your_$!:robert_gear B0000694ZH Iron Chef USA, Two Culinary Clashes: DVD: William Shatner,Alessandro Stratta,Todd English,Jean Francois Meteigner,Roy Yamaguchi,Michael Burger,Elise Neal,Bruce Vilanch,Brande Roderick,Mark Famiglietti dvd 11 of 12 2.0 December 11, 2004 Robert Gear Akron Ohio Do not confuse this with the Real thing. i found teh VHS of this for $1 at a store near me. I was interested so i got it. I watch Iron Chef on the Food Network evey night, and this dosent even begin to hold a candle to it! The one commentator is a failed comedian, and the other is a culinary half wit!I never heard more ussless facts in a 90min span b4 in my life. The chefs in the first baattle were, for lack of a better term dissrespectful, i mean come on how are you gonna have a cell phone on you and answer it During a Cooking battle?!? They kept cutting away from the cooking to show interview clips with the chefs. The Cooks were pretty good, they had a decent talent but we didnt get to see as much of it here as you do on the real show. There Flour reporter keeps bugging them thru out the whole thing, asking questionspassed down from the dumb announcer.They kept tryign to play shatner off as a culinary genius but come on we all know that he is nothing but a medeocore actor....out side of star trek or wat ever he was on. The only you see shatner is when he is talking about clearly prewritten statements that sound kinda incoherant lol. All in all i give this 2 stars, and that purely gose ot the merit of the chefs, not to the shows them selfs. Unless your a shatner Fanatic, or sone won thats just kinnda like "its cooking, I'll watch it" but be warned. Its not as good as it could be. Glad i only spen $1 on it bc its truely not worth more B00005JMQZ:grow_up,_everybody!!!_dreamworks,_too!!!: B00005JMQZ Shrek 2 (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Andrew Adamson,Julie Andrews,Guillaume Aretos (II),Kelly Asbury,Antonio Banderas,Wendy Bilanski,Cody Cameron,John Cleese,Kelly Cooney,Cameron Diaz,Rupert Everett,Larry King,Christopher Knights,Mark Moseley,Eddie Murphy,Mike Myers,Jennifer Saunders,David P. Smith,Aron Warner dvd 2 of 12 1.0 July 20, 2006 You know, Shrek 2 is the embarassment of American culture. What's wrong with it you ask? Let's see... too much slapstick humor, too many movie references, or parodies, and an unforgiving act of making fun of or parodying CLASSIC DISNEY CHARACTERS!!! That's just unbelievable, Dreamworks! Disney animation has revolutionized the animation industry, and you just make fun of them. That's a real shame. You should be thanking Disney for all what animation offers nowadays. Disney classics have heart, humor, and a beautiful story. Shrek 2 lacks that. Shrek 2 deserves to be taken away from everybody and stored in a government facility, never to be seen again!! B0000844IJ:some_of_the_worst_acting_i've_seen_in_my_entire_life!:happy_camper B0000844IJ Asteroid: DVD: Michael Biehn,Annabella Sciorra,Zachary Charles,Don Franklin,Carlos G mez (II),Michael Weatherly,Jensen Daggett,Anne-Marie Johnson,Frank McRae,Denis Arndt,Gerry Becker,John Lindsey,David Underwood,Anthony Zerbe,Brian Hill,Christopher Murphy,Stephanie Marie,Gregory Wheeler,Ed O'Brien,Craig Stout,Bradford May dvd 3 of 3 1.0 December 27, 2005 Happy Camper Baltimore, Maryland USA When the lead character acts like she's sleepwalking through the entire film, that's distracting! When just about anyone from my high school's drama class could do a much better job while brushing their teeth, then it's time to open up the wallet, and hire better talent. Once you get past the special affects, all which use cheesy models, this godforsaken movie is boring as sin, or, should I say mud! Beside being preposterous, for example, the meteroid, or whatever, ONLY hits a dam in its first strike, this pitiful film is also delusional! Remember the scene where the head of FEMA risks his life to save someone who is obviously in danger of being wiped out by fire. As Hurricane Katrinia proves, there is no such thing as a bureaucratic, administrator hero! Instead, this movie comes off as a piece of not-so-subtle Federal government propaganda not worthy of a moment of your time B0000UX52K:boring:d._lewis_"bercana" B0000UX52K Thicker Than Water: DVD: Thicker Than Water dvd 1.0 October 22, 2006 D. Lewis "bercana" Halifax, NS Canada This DVD was horrible. I didn't know what to expect... but after the first 10 minutes I was thinking... is this it?! What's going on? Where are they? What am I watching? After awhile I clued in that there would be no story and virtually no dialog or commentary... nothing. They don't even tell you where they are?! It's basically a 45 minute music video. And the music, although I like it, doesn't fit with the footage at all. I really don't understand the point of this project. I watched the first 20 minutes uninterrupted and then started fast forwarding. Total waste of time and money. And I am a Jack Johnson fan B0000CDRW4:has_good_actors_in_it,_but...:michael_taylor_"snakefist2" B0000CDRW4 No Good Deed: DVD: Samuel L. Jackson,Milla Jovovich,Stellan Skarsg rd,Doug Hutchison,Joss Ackland,Grace Zabriskie,Jonathan Higgins,Shannon Lawson,Robert Welch (III),Francis X. McCarthy,No l Burton,Roberto Blizzard,Shawn Roberts (VI),Terence Bowman,Robert Brewster,Peter Blascke,Jennifer Seguin,Larry Day,Andrew Campbell (IX),Carole Bureau,Bob Rafelson dvd 5 of 11 2.0 February 20, 2004 MICHAEL TAYLOR "SNAKEFIST2" RICHMOND, VA USA DURING A MISSING PERSONS INVESTIGATION, A COP [SAMUEL L. JACKSON] GETS KIDNAPPED BY A GANG OF THIEVES. MEANWHILE, AN ELABORATE BANK ROBBERY IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN. OF COURSE, SAMUEL DOES GREAT AS ALWAYS, BUT THE SCRIPT AND ESPECIALLY THE VERY SLOW PACE BRINGS IT DOWN. WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A GOOD MOVIE TURNED OUT TO BE A DISSAPOINTMENT. FAR FROM BEING THE WORST MOVIE YOU CAN RENT, BUT, IT'S JUST NOT AS GOOD AS IT SOUNDS. MAYBE NEXT TIME, THEY WON'T TAKE ALL DAY TO GET STARTED 0792846818:crumb_ripoff!: 0792846818 Heavy Traffic: DVD: Lillian Adams,Beverly Hope Atkinson,Michael Brandon,Candy Candido,Frank DeKova,Robert Easton,Jamie Farr,Charles Gordone,Carol Graham (II),Kim Hamilton,Terri Haven,Joseph Kaufmann,Mary Dean Lauria,Jay Lawrence,Morton Lewis,Jacqueline Mills (II),Bill Striglos,Phyllis Thompson,Lee Weaver (II) dvd 3 of 10 2.0 May 7, 2004 i started liking this movie, i thought the pinball metaphor and wild characters and lifes a cartoon shiz could have worked out, if it werent for the fact that bakshi is thinly disguising himself and his own frustration as being an unoriginal "underground" cartoonist who caught on to the scene too late...if you like the depressing, gritty, wild, fastpaced style of this movie, check out the original master ROBERT CRUMB, toward whom bakshi is obviously seething with jealousy and riding anxiously on the coattails of...this is crap in noncomformity, and dont say i "didnt get it", i just think hes being hugely self-indulgent and this whole thing is an homage gone awry, lacking the wit, psychedelia, and pornographic brillinace that crumb could create so effortlessly. B00005UWUS:utter_tripe_-_do_i_have_to_give_it_1??:s._whiteley B00005UWUS Ghosts of Mars: DVD: Natasha Henstridge,Ice Cube,Jason Statham,Clea DuVall,Pam Grier,Joanna Cassidy,Richard Cetrone,Rosemary Forsyth,Liam Waite,Duane Davis,Lobo Sebastian,Rodney A. Grant,Peter Jason,Wanda De Jesus,Doug McGrath,Rick Edelstein (III),Robert Carradine,Michael Krawic,Eileen Weisinger,Rex Linn,John Carpenter dvd 1 of 4 1.0 January 9, 2006 S. Whiteley UK This film is one of the worst I've ever seen. Amatuerish in dialogue, acting, plot direction etc etc....sure it's bubblegum for late at night but it's really breathtakingly awful B0000ALPIQ:not_impressed: B0000ALPIQ Basic Pilates: DVD: Wayne Moss,Moira dvd 16 of 29 2.0 February 4, 2004 I found this dvd to be very slow. There is only one workout on the tape and it is only 20 minutes long. Most of this time is spent talking, not streching B0009IW88U:liberal_hollywood_at_it's_worst.....:john_q._public_television_"pbs_supporter" B0009IW88U Nip/Tuck - The Complete First Two Seasons: DVD: Nip,Tuck dvd 2 of 47 1.0 December 20, 2005 John Q. Public Television "PBS supporter" USA This is the kind of morbid/vulger trash that Warner Brothers does now. With them it's a show that is full of sex, graphic content, and a life style that is really damging to one's mental and physical health. This show and it's studio are no better then Disney and their Desperate Housewives show that treats women like call girls. It's all represents a Hollywood that is out of control and completely gone off the edge. I condem them both B00004YKRL:self_indulgence_makes_for_bad_film.:h._hahn_"generous_critic" B00004YKRL 100 Days Before the Command: DVD: Vladimir Zamansky,Armen Dzhigarkhanyan,Oleg Vasilkov,Roman Grekov,Valeri Troshin,Aleksandr Chislov,Mikhail Solomatin,Sergei Romantsov,Sergei Bystritsky,Yelena Kondulainen,Oleg Khusainov,Sergei Semyonov,Aleksei Volkov,Vladimir Puchkov,Pavel Stepanov,Oleg Yakovlev,Hussein Erkenov dvd 2 of 3 1.0 March 22, 2005 H. Hahn "Generous critic" Hollywood, CA This director mistakes lame attempts at surrealism for art. Artsy-fartsy disjointed and meaningless scenes leave the viewer benumbed and wondering what this movie is about. Speaking Russian is no help in discovering the point of this wan effort. B00000ILBO:2_stars_just_for_the_two_oscar_winning_actors:hadi_jones_"the_tree" B00000ILBO Virtuosity: DVD: Denzel Washington,Kelly Lynch,Russell Crowe,Stephen Spinella,William Forsythe,Louise Fletcher,William Fichtner,Costas Mandylor,Kevin J. O'Connor,Kaley Cuoco,Christopher Murray,Heidi Schanz,Traci Lords,Gordon Jennison Noice,Mari Morrow,Miracle Vincent,Mara Duronslet,Michael Buffer,Karen Annarino,Miguel N jera,Brett Leonard dvd 1 of 7 2.0 June 3, 2004 Hadi Jones "The Tree" San Antonio, TX USA This has got to be the biggest stinker in Denzel's long movie career, just after the oscar winning Philadelphia, he went on to star in this cult Sci Fi movie based on machines outsmarting mankind in a virtual reality game, Russel Crowe also stars in this very, and i mean very bad movie. But hey, if you're a Sci Fi fan, watch this, but don't expect high rated acting from any of the two big stars. On account, this movie didn't make any sufficent funds at the box office and was later labeled by the Hollywood critic, The Only Movie with Two Lead Star To Not Hit The Box Office. This low budget sleepy movie isn't worth watching, if you love Sci Fi, that outakes the life of machines aginst the human race, pick up a true 5 star Hollywood material like, 'A.I', 'Terminator' 'I', 'II', 'III' or Will Smith's new movie, 'I, Robot' B00007ELEC:.crap_for_movie:k._gittins B00007ELEC .com for Murder: DVD: Nastassja Kinski,Nicollette Sheridan,Roger Daltrey,Huey Lewis,Jeffery Dean,Kim Valentine,Melinda Clarke,Roger W. Morgan,Julie Strain,Shelley Michelle,Vicky Harris,Sandra Ram rez (II),Simon Cutmore,Nico Mastorakis dvd 2 of 2 1.0 June 12, 2005 K. Gittins CA USA Where to start with this bad movie? As if the plot matters (it doesn't), the movie is about a woman and her sister who use hubbie's computer to access chat rooms, etc, and witness online killings, and of course, see the killer in a sort of "Eyes of Laura Mars" style. The two lead males are played by non-actor musicians Roger Daltrey and Huey Lewis. Lead females are played by former actresses Natassia Kinsky and Nicolette Sheridan. The killer is played by a still-unknown actor. Major problems: 1. Talking computers ("electronic chronometer activated"). 2. People talking to computers as they type. 3. Never making a typo even when typing at an awkward angle and not looking at the keys (while talking to someone else). 4. Easy access to talking encrypted computer by using a microphone that you have to be an inch away from to use. And the computer selects only some of the words you say, as needed. 5. Really bad acting. 6. Un-sexy eroticism. 7. Over-technologized thoughout. It might seem tempting to "save" 5 bucks, but you're wasting the other five dollars. B00004YKQE:poor_quality_ruins_the_experience: B00004YKQE Mr. Arkadin: DVD: Annabel,Robert Arden,Gr goire Aslan,Mischa Auer,Suzanne Flon,Gert Fr be,Eduard Linkers,Terence Longdon,Patricia Medina,Anne-Marie Mersen,Paola Mori,Fr d ric O'Brady,Katina Paxinou,Michael Redgrave,Manuel Requena,Tamara Shayne,Akim Tamiroff,Jack Watling,Peter van Eyck dvd 5 of 7 1.0 March 5, 2003 I am referring to the Laser Light dvd edition of this film, which promises the best digital transfer of the film. That is great, but they used the worst print anyone could concieve to transfer! I taped this off of television awhile back and decided to buy a dvd version and this is 100 times worse than the version I taped myself on the slowest speed off of late night tv! In reading other reviews it appears that there is a much better VHS version and I would recommend that over this. Do not be fooled like I was with the fine condition of Welles' "The Trial" by Laser Light or the pipe smoking picture packaging of this. This version of Arkardin is a total waste of money B0002J4ZKK:not_interesting_-_it_doeen't_really_show_how_to_use_the_potty:claribel_lopez_"lilly" B0002J4ZKK Bear in the Big Blue House - Potty Time with Bear: DVD: Noel McNeal,Peter Linz,Vicki Eibner,James J. Kroupa,Tyler Bunch,Jennifer Barnhart,Geoffrey Holder,Victor Yerrid,Tara Mooney,Lynne Thigpen,Tim Lagasse,Carmen Osbahr,Alice Dinnean,Anney McKilligan,Richard A. Fernandes,Jim Martin,Mitchell Kriegman,Martin Hugh dvd 3 of 3 2.0 October 4, 2005 Claribel Lopez "lilly" Perth Amboy NJ I thought this video was really going to encourage my toddler to use his potty but it didn't. This video has good songs and characters but it only has two short scenes where a puppet is using the potty. I was expecting a scene where the child can be taken step by step on how to use the potty. this video didn't do it, so I'm still in the search of a video that really enphasizes potty trainning. Todlers need visuals and actions, the bear on this video does more talking than actual actions B0007Q6S44:2.5_stars._not_what_you_expect.:k._reynolds B0007Q6S44 Freestyle - The Art of Rhyme: DVD: Freestyle: Art of Rhyme dvd 13 of 24 2.0 June 7, 2005 K. Reynolds VA United States The Award winning documentary Freestyle, looks like something fresh, creative, and new from the exterior. I was psyched to purchase this DVD the minute I heard about it. What a let down! First of all, How did Freestyle achieve all of the acclaim and all of these film festival awards, Secondly who picked it as a winner? Probably some cornball who isn't familiar with the culture or good off the dome MCing? This documentary tries really hard to connect to the audience and present the validity of rhyming off the dome but falls completely flat. The film isn't balanced enough to a certain degree. What you basically have is nothing more than a bunch of tree huggin backpackers spitting nothing but junk and 10 syllable words off the top of their heads for a majority of the film. Don't get me wrong there are some credible scenes in Freestyle with Mos Def, Biggie, Black Thought, J.U.I.C.E, and the Last Poets....but not enough. Freestyle tries to come off as some profound documentary but sheds very little light to the subject and the questions that many Hip-Hop heads have asked for years. Why wasn't the current trend of fake freestyles (writtens coming off as freestyles) addressed more? Why weren't more credible MC's exposed and quality underground MC's presented? Why is there a section entitled "written/freestyles", what kind of oxymoron is that? It makes no sense. Why is there a section on Freestyle DJing??? What???!!!? Isn't that called turntabalism??? It seems as if they're fishing for more topics that ultimately don't have much of a direct relation to rhyming off the top. Is there a freestyle graffiti section too??? Freestlye continuously fails and derails itself off track from the key subject, the art of freestyling. At times it tries to be a Hip Hop 101 DVD. Most of the people who will be purchasing the DVD are already familiar with Hip Hop's roots in the South Bronx. Where is the quality freestyling at? Ultimately, "Freestyle" is over-saturated with un-proven, extremely weak, amateur MC's who need to focus more on spitting quality off the dome freestyles. They cover Supernatural's sorry a$$ for almost half of the entire DVD, which is very unfortunate. I admire his creativity, but he sounds terrible. It's no wonder why he can't get signed. He thinks his doo-doo doesn't stink, because he's studied the dictionary to help expand his vocabulary for freestyling, but yet he can't take the time to concentrate on getting out of the broom closet that he lives in. I thought that this film could have benefited from more footage of proven vets who can truly freestyle such as Kool Keith, Tribe, Big Daddy Kane, KRS-1, Snoop, Kurrupt, Common, Safir, Likwit Crew, Redman, or anyone from Hieroglyphics. These aforementioned artists can "really" freestyle. That would have faired much better than watching these tofu eatin, incense burnin, soy milk drinkin, poetry night geeks struggle to put words together. The Eminem rap Olympics footage from 1997 would have been great too. Ultimately, if you are somewhat/vaguely familiar with Hip-Hop culture or a new fan of the underground scene, then you will love Freestyle. If you consider your self a long-time fan of Hip Hop culture and familiar with the topic of freestyle rhyming then you will be somewhat disappointed, just like I was. If you want a quality Hip Hop DVD purchase check out "The MC", "Scratch" or "Hip Hop Immortals" take my word for it. I'm rating this with 2.5 stars mainly for the rare footage of artists such as Kool Moe Dee, Bahamadia, Biggie Smalls, The Roots, Craig G, and Kool Herc B0009KA8I0:this_is_the_edited_version_of_"guys_gone_wild:_heatstroke":clubthings B0009KA8I0 Guys Gone Wild: Spring Break Explosion: DVD: Guys Gone Wild dvd 4 of 4 1.0 August 23, 2006 Clubthings Los Angeles, CA FYI- this is the "retail-friendly" edited version of Guys Gone Wild: Heatstroke to show less raunchy material, making it acceptable at mainstream retailers. Be sure to get "Heatstroke" instead if you want the full uncensored version of this title B0009KA8I0:rip_off:honest_critic B0009KA8I0 Guys Gone Wild: Spring Break Explosion: DVD: Guys Gone Wild dvd 4 of 5 1.0 July 4, 2006 Honest Critic USA totally disappointed..whole series is a joke...should be call Guys Act Stupid...amature editing and directing. B000A88F22:does_anyone_even_really_care?:dan_carver B000A88F22 Britney & Kevin: Chaotic... The DVD & More (Bonus CD): DVD: Britney Spears dvd 14 of 16 1.0 February 20, 2006 Dan Carver Jackson, MS United States Okay, I own a Britney album or two. But the girl really let herself go... She should have stayed in school, instead of the Mickey Mouse Club. Or at least beauty school... or something, then she might have known that the hair she has now is hideous. I know I'm not the only one who thinks she's turing into Trailer Trash.. except, she's got money. That hair? Her Clothes? and lets face it guys, she was putting on weight WAY before she got pregnant.. Fashion senses aside.. She's really more IDIOTIC, that Chaotic.. she's got this princess in distress act that only her die hard fans can't see through.. I saw her in concert once, yeh I admit it. Paid for me and a friend to go. Was gonna go see the Onyx Hotel Tour too, just because.. But when I saw it on Showtime, I was SO Glad she canceled the tour and I got my money back. Her vocals were horrible, and it was so bad when MTV picked it up and they were obviously doctored.. she has absolutely no talent whatsoever.. and her vision is incredibly lacking... Her bland personality and complete naiivity and idiotic behavior makes itself evident in this show that isn't even bareable for a minute... I'd rather drag myself through Glitter, or Madonna's latest Tour Doc than sit through a single episode of IDIOTIC. I'm not a Jessica Simpson fan really.. But Newlyweds was hillarious, I loved that show.. Go for that INSTEAD of Chaotic if you're looking for something like that... No doubt, however, if you are a Britney fan... you'll end up with this anyway.. the whole brainless lot of you. (At least Mariah fans can say their girl can sing.. and at least Madonna fans can say their lady knows how to put on a fantastic show.. Britney.. well, she used to be pretty. B000E1EHQI:watch_keaton_roll_in_his_grave:howard_k._brodsky B000E1EHQI Buster Keaton - 65th Anniversary Collection (General Nuisance / His Ex Marks the Spot / Mooching Through Georgia / Nothing but Pleasure / Pardon My Berth Marks / Pest From the West / So You Won't Squawk / The Spook Speaks / The Taming of the Snood / She's Oil Mine): DVD: Buster Keaton,Harry Semels,Bud Jamison,Elsie Ames,Nick Arno,Cy Schindell,Dorothy Appleby,Lynton Brent,Monte Collins,Matt McHugh,Harley Wood,Jack Hill (II),Stanley Mack,Jules White dvd 4 of 23 1.0 March 13, 2006 Howard K. Brodsky This late Keaton material - when the actor desperately needed funds - is so asinine and unoriginal you will writhe along with Keaton rolling in his grave at this release. The cover art was so deceptive that I bought into the DVD collection being some obscure works from the silent era. Nope. The producers of this release went to painstaking steps to conceal the nature of this material. It comes from Keaton's last gasp on the screen: skits so insanely stupid you will pity both Keaton and yourself for buying this crap B0000AKY62:boring:youngbuck519 B0000AKY62 Beef: DVD: 50 Cent,Ving Rhames,Ice Cube,DMX,Mobb Deep,Jay-Z,KRS-One,Mack 10,Nas,Common,Ja Rule,Tupac Shakur,Jessica Hagan,Kool Moe Dee,Hussein Fatal,Russell Simmons,Flesh 'N' Bone,Krayzie Bone,Layzie Bone,The Notorious B.I.G.,Peter Spirer dvd 1 of 10 2.0 February 4, 2005 YoungBuck519 Ca$hville I didn't find this DVD too bad to watch, but I wouldn't watch it again. It had tons of good artists but I dont wanna have to sit down and watch a whole bunch of interviews. I think this DVD needed a lot more action of rappers on the streets or somethin, just my opinion B000BRBA8S:could_not_even_finish_it.:clarence_t._mccleese_"the_spartan" B000BRBA8S 2046: DVD: Chen Chang,Maggie Cheung,Jie Dong,Li Gong,Takuya Kimura,Carina Lau,Tony Leung Chiu Wai,Thongchai McIntyre,Ting Yip Ng,Ping Lam Siu,Wang Sum,Faye Wong,Ziyi Zhang dvd 1.0 November 23, 2006 Clarence T. MCCLEESE "The Spartan" Cincinnati, Ohio I love Asian movies. I like them because they tend to be more cerebral and less politically correct than the garbage coming out of Hollywood these days. 2047 however, was the first asian movie that I failed to finish becaase of the sheer BOREDOM of the plot. Don't get me wrong, the main actor (Clark Gable look-alike) is an excellent actor and the babes were gorgeous, but the movie itself IMO is overrated. You can argue "art" all you want but if you like an endless stream of a playboy making girls sad it may be for you(not my bag at all). I kept hoping the movie was over at several points only to realize..Oh my God it's not over! BORING B000059H20:a_thin,_stiffly_acted,_dated,_cliche_of_a_movie.:puzzled B000059H20 Roman Holiday: DVD: Gregory Peck,Audrey Hepburn,Eddie Albert,Hartley Power,Harcourt Williams,Margaret Rawlings,Tullio Carminati,Paolo Carlini,Claudio Ermelli,Paola Borboni,Alfredo Rizzo,Laura Solari,Gorella Gori,Heinz Hindrich,John Horne,Andrea Esterhazy,Ugo De Pascale,Diane Lante,Luis Marino,Giovanni Fostini,William Wyler dvd 0 of 2 1.0 October 25, 2006 Puzzled Greenwich Ct. What's all the fuss about. Ms. Hepburn doesn't act. Our leading man is plodding and mumbles half the time. Eddie Albert's restraint is utterly-unbelievable. Any two-bit paparazzi worth their weight in tin would have turned in those pictures for millions! What is Peck left with? A long life of knowing he's got a girl friend he can't touch, see, or speak with. I find this movie depressing. Hepburn chooses the stifling life of a princess for the "honor", instead of following the man she loves and running down that empty corridor screaming out his name as he walks out at the end, having chucked the whole royal kit-and-kabootle for her man. Peck choose poverty instead of instant journalistic fame? Albert takes one for his buddy and is now stuck doing endless pin-up photos in his dank drab loft? I mean really people. Would you like to live with the staff at the palace? Endless "League of Nations" speeches, and all the time wondering what the man of your dreams is doing? I'm sure she'd face the fate of Lady Di trying to escape her monotonous life. And to think she may even risk marrying someone like Prince Charles, a stiff approved of by her entourage. Depressing. Peck is forever seeing what could have been as no one believes a word of what he says when he finally comes out with the truth on his deathbed. And the only source he has is the former pin-up photographer down the hall in the rest home, the one who constantly mutters at the ceiling, "my photos coulda been a contenda" while taking pictures of nurses with his 1950 pinhole camera, the one without film they let him keep for patient management sake. Depressing. We should have heard a "WAIT" as Peck walks out of the last frame. Audrey running, her tiara falling to the marble floor, shoes flying off, holding her dress as the entire press corp chases after the both of them. They jump into the river again. Eddie, knowing she'd break, waits in a scooter and off they go into the roman sunset for a TRUE ROMAN HOLIDAY. But NOOOOOOOOOOO..... B000EXDSC0:the_worst_movie_ever_made,_bar_none.:robert_d._fowler_"xit1254" B000EXDSC0 Beyond the Valley of the Dolls: DVD: Beyond the Valley of the Dolls,Russ Meyer dvd 0 of 1 1.0 November 17, 2006 Robert D. Fowler "xit1254" Natchez, Mississippi United States This is without question the worst movie ever made. It makes "Plan 9 from Outer Space" look like "2001". Roger Ebert must be a genius. No one could "accidentally" make a movie this bad. I guess it's a comedy - that is if you find the contents of a toilet funny B00007KK5H:derivative!:gentleman_caller_"bubby" B00007KK5H Infested (2002) (Ws Sub): DVD: Zach Galligan,Lisa Ann Hadley,Daniel Jenkins,Amy Jo Johnson,Nahanni Johnstone,Robert Duncan McNeill,Jack Mulcahy,David Packer,Camilla Overbye Roos,Tuc Watkins,Mark Margolis,Josh Olson dvd 1.0 October 3, 2005 Gentleman Caller "Bubby" Sacramento CA Five Gen-X yuppies (yup, they're old enough to be that now) reunite for the funeral of one of their friends. What ensues is a parody of The Big Chill, complete with bad 80s music. Then mysterious bugs that disintegrate in bright light start infesting them one by one, turning them into murderous zombies. So far, so eccentric, and the satire is sometimes very funny. The FX are so bargain-basement, however, and the plotting so loose, that the film loses direction and winds uup just going through the motions in the last half-hour after a rather promising set-up. Zach Galligan must have been really hungry for work when he chose to do this movie. The menu is basic, and the only extras are trailers for Infested, Anaconda, and the Creature Features series. I like the wit. Now if only a bit more attention had been paid to the horror plot, and we might have something here 630551982X:product_outdated:charles_c._eliot 630551982X The AVIA Guide to Home Theater: DVD: Avia Guide to Home Theater dvd 1 of 1 1.0 November 2, 2006 Charles C. Eliot boston This product is way outdated for todays advanced technology. It is appropriate for CRT TV's but not for LCD's. Very disappointed!! B00005YVVD:one_of_the_worst_movies_i_have_ever_seen.:jhenager B00005YVVD Going Overboard: DVD: Adam Sandler,Billy Bob Thornton,Burt Young,Billy Zane,Tom Hodges,Valerie Breiman dvd 3 of 4 1.0 August 23, 2004 jhenager Atlanta GA USA I like Sandler. I couldn't even finish watching it. I purchased it, and actually took it out of the DVD player and broke it in half. The general public should be able to sue the actors and distributors when stuff like this is foisted upon us. Truly horrible, not funny, taped together. They must have spent fifteen bucks filming this abortion B000059PP2:my_kingdom_for_a_night_with_the_princess__~__a_man_who_knows_his_priorities:brian_e._erland_"rainbow_sphinx" B000059PP2 The Sword and the Sorcerer: DVD: Lee Horsley,Kathleen Beller,Simon MacCorkindale,George Maharis,Richard Lynch,Richard Moll,Anthony De Longis,Robert Tessier,Nina Van Pallandt,Anna Bjorn,Jeff Corey,Joseph Ruskin,Joe Regalbuto,Russ Marin,Earl Maynard,George Murdock,John Davis Chandler,Emily Yancy,Christopher Cary,Peter Breck,Albert Pyun dvd 4 of 5 2.0 July 12, 2006 Brian E. Erland "Rainbow Sphinx" Orange County, CA - USA 'The Sword and the Sorcerer' released in '82 is a mixed bag of positive and negative. The Negative: The production values are marginal, the picture quality overall dark and grainy. The dialogue doesn't fair any better, it's also dull and uninspired. As for the storyline, well I found it extremely uneven with some parts of the movie excruciatingly slow and others quite good. The Positive: Lee Horsley is surprisingly engaging as the vagabound, warrior Prince Talon and Kathleen Beller is breathtaking as Princess Alana, she's never looked better. The film is worth at least one watch just to see Kathleen in her prime. There are also numerous other very lovely ladies (such as Anna Bjorn) in this production that will keep all the young male viewers interest peaked. Cast includes; Richard Moll, George Maharis, Richard Lynch, Simon McCorkindale and Robert Tessier, one of the great tough guys in film B00008L3US:no_title:c._l_wilson B00008L3US The Air Up There: DVD: Kevin Bacon,Charles Gitonga Maina,Yolanda Vazquez,Winston Ntshona,Mabutho 'Kid' Sithole,Sean McCann,Dennis Patrick,Ilo Mutombo,Nigel Miguel,Eric Menyuk,Keith Gibbs,Miriam Owiti,Douglas Leboyare,Francis Mutei,Gibson Gathu Mbugua,Vusi Kunene,Connie Chiume,John Matshikiza,Ken Gampu,Fanyana H. Sidumo,Paul Michael Glaser dvd 1 of 1 2.0 April 4, 2006 C. L Wilson Elmhurst, Illinois United States Except for the presence of Kevin Bacon, whom I like a lot, this would have been a real loser. There were so many things wrong. Directed by Paul Glaser with no surprises, no depth of character, a too heavy-handed Hollywood scenario. You knew what was coming a mile away. There was good cinematography and music, and Kevin Bacon is always appealing, but that's the best I can say. Oh, and the nun. She was pretty good too. The lead black man was also engaging; the problem was really the script. Too pat, and too many unbelievable things that screamed "Hollywood". Like when the village burned down. They were ready to just up and leave where they'd lived for generations. As if it takes generations to rebuild their houses. And there were no signs of the burned buildings during the basketball game. And Bacon was supposed to climb this incredible mountain, get cut in the groin, then play basketball, all on a rotten knee. Please B000H5TH0W:i_dont_really_know_about_this...:m._zuasnabar_"fabridzuas" B000H5TH0W The Woods (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Colleen Williams,Lauren Birkell,Jane Gilchrist,Ivana Shein,Agnes Bruckner,Kathleen Mackey (II),Rachel Nichols,Gordon Currie,Jude Beny,Patricia Clarkson,Angela Bettis,Elizabeth Marleau,Melissa Carter (IV),St phanie Breton,Linda Pine,Li Li,Marcia Bennett,Bruce Campbell,Emma Campbell,Lucky McKee dvd 1 of 2 2.0 October 18, 2006 M. Zuasnabar "FabriDZuas" USA lately im getting bored with most of the movies that come out, ot it's me that im losing the charm for watching movies... and it more into the first one... i bought this one, 'cause i thought it was gonna be great. good critics, good reviews. i finally watched it. and i thought it was some slasher film. some kinda that... and i was totally wrong... some witch movie that i hated... i could rate it less, but well i'll give it a second chance tonight B00009Y3QI:the_showgirls_of_cocaine_movies:r._schaffer_"kapurush" B00009Y3QI The Boost: DVD: James Woods,Sean Young,John Kapelos,Steven Hill,Kelle Kerr,John Rothman,Amanda Blake,Grace Zabriskie,Marc Poppel,Fred McCarren,Suzanne Kent,Libby Boone,Greg Deason,David N. Preston,June Chandler,Edith Fields,Barry Jenner,David Tress,David Bantly,Bill Gratton,Harold Becker dvd 1.0 September 1, 2006 R. Schaffer "Kapurush" I hate to be the dissenting voice here, but The Boost is one of the most hilariously bad, cliched and over-the-top pictures I've seen in a long while. It's so silly it unintentionally wanders into John Waters territory several times. The thing is, James Woods acts like he's on coke before his character starts doing coke, so when he actually starts the coke binge, the movie enters a hyperreal realm of ridiculousness. Still, it has its moments, such as Sean Young falling down a flight of stairs and having a miscarriage, or Woods explaining that cocaine "just takes your natural energy and amplifies it". A good title would be "National Lampoon's Cautionary Cocaine Tale of the 1980s" 1572526769:this_is_not_alcoholics_anonymous: 1572526769 Drunks: DVD: Richard Lewis (II),Liza Harris,Liam Ahern,George Martin (II),Sam Rockwell,Amanda Plummer,Kevin Corrigan,Fanni Green,Parker Posey,Dianne Wiest,Billy Dove,Julie Halston,Faye Dunaway,Lisa Gay Hamilton,Calista Flockhart,Annette Arnold,Howard E. Rollins Jr.,Oscar Koch,Margaret Devine,Michael Medeiros,Peter Cohn dvd 13 of 19 1.0 January 12, 2003 This movie does a very good job of portaying an alcoholic that has not yet found the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. The AA meetings in this movie are packed with self centered selfish and restless, irrtable and discontented people who meet to share their misery. Real AA meetings offer experience, strength and hope, and the solution to how an alcoholic can live happy lives without alcohol B00023P4SS:tobe_hooper's_huge_misfire_after_"chainsaw"_and_"salam's_lot":john_d._page_"movie_fan" B00023P4SS The Funhouse: DVD: Elizabeth Berridge,Shawn Carson,Jeanne Austin,Jack McDermott,Cooper Huckabee,Largo Woodruff,Miles Chapin,David Carson (II),Sonia Zomina,Ralph Morino,Kevin Conway,Herb Robins,Mona Agar,Wayne Doba,William Finley,Susie Malnik,Sylvia Miles,Sid Raymond,Larry Ross (III),Frank Grimes,Tobe Hooper dvd 2 of 6 1.0 April 23, 2006 John D. Page "movie fan" usa when given good stories tobe hooper can be a good director.to bad this one isn't a very good story. this mess came out at the heigth of the "slasher" movie frenzy. but not wanting to be just a slasher movie they try to give us a monster also. the theme of 4 kids who,now hold on here,think it would be fun to spend the night in the funhouse at a traveling carnival. before you can say "please kill me" the "thing" is picking them off one by one. with only 4 teens in the funhouse you would think maybe some fleshing out of the teens would happen, but no, they just go for the tease scares and even at 90 mins. this bore last to long B00005V4XV:the_only_sin_here_is_that_i_was_stupid_enough_to_sit_through_the_entire_thing.:constant_quirky_conversation B00005V4XV Original Sin (Unrated Version): DVD: Antonio Banderas,Angelina Jolie,Thomas Jane,Jack Thompson,Gregory Itzin,Allison Mackie,Joan Pringle,Cordelia Richards,James Haven,Pedro Armend riz Jr.,Mario Iv n Mart nez,Harry Porter,Fernando Torre Laphame,Shaula Vega,Lisa Owen,Daniel Mart nez,Farnesio de Bernal,Nitzi Arellano,Roger Cudney,Adrian Makala,Michael Cristofer dvd 14 of 22 1.0 July 17, 2005 Constant Quirky Conversation You Can Call Me Connie Antonio Banderas plays a rich coffee magnate who is so stupid you can't believe he ever got wealthy when he's running around giving money freely to a woman (Angelina Jolie) who lied to him from the moment they met. She didn't want him to be blinded by a pretty girl, so she sent a photo of the girl he was actually supposed to marry. Well, we never get to see the pretty girl, because Jolie must have killed her too. The only reason this woman is "hot" is because she'll take her clothes off and have sex with anybody (if you've seen Gia, you'll know what I mean). Neither she or Banderas (who isn't a very good actor either and seems intent on overembellishing his accent) have any chemistry, and you wonder what he keeps forgiving her for when he catches up to her. My guess? The age old weakness most straight guys have for bad girls in bed, and all the sex in this movie gets old fast. It's so stupid, because nobody has interludes like that unless they're shooting a blue movie. The only blue here is the shade you will turn by the boredom with the weak plot. You can see right through this silly waste of two hours you'll never get back: this adaptation from Waltz into Darkness was remade especially for the purpose of exploiting two celebrities with highly sensual images and nothing more. This movie is as bad as Showgirls and one star less than Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, because at least Beyond is badly funny in an entertaining way. Not only is their relationship devoid of any true sense of love, but you also get this overwhelming desire to see creepy, unconvincing Billy (played horribly by Thomas Jane) get the girl. Billy? What a stupid name for a bad guy, but I guess it wouldn't make a difference even if his name was Ralph or Percival. Early on in the movie, the so-called beauty Julia/Bonnie/I forget what else--wants to see a really bad theater group, and a friend of theirs comments on what a cheap mellowdrama is being presented. My thoughts about Original Sin exactly. The plot is stupid, and the dialogue is so bad it's over the top. In the end, the movie makes absolutely no sense, and you wish you would get a payoff, but you don't. The rat poison doesn't do its job, and neither does the executioner. All I really am sure of is that, with all the rape scenes that Jolie's horrible character seems to enjoy and her portrayal of a woman who's asking for it constantly, that women should find this movie grossly offensive and degrading to our gender, and I'm not even a feminist! As for studmuffin Banderas? He really has no business in front of a camera because his acting scope is on par with the little boy who was in Problem Child with John Ritter. However, he is a good director (Crazy in Alabama). Heed my advice and avoid Original Sin; the two hours you waste on it will be unforgivable. B00003W8NS:english_soundtrack_version_vastly_inferior_to_the_hong_kong_original:p._burdick_"pataburd2" B00003W8NS Fist of Legend: DVD: Jet Li,Siu-hou Chin,Ada Choi,Shinobu Nakayama,Yasuaki Kurata,Billy Chow,Paul Chun,Cheung-Yan Yuen,Toshimichi Takahashi,Jackson Liu,Shun-Yee Yuen,Gordon Chan dvd 1 of 1 2.0 October 26, 2006 P. Burdick "pataburd2" Oneonta, NY United States Can someone please tell me where to get the re-mastered DVD version of this film with Chinese audio and English subtitles? The recent Hong Kong Legends release is crazy: Chinese audio, or English audio, but NO English subtitles! I have the original Chinese language/English subtitled (the subtitles are imbedded) version of this movie on a Universe VCD and, based on the merits of its available Chinese audio/English subtitles alone, it is a better movie--by magnitudes--than the one(s) commercially available to the (hapless) U.S. market. The English dubbing on this DVD, even though well synchronized with the actors' lips, takes so much away from the film nevertheless, especially its "Chinese-ness," which is a major reason I enjoy this movie genre. Take, for example, the scene where our hero first returns to Jing Woo School after learning of his master's death and sees First Senior fight a challenge match with a visiting master. After handily defeating the challenger, First Senior actually saves face for the beaten master which the English soundtrack completely (and deplorably) misses. Also, at the very end of the U.S. release film, Chen says he is going back to his Japanese girlfriend. In the original, Hong Kong release, he actually goes off to fight the Japanese with the resistance movement. Between these two examples, there are many such, gross audio mis-cues; enough, at least, to take three stars away from an otherwise five-star martial arts film: the best of Jet Li's filmography, and perhaps the best of the "modern" Martial Arts genre, period. The same criticism holds true for Jet Li's The Tai Chi Master (released in the U.S. as the English-dubbed Twin Warriors). It's an English soundtrack superimposed over a Chinese movie, often stripping the film of its unique cultural content/identity/nuance, forcing the film through an American "knock-down-shoot-'em-up" template and reducing the potential for mental (as opposed to strictly visceral) enjoyment to a pitiful minimum. We end up with a film typically devoid of humor, character development and silver screen "intimacy," a film precariously out of balance with, and far flung from, its careful directorial intent. If you value the full content--visible and audible--of Chinese martial arts films, but lack facility in the host language, then the next best thing is a well-subtitled, original language version. And this release clearly is not that--by a long, long, long shot. B00003W8NS:bootleg_avoid:the_main_man_"the_mighty_big_bear" B00003W8NS Fist of Legend: DVD: Jet Li,Siu-hou Chin,Ada Choi,Shinobu Nakayama,Yasuaki Kurata,Billy Chow,Paul Chun,Cheung-Yan Yuen,Toshimichi Takahashi,Jackson Liu,Shun-Yee Yuen,Gordon Chan dvd 0 of 1 1.0 September 18, 2006 The Main Man "The Mighty BIG BEAR" Bronx, NY This film itself deserves 4 stars at least. Im givin this s*** a one cause its a f***** bootleg. I tried to play it in 3 different dvd players to include an x-box and it would not play. Then when I finally got it to play, it looks like one of those copies that got transfered from tape to disk and it looks and sounds like s***. If your into purchasing s*** like that then I guess this is for you. I advise you to cop this movie somewhere else B0000A5A1L:truly_great_book_deserves_a_great_movie:jerry_w._peach B0000A5A1L Crime & Punishment - The Complete Miniseries: DVD: Beatrix Lehmann,Olwen Griffiths,Stephen MacDonald,Darryl Kavann,Magda Miller,Derek Smith (II),Janos Kurucz,Gertan Klauber,Christopher Biggins,Timothy West,Bibs Ekkel,David Troughton,David Webb,Anthony Bate,Tom Wilkinson,Geoffrey Drew,Alan Downer,Barbara Young,Si n Phillips,Colin Higgins (II),Michael Darlow dvd 3 of 9 2.0 November 27, 2004 Jerry W. Peach Fowlerville, MI United States I just finished re-reading the book; it is a masterpiece. I wish I could say the same for the BBC series. For one, the musical score is either absent or irritating. So much of what is compeling in the book goes on inside of the Characters. How about voice-overs or something else (music?)? Let the audience in on the torment and conflict of Raskolnikov (the main character) and interplay of the characters that is so powerful in the book. What I saw was an acceptable theatrical production on film. I've written much more but it's unfortunately been truncated. Simply read the book instead or view this and know that this pales before the book. This is a dreary protrayal. B0007OCG56:now_i_know_why_i_don't_see_adam_sandler_movies:courtney_rabideau B0007OCG56 Spanglish: DVD: Adam Sandler,T a Leoni,Paz Vega,Cloris Leachman,Shelbie Bruce,Sarah Steele,Ian Hyland (II),Victoria Luna,Cecilia Su rez,Ricardo Molina,Brenda Canela,Eddy Martin,Nicole Nieth,Jamie Kaler,James Lancaster,Phil Rosenthal,Angela Goethals,Sean Smith (II),Jonathan Hernandez,Thomas Haden Church,James L. Brooks dvd 1 of 5 2.0 September 16, 2006 Courtney Rabideau USA I thought that this movie would be pretty interesting. The previews for it made it seem like it was funny. I however found it very boring in parts and sort of stupid. The charactors were either over the top or fall asleep dull with very little middle ground. Also the running time was too long, it says it was just a little over 2 hours, but to me it felt like much more B0007OCG56:no_pinche_bueno_pinche_poota:michael_larocca_"http://www.chinarice.org" B0007OCG56 Spanglish: DVD: Adam Sandler,T a Leoni,Paz Vega,Cloris Leachman,Shelbie Bruce,Sarah Steele,Ian Hyland (II),Victoria Luna,Cecilia Su rez,Ricardo Molina,Brenda Canela,Eddy Martin,Nicole Nieth,Jamie Kaler,James Lancaster,Phil Rosenthal,Angela Goethals,Sean Smith (II),Jonathan Hernandez,Thomas Haden Church,James L. Brooks dvd 1 of 8 1.0 August 28, 2006 Michael LaRocca "http://www.chinarice.org" Chiang Mai, Thailand This is [...]. I suppose anybody who'd hire Adam Sandler and/or Tea Leone lacks the ability to create anything that we who are descended from Cro Magnon man could watch. I lasted 20 minutes. The "jokes" are older than me, and they weren't funny when they were born. There is a world that exists nowhere except in American TV and film. It's an ugly place where nobody acts human, preferring to cling to stale stereotypes. A place where writers without talent set their stories. A place they grew up watching on American TV and in films, thus perpetuating the vicious cycle. This film is set in that world. No human being has ever been to this place, because it only exists in the minds of hacks. From the writer and director who brought us BROADCAST NEWS, which I reviewed recently. It, too, was in the pretend world, but that was okay because it was a film about a TV show and it had a bit of wit and perception. This has none of either. It's a damn shame this is the only way Cloris Leachman can get work. B0006J28N2:larry_garfield_is_compared_to?:bobby_chavala_"bobby" B0006J28N2 Other People's Money: DVD: Danny DeVito,Gregory Peck,Penelope Ann Miller,Piper Laurie,Dean Jones,R.D. Call,Mo Gaffney,Bette Henritze,Tom Aldredge,Leila Kenzle,Cullen O. Johnson,William De Acutis,David Wells,Stephanie White,Jeff Hayenga,Ric Kidney,Wallace G. Lane Jr.,Steve White,Brian Evers,Max Robinson,Norman Jewison dvd 0 of 10 2.0 January 25, 2005 Bobby Chavala "Bobby" Maryville, MO USA When Danny Devito's plays Larry Garfield he is like Taxi's Louie De Palma of Wall Street B00005QAP4:don't_'fall'_for_this_one:john_lease B00005QAP4 Fall Time: DVD: Steve Alden,David Arquette,Stephen Baldwin,Jonah Blechman,Michael Edelstein (II),Jeff Gardner,Tom Hull,J. Michael Hunter,Sammy Kershaw,Sheryl Lee,Jason London,Richard K. Olsen,Amy Parrish,Mickey Rourke,John Henry Scott,Paul Skemp,Emily Wachtel,Suellen Yates,Paul Warner dvd 0 of 6 1.0 July 18, 2000 John Lease USA Teenagers plan a mock crime for kicks on the same day criminals knock off a bank for real and their paths cross. I can understand implying that two ex-cons have or had a homosexual relationship but to lace an entire movie with cheap double-entendre and to stoop so low as to give a lead male character a female first name is a trifle ridiculous (OK, director we 'get it' all men are secretly gay! You made your point, move on!) I can't even imagine that a person of same gender orientation could possibly find this film the least bit interesting much less stimulating. (for an intelligent crime caper with a same-sex subplot see "Bound") Since this movie is supposed to take place in Wisconsin they give the locals a Southern accent. An absolute bore B000067FPE:pure_garbage...save_your_money:michael_kleinpeter_"mike_klein" B000067FPE Doctor Who - The Key to Time Collection: DVD: Tom Baker,Mary Tamm,John Leeson dvd 2 of 164 1.0 December 2, 2005 Michael Kleinpeter "Mike Klein" San Francisco, CA United States People that love this series are misguided at best...it sucks. I mean completely stinks. I will be putting set on eBay. I love the Avengers, The Prisoner...and especially!!! Secret Agent and Danger Man. This stuff is brit tv at it's finest. I also like Monty Python and the Chronicles of Narnia...so a brit-hater I'm not. This series has the most horrific acting, garbage visuals, missing story lines, etc B00065HKDY:go_home_smith:roald_andresen B00065HKDY I, Robot: DVD: Alex Proyas,Will Smith,Bridget Moynahan,Alan Tudyk,James Cromwell,Bruce Greenwood,Adrian Ricard,Chi McBride,Jerry Wasserman,Fiona Hogan,Peter Shinkoda,Terry Chen,David Haysom,Scott Heindl,Sharon Wilkins,Craig March,Kyanna Cox,Darren Moore,Aaron Douglas,Shayla Dyson,Bobby L. Stewart dvd 2 of 6 1.0 September 7, 2006 Roald Andresen Skien Norway This is a terrible missues of one of Asimovs greatest novels. The relevance to the novel is only marginal. Will Smith is (as usual) doing a terrible job at being an action hero. He should have stayed with the sit-coms B000F9RLL2:an_utterly_horrible,_horrible,_horrible_excuse_of_a_movie:daniel_jolley_"darkgenius" B000F9RLL2 Date Movie (Unrated Edition): DVD: Alyson Hannigan,Adam Campbell (IV),Sophie Monk,Eddie Griffin,Meera Simhan,Fred Willard,Jennifer Coolidge,Marie Matiko,Judah Friedlander,Carmen Electra,Tony Cox,Mauricio Sanchez,Beverly Polcyn,Valery M. Ortiz,Charlie Dell,Dana Seltzer,Tom Lenk,Scott Bridges,Tom Fitzpatrick,Susse Budde,Aaron Seltzer,Sam Hurwitz dvd 1.0 November 19, 2006 Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" Shelby, North Carolina USA Date Movie should be shown non-stop to all captured Al Qaeda prisoners - only mass-murdering terrorists deserve the kind of cruel and unusual punishment this film dishes out from start to finish. Let me be perfectly clear about this: Date Movie may be the worst movie ever made; it's certainly the worst comedy ever even conceived of. You may cry, you may scream, you may even go insane at the infinite stupidity of this film, but you will not laugh or grin or even smirk at the abysmal antics on display here - not once. It doesn't matter if you get any of the jokes or recognize all of the films and other things being spoofed because this movie thoroughly blows chunks. The only thing I got out of this movie was an awful headache. If you ask me, everyone associated with this film should be banned from the entertainment industry for at least ten years - if not for life. Had the first fish who ever crawled out of the water known that millions of years of evolution would give birth to Date Movie, he would have stayed in the ocean. Whatever happened to that sweet and charming girl we came to know during the first couple of years of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Why and how did it ever come to this: Alyson Hannigan humiliating herself in such raunchy, tasteless, unoriginal drivel? She can still light up the screen with that smile of hers, and she certainly put a lot into her performance, but I'm embarrassed for her here. She plays an overweight, very disgusting waitress from a mixed family (boy, is it mixed) who is desperate to find her Prince Charming. After convincing Hitch (Tony Cox) to help her find love, she's given a complete overhaul (literally), plunked down into a reality dating show, and actually finds a man. We watch them go through the dating stage, the meet the in-laws stage, and the wedding stage, encountering a number of obstacles to their future happiness. Really, though, the story is unimportant; all the script cares about are stereotypes, clich s, toilet humor, and things that make you go yuck. There's no joke too hackneyed, no visual too disgusting, and no dialogue too stupid to throw in the mix. I'm generally a fan of dumb comedies and ridiculous spoofs, but this mess doesn't even qualify for the genre. Date Movie is so utterly atrocious that you can't even laugh at it. It's a complete and utter failure in every way possible B000F9RLL2:one_of_the_worst_out_there.:j._poirier B000F9RLL2 Date Movie (Unrated Edition): DVD: Alyson Hannigan,Adam Campbell (IV),Sophie Monk,Eddie Griffin,Meera Simhan,Fred Willard,Jennifer Coolidge,Marie Matiko,Judah Friedlander,Carmen Electra,Tony Cox,Mauricio Sanchez,Beverly Polcyn,Valery M. Ortiz,Charlie Dell,Dana Seltzer,Tom Lenk,Scott Bridges,Tom Fitzpatrick,Susse Budde,Aaron Seltzer,Sam Hurwitz dvd 2 of 2 1.0 September 17, 2006 J. Poirier Date Movie is from two of the six writers of Scary Movie, apparently they chose the two worst because the movie fails to generate laughter. A few chuckles here and there but that's all. Date Movie is a spoof of romantic comedies. Simply that idea sounds good right? The writers had alot to work with, but they failed miserably. Alyson Hannigan plays the main character, Julia Jones. Personally, not a big fan of her comedy. Now, Eddie Griffin, Jennifer Coolidge and Fred Willard can be quite hilarious but none of that is portrayed in this flop. This might be enjoyed by some, but only a few. For me, a big comedy fan, it was pretty bad in general. I actually watched it at the theaters and, my friends, it was the biggest waste of ten dollars in my life! It is now out on dvd and someone will have to pay me to watch it again...Ok maybe not pay me but at least pay for the movie. One measly star * B00007L3SE:the_dumbest_cold_war_movie_i_ever_saw:michel_moineau B00007L3SE Firefox: DVD: Clint Eastwood,Freddie Jones,Warren Clarke,Nigel Hawthorne,David Huffman dvd 2 of 7 1.0 December 22, 2005 Michel Moineau Valenciennes Don't get me wrong : I'm a fierce anti-communist. But the stupidity of this movie is just unbearable. All the american clichs about Russians and USSR are reunited here, and it should be studied at school as an example of gross caricature. The ridiculous russian language imitations, the dissenters presented as "freedom soldiers", whereas a child knows today they NEVER used violence as a mean to achieve their goals, the Jews presented as traitors (the scientist's wife looks like Ethel Rosenberg) the idea of stealing so easily such a weapon, the reaction of Secretary general (and not Premier), to send another Firefox, whereas he could just use this incident to accuse the United States of stealing... If you should see an intelligent Cold War movie, check out White Nights (it's a shame it isn't on DVD yet) or the 7th Protocol, far more intelligent than this gross, highly unprobable childish parody. The chase "Star Wars like" scene is WAY too long and looks dated today. Clint Eastwood, shame on you B000GLL1C4:it_was_the_worst_movie_.:gerard_kirk B000GLL1C4 Pokemon Movie 8 - Lucario and The Mystery of Mew: DVD: Pok mon dvd 0 of 2 1.0 November 24, 2006 Gerard Kirk I have seen other Pokemon movies, but this was the worst. The plot was bad and it did not have that many pokemon as I thought.And Mew does not fit in the story when it is about Lucario B000BOH8UK:how_to_make_a_good_story_boring:d._mclean B000BOH8UK The Great Raid (Full Screen Edition): DVD: Benjamin Bratt,James Franco,Robert Mammone,Max Martini,James Carpinello,Mark Consuelos,Craig McLachlan,Freddie Joe Farnsworth,Laird Macintosh,Cesar Montano,Jeremy Callaghan,Scott McLean,Paolo Montalban,Clayne Crawford,Sam Worthington,Royston Innes,Diarmid Heidenreich,Luke Pegler,Dale Dye,Jerome Ehlers,John Dahl dvd 1.0 November 24, 2006 D. Mclean Watching this movie, I am struck by how effectively they can take one of the most interesting and exciting stories possible, and make it drag out on the screen. The disappointment at the pacing of such great subject matter holds no bounds. Watching this moving is almost embarassing knowing how good this could and should be, and how poor direction, and what seems like a script which does injustice to pacing and drama can wreck what should be greatness. I won't even go into historical inaccuracies, or the completely ridiculous cover art showing a modern beretta as the pistol sidearm 40 years too early. Makes me wonder if this movie was crafted with apathy towards the subject, the audience and history instead of respect B000FIHN8O:poorly_done:pablo_martin_podhorzer B000FIHN8O Threshold - The Complete Series: DVD: John Showalter,Norberto Barba,Tim Matheson,Peter Hyams,David S. Goyer,David Jackson,Carla Gugino,Brian Van Holt,Brent Spiner,Robert Patrick Benedict,Peter Dinklage,Charles S. Dutton dvd 0 of 17 2.0 October 7, 2006 Pablo Martin Podhorzer Tel Aviv, Israel Every minute characters in this series try to remind you of some plot point as if you're a short-attention span coach potatoe. Ehhh, ah yes, you are. Well, watch this and your life will pass by quicklier than already does. Two or three nice ideas, the rest is very superficial and underutilized. Probably there was an exec there that keeped destroying the good work of other people. What I would do with a tenth of the budget of this misfire! B00005JOZC:gold_medal_winner_in_the_"most_annoying_character_in_a_fictional_screenplay"_category:bud_bundy_"b_movie_lover" B00005JOZC Stick It: DVD: Jeff Bridges,Missy Peregrym,Vanessa Lengies,Nikki SooHoo,Maddy Curley,Kellan Lutz,John Patrick Amedori,Mio Dzakula,Svetlana Efremova,Jon Gries,Gia Carides,Tarah Paige,Polly Holliday,Julie Warner,Annie Corley,Bart Conner,Tim Daggett,Elfi Schlegel,Harrison Wills,Brian Gattas,Jessica Bendinger dvd 1 of 3 1.0 October 8, 2006 Bud Bundy "B movie lover" MN USA Some juvenile delinquent girl gets in trouble with the cops, she's sent to gymnastics camp (she used to be a sickeningly famous gymnast before she became a worthless slacker). She thinks everything and everyone is really really stupid, she does nothing but argue with everyone all the time, it's all her parents fault of course because she's perfect, her dialogue consists of nothing but smart-aleck remarks that she says in that "oh so cute" way that fans of Lizzie McGuire may find clever...good grief. This is just beyond unwatchable. Even worse is the fact that the lead actress is 24 years old, and yet her and everyone else in the whole movie act like a bunch of narcissistic 12 year olds; It just grates on your nerves until you're about ready to shove the DVD through the paper shredder. B000094J7Z:awful:mrs._m._m._smith_"hip_hop_chick" B000094J7Z How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Kate Hudson,Matthew McConaughey,Kathryn Hahn,Annie Parisse,Adam Goldberg,Thomas Lennon (III),Michael Michele,Shalom Harlow,Robert Klein,Bebe Neuwirth,Samantha Quan,Justin Peroff,Celia Weston,James Murtaugh,Archie MacGregor,John DiResta,Scott Benes,Zachary Benes,Rebecca Harris (III),Liliane Montevecchi,Donald Petrie dvd 4 of 12 1.0 January 16, 2006 Mrs. M. M. Smith "HIP HOP CHICK" i saw this on tv the other night and had to switch channels halfway. worst film ever, i dont care if this did'nt help you, this film p!ssed me off so much that i had to write a hateful review. how is it meant to be entertainin B00015NN94:don't_waste_your_money_on_this!:n._boles B00015NN94 Introduction to Yoga: Gentle, for Extreme Beginners: DVD: Introduction to Yoga dvd 45 of 45 1.0 March 21, 2006 N. Boles I am a yoga instructor and I bought this DVD hoping to gain insights to teach to beginning students. This DVD is NOT a real yoga session and the word yoga should not even be in the title! What I did see was a woman who was very flexible, quite possibly a dancer, doing a workout routine that incorporated some yoga movements. In most of the movements she taught, this instructor was hyperextended and moving in very fast repetitive motion. Pass this one up! B0009CTVLS:laguna_beach_-_the_guide_to_prepism:ozzyapu B0009CTVLS Laguna Beach - The Complete First Season: DVD: Alex Hooser,Talan Torriero,Stephen Colletti,Morgan Olsen,Christina Schuller,Dieter Schmitz,Lauren Conrad,Jason Wahler (III),Jessica Smith (VII),Trey Phillips,Taylor Cole (II),Kristin Cavallari,Alex Murrel,Lauren Bosworth,George Plamondon,Jason Sands dvd 12 of 13 1.0 July 18, 2006 OzzyApu Seattle, WA I remember taking a minute of my time to watch this dung when it premiered a couple years back, and lets just say I find watching something download more than this. I swear I hate preps the most in this country. Yesterday I was at the mall going to the (Unspecified phone company) lot to cancel my Vonage service (Vonage... Sucks... A-S-S... DO NOT LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY ON TV! I can't begin to describe how horrible Vonage is!), but to get there I had to venture through the worst part of the mall. As I carried the phone bill, I crept past the K-Swiss windows without a peep. I then leaped from fake palm tree to fake palm tree infront of the Abercrombie & Fitch store, which was infested with teen girls and their sell-out boy friends that think wearing pink is "hot". I then slid down a railing and fell a couple feet short of the Jamba Juice stand. I picked myself up with my remaining strength and threw the smoke bomb I had in my pocket infront me, thus disappearing from the mindless zombies drinking their elixir with the ever-horrendous Down 4 Life playing in the background. Squash 'N' Squeak below me speaks only the truth! Listen to him too! It may be hard for you 3-5 star reviewers to accept the fact but then again you can't handle it anyways. Come to your friggen senses and stop wasting you money on this garbage. It's enough acting like you do already, but then you go and spend money on this litter to watch OTHER PEOPLE act like you do! God Damn B000E1NXKO:it_had_potential;_i'll_give_it_that:eddie_lancekick_"a_regulator" B000E1NXKO I Love Your Work: DVD: Marisa Coughlan,Judy Greer,Shalom Harlow,Jared Harris,Joshua Jackson,Nicky Katt,Jason Lee,Franka Potente,Giovanni Ribisi,Christina Ricci,Vince Vaughn,Elvis Costello,Eric Siegel,John Tottenham,Dan Bucatinsky,Randall Batinkoff,Rick Hoffman,Lake Bell,Kathleen Robertson,Rio Hackford,Adam Goldberg dvd 4 of 4 2.0 November 4, 2006 Eddie Lancekick "A Regulator" Pacific Northwest The last time I saw the names "Adam Goldberg" and "Giovanni Ribisi" together, they were two American Soldiers who perished while trying to save a certain Private Ryan. Goldberg co-wrote and directed this contemporary psychological drama that has all the ingredients for a great finale but gets left in the oven too long. At times towards the end I was thinking it could have been something perhaps similar to "Memento" or something of that nature. What this film gives you is a plethora of cross analyzing ideas meshed with real time parallels, that ultimately bogs down in a mosh of messy execution. Some of the biggest points and profound themes that it spends so much time getting to in a bizarre and confusingly intricate way are so simplistic they leave you yawning. Despite a stellar cast that besides Rabisi also features Jason Lee, Christina Ricci, Vince Vaughn, Haylie Duff and Elvis Costello, it gets to far out of the main points of what it is trying to convey. Rabisi stars as Gray Evans, a movie star actor who is having marital trouble. Gray starts thinking amid his days of working on the set, going through fan email, and getting bugged by people, that a fan is stalking him. Relentless in his obsession of this belief, he starts obsessing about others around him. Great ideas here but then the film basically spends too much time zigzagging around to all the different characters and locales. We understand that Gray seems to have a connection with a film grad who is also a fan and is suspected by him at one time, of being the stalker, but by the time 100 minutes roles by it gets to the point of not caring. The ideas are there, I just feel it was a bit over ambitious in the portrayal of it all. The sections that are supposed to be psychological really come off more like psycho confusing, and the parts that are to be rewarding in tying up loose ends towards the films finish end up falling flat. If you like Independent films, or want to try something different, by all means give it a try. I don't see it as being something I would watch again, or have in my collection for killing time on a Sunday afternoon with B0006VXM9E:know_ur_history_on_curtis_jackson..:mr._marcus_"mr._marcus" B0006VXM9E Infamous Times - The Original 50 Cent: DVD: 50 Cent dvd 2 of 14 1.0 May 23, 2005 Mr. Marcus "Mr. MArcus" Yonkers..AHHH HAAA For the idiot that wrote that DAY 1 for fifty was in 2003....stay in da south..ur abviously dont know that fifty has been on the seen since 98 u idoit. ur a fake rap fan and u should know ya history instead of talking on curtis jackson....2003..what a douche bag........... B0000TPA60:not_so_funny.:george_"silverbay" B0000TPA60 In Living Color - Season 1: DVD: Damon Wayans,David Alan Grier dvd 1 of 19 1.0 April 1, 2006 George "silverbay" Greece The show is not so funny it repeats itself and it has too much music, dancing and intros for my favour. Watch instead mad t.v. or the chapelle show B00018D3XM:'reefer_madness'_(gotham_dist.)_running_time:_67_minutes:mike_reed B00018D3XM Reefer Madness (Restored Edition): DVD: Dorothy Short,Kenneth Craig,Lillian Miles,Dave O'Brien,Thelma White,Carleton Young,Warren McCollum,Patricia Royale,Joseph Forte,Harry Harvey Jr.,Phil Dunham,Walter McGrail,Ted Wray,William Royle,Mary MacLaren,Edward LeSaint,Lester Dorr,Dan Wolheim,Frank O'Connor,Bobby Burns,Louis J. Gasnier dvd 8 of 10 2.0 August 5, 2005 Mike Reed USA When I first saw this cheezy flick at a summer midnight madness film festival twenty-some years ago,I honestly thought it was a joke.I mean,the young people in this 1938 B/W film almost make Ward and June Cleaver look cool.1938,is this right?The Three Stooges were still new at that time.If parents truly wish for their off-spring to avoid blowing weed,they may not want to choose to show them this DVD.It's SO hard to take seriously.Thank goodness there aren't any 'extra features' here.I don't think I could've taken it.'Reefer...' does have a sole purpose,to watch maybe every two years after dark when there isn't any thing good on TV B000BYY11O:dreadful:jf B000BYY11O Flightplan (Fullscreen): DVD: Robert Schwentke,Jodie Foster,Peter Sarsgaard,Kate Beahan,Erika Christensen,Jana Kolesarova,Marlene Lawston,Sean Bean,Greta Scacchi,Michael Irby,Assaf Cohen,Christian Berkel,Shane Edelman,Mary Gallagher (III),Haley Ramm,Forrest Landis,Judith Scott,John Benjamin Hickey,Matthew Bomer,Gavin Grazer,Christopher Gartin dvd 1 of 4 1.0 July 17, 2006 JF Flightplan, or "Flightpanned" is implausible posturing and shrieking. Its total disregard for facts adds foolishness to tediousness. You know where the movie is going within 20 minutes and just like a real plane flight, you spend the rest of the time waiting for it to end. It is a wretched mess B0000897EC:disappointment.._:bay_frost_"bay" B0000897EC Daniel Deronda: DVD: Hugh Dancy,Romola Garai,Hugh Bonneville,Jodhi May,Edward Fox,Amanda Root,David Bamber,Greta Scacchi,Barbara Hershey,Celia Imrie,Jamie Bamber,Allan Corduner,Michael Attwell,Anna Steel,Jordan Frieda,Nicholas Day,Josh Cole,Marcus Baron,Jacqueline Pearce,Daniel Arden,Tom Hooper (II) dvd 1 of 10 2.0 July 26, 2006 Bay Frost "Bay" Ontario, Canada Most of the characters in this movie are great, the scenes, the costumes and everything but I didn't like the outcome of the story .. I felt Daniel changed somewhat after discovering his past and I couldn't understand his abandonment of his former love in order to persue a life with that new girl. To be honest I never liked Gwendolyn's character at all, she was selfish, self centered and annoying, yet towards the end I felt very sorry for her, after all she'd gone through for Daniel and he seemed to have just forgotten all that which happened between them. It's just what you expect once you discover the jewish factor involved. B00023P4HY:the_dreamers:average_joe B00023P4HY The Dreamers (R-Rated Edition): DVD: Michael Pitt (II),Eva Green,Louis Garrel,Anna Chancellor,Robin Renucci,Jean-Pierre Kalfon,Jean-Pierre L aud,Florian Cadiou,Pierre Hancisse,Valentin Merlet,Lola Peploe,Ingy Fillion,Fran ois Truffaut,Aleksandra Kacprzak,Henri Langlois,Jean-Paul Belmondo,Bernardo Bertolucci dvd 7 of 38 1.0 July 16, 2006 Average Joe NC USA Despite the mixed reviews the critics and other viewers may have given this movie, this is really pretty sick stuff, with little or no redeeming social context. Objectively, sick just isn't erotic, no matter how hard one may try to rationalize to make it so. Those who think differently really ought to either: (a) focus a little more; (b) examine their true motives; or (c) get a life B000FS9UK8:gives_sequels_a_bad_name:ben_f._small_"author_of_alibi_on_ice,_a_suspense_thriller" B000FS9UK8 Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction: DVD: Sharon Stone,David Morrissey,Charlotte Rampling,David Thewlis,Hugh Dancy,Stan Collymore,Neil Maskell,Jan Chappell,Terence Harvey,Ellen Thomas,Mark Sangster,Tim Berrington,Indira Varma,Heathcote Williams,Flora Montgomery,Kata Dob ,Iain Robertson,Charlie Simpson,Danielle Lydon,Christopher Brand,Michael Caton-Jones dvd 9 of 10 1.0 October 5, 2006 Ben F. Small "Author of ALIBI ON ICE, a suspense thriller" Tucson, AZ, USA How I made it through this poorly executed, poorly written sequel, I have no idea. Catherine's in trouble again and people she meets are dying. Who's the murderer, Catherine, the shrink who lusts over her, or the cop who's so eager to toss her into the clink and throw away the key? Catherine certainly gets around: She manages to befriend the most unlikely of people, all associates or ex-wives or enemies of the shrink, and most of them end up dead. Is she trying to drive the shrink nuts, or does she plan to kill him? This movie makes little sense: It doesn't thrill or tantalize. And it offers Sharon Stone in an unflattering light, as a cold seductress with little to offer but mindless sex. But then that seems to be her best role, doesn't it? It doesn't work this time around, and the only realism is in Stone's sneer: It looked all too natural B0007Z9QX0:total_bait_and_switch:e._finn B0007Z9QX0 Mickey Mouse Club - The Best of Britney, Justin & Christina: DVD: Zachary Jaydon,Frank Gerrish,Virgil L. Fabian,Joseph Carolei,Lee Bernhardi,Jimmy Huckaby,Christopher A. Berry dvd 6 of 7 1.0 July 18, 2005 E. Finn Los Angeles, CA United States From a big JT, Brit, and X-tina fan: This DVD is soooo disappointing. The DVD is comprised of whole episodes of MMC- and very little of the episodes has Britney, Justin, or Christina featured. There is only one song where Brit and Justin sing (a duet), and only one where Christina sings. Other than that, all they basically show are lame "hometown profiles" which last about 60 seconds each. You get better content from a "Behind the Music" or "Driven" episode. There's even some really heavy stuff about teens committing suicide that has absolutely NOTHING to do with Britney, Justin, or Christina. Lame, lame, lame, and disappointing. I think the total on-screen time of real content is about 12 minutes. Save your money B0000CEB6Y:worthless_mess_of_a_film!:n._hagan_"anime_brothers" B0000CEB6Y The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The Next Generation: DVD: Ren e Zellweger,Matthew McConaughey,Robert Jacks,Tonie Perensky,Joe Stevens,Lisa Marie Newmyer,John Harrison (III),Tyler Cone,James Gale,Chris Kilgore,Vince Brock,Susan Loughran,David Laurence,Grayson Victor Schirmacher,Jeanette Wiggins,Carmen Nogales,Lisa Caraveo,Les Martin,Adam White,Bill Wise,Kim Henkel dvd 1 of 18 1.0 June 15, 2006 N. HAGAN "Anime Brothers" Lynchburg. VA USA They should stop milking it with crappy film franchises like the texas chainsaw massacre. This series should have been killed off by now. The first was not even worth watching! Stay away from this whole movie series B0000CEB6Y:what?:ron B0000CEB6Y The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The Next Generation: DVD: Ren e Zellweger,Matthew McConaughey,Robert Jacks,Tonie Perensky,Joe Stevens,Lisa Marie Newmyer,John Harrison (III),Tyler Cone,James Gale,Chris Kilgore,Vince Brock,Susan Loughran,David Laurence,Grayson Victor Schirmacher,Jeanette Wiggins,Carmen Nogales,Lisa Caraveo,Les Martin,Adam White,Bill Wise,Kim Henkel dvd 3 of 6 2.0 January 30, 2006 Ron Jersey Being a Texas Chainsaw fan I of course picked this one up. It has 2 big stars in it, and was directed by one of the writers of the original. I'm not sure what they were going for in this one. Is it a horror, a sick comedy? It is all over the place. What is worse is that they made Leatherface a wimpy crossdresser. The ending leaves you scratching your head. Mathew and Renee do their best with the material B0000CEB6Y:even_worse_than_the_7th_heaven_remake:docta_buddah_"dbi_/_lowrent" B0000CEB6Y The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The Next Generation: DVD: Ren e Zellweger,Matthew McConaughey,Robert Jacks,Tonie Perensky,Joe Stevens,Lisa Marie Newmyer,John Harrison (III),Tyler Cone,James Gale,Chris Kilgore,Vince Brock,Susan Loughran,David Laurence,Grayson Victor Schirmacher,Jeanette Wiggins,Carmen Nogales,Lisa Caraveo,Les Martin,Adam White,Bill Wise,Kim Henkel dvd 4 of 9 1.0 January 8, 2006 Docta Buddah "DBI / LowRent" i'm everywhere you're not this is my vote for 3rd worst movie ever made. its dumb, theres no violence hardly, no blood and i actually got a headache from renee [now i look chinese] zelwack-broad screaming for 90minutes and watching how bad the acting is. this is like a drug that doesnt work and now i want my 3 dollars and 90minutes of my life back. B00022PYSO:qd3's_weakest_effort_yet:d._gerald B00022PYSO Beef II: DVD: 50 Cent,Canibus,Grandmaster Caz,Ice Cube,D12,Keith David,Sticky Fingaz,Cypress Hill,KRS-One,Method Man,Kool Moe Dee,Redman,Parrish Smith (II),Peter Spirer dvd 3 of 4 2.0 August 30, 2005 D. GERALD QD3 has put out some good product before but thid dvd is kind of weak. The Roxanne battles, EPMD, KRS&Nelly, Canibus&LL, And Ice Cube vs Cyprus Hill was dope but the DVD feels incomplete. The Grandmaster Caz vs. The SugarHill Gang beef that can be found in the extras should have been in the main movie. I would love to hear Big Ban Hank try to refute what Caz says. The Royce/D12 beef was obviously a replacement for the eminem/source beef and word is the source punked them out of using the footage. Buy this used or at a discount but it's not worth the full pric 6305222886:old_cars:dc_rocks 6305222886 Escape From L.A.: DVD: Kurt Russell,A.J. Langer,Steve Buscemi,Georges Corraface,Stacy Keach,Michelle Forbes,Pam Grier,Jeff Imada,Cliff Robertson,Valeria Golino,Peter Fonda,Ina Romeo,Peter Jason,Jordan Baker,Caroleen Feeney,Paul Bartel,Tom McNulty,Bruce Campbell,Breckin Meyer,Robert Carradine,John Carpenter dvd 0 of 3 2.0 June 16, 2006 DC Rocks Washington, DC United States In my humble opinion, the real stars of this sorry sequal were the cars, e.g. the Corvair, Buscemi's Caddy and Cuervo's 1959 Buick. How often do you get to see a '59 Buick, either in the movies or in real life 6305428549:very_average:mistermaxxx@yahoo.com_"mistermaxxx" 6305428549 Son-In-Law: DVD: Pauly Shore,Carla Gugino,Lane Smith,Cindy Pickett,Mason Adams,Patrick Renna,Dennis Burkley,Tiffani Thiessen,Dan Gauthier,Ria Pavia,Lisa Lawrence,Graham Jarvis,Nick Light,Ernie Kinney,Troy Shire,Adam Goldberg,Robert M. Koch,Ryk O.,Garret Sato,Emily Dole,Steve Rash dvd 0 of 1 2.0 August 27, 2005 mistermaxxx@yahoo.com "mistermaxxx" usa this film had a few laughs but was pretty run of the mill. Pauley Shore pretty much did the same role over&over but this film had a alright charm to it for a few minutes. i saw it again recently after some years&It had the same vibe to me then as now B000A9QKSW:i_don't_agree_!:aaron_chapdelaine_"the_ultimate_dvd_collector" B000A9QKSW In Living Color - Season 4: DVD: In Living Color dvd 16 of 18 2.0 October 31, 2005 Aaron Chapdelaine "the ultimate dvd collector" california i don't agree with anyone who thinks this season is awesome. most of the skits are only 15 minutes in length. once again cheap fox won't buy the music rights. there is sections (i think) that have been either doctored or just cut out. you'll be watching an episode and you'll see the screen mismatch up for a brief moment. you'll think it's your eyes but it's not. thank you fox for butchering all of the seasons of in living color. even though my review isn't that great i still believe that in living color was and is one of the best sketch comedy series on t.v. so they're all still worth buying B000A9QKSW:***:shanti_hyde_"shan" B000A9QKSW In Living Color - Season 4: DVD: In Living Color dvd 0 of 32 1.0 October 12, 2005 shanti hyde "shan" dont worry i really dont understand how people find this show funny. maybe back in the day it was something hot, but now its not B000059TFW:a_weak,_sexist,_american_piece_of_bubbly_cheese.:oldzapatos B000059TFW The Magnificent Seven (Special Edition): DVD: Yul Brynner,Eli Wallach,Steve McQueen,Charles Bronson,Robert Vaughn,Brad Dexter,James Coburn,Jorge Mart nez de Hoyos,Vladimir Sokoloff,Rosenda Monteros,Rico Alaniz,Pepe Hern,Natividad Vac o,Mario Navarro,Danny Bravo,John A. Alonzo,Enrique Lucero,Alex Montoya,Robert J. Wilke,Val Avery,John Sturges dvd 3 of 29 2.0 August 3, 2006 oldzapatos Los Angeles, CA United States Yul Brynner stalks about like he's in Westworld, acting super-tough, smoking every chance he gets. Steve McQueen, as always, is terrible. As for the rest of the "7", their acting is atrocious to non-existent. Only Eli Wallach walks away unscathed. Yet if these things are irritating, it is the blatantly sexist and racist undertones to the entire affair that just make it heinous. Yul Brynner actually says that he "might" rape the women of the town in one scene sarcastically. Amazing this could have ever been construed as being "tough". It's just ridiculous, and these distinctions are what sepeartes this pathetic remake from the masterpiece it shames. But I'll give it one extra star for being relatively well staged and directed. B0002F6AZC:mediocre,_dull,_and_uninspired:doug_l._clement B0002F6AZC Creepshow 2 (Divimax Edition): DVD: Domenick John,Tom Savini,George Kennedy,Philip Dore,Maltby Napoleon,Kaltey Napoleon,Tyrone Tonto,Dorothy Lamour,Frank Salsedo,Holt McCallany,David Holbrook,Don Harvey,Dan Kamin,Dean Smith,Shirley Sonderegger,Paul Satterfield (II),Jeremy Green,Daniel Beer,Page Hannah,Lois Chiles,Michael Gornick dvd 1 of 1 2.0 April 3, 2006 Doug L. Clement portland oregon usa not as good as the first one and pretty forgetable....it has none of the "living comic book" charm that I loved in the first one. that and there are only three stories and more animation. only the blob in the water one was worth watching. If you see it, watch for the joint that the blonde guy pulls out of nowhere after swimming to the raft in a speedo! funny. Romero and King seemed to not be as enthused as they were when making the first one. I just didnt like it...skip it and get the first one B0002F6AZC:lame_as_hell:ryan_lovejoy B0002F6AZC Creepshow 2 (Divimax Edition): DVD: Domenick John,Tom Savini,George Kennedy,Philip Dore,Maltby Napoleon,Kaltey Napoleon,Tyrone Tonto,Dorothy Lamour,Frank Salsedo,Holt McCallany,David Holbrook,Don Harvey,Dan Kamin,Dean Smith,Shirley Sonderegger,Paul Satterfield (II),Jeremy Green,Daniel Beer,Page Hannah,Lois Chiles,Michael Gornick dvd 1 of 1 2.0 January 31, 2006 Ryan Lovejoy 3 short films?!?!? thats it?? i feel severly ripped off even after i picked this up used! it feels like the skits that didnt make creephow 1 were mushed together onto this. chief wooden head isnt scary at all. if you think that is scary, you are easily frightened. the raft is defiantely the best on here by far. that blob thing does creep me out i shall admit. especially the ending to it!! the hitchhiker is so stupid i felt moronic for viewing this. there is nothing scary or funny about a bloody zombie that says "thanks for the ride lady" over and over. i just want to know why anchor bay released a stellar edition if this heap of scrap when they could have done creepshow 1 instead. that one is better. two stars for "the raft" if only they all held up like that story.. B000BNTMG4:boring_:le_basha B000BNTMG4 9 songs - Unrated Edited Version: DVD: Kieran O'Brien,Margo Stilley,Huw Bunford,Cian Ciaran,The Dandy Warhols,Elbow,Franz Ferdinand (II),Bobby Gillespie,Bob Hardy (II),Dafydd Ieuan,Alex Kapranos,Mani (III),Nick McCarthy (III),Michael Nyman,Guto Pryce,Gruff Rhys,Courtney Taylor-Taylor,Robert Young (VIII),Black Rebel Motorcycle Club,Richard Jupp (II),Michael Winterbottom dvd 1 of 7 1.0 August 21, 2006 Le Basha Portland, Oregon Well if this movie had a story then I must have missed it because there is none no matter how you look at it. they don't even fully play the 9 songs and the sex scenes are pornographic that's true but it would have made sense if they were within some kind of context and no there is nothing shocking (as one of the reviewer declared) about 2 people having sex. I don't recommend it B00004YZGR:nice_to_have_the_videos_available,_but_extravagent:zakthor B00004YZGR Beastie Boys DVD Video Anthology - Criterion Collection: DVD: Beastie Boys,Mario Caldato Jr.,Zoe R. Cassavetes,Sofia Coppola,Eric Correa,Mike D,Adam Horovitz,DJ Hurricane,Money Mark,Mix Master Mike,Q-Tip,Ione Skye,Adam Yauch,Evan Bernard,Adam Bernstein,Tamra Davis,Spike Jonze,Ari Marcopoulos,David Perez Shadi dvd 2 of 6 2.0 July 2, 2004 zakthor Beaux Arts, WA United States Their music is great, the videos aren't the most amazing thing I've ever seen. I listen to the b-boys quite a bit, but I don't find a video dvd to have much replay value B0000CNY4S:"it_was_so_boring,_that_i_could_scream!":eric_marshall B0000CNY4S Darling: DVD: Laurence Harvey,Dirk Bogarde,Julie Christie,Jos Luis de Villalonga,Roland Curram,Basil Henson,Helen Lindsay,Carlo Palmucci,Dante Posani,Umberto Raho,Marika Rivera,Alex Scott,Ernest Walder,Brian Wilde,Pauline Yates,Peter Bayliss,Richard Bidlake,T.R. Bowen,Annette Carell,Jean Claudio,John Schlesinger dvd 0 of 1 1.0 October 25, 2006 Eric Marshall Hammond, IN United States This line, spoken by Julie Christie to Dirk Bogarde in "Darling" just about sums up my feelings towards this movie. Although I am halfway done with this movie I think this is one of the most boring films I have ever seen and I am stopping this movie when it gets to the scene where Christie looks at herself in the mirror as she removes her clothing. I am done with this movie (believe it or not) and it only got worse: Christie's character Diana Scott marries an Italian man who hello, is old enough to be father! And oh yes, he's an aging prince (in what had to be a ripoff of what happened to Grace Kelly and what would happen to Jacqueline Kennedy and the announcer in the newsreel that calls her "Princess Diana" almost made me laugh). That nearly made me grab a gun and shoot my TV (a la Elvis Presley) considering that this is the same setup that occurs in "Georgy Girl" and that is spoiled British girl living in Swinging England marries older man (Three words: Anna Nicole Smith). Also, I would like to know what are these reviewers smoking in saying that Christie deserved the Oscar for Best Actress? She didn't at all because it should (and I mean SHOULD) of gone to Julie Andrews for "The Sound of Music" (my pick for the best movie of the 1960's) because not only did she overtake her performance of "Mary Poppins," for which she won the Oscar, she pulverized every performance by a female that year including Christie. And there's a problem with the Academy: They can't seem to pull the trigger in giving back-to-back Oscars to the same person. I'm not alone in this arugment: In Danny Perry's book "Alternate Oscars" he picks Andrews for Best Actress of 1965 and states that the reason why the AMPAS gave the Oscar to Christie was not because it was 'The British Invasion,' but they saw it as a way to give an Oscar to Christie's other film "Doctor Zhivago" which was T.S.O.M.'s rival and added to the fact that "Zhivago" had no acting nominations. There's another Oscar problem: They don't know when to be hip. Also, does it seem like Dirk Bogarde and Lawrence Harvey were the two worst actors in film history? Because it seems to me that every movie that I have seen with them are bad; weather it was this movie, or "The Manchurian Candidate" with Harvey, or "Modesty Blaise" with Bogarde. In conclusion, I think some moviegoers should change their mind about buying this movie because this has to be the worst performance ever to win an Oscar. Or as what Bogarde said to Christie: (a fitting way to close this review since that I end where it begins) "I don't take taxis that are filled with whores! B000E5KQQ4:footage_is_from_"the_blue_planet"_series...:marcus_w._lim_"skytzo_marc" B000E5KQQ4 Deep Blue: DVD: Michael Gambon,Dalik Volonitz,Pierce Brosnan,David Attenborough,Jacques Perrin,Frank Glaubrecht,Alastair Fothergill,Andy Byatt dvd 12 of 15 2.0 May 25, 2006 Marcus W. Lim "skytzo_marc" Ramona, Ca United States If you own or have watched "The Blue Planet" series... you're going to recognize all of the footage. Why? Because you've already seen it. Except this time it's going to be without the informative narrative. For those of you who just want to watch a nature movie with very little talking... then I guess this is for you. The only reason I'm giving this two stars is because the (reused) footage is incredible. I don't particularly appreciate being misled by the advertising... I was expecting something new, not the recycled and repackaged presentation I got B0000214F0:pure_perversion:pat_merritt_"pat" B0000214F0 Caligula (Unrated Version): DVD: Malcolm McDowell,Teresa Ann Savoy,Helen Mirren,Peter O'Toole,John Steiner,Guido Mannari,Paolo Bonacelli,Leopoldo Trieste,Giancarlo Badessi,Mirella D'Angelo,Anneka Di Lorenzo,Lori Wagner,Adriana Asti,John Gielgud,Bruno Brive,Rick Parets,Paula Mitchell,Donato Placido,Eolo Capritti,Henrietta Kelogg,Tinto Brass,Bob Guccione dvd 1 of 5 1.0 September 22, 2006 Pat Merritt "pat" Minneapolis, MN United States I didn't think of it much as a movie as I did a porn frenzy. I'm very much interested in history and also psychology and neither was apparent to me in this movie other than we know Caligula was nuts. Otherwise, then I guess so was all of the Roman Empire. I simply cannot believe one stroll down the streets would produce such frenzy. It was stupid, simple and as soon as it was done I immediately threw it out. Not for the faint of heart. Not for the sophisticated either. Or anywhere in between. B0001Z4OXS:most_overrated_comedy_of_all_time:anonymous B0001Z4OXS Blazing Saddles (30th Anniversary Special Edition): DVD: Richard Collier,Carol DeLuise,Dom DeLuise,Liam Dunn,George Furth,Burton Gilliam,John Hillerman,Robyn Hilton,David Huddleston,Madeline Kahn,Alex Karras,Harvey Korman,Cleavon Little,Karl Lukas,Charles McGregor,Don Megowan,Slim Pickens,Jack Starrett,Gene Wilder dvd 5 of 73 1.0 May 13, 2006 Anonymous Denver, CO USA This is the most tedious, unfunny, overrated movie of all time. It's interesting that this is from the same man who produced Spaceballs, which was actually rather humorous (though also quite tedious at times). I'll always be at a loss to understand why people think it's so funny. His utter lack of subtlety is terrible to behold 6305433925:a_pretty_good_hard_rock_version_of_'wild_thing'_by_cheap_trick_helps_a_decent_soundtrack_but_the_movie...:ricahrd_a._salzer 6305433925 Encino Man: DVD: Sean Astin,Brendan Fraser,Pauly Shore,Megan Ward,Robin Tunney,Michael DeLuise,Patrick Van Horn,Dalton James,Rick Ducommun,Jonathan Ke Quan,Mariette Hartley,Richard Masur,Ellen Blain,Esther Scott (II),Steven Elkins,Wanda Acuna,Furley Lumpkin,Peter Allas,Michole White,Rose McGowan,Les Mayfield dvd 0 of 4 2.0 January 7, 2006 Ricahrd A. Salzer Chesapeake, Virginia, USA ...has a pretty thin plot. Ice/'Cave' Man is thawed out by "Rudy" (Sean Astin) and (Ass) Pauly Shore [who's (bogus)'West Coast Surfer Rap' has grown pretty lame by now]. Brendan Fraser is likable in this yet another attempt at Pro-Evolutionist b.s... B00005B3P5:subtexts:dwarf_one B00005B3P5 Rules of Engagement: DVD: William Friedkin,Tommy Lee Jones,Samuel L. Jackson,Guy Pearce,Ben Kingsley,Bruce Greenwood,Anne Archer,Blair Underwood,Philip Baker Hall,Dale Dye,Amidou,Mark Feuerstein,Richard McGonagle,Baoan Coleman,Nicky Katt,Ryan Hurst,Gordon Clapp,Hayden Tank,Ahmed Abounouom,William Gibson (IV),Tuan Tran dvd 2 of 4 2.0 July 2, 2006 Dwarf One USA On the surface this film is a pretty good courtroom drama. Underneath, however, the director seems to have a couple of other themes going. One thing that stood out to me is that the film is full of people who are "caught between a rock and a hard place". Right from the start, where Childers has to choose between following the rules of war or saving his best friend. He has a similar choice on the wall in Yemin - fire into the crowd or let the attack on his people continue. I think he knew at that moment that his career was in the crapper. Jones' character said as much during the trial: "Whatever happens here, this man will never command marines again". The "bad guy" national security advisor was in a bind: do what is best for America's interests or back up the colonel? The ambassador had to make a hard choice: lie on the stand or lose his job, his status, his reputation? Even his wife had to decide whether to tell the truth or stand behind her husband's story. Biggs, the prosecutor, got caught up in it - he started out with the intent to prosecute what he was convinced was a legitimate case, then got tossed a 'hot potato' by the NSA right in open court. Childers' second-in-command, Captain Lee, had to decide whether to tell the truth or back his colonel. And so on. The court-martial itself seems to pit logic against emotion (shades of Star Trek!). The differences are clearest in the closing arguements - Biggs is the Joe Friday "just the facts" type; he presents the panel with A. this happened, then B this happened, and so on. Hayes' whole arguement is based on emotion - and then, finally, the jury is left with yet another hard decision. I found the movie very interesting in terms of what is going on with the characters - a lot of films are like this, if you look a little deeper, there's more there than the surface story. B0000C8ROV:a_christmas_memory_i'd_rather_forget.:j._bridell_"lost_johnny" B0000C8ROV Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights: DVD: Ellen Albertini Dow,Jamie Alcroft,Brooks Arthur,Tyra Banks,Blake Clark,Norm Crosby,Peter Dante,Kevin P. Farley,Lari Friedman,Tom Kenny,Jon Lovitz,Kevin Nealon,Adam Sandler,Rob Schneider,Cole Sprouse,Dylan Sprouse,Austin Stout,Jackie Titone,Carl Weathers dvd 0 of 7 1.0 December 7, 2004 J. Bridell "Lost Johnny" New Hope, MN United States First off I do not dislike Adam Sandler, I rather enjoy some of his raunchy antics on film, not so much because I like raunchy antics, but because of the underlying message. Adam Sandler really does have a good heart and his films always show this. You can scoff at his bathroom jokes and spitting, farting etc, but he does that to satisfy his fans who paid money to see him, he is loyal to his fans and to his friends. Ever notice how he always gives jobs to Rob Schneider and Dana Carvey? No one else does, that's a good friend, also his good old fashioned small town morals always win out of the rich, evil fat cats who try to squeeze him in his films. He never sinks to there level either, perhaps that is why ECN was such a creepy, deeply disturbing film, I cannot, in recent memory recall a more unpleasant time at the movies,what was he thinking? Early on in the film his character, a drunken loser, belches very loudly in a Chinese restaurant " Ok I go take shower now" says Chinese waiter. I wanted to take a shower too, very soon after that scene. For starters Mr. Sandler seems to think he is a voice over man, he is not. His idea of a character voice is to squeak his lines out in a nearly impossible to understand whiny nasal twang that is not unlike running a nail down a chalkboard. One can barely understand he is trying to do a character, and he barely is. Also he is the voice of at least four of his characters, he is equally bad in each. Perhaps the most confusing and depressing is the old white heard man who lives with his sister in a little old house, he wants desperately to win a patch saying he is the town good guy or something, he coaches the kids basketball team, he has been for years, and apparently does not work except to do crappy jobs for no pay so people can ignore and not appreciate him, he is simply there to be lovable, and put upon, he is slightly less subtle then a pie in the face (as is the so-called humor here). The script calls for Sandlers character to be a total jerk for no other reason other then to be redeemed at the end, there is no real motivation for his bazaar, cruel and badly aimed antics other then the screenplay calls for them. He starts off the film by driving a snowmobile drunk and smashing two ice sculptures, a menorah and a Christmas thing, I forget what it was. He is a repeat offender so his sentence will be a harsh one, but along comes old squeaky voice to offer the judge a chance to give him a reduced sentence, he lets him coach basketball with him in lue of time in the clink, I can just see the road runner and bugs bunny rolling there eyes and shaking there heads, surly, even in a cartoon there is some sort of rule book. Not here. Of course the judge remands him to the custody of squeaky and off they go. The film then goes on to showcase some of the most outrageous, mindnumbing scenes of animated mayhem this side of a Japanese manga involving tentacles and girls in school uniforms. He goes to the basketball game and insults the children, ridiculing one boy for being fat, the coach is knocked unconscious and puts his hand in his pants "nice kitty kitty" he squeaks, what the???? then an angry father gets on Sandlers bad side (his only side) and is force fed a jock strap "I hope you like them extra sweaty" Ho Ho Ho. For the next part of the film which seems like eight days, crazy or otherwise, his house is burned, he pushes his benefactor down a hill, in a porta potty which freezes feces on him, he is rescued by deer who lick the poop off him, on smiles with a load of ca ca in his teeth. We are treated to this twice. God bless us, every one. By the time the paint by number ending finally gets there we are also subjected to a number of songs, each worse then the last, fortunately they are forgettable as well as bad "If I move my bowls without using the spray....that's a technical foul" is one of few lines I remember, thank you God. By reading this one might assume, as I did, that this is irreverent in the good way, poking fun at old Christmas standards, but it is not. It is disgusting, badly written, annoying and very, very cruel. The two dimensional nice old brother and sister are treated horribly, for no good reason with no motivation or payoff, the songs are unlistnable and the dialogue is hard to understand, this is not always a bad thing. Of course we discover why the hero is such a jerk, a childhood trauma involving a car crash on Hanukkah, he hooks up with is old sweetheart and lives happily ever after. The same cannot be said for the audience. Why would anyone think this was funny or appropriate, who is the audience? There are many vulgar sexual references that are not claver or cutting edge they are sad and out of place, the over all feel of the film is one of depressed Sinicism and a morbid sense of doom and hopelessness. Adam Sandler has been loyal to his friends, his friends should have been loyal to him and told him what a bad idea this was, even if it hurt his feelings. This Christmas turkey won't even work as leftovers. Bah Humbug B00006RCNO:boring...hardly_any_action...and_a_big_no_in_the_fun_department:jennifer_mortillo-contrano_"salvatore" B00006RCNO Cold Hearts: DVD: Christian Campbell,Bill Fisher,Robert Floyd (III),Dale Godboldo,Marlon Grace,Jon Huertas,Greg Jackson (II),Amy Jo Johnson,Carlos Xavier Lopez,Patrick McDade,Mark Meyers (II),Fred Norris,James Palmer,Tasha Rudolph,Marisa Ryan,Mark Umile,Jerry Walsh,Christopher Wiehl,Brian Anthony Wilson dvd 0 of 1 2.0 August 4, 2005 Jennifer Mortillo-Contrano "Salvatore" NY I bought this DVD because Amy Jo Johnsen is in it. (One of my favorite actresses.) What I expected was a decent vampire movie, with some blood and guts, and a good storyline. What I got was a movie with TALKING, TALKING and more talking, and a boring storyline. I saw hardly any action, hardly any fun, and hardly anything interesting. I was extremely disappointed in Amy for starring in such a boring, unintriguing movie. The only actual action was toward the end with the final battle between Seth and Viki's ex. It was about an hour and fifteen minutes of explanations, and useless talking. If you are looking for a movie with some action and fun, look elsewhere. As much as I hate to put an Amy Jo movie down, I am doing so. B0000A98ZN:features_listed_on_box_not_on_disc:john_benson B0000A98ZN Winter Break (Widescreen): DVD: Milo Ventimiglia,Eddie Kaye Thomas,Justin Urich,Eddie Mills (II),Sean Smith (II),Anna Faris,Trego the Dog,Rachel Wilson,Victor Alfieri,Maggie Lawson,Liza Oxnard,Wendi Kenya,George Lazenby,Leigh Rose,Kevin Kirkpatrick,Collin Friesen (II),Jack Elder,Nicky Blake Ufkers,Melissa Anne Smith,Ryan Browning,Marni Banack dvd 1 of 2 2.0 October 12, 2005 John Benson Although "deleted scenes" are promised on the back cover of the box, there are no deleted scenes on the DVD. Instead there's a perfunctory "documentary" which interviews the cast and other creators, who recite a common litany of how much fun it was to make the film. In this short segment there are a very few informal shots of the players that aren't in the film, but there are no deleted scenes in the normal usage of the term. Rather disappointing since the cast in audio commentary talks about seemingly dozens of neat scenes that "hopefully will be in the DVD deleted scenes section." Also, although the box promises "2.35 wide screen," the film is pan-and-scan and only slightly letterboxed at about a 1.85 to 1 ratio. Some of the scenes are annoying because of the missing portion of the image. Also, it's not a gross teen comedy as the box copy suggests, more of a puppy-love romance with the "four buddies" comedy stuff as a sidebar. Which makes it potentially better, I guess, but it suffers from a lack of talent, especially in Ventimiglia's acting and in the writing. Very anemic; not much here. In the key scenes the players just hem and haw, since they're not given much to say. Kevin Kirkpatrick, in a small part, is way beyond the rest of the cast in acting sophistication. He draws a very perceptive portrait; extremely funny, but not a typical caricature, the most real character in the movie 6305977607:all_dubbed!__aaugh:"mtakacs" 6305977607 Jet Li Collection (Fist of Legend/The Enforcer/Twin Warriors/The Defender): DVD: Jet Li dvd 10 of 13 2.0 December 17, 2002 "mtakacs" Palo Alto, CA USA ALl 4 movies in this set are dubbed in English. I was horribly disappointed. Dont make the same mistake I did. Find the dubbed ones B00005JLX8:camera_shake...:gennaro_mazza_"gmaz" B00005JLX8 Roger Dodger: DVD: Campbell Scott,Jesse Eisenberg,Isabella Rossellini,Elizabeth Berkley,Jennifer Beals,Mina Badie,Ben Shenkman (II),Chris Stack,Morena Baccarin,Lisa Emery,Flora Diaz,Stephanie Gatschet,Colin Fickes,Tommy Savas,Gabriel Millman,Libby Larson,Courtney Sherman,Peter Appel,Ato Essandoh,Michelle Six,Dylan Kidd dvd 3 of 17 1.0 November 30, 2005 Gennaro Mazza "gmaz" NY I thought from the description that this could be an interesting film and gave it a shot. It was terrible. First because of the camera shake, I don't know about you but I can't sit trough a film with continuous camera shaking. Needless to say I didn't make it through the whole film, but from what I saw the main actor was irritating to watch B0006U6KIU:birds,_birds,_birds!_an_indoor_birdwatching_field_trip:mrs._sharon_l._johnson B0006U6KIU Birds, Birds, Birds! An Indoor Birdwatching Field Trip DVD Video Bird and Bird Song Guide: DVD: John Feith dvd 6 of 9 1.0 March 10, 2006 Mrs. Sharon L. Johnson I was very disappointed in this DVD. It was a DVD for someone who wanted only the very basic information on birds. The DVD was very short and could have added a lot of expanded details. The ability to view details of color and details of wing, tail bands, etc would have offered a much better learning tool. It also could have had the bird call longer throughout a longer display of bird colorations B0006U6KIU:disappointed:r._fitzpatrick_"gator_bob" B0006U6KIU Birds, Birds, Birds! An Indoor Birdwatching Field Trip DVD Video Bird and Bird Song Guide: DVD: John Feith dvd 1 of 7 2.0 March 22, 2005 R. Fitzpatrick "Gator Bob" Florida Unless you are an avid bird watcher and need resource material for north american bird sounds, this DVD is otherwise a waste of money. Spend the extra money and buy "the Life of Birds" B00007ELEI:boring_picasso:bill_c. B00007ELEI The Mystery of Picasso: DVD: Pablo Picasso,Claude Renoir dvd 2 of 17 1.0 January 20, 2005 Bill C. Eastern Virginia Picasso is one of the giants in the history of Art and surely THE artistic genious of the 20th Century, but this renders him boring and repetitive. It was done while he was alive, and has him "painting" little cartoon-like "works" that were done only for this DVD...one...after...the....other ad nauseum. This is Picasso as celebrity entertainer cartoonist, not the edgy artist genius of Les Demoiselles d'Avignon and Guernica. It looks as if he's painting with magic markers on screen and the action is speeded up so it looks like a cartoonist at work. I turned it off after 30+ interminable minutes. Fortunately I rented it on Netflix, which I'd recommend, rather than buying it B0001US6BY:they_can't_be_serious!:nakomiah_"ling-xi" B0001US6BY Senorita Justice: DVD: Yancy Mendia,Grayce Wey,Mike Francis (IV),Angelo Fierro,Mirtha Michelle,Eva Longoria,Joe Parker (III),Edith Gonz lez,Kantz dvd 0 of 3 1.0 December 31, 2005 Nakomiah "Ling-xi" New Orleans, LA Ok, I am trying to redeem myself from low budget movies such as " Vampire Assassin" then I run into another bad movie. Lets face it, this movie totally blows. And what is with the main character and her cheesy fighting sound effects? What was Eva thinking when she decide to appear in this movie, she wasn't even the main star. More like a background character with maybe 3 sentences to say and thats it. Please rent this one B00003CXR4:get_the_standard_version:tom_slick43 B00003CXR4 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: DVD: Chow Yun Fat,Zhang Ziyi dvd 2 of 3 2.0 November 3, 2006 Tom Slick43 Kaneohe HI USA This review is based on the differences between the standard DVD disc and the Superbit version only. Based on that, I recommend that you save your money and get the standard version. You'll get more features, while barely losing any audio or video quality, which is the whole reason for buying a Superbit disc in the first place. I've watched this movie on my 40" LCD Sony XBR BRAVIA (720 dpi), an OPPO upscaling DVD player, and 5.1 sound system, and for this movie, I didn't see any perceivable difference in video quality from the standard version. So unless they're selling this Superbit version for 10 bucks or less (which seems to be the trend since Superbit discs may become moot now that HD DVD and Blu-Ray discs are starting to come out), I'd recommend getting the standard version of this movie, which sells for about 10 bucks at the major electronic retailers B00003CXR4:stupid_and_boring:ghostie1 B00003CXR4 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: DVD: Chow Yun Fat,Zhang Ziyi dvd 4 of 31 1.0 April 10, 2006 Ghostie1 Newtown Square, PA I saw this in the theatre and tried to fall asleep becuase it was so dull. True story B0000EYUCU:bad_casting,__bad_sets,__bad_costumes:peter_c._brown B0000EYUCU The Postman Always Rings Twice: DVD: Lana Turner,John Garfield,Cecil Kellaway,Hume Cronyn,Leon Ames,Audrey Totter,Alan Reed,Jeff York,Walter Ridge,John Alban,Howard M. Mitchell,Jeffrey Sayre,Bud Harrison,Wally Cassell,Helen McLeod,King Baggot,William Halligan,Virginia L. Randolph (II),Tom Dillon,Jack Chefe,Tay Garnett,David Heeley dvd 1 of 3 2.0 September 22, 2006 Peter C. Brown So disappointing. Hardly a dark/noir film, in my opinion. Just a proper Hollywood murder mystery. And there's no sex, except brief kissing which Lana always cuts short! I'm a James M Cain fan, and this doesn't even try to be faithful to his great noir novel. Everyone's too decent. Cora (Lana) doesn't have a treacherous or naughty bone in her body, and she's always costumed like a perfect fashion model, fingernail polish and all. Frank (Garfield)is never lustful, never mean, never desperate. Always polite and decent. Not a gas station (except for one pump that looks planted) not a single oil can or wrench. Not a greasy spoon or diner, Twin Oaks looks like a tidy clean beach cottage or B&B, fit for Donna Reed & family. The 80's Nicholson/Mammet version is much better in all these areas and actually dark. Much more faithful to Cain B000E0WJH8:was_not_impressed:sensen B000E0WJH8 Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia: DVD: Barbie Mermaidia dvd 0 of 3 1.0 July 19, 2006 Sensen I am a big fan of faerietales and stories for children, though I do not have any of my own. On the whole I am unimpressed with the Barbie series which is highly unoriginal with characters that seem as plastic as the dolls themselves. While it manages to be more of a sedative than a painful experience, it is not something that I would recommend to other lovers of faerietales and/or faerie lore. Children, however, are often attracted to brightly colored things with simple stories, and will most likely love it B00004TVWI:bastardized!!:michael_k._beusch B00004TVWI Mission: Impossible: DVD: Tom Cruise,Jon Voight,Emmanuelle B art,Henry Czerny,Jean Reno,Ving Rhames,Kristin Scott Thomas,Vanessa Redgrave,Dale Dye,Marcel Iures,Ion Caramitru,Ingeborga Dapkunaite,Valentina Yakunina,Marek Vasut,Nathan Osgood,John McLaughlin,Rolf Saxon,Karel Dobry,Andreas Wisniewski,David Shaeffer,Brian De Palma dvd 7 of 11 1.0 October 2, 2006 Michael K. Beusch San Mateo, California United States Mission:Impossible, the TV series, told the adventures of the Impossible Missions Force -- an elite team of covert operatives who were sent to overthrow mob kingpins, foreign dictators, terrorists and others who threatened the security of the United States. Rather than engage in James Bond-like shoot outs, the IMF team worked together to covertly neutralize threats, leaving little or no trace of their involvement. Although the IMF had a leader (Steven Hill as Dan Briggs and Peter Graves as Jim Phelps), there was no star of the group -- just a bunch of individuals working together to achieve its objective. A truly groundbreaking show. Along comes Brain De Palma's catastrophe of a remake, starring that couch-jumping Scientologist Tom Cruise. Within half an hour of the film starting, the entire IMF team, save for Cruise, is killed off, Jim Phelps (Jon Voight) is exposed as a double agent and basically the entire concept of the original Mission:Impossible is shot to hell. Granted, Ving Rhames and Jean Reno are present as Cruise's new team, but Mission:Impossible is quickly bastardized as yet another Tom Cruise vehicle where he preens and postures. Making a film called Mission:Impossible into a star vehicle goes against the spirit of the original TV series. It's obscene what Tom Cruise's ego has done to Bruce Geller's original concept. This is just another action film with Mr. Cruise flashing his toothy smile and saving the world all by himself. See the original TV series and skip this piece of bastardized trash B0009299PG:goodbye_stargate:marina_marklund_"maychild/majbarn" B0009299PG Stargate Atlantis - Rising (Pilot Episode): DVD: Joe Flanigan,Torri Higginson,Rachel Luttrell,Rainbow Francks,David Hewlett,Richard Dean Anderson,Michael Shanks,Garwin Sanford,Paul McGillion,Andee Frizzell,Craig Veroni,Christopher Heyerdahl,Robert Patrick,Dean Marshall,Boyan Vukelic,Reece Thompson,Stefano Colacitti,Casey Dubois,Melia McClure,Dan Shea,Martin Wood dvd 0 of 18 1.0 June 19, 2006 Marina Marklund "Maychild/Majbarn" I don't know ; Planet Venus? I just whant to say this, if Richard Dean Anderson is out of the Stargate series; so am I, and that's it! If I could I would give this 0 stars, but you can't, not what I know anyways. Still Teal'c ,Daniel and Carter is in the storie, but hwo knows for how long 0783227892:dumb_but_watchable,_5_stars_for_l._henriksen's_death_scene:liam_palmer 0783227892 Hard Target: DVD: John Woo dvd 1 of 1 2.0 April 11, 2006 Liam Palmer Portland, OR USA The plot of "Hard Target" has been summarized in previous reviews, so I'll limit myself to discussing my favorite part. "Hard Target's" claim to fame when it came out was that it was John Woo's first American film, and that's certainly a big deal. (I just saw "Hard Boiled" the other day, and I'd need seven dictionaries to describe that glorious mess.) But it boggles my mind that Lance Henriksen's jaw-dropping death scene doesn't land right at the top of every review of this movie. I mean... (spoiler alert) the dude has a grenade dropped into his pants. He manages to get the grenade *out* of his pants before it explodes. And then he throws it away from him, right? Wrong! He UNSCREWS the grenade, hoping to separate the fuse from the explosive. And he DOES separate them before the grenade goes off and starts laughing in triumph. But he holds the fuse like two inches from the explosive and... THE SPARK JUMPS ACROSS! Funny enough already, but L.H. makes this shocked "Whu..." sound that is more hysterical than the entire first season of the Daily Show. Right before blowing up. It's absolutely brilliant. 0783227892:john_woo's_first_american_film_fails_but_the_action_is_good:michael_bolts 0783227892 Hard Target: DVD: John Woo dvd 1 of 3 2.0 May 12, 2005 Michael Bolts superior, wiusa Action Director John Woo's first attempt at making a good American action movie fails with Jean Claude Van Damme (Bloodsport, Sudden Death) on board as the lead hero who jumps over police cars, punches venomous snakes in the head, hops on motorcyles balancing himself on it while he flips over a truck and lands on the ground...kicking a gasoline tank at a guy while he shotgun blasts it and soving a grenade down the pants of evil bad ass Lance Henriksen (Near Dark, The Terminator). Hey, when isnt Henriksen a evil son of a bitatch? Yancy Butler (Drop Zone) is Van Dammes love interest protecting her from the villains trying to kill him and Wilfrod Brimley (TV'S Walker, Texas Ranger) plays Van Damme's southern fried canjun Uncle who rides horses and shoots arrows with his bow while trotting off after his country house blows up. All in all, it doesnt become the worst movie ever made, its only presence if the style John Woo brings to his action scenes...his lingo in the art of which he creates. Also starring Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy and The Mummy Returns) as Henriksen's right hand man. Ah, gotta love the scene where Van Damme has sexual chemistry with the snake while punching it ou B0002MFGDC:john_jakes_great_novels_,_turned_into_soap_operas_of_the_worst_kind:john_d._page_"movie_fan" B0002MFGDC North and South - The Complete Collection: DVD: Patrick Swayze,James Read (II),Lesley-Anne Down,Wendy Kilbourne,Kirstie Alley,Jean Simmons,Terri Garber,Genie Francis,Philip Casnoff,Lewis Smith,John Stockwell,David Carradine,Inga Swenson,Jonathan Frakes,Wendy Fulton,Jim Metzler,Tony Frank,Erica Gimpel (II),William Ostrander,Andy Stahl,Richard T. Heffron,Kevin Connor,Larry Peerce dvd 5 of 15 1.0 April 24, 2006 John D. Page "movie fan" usa i guess i hold the minorty here in thinking the north and south "maxie-series" is just the worst civil war mini-series ever put on film. they took great source material and turned it into "days of our civil war lives", a soap opera of the most unwanted kind. i found myself hopeing that maybe it would get better but it got more unbelievible as it went on . just a waste of a great cast and a lot of money B000EMGJ7C:nice_cast,_weak_movie:reviewer B000EMGJ7C The Family Stone (Widescreen Edition): DVD: Claire Danes,Diane Keaton,Rachel McAdams,Dermot Mulroney,Craig T. Nelson,Sarah Jessica Parker,Luke Wilson,Tyrone Giordano,Brian J. White,Elizabeth Reaser,Paul Schneider (IV),Savannah Stehlin,Jamie Kaler,Robert Dioguardi,Carol Locatell,Ginna Carter,Gus Buktenica,Michael Pemberton,Ron Wall,Christopher Parker,Thomas Bezucha dvd 1 of 4 2.0 October 12, 2006 Reviewer California Given the cast I had high expectations for this movie, but unfortunately it didn't deliver. The storyline and plot twists are totally unbelievable even given the most disfunctional of families. There are some nice perfomances, granted, and for this reason alone I gave it two stars. But even with that grace, it's not enough to warrant giving it the 100 minutes of your life to watch. B000F3AIQ8:let_us_pray:sheshe_"not_so_avid_reader" B000F3AIQ8 Killa Season: DVD: Cam'ron dvd 1 of 1 1.0 June 29, 2006 SheShe "Not So Avid Reader" Newport News, VA USA What the HE77 was that??? Yo I tried Cam, your music is straight and all but hang up the camera and pick up the mic. Stick to your day job (rapping). B00005ASGG:didn't_get_the_dvd:robert_l._gross B00005ASGG The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: DVD: John Wayne,James Stewart,Vera Miles,Lee Marvin,Edmond O'Brien,Andy Devine,Ken Murray,John Carradine,Jeanette Nolan,John Qualen,Willis Bouchey,Carleton Young,Woody Strode,Denver Pyle,Strother Martin,Lee Van Cleef,Robert F. Simon,O.Z. Whitehead,Paul Birch,Joseph Hoover,John Ford dvd 1.0 November 9, 2006 Robert L. Gross You asked me to rate my transaction and/or the product I ordered. The transaction apparently didn't take place, since I didn't receive the dvd that I ordered. Is that what you wanted to know B0009OUB2O:not_a_great_value:richard_j._garcia B0009OUB2O Disney Princess - A Christmas of Enchantment: DVD: Disney Princess-Christmas of Enchantment dvd 4 of 6 1.0 December 5, 2005 Richard J. Garcia CA United States A few comments about why I didn't like the video for my daughter - The DVD is cheaply done. The animation is almost all old and there are frequent times when the princess look like an animated statue with only their mouths moving, while their prince next to them really does look like a statue since he doesn't move at all. - The Christmas themes are simply not well done with the video containing things that were more suited for Halloween than Christmas. The part where Belle almost drowns (and would have certainly died of hypothermia) is a good example of this, though not the only example. Overall the video is not at all suited for young children B00006IXCM:does_not_deserve_a_star:amy_e._doores_"amy's_daughter" B00006IXCM Airheads: DVD: Brendan Fraser,Steve Buscemi,Adam Sandler,Chris Farley,Michael McKean,Judd Nelson,Ernie Hudson,Amy Locane,Nina Siemaszko,Marshall Bell,Reg E. Cathey,David Arquette,Michael Richards,Joe Mantegna,Michelle Hurst,Allen Covert,Sarah Reinhardt,Lexie Bigham,Lydell M. Cheshier,Sam Whipple,Michael Lehmann dvd 0 of 2 1.0 August 25, 2006 Amy E. Doores "Amy's daughter" Buffalo HORRIBLE NOT FUNNY I HAVE NO IDEA HOW PEOPLE CAN SAY THIS IS A GOOD MOVIE ok now i personally, am a adam sandler fan, but i just hated this movie. Accually, i hated it so much, i couldnt even finish it and we had to give it away. i recomend you do not waist your time with this horrible excuse for a movie. B00003CWPO:not_too_bad,_but_not_too_good:queen_of_horror_"elvira" B00003CWPO Eye of the Beholder: DVD: Ashley Judd,Ewan McGregor dvd 0 of 1 2.0 August 19, 2006 queen of horror "Elvira" Iowa United States I actually had this on my shelf for 2 or 3 years. I tried to watch it a time or 2 and just could not get past the first 10 or 15 minutes. I was finally in the mood to watch it the other night. Let me say I am a big fan of Ashley Judd and I have loved every movie I have seen her in. She did a great job, as always, just poor script writing. It leaves a lot of questions unanswered, such as how he always manages to keep one step ahead of her in order to place cameras in her hotel rooms, etc. This fellow was so obsessed and in the end what was the point? I may have to watch it again in a few more years just to see if there is something I missed... B0000646UO:not_very_engaging.:philip_w._logan_"scouts87_90" B0000646UO STALINGRAD - Dogs, do you want to live forever?: DVD: Frank Wisbar,Joachim Hansen,Ernst Wilhelm Borchert,Wolfgang Preiss,Carl Lange,Horst Frank,Peter Carsten,Richard M nch,G nter Pfitzmann,Sonja Ziemann,Gunnar M ller,Ernst von Klipstein,Armin Dahlen,Paul Hoffmann,Karl John,Alexander Kerst,Josef Fr hlich,Klaus Hellmold,Erik von Loewis,Gotthart Portloff,Peter Lehmbrock dvd 1 of 4 2.0 May 12, 2006 Philip W. Logan "scouts87_90" Centreville, VA. United States This movie is a disappointment considering it was made at a time when so many of the survivors were still alive and recently freed from Russian captivity. The film covers the experiences of a veteran German officer assigned as an advisor to a Rumanian Army Corps on the eve of the Stalingrad encirclement. The film does not go into any kind of depth either in terms of character development or story line to explain the importance and tragedy of Stalingrad. One must think that it even disappointed it's original German viewers of the 1950's who probably desired some kind of explanation for the disaster of Stalingrad and the Nazi era. As an anti-war film this film is a failure; as a shoot 'em up action war film it is droll. All in all this is less satisfying than a made for TV movie of the same period. B00008EY6M:don't_buy_this_compilation......:robert_headley B00008EY6M Once Upon a Time in China Trilogy: DVD: Jet Li,Biao Yuen,Rosamund Kwan,Jacky Cheung,Steve Tartalia,Kent Cheng,Jonathan Isgar,Yee Kwan Yan,Mark King,Kam-Fai Yuen,Cheung-Yan Yuen,Kien Shih,Ma Wu,Tsim Po Sham,Shun-Yee Yuen,Chi Yeung Wong,Tony Yuen,Shun Lau,Simon Yam,Hark Tsui dvd 15 of 19 1.0 January 30, 2005 Robert Headley Brazil, Indiana These 3 movies are indeed landmark movies in Chinese Cinema and definetly for Jet li and Movie Kung fu. However, I watched 10 minutes of te first movie on this compilation which DOESN'T have english Subs ( I don't mind, but every other DVD I have ever seen has this ) Also, in the first ten minutes, there have been 2 incredibly bad awkward translations. For some reason, Cousin Yi is now Aunt 13 and Chu's bird is now Chu's Beard. This is Crap. Do NOT buy this, buy the movies seperately, you can probably find them each for 9 bucks, and they would be more satisfying that way B000035Z5H:outrageous_junk:bomojaz B000035Z5H Outrageous Fortune: DVD: Shelley Long,Bette Midler,Peter Coyote,Robert Prosky,John Schuck,George Carlin,Anthony Heald,Ji-Tu Cumbuka,Florence Stanley,Jerry Zaks,John DiSanti,Diana Bellamy,Gary Morgan,Christopher McDonald,J.W. Smith,Robert Pastorelli,Tony Epper,Bill Hart,Sally R. Brown,Carol Ann Susi,Arthur Hiller dvd 7 of 13 1.0 March 12, 2005 Bomojaz South Central PA, USA A girl-buddy movie starring Shelley Long and Bette Midler as two women in love with the same guy. When they learn that he's "used" both of them, they turn from being mortal enemies to closest friends as they chase the louse from New York to New Mexico. Silly and dumb, with the usual chase fare thrown in. Everything is a cliche, from the opposing personality idea (Long is an orderly goody-twoshoes, Midler a loudmouthed mess) to desert hippies to car chases, etc, etc. The movie seems to go on endlessly B00004Z1GR:lame_holiday_movie:john_q._public_television_"pbs_supporter" B00004Z1GR I'll Be Home for Christmas: DVD: Jonathan Taylor Thomas,Jessica Biel,Adam LaVorgna,Gary Cole,Eve Gordon,Lauren Maltby,Andrew Lauer,Sean O'Bryan,Lesley Boone,Amzie Strickland,Natalie Barish,Mark de la Cruz,Kathleen Freeman,Jack Kenny,Celia Kushner,Blair Slater,P.J. Prinsloo,Kevin Hansen,James Sherry,Alexandria Mitchell,Arlene Sanford dvd 1 of 7 1.0 December 20, 2005 John Q. Public Television "PBS supporter" USA Between the not so below average acting of Thomas and Biel, the film might have benefited more from a better script, but it did not. There was nothing in this movie that they could have done better, it was just a fluff holiday movie that a family would most likely not want to watch that much B00005V9HR:this_is_unwatchable.:old_set B00005V9HR Bio-Dome: DVD: William Atherton,Denise Dowse,Dara Tomanovich,Kevin West,Kylie Minogue,Pauly Shore,Stephen Baldwin,Joey Lauren Adams,Teresa Hill,Patricia Hearst,Robbie Thibaut Jr.,Adam Weisman,Henry Gibson,Brian Hayes Currie,Courtney Mizel,Butch McCain,Taylor Negron,Roger Clinton,Rose McGowan,Channon Roe,Jason Bloom dvd 0 of 6 1.0 February 24, 2006 Old Set Wadley, AL This movie makes me want to vomit. Watching Bio-Dome is physically painful to the overwhelming majority of people B00004VVMZ:nice_dancing_and_music,_but_very_dull: B00004VVMZ Royal Wedding: DVD: Fred Astaire,Jane Powell,Peter Lawford,Sarah Churchill,Keenan Wynn,Albert Sharpe,Carmen Clifford,Charlotte Hunter,Wilson Benge,John R. Reilly,Marietta Elliott,James Horne Jr.,Mae Clarke,Alex Frazer,Stanley Mann (II),William Cabanne,Jimmy Fairfax,Lucille Lamarr,Wilson Wood,Eric Wilton,Stanley Donen dvd 2 of 9 2.0 April 23, 2003 This movie would have been a complete failure if Fred Astaire hadn't starred in it. I found it to be exceptionally dull. Except for "I Lost My Hat in Haiti" and "You Are", and footage from the actual wedding of a member of the British monarchy, this film is pretty terrible B000GTJT16:the_highlight_of_the_movie_is_the_copyright_notice_in_french:b._chandler_"xyzzy" B000GTJT16 Sleepy Hollow [HD DVD]: DVD: Alun Armstrong,Johnny Depp,Michael Gambon,Michael Gough,Richard Griffiths,Jeffrey Jones,Christopher Lee,Lisa Marie,Ian McDiarmid,Christina Ricci,Miranda Richardson,Claire Skinner,Steven Waddington,Christopher Walken,Peter Guinness,Conrad L. Hall,Emmanuel Lubezki dvd 1.0 November 25, 2006 B. Chandler "xyzzy" Arlington, Texas Trash film usurps title. People that like this film seem to come from a group that have only seen ersatz films such as the new Mummy have nothing of real movie value to compare them to. This must also be a group that has never seen a live play or an old German film. The filmmakers attempted to capture a cross between Nosferatu. It may have worked in 1920 however the film is to clear and sharp. It comes off looking more like a cross between a cartoon and a graphics ad. The actors outweighed the characters and looked like they were reading the script. I could swear that some were watching the teleprompter. And who's idea was it to cut up a three day old corps to get covered in blood that if was any, had lone ago coagulated? I could go on with quite a few examples. But you get the idea. This should be helpful even if you liked the movie. If you are driving by a place that rents this DVD, stay in the car! B0007A0F4E:tim_allen_is_ruining_christmas_for_me:mount_olympus_"pegasusblue" B0007A0F4E Christmas with the Kranks: DVD: Tim Allen,Jamie Lee Curtis,Dan Aykroyd,M. Emmet Walsh,Elizabeth Franz,Erik Per Sullivan,Cheech Marin,Jake Busey,Austin Pendleton,Tom Poston,Julie Gonzalo,Ren Lavan,Caroline Rhea,Felicity Huffman,Patrick Breen,John Short,Bonita Friedericy,David Hornsby,Kevin Chamberlin,Lyndon Smith,Joe Roth dvd 3 of 8 1.0 June 4, 2006 Mount_Olympus "pegasusblue" above the delicatessan Why oh why do they keep placing redneck Tim Allen in Christmas movies? He can't act and he is disgusting. I am ashamed at Jamie Lee Curtis for reducing herself to this garbage. I can understand Tim Allen thinking this was a good script, the producer probably mailed the script to him as a coloring book with pictures...but I had higher expectations from Jamie Lee Curtis. I have to say I usually love her. But she was awful in this film. She is reduced to whining and crying. She does little else besides agreeing to everything her caveman husband tells her. Tim Allen was awful from day one in his redneck Middle America sitcom, and to this day retains that disgusting, overweight, burping middle America character. Why do they keep putting him in Christmas films? It really does nauseate me to no ends to see him playing Santa Claus. B00004WCNP:this_film_is_an_outrageous_sacrilege!!!!!!!:l.m.b._"bauer24fan" B00004WCNP The Wizard of Oz: DVD: Victor Fleming,Mervyn LeRoy,King Vidor,Judy Garland,Frank Morgan,Ray Bolger,Bert Lahr,Jack Haley,Billie Burke,Margaret Hamilton,Charley Grapewin,Pat Walshe,Clara Blandick,Terry (III),Thaisa L. Gardner,Colonel Casper,Gracie Doll,Carl Stephan,Frank Kikel,Charley F. Royale,Pinto Colvig,Carl M. 'Kayo' Erickson,Ruth E. Smith dvd 6 of 22 1.0 November 11, 2006 L.M.B. "Bauer24Fan" Many people will consider giving this movie such a low rating a sacrilege.This is understandable because so many people have grown up watching this film.I too loved this movie at a certain period of my life.The period between my birth and when I turned ten.That was when I read the book.The book is perhaps one of the greatest literary works ever created.It has now been awhile since I first read it,but I still remember the excitement I felt with each new chapter.I finished it in a few short hours.Since then,I have reread it several times,and each time it has been just as enjoyable.It is a true classic that people of all ages can enjoy.My brother reads as little as possible, but even he loved it.The movie,on the other hand,has gotten worse with each subsequent viewing.It deters from the book in almost every way possible.It makes a mockery of each character through a combination of poor writing and horrible acting.Judy Garland is an absolutely abominable choice to play the plucky heroine,Dorothy Gale.In the book,Dorothy was a little girl of about eight or nine and she was brave and clever.In the film,she is whiny,cowardly,fretful,and slightly stupid.She is also portrayed as being around fifteen.Making her this old distorts the book and her older age doesn't fit with her childish behaviour and appearance.Besides wrecking the book,this movie when looked at clearly is a terrible film.Don't misunderstand me,I am a fan of musicals.However,this film made for an atrocious musical.Practically every single song was ANNOYING!!!!!Also,the "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" number did not suit the plotline as it was in the book.This brings me to the BIGGEST,MOST AWFUL,distortion of them ALL!!!In the book,Dorothy really went to OZ!!!!!Not only that,she returned to Oz several times in other OZ books.Eventually,she even moved there to live!!!In making the whole experience a dream,the entire story of OZ was destroyed.Having said that,this movie receives a 1 in my opinion.Even so,I realize that many people will persist in liking this movie despite my words of wisdom.If they do sill consider this movie a favorite after reading the book,then the 3-Disc DVD is the edition to purchase.The features look good and the picture is restored.As for me,I will spend my money on better things. B000BUE5DM:not_like_the_other_michael_flatley_shows.:c._calhoun B000BUE5DM The Celtic Tiger Starring Michael Flatley: DVD: Rosa Maria Sard ,Adriana Gim nez,Elena Guerrero,Gemma Lozano,Amanda Maestre,Denise Maestre,Ester V zquez Burg s, lex Carmona,Daniel Casadell ,Christian Casas, scar Casas, lvaro Cervantes,Pau Poch,Abdel Aziz El Mountassir,Albert Espinosa,Gorka Lasaosa,Maite J uregui,Blanca Mart nez,Merc Pons,Cora Tiedra dvd 4 of 7 2.0 March 27, 2006 C. Calhoun Not as much tap dancing as the other ones. You probaly have to be Irish to understand the theme because I didn't B0002KPHVU:worst_show_ever:john_grivas B0002KPHVU MADtv - The Complete First Season: DVD: Tim Conlon,Dannah Feinglass,Pablo Francisco,Brooke Totman,Brian K. Roberts,David Grossman (III),John Blanchard,Jean Sagal,Paul Flaherty,Bruce Leddy,Linda Mendoza,Dennis Rosenblatt,Michael McDonald (XI),Matt Davis (IX),Amanda Bearse dvd 1 of 12 1.0 July 23, 2005 John Grivas Astoria, NY United States I never saw the series on tv so when it came out on dvd, I was excited, remembering the magazine from when I was a kid and being a fan of ILC, SNL, and comedy itself. I am also known for finding various comic styles funny where others don't. I write this review now as I am TRYING to watch the third disc. I got the dvd the first day it came out and I have to watch every dvd I get, even if I saw it before. Regardless to say, I only broke a smurk ONCE throughout the first 2 1/2 discs. I even tried watching parts of the disc when I was having a great day and even when I was not in the greatest of moods. I was in a good mood again this morning so I started watching it. I think it is the lamest show that I have ever seen. I really don't know why it ever lasted past the first season. If you've seen the show on tv and you like it, more power to you, if you haven't seen it, don't buy it, it is a waste of money. Everybody says that after season two is when it gets funny... I personaly don't think I should have to endure a whole first season for it to get funny B00013A0GK:disappointment:cheryl_l._malone B00013A0GK Power Yoga for Happiness: DVD: Bjorn Enga,Cliff Hokanson,Kerry Knull,Jutta Simmons,Insiya Rasiwala,John Scheunhage,Cheryl Pinto,Eoin Finn dvd 4 of 26 1.0 August 5, 2005 Cheryl L. Malone Costa Mesa, CA USA This is the type of yoga that gives yoga a bad name. I will not even give this one to a student or friend; put it in the Goodwill bag B000065U1J:pathic: B000065U1J Tidal Wave: No Escape: DVD: Corbin Bernsen,Julianne Phillips,Gregg Henry,Larry Brandenburg,Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs,Harve Presnell,Aki Aleong,Gene Wolande,Lance Wilson-White,Cheryl Francis Harrington,David Fabrizio,Stephen Bridgewater,Teddy Lane Jr.,Andrew Walker,Clint Lilley,Hugh B. Holub,Wendy Schenker,David E. Willis,Steve Stapenhorst,Lisa Williams,George Miller dvd 1 of 3 1.0 January 23, 2003 Or you out of your mind! I watched about 5 mins. and I'm speachless. That was the worse movie I ever "started" to watch and couldn't get to the controls fast enough to turn it off. Throw them away, please B00005NG6B:sometimes_great_but_not_that_great:michael_bolts B00005NG6B Tales from the Darkside: The Movie: DVD: Deborah Harry,David Forrester,Matthew Lawrence,Christian Slater,Robert Sedgwick,Steve Buscemi,Donald Van Horn,Michael Deak,Julianne Moore,George Guidall,Kathleen Chalfant,Ralph Marrero,David Johansen,Paul Greeno,William Hickey,Alice Drummond,Dolores Sutton,Mark Margolis,James Remar,Ashton Wise,John Harrison dvd 2 of 8 2.0 October 18, 2003 Michael Bolts superior, wiusa it starts out as a lady comes home to cook a boy for dinner but the boy tells the lady three storys from the Tales From The Darkside book. the first one is Lot 249 with Christian Slater, Julianne Moore and Steve Buscemi, which this one is the best with of course Slater's character. then the next one is The Cat From Hell with William Hickey and David Johanssen, this one is ok but it sometimes shallows the movie with its annoying and mangling old people. the last one is A Lover's Vow with James Remar and Rae Dawn Chong, it starts off good with Remar but then ends up being a cheesy story with its lame gargoyle effects B0001ZZ4O6:this_is_the_worst_collection_of_"clips"_i_have_ever_seen:john_d._page_"movie_fan" B0001ZZ4O6 The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made: DVD: Worst Movies Ever Made dvd 8 of 8 1.0 May 31, 2006 John D. Page "movie fan" usa don't buy this junk,it is nothing more than trailers for 50 movies that the makers have deamed as the "worst". like another review said just look up a list somewere!! B0001ZZ4O6:avoid_it_like_the_plague_and_just_find_a_list_somewhere:nicolas_"hurricanepictures426" B0001ZZ4O6 The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made: DVD: Worst Movies Ever Made dvd 30 of 31 1.0 October 1, 2005 Nicolas "HurricanePictures426" Manhattan, NYC I love bad movies, so when i saw there was a documentary out all about ranking the worst movies i thought i'd give it a try. Don't bother with this DVD. Its 60 minutes long. Now think about that fact. 50 movies, in 60 minutes. Some movies are barely shown for twenty seconds or they use a commercial that reveals little of whats bad in the movie. SO problem number one they don't show enough of the movies. Problem 2 is the bad designs of people booing and throwing popcorn at every movie they talk about. The voice over was also a bit on the annoying side but thats probably the fault of the people who made this. Its actually very ironic that this being about the worst films is actually a terrible film in itself. Another complaint i have is on what merrits on they ranking these films. FOr a few, it seemed they put their not cause they were the worst movies made but because they were box office flops. I'm not saying Ishtar or Howard the duck were good movies but they shouldn't be placed on a list of the worst. There are alot more terrible films, with acting thats unbelievably bad, mistakes galore, poor lighting, poor directing, poor writing,etc. These were just bad movies that were flops. I'm surprised they didn't throw Heaven's gate in here if they were doing flops. So i don't get the criteria they were using. A lot of really terrible movies were excluded too for some reason. Manos is sadly missing. Glen or Glenda is alot worse then Plan 9(despite plan 9 having the fame) yet plan 9 got a lower ranking. I guess the best thing i can say about this DVD is that they did get a list of some very bad movies. Robot Monster and Santa Claus Conquers the Martians are amongst the worst movies you'll ever see. According to the DVD, only Black Belt Jones is a movie so bad its funny but many (If not all) picked are so bad they are funny. I didn't like how they included the movie Troll only because the sequel Troll 2 was so much worse(For heaven's sake, Troll 2 didn't even have trolls in it. it had Goblins. Thats bad!). So, if you guys want to Watch a List of movies with barely any clips of the films that emphasize there baddness, this a film for you. those of you who don't, heres a breif list of some of their movies. Snow WHite and the 3 stooges Greetings The frozen Dead They saved Hitler's brain Black belt Jones TNT Jackson The thing with two heads Howard the Duck Billy the kid vs. Dracula Bela Legosi meets a brooklyn Gorilla Strange Creatures Bloodsucking freaks Leonard pt. 6 Attack of the crab monsters Robot Monster Santa Claus Conquers the martians Troll Trog Xanadu The Crippled Masters I married a Monster from outer space Teenage Zombie Ghost and the invisible Bikini Fat Spy Plan 9 from outer space Glen or Glenda Bride of the monster The mesa of Lost women Voodoo Woman Ishtar Frankenstein Conquers the world The Creeping Terror The great Alligator Hillbillys in a haunted House The incredible melting man Firebird 2015Ad Dracula Vs. Frankenstein Smokey and the Bandits Pt 3 The wild woman of Wongo The ape Galaxy of terror The RObot vs. The Aztec Mummy Snow WHite (German Version) Creature from the HAunted sea The swinging CHeerleaders Trial of billy Jack Killers from space Spider baby The 3 stooges in orbit The sorceress The crawling hand JD's Revenge Frankenstein meets the space monster Killer shrews Great white The thing with two heads Eegah! The incridebly Strange creatures who stopped living and became mixed up zombies. Certainly far from a definitive list of Worst movie B000189KB6:it's_no_citizen_kane:r._hart_"scatter" B000189KB6 Mr. Arkadin: DVD: Orson Welles,Robert Arden,Paola Mori,Michael Redgrave,Mischa Auer,Akim Tamiroff,Patricia Medina dvd 1 of 1 2.0 June 28, 2006 R. Hart "Scatter" Los Angeles I found this film accidentially on Amazon and was curious because I know Welles didn't complete a great deal of films. His directorial flourishes are definitely evident, but it is hard to really enjoy the film do to the quality of the transfer. The picture is dark and the audio is exceptionally bad. It looks like there were some budgetary issues in the making of the film so I couldn't tell whether this was a bad DVD presentation of a mediocre film, or an awful movie put on DVD badly. I did not shell out of the Criterion edition, which might give a better glimpse into the qualities of the film B000189KB6:appauling_quality:auton B000189KB6 Mr. Arkadin: DVD: Orson Welles,Robert Arden,Paola Mori,Michael Redgrave,Mischa Auer,Akim Tamiroff,Patricia Medina dvd 4 of 5 1.0 September 3, 2004 Auton Manchester, UK This is a potentially very good film. Interesting idea (bearing some resemblance to "Angel heart"). Sadly marred by a quite appauling transfer. I don't think I've ever bought (DVD or video) or seen (TV or cinema) quite such an awful copy of a movie. It is clearly stuck together from more than one original, with the logo "Delta" appearing now and again in the bottom right hand corner, but don't be misled into thinking this is the most complete version. The term "special edition" seems to refer only to the fact that it has been released !!!!! Tony Curtis does an incredibly poor intro and epilogue (clearly from some late night cheap TV series). Don't buy it. Maybe there's a better version (I read talk of a "Critereon" disc), maybe not. Still, it really isn't worth (any) money B000189KB6:extremely_good_story_but_terrible_picture_quality:joe_blo B000189KB6 Mr. Arkadin: DVD: Orson Welles,Robert Arden,Paola Mori,Michael Redgrave,Mischa Auer,Akim Tamiroff,Patricia Medina dvd 2 of 5 2.0 December 29, 2003 Joe Blo Quebec, Canada I bought Orson Welles Citizen Kane and liked it so I decided to watch other Welles movies. I bought Mr. Arkadin because the DVD is cheap and rated high on IMDB. I should have buyed Touch of Evil instead. The quality of the picture is laughable, sometimes there are glitches in the sound during scene changes. Judging by the picture and sound quality I would say that they used equipment from the 30's to shoot and edit the movie and that the print used for that transfer was stored in a refrigerator during 45 years. Welles directing work is good but obviously he had to deal with the poor quality of the European movie industry of the 50's. Sometimes the picture shake, during the opening credits the captions are white on a white or gray background so we can't read everything. The editing is very poor, there are too many scene changes. When I bought this DVD I expected to receive the LaserLight version, instead I got a DVD made by Alpha Video. The case cover is different and there is no supplemental material. He was mastered cheaply on a PC with the SpruceUp DVD Maestro software, that seem to create problems, each time I try to play the disc on my computer the FBI warning message appear and then the disc eject. I didn't notice any audio syncing problems however. This movie is the perfect candidate for a remake. I give **** for the story and * for the overall quality of the movie B0000844LU:wow--_it's_impressive_how_much_of_a_mess_this_is.:robert_p._beveridge_"xterminal" B0000844LU The Weight of Water: DVD: Ciar n Hinds,Richard Donat,Sarah Polley,Ulrich Thomsen,Anders W. Berthelsen,Joseph Rutten,John Walf,Katrin Cartlidge,Vinessa Shaw,Adam Curry (II),Catherine McCormack,Sean Penn,Josh Lucas,Elizabeth Hurley,John Maclaren,Rita Kvist,Jan Tore Kristoffersen,Catherine Kellner,Karl Juliusson,Peter Cobbold,Kathryn Bigelow dvd 2.0 October 16, 2006 Robert P. Beveridge "xterminal" Lakewood, OH The Weight of Water (Kathryn Bigelow, 2000) This movie should have been a big production-- an adaptation of an Anita Shreve novel directed by Near Dark's Kathryn Bigelow, starring a handful of big-name actors. So why does it seem like a Lifetime Original Movie(TM) on steroids? Jean Janes (Shadow of the Vampire's Catherine McCormack) is obsessed with a pair of murders that occurred on the Isles of Shoals in 1873, when Louis Wagner (Rome's Ciaran Hinds) was convicted of the murders of two women and executed. Jean isn't sure they got the right person. She and her poet husband Thomas (Sean Penn) set off for the islands on a boat with Thomas' brother Rich (Josh Lucas, recently of Poseidon) and Rich's new girlfriend Adaline (Elizabeth Hurley, who went from this right on to film Bedazzled). The interpersonal relationships on the boat cause tensions to flare, as everyone seems to want pretty much everyone else, and the situation on the boat brings Jean to a possible revelation of an alternative theory of the crime. It's an interesting premise, and from everything I've heard it's carried off quite successfully in the book, which I haven't read. But oh, it doesn't work well at all in the film. The links between the two stories are shown only by the way the two stories are intercut; no work at all was done on trying to parallel the two in any structural way. Most of the actors are wasted here; even the vastly talented McCormack seems only a shadow of her usual irrepressible self, while Sarah Polley, whose story takes place over in the nineteenth century time frame, seems as if she's worn down by a lot more than inimical primitive island life. About the only actor who's really effective here is Hinds, who plays his role to the hilt. It's not the worst movie I've seen in the past month, but it's pretty close. * 0767817699:only_one_reason:eric_c._sanders 0767817699 Nowhere to Run: DVD: Jean-Claude Van Damme,Rosanna Arquette,Kieran Culkin,Ted Levine,Tiffany Taubman,Edward Blatchford,Anthony Starke,Joss Ackland,Allan Graf,Leonard Termo,Robert Apisa,Jophery C. Brown,Tony Brubaker,Ron Howard George,Voyo Goric,Jack Lucarelli,Peter Malota,Frank Orsatti (II),Manny Perry,Thomas Rosales Jr.,Robert Harmon dvd 3 of 4 1.0 August 6, 2003 Eric C. Sanders Roseville, MI United States I bought a copy of NTR for one reason and one reason only: a single scene near the beginning, prominently featuring Rosanna Arquette. This was the same reason I bought a copy of "The Wrong Man", starring John Lithgow and - Rosanna Arquette. Discretion prevents my explaining further. Other than the scene already mentioned, I found the movie pretty worthless B00005UKTF:below_average_--:d._m._munafo B00005UKTF Intimacy: DVD: Patrice Ch reau,Mark Rylance,Kerry Fox,Susannah Harker,Alastair Galbraith,Philippe Calvario,Timothy Spall,Marianne Faithfull,Fraser Ayres,Michael Fitzgerald,Robert Addie,Deborah McLaren,Rebecca R. Palmer,Greg Sheffield (II),Vinnie Hunter,Joe Prospero,Sian Reeves,Paola Dionisotti,Marcello Walton,Christian Malcolm,Amy Lindsay dvd 11 of 31 2.0 March 1, 2005 D. M. Munafo The story is ok, but the acting is a bit off and the movie drags to much... but if your looking for some raunchy sex there is a non-simulated oral sex scene in it B000051NWR:why_do_i_need_another_copy_of_this?:buddha_dharma B000051NWR The Wedding Singer: DVD: Frank Coraci,Adam Sandler,Drew Barrymore,Christine Taylor,Allen Covert,Matthew Glave,Ellen Albertini Dow,Angela Featherstone,Alexis Arquette,Christina Pickles,Jodi Thelen,Frank Sivero,Patrick McTavish,Gemini Barnett,Teddy Castellucci,Randy Razz,John Vana,Billy Idol,Kevin Nealon,Marnie Schneider,Carmen Filpi dvd 16 of 19 1.0 April 25, 2006 Buddha Dharma Anywhere USA Added - 5 whole minutes - Documentary about how to make a great movie suck by making it a Broadway production. Deleted - Karaoke version of five songs from the soundtrack: Hold Me Now, Do You Really Want to Hurt Me, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Rappers Delight, White Wedding Worth the extra $13 - I think not I suppose if you are one of the four people on the planet that doesn't own this classic there is a option of which edition to purchase, for the rest of us, it's just not worth it. B00003JRAV:weak_script,_poor_performance....:aregasa_"cinepathetic" B00003JRAV Romance: DVD: Caroline Ducey,Sagamore St venin,Fran ois Berl and,Rocco Siffredi,Reza Habouhossein,Ashley Wanninger,Emma Colberti,Fabien de Jomaron,Carla,Pierre Maufront,Antoine Amador,Roman Rouzier,Oliver Buchette,Emmanuelle N'Guyen,Nadia Latoui,Sylvie Drieu,Samuel Charter,Alexis Gignoux,Muriel Gregoire,Sebastien Jochmans,Catherine Breillat dvd 7 of 19 1.0 February 26, 2006 AregAsa "Cinepathetic" CinemaWorld Well, nice cinematography as set-designer work: nicely interiors and well dressed actors. Maybe, visually it is enough to keep you watching this movie once, but not enough to consider it as a remarkable movie of year, as other reviewers trying to assure B00003JRAV:wake_me_when_it's_over:b._stanley_"human" B00003JRAV Romance: DVD: Caroline Ducey,Sagamore St venin,Fran ois Berl and,Rocco Siffredi,Reza Habouhossein,Ashley Wanninger,Emma Colberti,Fabien de Jomaron,Carla,Pierre Maufront,Antoine Amador,Roman Rouzier,Oliver Buchette,Emmanuelle N'Guyen,Nadia Latoui,Sylvie Drieu,Samuel Charter,Alexis Gignoux,Muriel Gregoire,Sebastien Jochmans,Catherine Breillat dvd 11 of 17 1.0 December 21, 2005 B. Stanley "human" I was so bored by this film that I thought I might be missing some subtle French cultural context or emotional triggers that would make it interesting. I asked a younger, French, female friend, who said she found it at least as boring as I did. The characters didn't engage my sympathy. Nothing explained why these people were even remotely interested in each other, so I didn't care what happened to them. Scenes like long car drives from the marriage bed to a first infidelity didn't build any dramatic tension or advance a plot or provide any interesting insight into the characters themselves. The sex scenes were banal and the bondage episodes in particular laughable. I sat through to the end, thinking there might perhaps be some breathtaking ending to redeem the wasted minutes. I want my money back. Plus damages B00005OOQ1:weird_translation:terren3i_"terren3i" B00005OOQ1 Black Mask: DVD: John DeMita,Jet Li,Ching Wan Lau,Matt McKenzie,Karen Mok,Fran oise Yip,Kong Lung,Anthony Wong Chau-Sang,Xin Xin Xiong,Winston Ellis,Russ Price,Michael Ian Lambert,Moses Chan,King-fai Chung,Suk-yee Chan,Roy Szeto,Ken Lok,Henry Fong (II),Mei-Yee Sze,Lawrence Ah Mon,Daniel Lee (II) dvd 0 of 1 1.0 January 13, 2005 Terren3i "Terren3i" CA, USA as I remember when i watched the original chinese version, although it wasnt any big deal but I did like it as I remember, but this version is totally destroy that feeling, something about the translation is just bad to the core makes the movie like a piece of crap, especially some sound effect. Why don't they put the original track in it I hard can understand. if u can find some asian version and rewatch it u would agree with me. it worth my 3 stars with the original trac B00005OOQ1:easily_forgotten:taddese_zicke B00005OOQ1 Black Mask: DVD: John DeMita,Jet Li,Ching Wan Lau,Matt McKenzie,Karen Mok,Fran oise Yip,Kong Lung,Anthony Wong Chau-Sang,Xin Xin Xiong,Winston Ellis,Russ Price,Michael Ian Lambert,Moses Chan,King-fai Chung,Suk-yee Chan,Roy Szeto,Ken Lok,Henry Fong (II),Mei-Yee Sze,Lawrence Ah Mon,Daniel Lee (II) dvd 0 of 5 2.0 June 5, 2004 Taddese Zicke Florida, USA It didn't take me long to forget this film. Once again it stars Jet in a strange role B00005LDD9:wait:robert_s._aho B00005LDD9 Metropolis: DVD: Alfred Abel,Gustav Fr hlich,Brigitte Helm,Rudolf Klein-Rogge,Fritz Rasp,Theodor Loos,Erwin Biswanger,Heinrich George,Rose Lichtenstein,Arthur Reinhardt,Hanns Leo Reich,Walter Kuehle,Heinrich Gotho,Helen von M nchofen,Dolly Grey,Fritz Alberti,Margarete Lanner,Olaf Storm,Rolf von Goth,Hilde Woitscheff,Fritz Lang dvd 2 of 3 2.0 January 14, 2003 Robert S. Aho Minneapolis, Minnesota United States Not a good copy of this great movie. I'd wait and buy the "Restored Authorized Edition." Even though I bought this version, I've ordered the other. That's how much I like Metropolis is general B0000AX2QZ:not_for_absolute_begginers:walter_g._curiel B0000AX2QZ Digital Golf School: DVD: Golf-Digital Golf School dvd 4 of 5 2.0 June 2, 2006 Walter G. Curiel Mexico THE BAD I can't say I dislike this item, but I did not like it either. Even though I'm still a novice golfer (score between 95-105) and been playing for about 18 months, I've read a lot of golf fundamentals articles and studied like 4 other DVDs ...(yes I'm an instruction junky) and I can say that this instrutor (Simon Holmes) misses to point out many important fundamental factors that influence a good swing, and even though I like how the DVD has a well structured lesson category listing, he does not explain deeply enough on many things. The filming production seems to have a good intention for this DVD, but it lacks camera closeups/slowmotions on the ball, clubhead, ball lies and graphical enhancements for better understanding of what he want's to explain. I mean with today's technology on DVD production, this seems to be a cheap one. THE GOOD He has very good tips on many subjects that I think they're transparent for a very beginner. If this is not your first instructional DVD, and just want to gather a new bunch of tips, then buy it. Otherwise a better selection that I can reccomend for a complete golf school DVD, is the Wally Armstrong's Ultimate Golfing Experience. The set is very cheap because it's a compilation of old '80s and 90'videos from that instructor, and from the 5 DVD's in the box, you can thrash 2 if you like, but for $17 bucks...HEY!! is worth it! I hope this helps and saves you some money B00005UWMX:fantastical_let_down:eric_k_"just_zis_guy" B00005UWMX Ladyhawke: DVD: Matthew Broderick,Rutger Hauer,Michelle Pfeiffer,Leo McKern,John Wood,Ken Hutchison,Alfred Molina,Giancarlo Prete,Loris Loddi,Alessandro Serra,Charles Borromel,Massimo Sarchielli,Nicolina Papetti,Russel Case,Donald Hodson,Gregory Snegoff,Gaetano Russo,Rod Dana,Stefano Horowitzo,Paul Tuerpe,Richard Donner dvd 1 of 5 2.0 June 7, 2006 Eric K "Just zis guy" Albuquirky, NM USA Unlike many, I hadn't seen this film when it first came out. So it was with much anticipation that I recently sat down to watch it. Well, it stunk. What a disappointment. The only really good thing in there is Leo McKern, who shines forth like a beacon in a fog of wooden acting and stilted dialogue. Show 'em how it's done, Leo. Michelle Pfeiffer is beautiful to look at, but her role is limited. Matthew Broderick is clearly inexperienced this early in his career, and delivers his lines without any panache whatsoever, which hampers the film, since his character is supposed to be a quick-witted thief. Fortunately, he has come a long way as an actor since then. Rutger Hauer is just plain bad. In defense of the director and crew, the film is prettily shot (with the exception of the poorly choreographed climactic fight scene) in well lit, scenic locations. Otherwise, I would not recommend this film to anyone with expectations. B000AQ68Z0:not_a_great_season,_not_a_great_box_set...:raoul_duke_"the_good_doctor" B000AQ68Z0 Family Guy, Vol. 3 (Season 4: Part 1): DVD: Family Guy dvd 3 of 7 2.0 June 26, 2006 Raoul Duke "The Good Doctor" Aspen, Colorado, USA Vol. 3 marks a new low for Family Guy: A season that started out strong but ended very "OH my god, I was so shocked by that hahahahaha". It seems to be riding on it's laurels, so to speak, and it's almost as if we are supposed to find the characters acting differently funny. I don't like it, and I think it's been reduced to recent Simpson quality. Meanwhile, the DVD has a few commentaries (I'd like to point out that the competition Simpson DVD's have commentaries on every episode, same with Futurama...)Some sub-par special features. The biggest problem here is that the first two discs are single-layer, which means four episodes per disc, as opposed to the traditional seven. We only get thirteen episodes of crap, and maybe we should be grateful, but all in all, whatever. Raoul Duke B00008N71Q:entertainment_masked_as_stupidity?:cloud_"..." B00008N71Q Jason X: DVD: Kane Hodder,Peter Mensah,Robert A. Silverman,Dov Tiefenbach,Lexa Doig,Jonathan Potts,Melody Johnson,Lisa Ryder,Derwin Jordan,Melyssa Ade,Kristi Angus,Chuck Campbell,James Isaac dvd 0 of 3 2.0 April 22, 2006 Cloud "..." Canada I'll get this out of the way: I never liked the 80's slasher films. Stuff like the Halloween series, Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th just never entertained me all that much. The idea of slow walking killers going after Olympic sprinters and still get caught felt really ridiculous to me. Of course the major draw was the death scenes: elaborate moments of viciousness. Flinging Jason into the future is of course going to elicit unintentional laughing but it's a good kind of laughing for some reason. Jason is in the future in a facility on a planet, except he escapes(of course). Disposing of scientists, including The Fly and Scanners director David Cronenberg, he ends up getting cryogenically frozen, along with another scientist. Flash forward 400 years and a ship discovers them and founds out, ooh, a nice reward for Jason. As usual he comes to life and does what he does best: kill attractive looking hotties. You don't go to these movies to expect well-written dialogue, character depth or anything, you come for the kills and to tell you the truth, they're slightly disappointing. Besides one kill, which answers the question of what happens when a frozen face hits a hard surface, the kills are kind of been there/done that. It's basically stab here, impale there, it seems kind of unimaginative. A few even happen off screen with the yelling off in the distance. Characters are just there to be taken care of brutally and some are. However, Jason does what I'm starting to hate is kill off the very cute girls. One girl, wearing a top with a belly showing gets disposed off(off screen) and I'm like "damn guy, let one cute girl live for once!". Dialogue is of course stupid but there were some funny lines. A self-deprecating parody about the sex teens have in the film is referenced. "We love premarital sex!" is so classic, as well as "it's okay, he just wanted his machete back!". Granted they won't make an AFI list but they made me laugh. It's the kind of movie that you probably weren't supposed to like: it was ridiculous and dumb but boy did it seem fun. Just wish it was better B000AC7OY8:the_truth_is,_it's_terrible.:a.n._roman B000AC7OY8 The Truth About Love: DVD: Jennifer Love Hewitt,Jimi Mistry dvd 13 of 16 2.0 January 11, 2006 A.N. Roman Hillsboro, OR Jennifer Love Hewitt needs to fire her manager. I've yet to see her in a truly good role. Those terrible Know What You Did Last Summer movies, Garfield, Heartbreakers, If Only, and many others weren't exactly memorable roles. The Truth About Love doesn't help bump her in that direction either. Not that I was expecting Oscar-quality when I looked at the back of the box, seeing a picture of her in a leather corset, I wasn't going off of words to know that I was slightly interested in the movie. I've owned it for a few months now, and only recently got around to seeing it if only because my girlfriend watched it in the other room while my friend and I were in the other room playing games. She kept coming out every 5 minutes, and I could tell that she wasn't that interested. After giving in and watching it with her, I now wish we had all played Resident Evil 4 instead. After what has to be one of the most annoying "sweet" introductions, we learn that a man has mailed a valentine letter to his friend's wife, Alice, supposedly by accident. Yeah, real smooth. When Alice gets it, she assumes it's from her husband, Sam, and sends him a hot letter as well. He gets it, thinking it's from another woman, and the problems ensue. He starts to hide the letter from her, and with that in mind, she tests his loyalty to her. She texts his phone anonymously with some of the dirtiest things Hewitt's done in recent memory. But as it turns out, Sam does have a mistress, and things get more complicated. You know what? The entire movie's boring up until 3/4 through. You're better off just reading the back of the box for the plot summary, then skipping to scene 9 or 10. And that's one of the cons I had with The Truth About Love- the time it takes to build up to what's an actually good conclusion with Sam's Anonymous admirer doesn't seem like it's worth it at first. But I'll admit, Alice's plan to bust Sam was a good one, though she gets a harsh slap of reality once everything's over. The key problem with the movie is probably that it takes place in England, and Jennifer Love Hewitt's forced to take on one of the worst accents I've ever heard. There were a few times when I thought that they hired a voice actor to dub over her lines- it doesn't sound like her, and mouth movements often don't match lines. And that's funny considering the majority of the cast is from the UK. Then comes the unbelievable part about a guy cheating on a woman of Jennifer Love Hewitt's stature. There's no way in hell that could ever happen unless the guy is mentally challenged (ie- Carson Daly). The kicker is that Sam's mistress is a woman who looks to be in her 40s, and pales to Hewitt in any physical category. And how about that Archie guy? He's in 3 important scenes at most. All the other times we see him involve he and Sam's court room scenes which I have to say, are some of the most boring attempts at forced humor. In fact, the trial doesn't even have a connection to the central plot aside from showing that Sam and Archie are friends and partners. Alice's friend is also a complete hussy, and seems like she didn't make the cut of being on Sex and the City. Finally, guys, I'm sorry to tell you this, but there are no scenes of nudity here aside from when Alice visits an adult movie store. Though the best we get from Hewitt is her in a corset, it's only for a few collective seconds. The love scene is kind of laughable too when she's wearing that ridiculous wig. Even right now, I still have mixed feelings about the movie. Just when something completely stupid happens, something decent does right after it. This is some of the worst picture quality I've seen in a while. The transfer looks terrible. Even watching it on my HD Monitor, there were tons of errors. Grain, artifacts, and something new. I almost want to call it rippling- many scenes are out of alignment, and we get a watery effect that takes over the entire picture. I can't explain it in full detail, but more or less, people's faces and bodies would look all twisted every couple of seconds. It stays for most of the first fifth of the movie, then is only occasional after that. But then there's blocking and many more problems that make up for it. You'd think with a direct to dvd release, they could at least get something right. The audio fares a little better, but everything's weird once again. While you can hear the audio just fine, it's almost too loud at times, and incredibly, all the actors' lines look like they're dubbed- especially Jennifer's. This becomes very obvious halfway through the movie when Archie yells at Sam. The camera is behind Archie so we can see the back of his head talking to Sam, but when he yells, his mouth doesn't open. Special features? None. Though the box tries to claim that a chapter selection, previews, spanish subtitles, close captioning and Dolby 5.1 are special features, we all know better than to fall for that. At the very least I expected some behind the scenes interviews or something with everyone going on about how great it was to work on a movie bound for failure. Is there any reason to buy The Truth About Love? Not at all. I guess that phrase "low expectations lead to better results" does ring true for it. I just wish the director, writers and actors had put a little more effort into everything. But you know the funny thing? I'll bet twenty bucks that this thing gets remade in a year or two with A-list actors (sorry Jennifer), and finds success after they rewrite all the boring parts. Even as a date movie, there are many better ones out there. Might I suggest Shaun of the Dead B0001HAGVU:where_the_action_is_(not):mr_maxx_"mr_maxx" B0001HAGVU Action Classics 50 Movie Pack DVD Collection: DVD: Action Classics dvd 18 of 36 1.0 September 16, 2004 MR MAXX "Mr Maxx" Big Apple, NY When buying a product, you expect a little bang for your buck. Unlike its counterpart Family Classics, Action Classics leaves far short of its mark. Although these movies are old, you expect quality. Unfortunately, the sound is barely audible and the movies grainy. You'd think that because they're on DVD, the quality would be better. The movies shown are low budget (B movies)with unknown actors and limited action. Need I continue ?? INACTION in this case would be best served. Save your money for better things... Like a hot fudge sundae !!! B000065Q9N:terrible_product...:nick_"nick" B000065Q9N Horror Classics Triple Feature, Vol. 1 (Metropolis (1927) / Nosferatu (1922) / The Phantom of the Opera (1925): DVD: Alfred Abel,Fritz Alberti,Grete Berger,Erwin Biswanger,Ellen Frey,Gustav Fr hlich,Heinrich George,Brigitte Helm,Anny Hintze,Georg John,Rudolf Klein-Rogge,Margarete Lanner,Theodor Loos,Fritz Rasp,Olaf Storm,Erwin Vater,Hilde Woitscheff,Rolf von Goth,Helen von M nchofen,Fritz Lang dvd 12 of 12 1.0 September 16, 2004 Nick "Nick" Livermore, CA This dvd is pretty bad. I've seen the online trailer for the kino dvd release and the picture quality on the streaming quicktime movie was better then the picture quality on the "triple feature" dvd B000089778:mediocrity:l_gontzes B000089778 Heavyweights: DVD: David Goldman,Joseph Wayne Miller,Cody Burger,Allen Covert,Tim Blake Nelson,Nancy Ringham,Seth St. Laurent,Bobby Fain,Tom McGowan (II),Aaron Schwartz (II),Shaun Weiss,Tom Hodges,Leah Lail,Paul Feig,Kenan Thompson,David Bowe,Max Goldblatt,Robert Zalkind,Patrick LaBrecque,Jeffrey Tambor,Steven Brill dvd 2.0 April 23, 2006 L Gontzes Athens, Greece Heavyweights was a quite a disappointment, considering the presence of Ben Stiller. The movie sheds light on a popular summer camp for fat children that unexpectedly finds itself under different management. The new administration will make it clear very soon that some major changes are to take place... The plot and the acting are surprisingly (!) average, while the humor and the dialogues are below average. Ben Stiller's character, a cross between Zoolander and Dodgeball (both being AMAZING movies), was unexpectedly plain and bland. As for the rest of the cast, this film does not seem to be their thing. Though the potential for a great movie was definitely there it fails to take off. A shame really... No masterpiece here. B000F6IHSQ:a_step_below_catherine_b.:drake-by-the-lake_"movie_critic" B000F6IHSQ A Nos Amours - Criterion Collection: DVD: Pialat,Besnehard,Ker dvd 1 of 3 2.0 September 21, 2006 Drake-by-the-Lake "movie critic" State of Euphoria The script and dialogue are lousy. All this film has to recommend it is a pretty face and occasional scenes depicting flesh. The lady is not very interesting to say the least. Nothing original. This is a cookie-cutter clone of a thousand other French movies about young women trying sex for the first time. Avoid. B00006OPKF:only_if_you_are_very_familiar_with_pilates:renaissance_woman B00006OPKF Fit Chic: Fashion Your Body with Pilates: DVD: Fit Chic-Fashion Your Body With Pilates dvd 2 of 4 1.0 December 28, 2004 Renaissance Woman I do not like the format of the DVD at all. I had taken several Pilates classes before buying this DVD, but I found it difficult to remember exactly what to do in each pose since all of the instruction is at the end. Much of Pilates is in the finer points like breathing correctly and making sure to squeeze at the right times, so with no reminder of what I should be doing in each pose I felt like I was being cheated out of a workout. I don't think that having no interruption is worth sacrificing form, so this DVD will be stored away while I learn the specifics of Pilates elsewhere B0006Z2KX4:if_it_weren't_for_the_leopard..._:m._childress_"wine_goblet" B0006Z2KX4 Bringing Up Baby (Two-Disc Special Edition): DVD: Howard Hawks,Noel M. Smith,Robert Trachtenberg,Katharine Hepburn,Cary Grant,Charles Ruggles,Walter Catlett,Barry Fitzgerald,May Robson,Fritz Feld,Leona Roberts,George Irving,Tala Birell,Virginia Walker,John Kelly,Nissa (II),Asta (II),Garry Owen,Paul Guilfoyle,George Humbert,Ruth Adler,Tex C.C. Gilmore,Frank Marlowe dvd 1 of 4 2.0 October 26, 2006 M. Childress "wine goblet" NYC A friend and I tried watching this film once again recently, but still we both find it irritating and unpleasant. From the beginning, when Katharine Hepburn's character destroys other people's cars without a care, we found one scene after another tedious and unfunny. The acting is fine, as could be expected from such greats as Hepburn and Cary Grant. But the characters are not sympathetic, fun or interesting. Grant's character is an unassertive, spineless person who is easily dominated. Hepburn's character is blindly selfish. Who could care what happens to them? The one interesting element is the acting that is done in proximity to a live leopard. B000A88EUK:love_madtv,_hate_this_set:justasocalband B000A88EUK MADtv - The Best of Seasons 8, 9 & 10: DVD: Craig Anton,Nelson Ascencio,Ike Barinholtz,Alex Borstein,Andrew Bowen,Frank Caeti,Frank Caliendo,Bryan Callen,Mo Collins,Michael McDonald (XI),Arden Myrin,Amanda Bearse,John Blanchard,Matt Davis (IX),Paul Flaherty,David Grossman (III),Bruce Leddy,Linda Mendoza,Jean Sagal dvd 27 of 30 2.0 July 28, 2005 JustASoCalBand Michigan, USA Let me start off by saying that I am a HUGE MADtv fan and have been for years. It is easily my favorite show of all time. While I loved "The Complete Season 1" released in 2004, I think this DVD set is terrible. Why they abandoned complete season releases in favor of throwing together a random mix of sketches in no set order from the 3 most recent, and arguably the worst, seasons makes no sense to me. Of course this does have some classic sketches, impressions and characters on it, such as Debra Wilson's Oprah and Mo Collins' Lorraine, but a majority of it is just random. Most of these sketches aren't some of the better ones. Who picked this list? Of course I'll still buy it because I love MADtv, but hopefully in time they'll go back to releasing complete seasons again. I can watch a better mix of sketches and episodes for free every day on Comedy Central B000A88EUK:the_rest_of_the_series?:old_movie_fan B000A88EUK MADtv - The Best of Seasons 8, 9 & 10: DVD: Craig Anton,Nelson Ascencio,Ike Barinholtz,Alex Borstein,Andrew Bowen,Frank Caeti,Frank Caliendo,Bryan Callen,Mo Collins,Michael McDonald (XI),Arden Myrin,Amanda Bearse,John Blanchard,Matt Davis (IX),Paul Flaherty,David Grossman (III),Bruce Leddy,Linda Mendoza,Jean Sagal dvd 26 of 32 1.0 July 26, 2005 Old movie fan I really enjoyed Season 1 but from the look of this we're never going to see other complete seasons released. Why release the best of Seasons 8, 9, & 10 when you've never released the complete seasons? What about complete seasons 2,3,4, etc. Cabana Chat with Rodney Dangerfield? Phil Lamarr's impressions of Michael Jackson, Prince? Little Hassan Taylor's Greatest Hits? Darlene McBride? Vancome Halloween? The "Wash me" video parody of Alanis Morissette? "Lick my baby back behind" video parody of Britney Spears? The "Love muffin" video parody of Mariah Carey? The Bush Cheney rap video parody. The UBS man goes to the video rental shop, etc.? Afropuffs cereal? The early MadTV was a little savage at times but that's what made it funny. I feel it's appropriate to issue the best after you've put out the complete seasons. Of course maybe there were legal problems. Some of the humor was pretty savage! I guess if you can find it in syndication then make your own. 0780622588:why_do_i_need_another_copy_of_this?:buddha_dharma 0780622588 The Wedding Singer: DVD: Adam Sandler,Drew Barrymore,Christine Taylor,Allen Covert,Matthew Glave,Ellen Albertini Dow,Angela Featherstone,Alexis Arquette,Christina Pickles,Jodi Thelen,Frank Sivero,Patrick McTavish,Gemini Barnett,Teddy Castellucci,Randy Razz,John Vana,Billy Idol,Kevin Nealon,Marnie Schneider,Carmen Filpi,Frank Coraci dvd 16 of 19 1.0 April 25, 2006 Buddha Dharma Anywhere USA Added - 5 whole minutes - Documentary about how to make a great movie suck by making it a Broadway production. Deleted - Karaoke version of five songs from the soundtrack: Hold Me Now, Do You Really Want to Hurt Me, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Rappers Delight, White Wedding Worth the extra $13 - I think not I suppose if you are one of the four people on the planet that doesn't own this classic there is a option of which edition to purchase, for the rest of us, it's just not worth it. 6301963911:a_self-important,_self-indulgent,_self-pompus_lousy_movie:none_whatsoever_"the_3rd_opinion" 6301963911 Annie Hall: DVD: Hy Anzell,Colleen Dewhurst,Shelley Duvall,Russell Horton,Carol Kane,Diane Keaton,Mordecai Lawner,Helen Ludlam,Janet Margolin,Marshall McLuhan,Jonathan Munk,Joan Neuman,Rashel Novikoff,Tony Roberts,Martin Rosenblatt,Paul Simon,Donald Symington,Ruth Volner,Christopher Walken dvd 0 of 8 1.0 September 26, 2006 None Whatsoever "the 3rd opinion" Orange County, CA, Land of Big Mortgage Payments this is a movie directed and played by a guy with unsalvageable narcissus complex. always dreamed himself as a modern day casanova in n.y., just like that george kastansa character in 'seifield', a big lover, a womanizer, a baldy forever young romeo. almost all of the screenplays he wrote, the movies he directed, the characters he played were all like this. i just don't know how women would fall for him in the least sense and possibility, only if in his wet dreams. this is a very nauseating movie. all of his movies are almost the same, only the movie titles changed. the only one i liked is his recent 'match point', nothing else. and i felt lucky this guy was too old to play that role now, otherwise, he wouldn't allow anyone else to play that ambitious murderer but him. B0009R2W82:crap:fairy_hug's_&_sugar_kisses B0009R2W82 The Anger Management Tour: DVD: Various Artists dvd 2 of 11 1.0 July 12, 2005 Fairy Hug's & Sugar Kisses I expected so much more, because it's Marshall, but regardless of where you purchase this, IT'S EDITED. It's pathetic. This is Eminem! I understand you have a daughter Mr. Mathers, but DO NOT MAKE ALL OF US WATCH AN EDITED CONCERT. This is probably the MOST ridiculous thing I've ever bought. There's not even a warning that it's censored. You just buy it, pop it in your DVD player, and listen to a concert with mostly EVERY OTHER WORD jarbled up. It's a useless DVD. There's NO POINT in buying it. First Encore, now this. I've been a fan since the earlier parts of the 90's. As somebody from Michigan, I saw him before he was Mr. Cartier global super star buying skin treatments at Barneys. I've never been more disappointed with an artist. B000A2UBNE:i_walked_out_on_it_in_theaters_back_in_1983!:bill_c. B000A2UBNE Monty Python's the Meaning of Life: DVD: Monty Python,Simon Jones dvd 2 of 20 1.0 August 9, 2006 Bill C. Nevada I went and saw another film as I was so disenchanted with this one. The opening had so little to do with the rest of the film I thought I was watching a preview to another film. I don't care for spoofs about Catholics and protestants. The Pythons can't sing or dance (for those on this board who claim their talents are innumerable). I say to the fans of Python: get a life B000A2UBNE:lots_of_disjointed_skits_not_up_to_snuff:b._chandler_"xyzzy" B000A2UBNE Monty Python's the Meaning of Life: DVD: Monty Python,Simon Jones dvd 4 of 13 2.0 November 14, 2005 B. Chandler "xyzzy" Arlington, Texas Unfortunately they just do not get off the ground. Python is known for being wired provocative and in many cases cutting edge. Regrettably they missed the mark on this one. One or two skits may strike your fancy but you have to wade through the rest to get to it. However if you like sex, violence, blood, and debauchery, could care less the fact that they have nothing to do with the absent plot, you could find this film interesting. B000G0O5I2:the_benchwarmers:robin_a._gardner B000G0O5I2 The Benchwarmers: DVD: Rob Schneider,Jon Heder dvd 1 of 2 2.0 November 9, 2006 Robin A. Gardner Not my type of humor. I think I'm just too old to find the sophomoric comedy entertaining B00008974J:horrible_acting,_unrealistic_situations,_cheesy_dialog....:pilgrim B00008974J Assault on Precinct 13 (Special Edition): DVD: Henry Brandon,Peter Bruni,Tony Burton,Charles Cyphers,Gilbert De la Pena,Frank Doubleday,John J. Fox,Peter Frankland,James Johnson,Darwin Joston,Alan Koss,Nancy Kyes,Al Nakauchi,Gilman Rankin,Kim Richards,Marc Ross,Austin Stoker,Martin West,Laurie Zimmer dvd 1 of 10 1.0 May 11, 2006 Pilgrim Kalamazoo, MI I'm sorry folks, but I went into this one with high hopes given the outstanding reviews from both critics and laymen. It would be a tremendous understatement to say I was disappointed. This film is horrible in nearly every respect, but this is the film's fatal flaw: A "character study" is no good when the characters act in a manner which is counter intuitive and against the grain of human nature. The film portrays two convicts on death row as likeable guys who are willing to help out with this ridiculous standoff because they have no other choice. Sorry to bring up the obvious here, but the ONLY thing any person would care about in that situation is escaping. He would not be pre-occupied with helping defend the police station (he would have immediately shot the cop upon being given a gun); he would not be worried about "his chances out there" (remember he's on death row); he would be concerned only with escaping IMMEDIATELY. Sorry to all you fans of this "cult classic", but a movie in this vein must be at least SOMEWHAT realistic to gain my praise. This one is a mess. 6304701675:very_bad_reproduction_on_dvd:"wadih" 6304701675 Cold Sweat: DVD: Terence Young,Charles Bronson,Liv Ullmann,James Mason,Jill Ireland,Michel Constantin,Luigi Pistilli,Yannick Delulle,Paul Bonifas,Sabine Sun,Roger Mailles,Nathalie Varallo (II),Remo Mosconi,Dominique Crosland,Jean Topart,Bob Ingarao,Gabriele Ferzetti,David Hess,Yannick Deheth dvd 15 of 16 1.0 November 26, 1999 "wadih" Thailand This DVD has a very bad image and sound. Altought it is a good movie, I don't recomend it if you are looking for a Charles Bronson movie for your collection due to its bad reproduction. No menu, no subtitles, no chapter selection. I wished I did not buy it 6305308780:one_of_clint's_worst_movies:c_baker_"cbaker8887@aol.com" 6305308780 The Gauntlet: DVD: Carver Barnes,Robert Barrett (II),Teddy Bear,Mildred Brion,Michael Cavanaugh,Ron Chapman,Don Circle,Carole Cook,Mara Corday,Samantha Doane,James W. Gavin,Pat Hingle,Roy Jenson,Sondra Locke,Doug McGrath,Bill McKinney,Jeff Morris,William Prince,Dan Vadis dvd 3 of 10 1.0 April 12, 2005 C Baker "cbaker8887@aol.com" Washington, DC The Gauntlet may rank as one of Clint Eastwood's worst movies. It is so unrealistic and silly I frankly didn't want to even finish it. Released in 1977 after a string of some really good westerns and Dirty Harry movies, it stands out as being a real stinker. Here Eastwood plays a loser of a cop, Ben Shockley, who is sent on an assignment to pick up a witness in Las Vegas for a trial. He's told it's a "nothing witness for a nothing case" so he thinks it'll be an easy assignment. Well, poor Shockley finds out differently when not only the bad guys but the good guys are trying to kill him and his witness. It seems some conspiracy is afoot. The rest of the movie is Shockley, and his female witness, Gus Mally, running from cops and mobsters trying to kill them in increasingly ridiculous bad action scenes. And plot is so ludicrously predictable it's pretty clear early on just who the bad guy behind the curtain is. Unless you really, really like Clint Eastwood, this is one to forget. I'll bet he wishes he could. B0009P42VE:not_a_dvd!!!!!!:jon_crawford B0009P42VE Monty Python and the Holy Grail (UMD PSP Disc): DVD: Connie Booth,Elspeth Cameron,Graham Chapman,John Cleese,Carol Cleveland,Rita Davies,Bee Duffell,Mitsuko Forstater,Terry Gilliam,Eric Idle,Neil Innes,Sandy Johnson,Terry Jones,Sally Kinghorn,Michael Palin,Sandy Rose,Romilly Squire,Avril Stewart,John Young,Mark Zycon dvd 4 of 6 1.0 October 20, 2006 Jon Crawford Oxford, MS What a rip off! This is my very first bad experience with Amazon. Heck, this is the first time I haven't been extremely satisfied. Who in the world would purposely order a PSP disc of ANY movie?????? The heading for this item still incorrectly states that it is a two (2) disc set. It does not mention that it is in some stange format no one in their right mind would buy. You can imagine my surprise when I opened the case and found what looked like some kind of strange contraceptive device. Don't order this B0009P42VE:thanks_amazon:w._c._harrison B0009P42VE Monty Python and the Holy Grail (UMD PSP Disc): DVD: Connie Booth,Elspeth Cameron,Graham Chapman,John Cleese,Carol Cleveland,Rita Davies,Bee Duffell,Mitsuko Forstater,Terry Gilliam,Eric Idle,Neil Innes,Sandy Johnson,Terry Jones,Sally Kinghorn,Michael Palin,Sandy Rose,Romilly Squire,Avril Stewart,John Young,Mark Zycon dvd 5 of 5 1.0 October 19, 2006 W. C. Harrison North Carolina I had to contact Amazon five times about this item. I ordered it on 10-1 and it didn't ship for several weeks. Then when I check my account, the description had changed to UMD for PSP. You will not get the DVD if you order this. I eventually cancelled mine. Amazon is using the wrong cover art and the wrong disc specs for this title and doesn't seem too worried about correcting this. DO NOT ORDER B0009P42VE:not_the_dvd:_false_advertising_by_amazon:david_lauryl_"david" B0009P42VE Monty Python and the Holy Grail (UMD PSP Disc): DVD: Connie Booth,Elspeth Cameron,Graham Chapman,John Cleese,Carol Cleveland,Rita Davies,Bee Duffell,Mitsuko Forstater,Terry Gilliam,Eric Idle,Neil Innes,Sandy Johnson,Terry Jones,Sally Kinghorn,Michael Palin,Sandy Rose,Romilly Squire,Avril Stewart,John Young,Mark Zycon dvd 6 of 6 1.0 October 17, 2006 David Lauryl "David" San Antonio, TX I am extremely dissappointed with amazon on this one. This is not the dvd version of the film. However, on all the links to it, it says "DVD". When I received the item in the mail, amazon was very ambiguous in helping me with my return, and even told me that they would send the DVD version of the film. Nonetheless, two days later, I received the same PSP version again. Great movie, it's in my top ten. Amazon screwed up on this one B000H6SY8W:the_ghost_of_sesame_street_dvds_past:l._a._guethlein_"tea_drinking_mama" B000H6SY8W A Sesame Street Christmas Carol: DVD: Sesame Street dvd 4 of 4 2.0 November 18, 2006 L. A. Guethlein "Tea Drinking Mama" Foothill Ranch, CA I was thrilled when I saw there was a new Sesame Street Christmas DVD out as my 3 and 6 year olds have the other three memorized. And, as much as I enjoy being a Sesame Street Kid (37, just like the show), I was tiring of the same stuff over and over. Imagine my surprise, then, when virtually all of this DVD is just the highlights of the others (Classic Ernie, Bert and the beloved Mr. Hooper from _Christmas Eve_, Hanukkah from _Happy Holidays_, and Bob singing "All though the Year" from _Elmo Saves Christmas" among others). The only new part is Christmas future and it is a poor cartoon instead of new muppet footage. If you don't have the other three DVDs this would probably earn 4 stars. If you do have the other DVDs this is not a necessity. Hopefully next time the budget will allow Sesame Workshop to be more creative B00009RDFZ:where's_the_beef?: B00009RDFZ MTV Video Music Awards - Hip-Pop: DVD: Britney Spears,Shakira,Brian Setzer Orchestra,Nelly dvd 8 of 13 2.0 September 28, 2003 I can't imagine why Madonna, Janet Jackson, or Michael Jackson's VMA performances were not included in this DVD. The most influential artists in videos and performance were excluded. I don't understand. It is a travesty. I hope MTV releases more of the VMA performances with Madonna, Janet, and Michael. I'll buy this one in hopes they will release a really great complilation of VMA performances B0001ZWLYC:why_oh_why_oh_why???:michael_mueller B0001ZWLYC Puppets Who Kill: The Complete First Season: DVD: Rob Mills,Shawn Thompson dvd 2.0 July 29, 2006 Michael Mueller San Jose, ca United States I have to say, this show did not turn me on at all. I like twisted humor and a good puppet show. This, however, didn't do much of anything. In fact, it aimed at the gutter and worked it's way down. Very disappointing. And also very low-budget. Looks like something filmed for public-access TV. I'm guessing Canadian Public-Access TV. Some people might find it funny. I understand some people find Beavis&Butthead funny. I don't B0001HAGWO:disc_5_-_side_a_&_b_are_unplayable:jack_e._hokenstrom B0001HAGWO War Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection: DVD: War Classics dvd 1 of 7 1.0 July 20, 2006 Jack E. Hokenstrom Both sides of Disc 5 are unplayable. All others are O B00007LP8L:not_"pride_of_the_yankees":john_c._kavanagh B00007LP8L Fear Strikes Out: DVD: Anthony Perkins,Karl Malden,Norma Moore,Adam Williams,Perry Wilson,Peter J. Votrian,Gary Vinson,Ralph Montgomery,Marilyn Malloy,Morgan Jones (II),Richard Bull,Rand Harper,Court Shepard,Dennis McMullen,John Benson,June Jocelyn,Howard Price,Brian G. Hutton,Gene Craft,Bing Russell,Robert Mulligan dvd 0 of 5 1.0 July 5, 2006 John C. Kavanagh Boston, MA USA Starring Tony Perkins perfectly miscast as a major league ballplayer. What can you say? The Red Sox have Jimmy Pirsall, Tony Perkins and "Fear Strikes OUT". The Yankees have Lou Gehrig, Gary Cooper and "Pride of the Yankees". B00005JN7C:lacks_acting,_but_has_great_storyline:christopher_j._deasy B00005JN7C Infernal Affairs (Wu jian dao): DVD: Andy Lau,Tony Leung Chiu Wai,Anthony Wong Chau-Sang,Eric Tsang,Kelly Chen,Sammi Cheng,Edison Chen,Shawn Yue,Elva Hsiao,Chapman To,Ka Tung Lam,Ting Yip Ng,Chi Keung Wan,Dion Lam,Hui Kam Fung,Courtney Wu,Au Hin Wai,Lee Wah Chu,Li Tin Cheung,Chaucharew Wichai,Siu Fai Mak,Wai Keung Lau dvd 2 of 25 2.0 October 8, 2006 Christopher J. Deasy Depends on the time of year I just had to write a review about this movie seeing that it is being made into a Hollywood film (The Departed). I can defintely see why someone wanted to remake this movie. After watching this movie I turned to my wife and said, "This movie would have been great if it would have stared someone/anyone with an ounce of talent!" The acting is very affected and self-conscious... understand that's how Hong Kong mega-stars always act (its a sort of US 1930's throwback style). I really, really despise US film remakes - but Martin must have seen the same potential so many others saw in the intriguing storyline. I would suggest watching the US version first and coming back to the original afterward so that you do not ruin the surprises - not to mention this movie is avoidable without the new-found intrigue. PS I have not yet seen The Departed, but I am assuming that it is a much better version than this. HOWEVER... come on America, we have plenty of creative writers out there, can't we just throw them a bone rather than using old scripts and plots B00062IDCO:i_hate_janeway:m._maguire B00062IDCO Star Trek Voyager - The Complete Seventh Season: DVD: Star Trek Voyager dvd 4 of 65 2.0 August 15, 2005 M. Maguire Madrid, Spain I love TNG, DS9, and I even quite like a few of the characters in Enterprise. But I HATE Voyager. Why? One simple reason - Janeway. I cant stand her. She makes me want to puke. She has only two personas in the entire 7-year series and she constantly alternates between them, and they are both nauseating. First, vomit-inducing Compassion-face in which she puts on this phony 'caring' face and talks in a 'caring' gentle whisper. Two, tough-chick-face in which she puts on a hard-chick scowl and speaks in a deeper hard-chick voice that is not in the slightest bit believable. God she nauseates me. The same thing happened with Maggie Thatcher. The one time the dumbasses put a woman at the helm and she totally ruins everything. Unlike Kirk, Picard, Sisko and even Archer, Janeway has no charisma at all. Yuck. But shes not the only one, this has got to be the only Star Trek series in which no matter how hard I tried I could never develop any attachment to the characters. They're all boring. Only Paris has any appeal and even then not much. I watched the first 3 seasons hoping I would grow to like this garbage and finally gave up. Years later I finally came back and decided to give the final season a try in the hope that the characters might have developed over the years. No. The same old nauseating Janeway, same old boring episodes, spewing over with self-righteousness and endless lectures about human 'morality'. And this series is the most mushy, sentimental crap of all the Star Trek series. There is barely an episode that is not cringe-inducing in its emotional mushyness. The only moments in the entire seventh series that were worth watching was the 'Q2' episode and that was only because Q was in it (and they even turned that into a morality play), and the very end of 'Renaissance Man' when the Doctor tells Harry that his saxophone playing sounded like a wounded Targ. Good riddance Voyager, and especially good riddance Janeway 0718014545:no_power:r._feenstra_"r_and_c" 0718014545 Acts: A Dramatic Presentation of the Birth of Christianity: DVD: Simone Newman,Bruce Marchiano,Jennifer O'Neill,Henry O. Arnold,James Brolin,Dean Jones,Reghardt van den Bergh dvd 2.0 November 9, 2006 R. Feenstra "R and C" California The book of Acts is a book of power! Sadly, this is what is lacking in the DVD presentation. The minute I began watching I knew it was going to be a weak (acting) rendition of the story. Thankfully, it is word for word from the Bible, which is why I gave it two stars. Reading through the book of Acts one can almost feel the electricity of the Holy Spirit working in and through the lives of the Apostles and believers. All of that is lost in the DVD presentation. I would not recommend this DVD. Stick to the Book instead B0000C9JEJ:worst_anime_tv_show_i_had_seen_in_a_few_years:a._haas B0000C9JEJ Final Fantasy - Unlimited (Phase 1): DVD: Grant James,Elena Carrillo,Nobutoshi Kanna,Brendan Walsh (III),Toshihiko Seki,Takehito Koyasu,Takumi Yamazaki,Edwin Neal,Sammy Harte,Lainie Frasier,Akiko Yajima,Adam Langley,Jessica Schwartz,Ira Henderson,Akira Ishida,Christopher Wertman,K ji Ishii,Yuka Imai,Y ko Minaguchi,Marcos Lara,Mahiro Maeda dvd 1 of 7 1.0 November 10, 2004 A. Haas Midwest U.S.A The only other FF material I've see is the movie and I didn't play any of the games yet so I'm not basing this review on that. After watching the first 3 dvdsand about 1/2 through the show i can say for me this show sucked. The animation was bland and ugly looking. The C.G animation which was produced by GONZO was poor and didn't blend in at all. (If you want good works by GONZO check out Full Metal Panic, Vandread, Hellsing, Gatekeepers and a few others). The plot was seemed to aimed at kids under 12. 2 kids and an adult woman get on a train in an abandoned train station that leads them to a different world. There they meet a strange man(strong silent type). Each episode goes something like this. The kids and woman get off the magic train at a strange place. The bad guy(kid??) sends his minions to where they 3 are. The man in black shows up(approx 7 min left in ep) and does nothing until the kids are in real danger then a light on his gun(attached to arm)turns on and he says "IT HAS MOVED??" yells "SOIL IS MY POWER" (cue in 2 minute transformation sequence where he puts 3 different colored shells in it and shoots ) a creature pops out of the smoke and defeats the bad guy, then he goes away. The kids and woman then get back on train and the show is over. That happens every single episode and there is very little plot development. Come on at least Pokemon has more of a plot. This show is clearly aimed for kids 10 and younger which from what I understand is not a big "Final Fantasy" demographic. Strongly recommend a rental to see if you like it. B0000WN1PE:boring:zunaid_khan B0000WN1PE Billabong Odyssey: DVD: Mike Parsons (VI),Bill Sharp,Darryl Virostko,Ken Bradshaw,Ken Collins,Shawn Barron,Darryl 'Flea' Virostko,Brian L. Keaulana,Layne Beachley,Brad Gerlach,Philip Boston dvd 3 of 13 2.0 June 30, 2004 Zunaid Khan Mississauga, Ontario Canada If you're a stoked surfer looking for a thrill, this is "NOT" the video for you. However, if you want a training video on big wave surfing, go ahead. A better video for the stoke would be the classic Endless summer 2. Much more of a better buy. Billabong goes out of their way with a whole lot of explainations in Odyssey about tow-in surfing, training on watercrafts, and then they get to the surfing. I fell asleep throughout the 2/3 of it. I had to skip through half of it to get to the surfing. Nice documentary for Discovery Channel, not for the wired surf enthusiast. So 0767818040:this__may_well_be_the_worst_thriller_made_in_the_80's:john_d._page_"movie_fan" 0767818040 Body Double: DVD: Craig Wasson,Melanie Griffith,Gregg Henry,Deborah Shelton,Guy Boyd,Dennis Franz,David Haskell,Rebecca Stanley,Al Israel,Douglas Warhit,B.J. Jones,Russ Marin,Lane Davies,Barbara Crampton,Larry Flash Jenkins,Monte Landis,Linda Shaw,Mindi Miller,Denise Loveday,Gela Nash,Brian De Palma dvd 0 of 3 1.0 May 21, 2006 John D. Page "movie fan" usa i can't even begin to tell how bad this movie is. it just rolls around in its own excess and asked us to play stupid and just follow along. i sold this one the day after i bought it 0790736500:good_film_for_lieberals:sargon_"of_akkad" 0790736500 The Postman: DVD: Todd Allen,Scott Bairstow,Annie Costner,Charles Esten,Shawn Hatosy,Ryan Hurst,Rex Linn,Peggy Lipton,Roberta Maxwell,Ron McLarty,Will Patton,Tom Petty,Giovanni Ribisi,James Russo,Joe Santos,Larenz Tate,Olivia Williams,Brian Anthony Wilson,Daniel von Bargen dvd 1 of 25 2.0 November 21, 2005 Sargon "of Akkad" Canada This is your typical film which replaces reality with fantasy. Something liberals like to impose on others. It flopped because it just doesn't have the ring of reality to it. You can have beautiful scenery, some decent actors (except the Ford-Lincoln-Mercury twit with his quasi-permanent ICE CUBE scowl) and then a really stupid storyline, whallah, you get the fantasy liberal worldview. In the movie the evil guys are an ex-militia leader and his band of neo-feudal toughs. The good guys are "just-wanna-livers" with their leader being a conman who found his destiny. LOL! Dumb, just plain dumb! You realize it is the neo-liberals (no, I'm not pro neo-con either for the record, neo-cons are worse, getting others to do their fighting - cowards they are) who put limits on free speech, have eroded things so bad that I'm afraid a General Bethlehem type guy (minus the lunatic traits obviously) is the only way to fix things. Look to ancient Rome for the answers on this matter. To be brief, the "bad" guys are liberals and neo-cons and the good guys are yet to make themselves known. This movie is right only in that America will split up and probably fall in some capacity. History shows the way, which our current bio-mass masquerading as humans will not understand nor can do anything about it (too busy playing video games and IM each other). One lesson to be learned in the movie is this: might makes right. Here's another: all is fair in love and war. B00005BI98:beware_this_"bootleg"_dvd:eric_"ohioguy" B00005BI98 Royal Wedding: DVD: Fred Astaire,Jane Powell,Peter Lawford,Sarah Churchill,Keenan Wynn,Albert Sharpe,Carmen Clifford,Charlotte Hunter,Wilson Benge,John R. Reilly,Marietta Elliott,James Horne Jr.,Mae Clarke,Alex Frazer,Stanley Mann (II),William Cabanne,Jimmy Fairfax,Lucille Lamarr,Wilson Wood,Eric Wilton,Stanley Donen dvd 19 of 22 1.0 October 17, 2004 Eric "OhioGuy" Columbus, OH ROYAL WEDDING isn't on DVD yet. That's because the OWNER of the film, Warner Bros. hasn't released it yet. But several other companies have, under the "guise" of public domain. The original copyright on the film was not renewed properly with the Library of Congress, so the film is perceived to be public domain, although the music is very much copyrighted and every distributor of this movie is participating in copyright infringement by selling these "bootlegs". The companies make the money, because they're selling OTHER people's property. The people who ultimately suffer are YOU, THE CONSUMER, unknowingly buying products of inferior (worse than professional VHS) quality, thinking you're getting the real thing, because it's a DVD. Save your money. Wait until Warner Bros. gives us the real thing thing... And by the way, the movie gets 4 stars, it's the cheapo bootleg DVD that gets 1 star! B0006H31N0:is_there_a_point_to_this_movie?:rey_p._leron B0006H31N0 The Life (Unrated Edition): DVD: Mar a Lid n,Daryl Hannah,Denise Richards,Joaquim de Almeida,Mar a Jim nez,Pierre Woodman,Conrad Son,Dora Venter,Rita Faltoyano,Carol Fonda,Erica (VIII),M nica Naranjo,Val rie Tasso,Black Widow,Denisse Valdes,Max Hardcore,Jacklyn Lick,Charlotte (XVIII),Servine,Monica Sweet (II),Brittany Andrews dvd 4 of 6 1.0 September 22, 2005 Rey P. Leron Reno, Nevada United States Every store should have a DVD shredder for movies that suck. Rental stores should offer refund upon return of this movie and immediately throw it away. Adding Darryl Hannah and Denise Richards to an already horrible story line just to sell DVDs is a disgrace. Trying to do 80's style cinematography to add artistry and color just made this movie suck more. Maybe the book version tells a different story if there is one. Save your time, money and eyesight by avoiding this storyless video. 6305078629:pervasive_silicone_enhancement:l._laforce 6305078629 Femalien: DVD: Jacqueline Lovell,Matt Shue,Kurt Schwoebel,Venesa Talor,Brittany Andrews,Juan Carlos de Vasquez,Carlos San Miguel,Holly Cat,Everett Rodd,Leigh Matchett,Bobbie Marie,Summer Leigh,Stevi Conrad,Roxanne Miller,Stephanie Hudson,Skylar Nicholson,Bobby Young,Bobby Johnston,Rob Lee (II),Laura Eastman,Cybil Richards dvd 11 of 18 1.0 February 23, 2006 L. Laforce Washington DC Flat lighting, cheap sets and costumes, dull dialog, wooden acting, and a goofy plot; even pervasive silicone enhancement can not save this movie. Zero stars should be an option. For more inspired soft porn, check out the work of Andrew Blake (andrewblake.com) 6305161984:strangely_compelling:"ntrocket88" 6305161984 Her Alibi: DVD: Tom Selleck,Paulina Porizkova,William Daniels,James Farentino,Hurd Hatfield,Ronald Guttman,Victor Argo,Patrick Wayne,Tess Harper,Bill Smitrovich,Bobo Lewis,Jane Welch,Austin Hay,W. Benson Terry,Joan Copeland,Liliana Komorowska,Alan Mixon,Barbara Caruso,Marlene Bryan,William Aylward,Bruce Beresford dvd 1 of 2 2.0 May 9, 2004 "ntrocket88" New Jersey, USA I have to agree with most of the other reviews. This movie not great art but to me it is great comedy and strangely compelling. I have found myself watching it over and over again. I would rate the film as five-stars. Unfortunately, I can not buy the DVD because the cheapskates at Warner have only released this in butchered full-screen format. As such, I can only rate this DVD as two-stars and certainly no stars for Warner 1573305766:rent_it_before_you_buy_it:wisconsin_mom_"allison" 1573305766 Elmopalooza!: DVD: Jon Stewart,David Alan Grier,Rosie O'Donnell,Gloria Estefan,Cindy Herron,Kenny Loggins,Shawn Colvin,Jimmy Buffett,Dicky Barrett,Richard Belzer,Chris Rock,Cindy Crawford,Tyra Banks,Kevin Clash,Carroll Spinney,Jerry Nelson,Steve Whitmire,Martin P. Robinson,Fran Brill,David Rudman dvd 5 of 8 1.0 February 5, 2005 Wisconsin Mom "Allison" Milwaukee, WI Our family has an embarassingly large collection of Elmo and Sesame Street DVDs, so I speak from experience... I found this production to be way below par. My 2 1/2 year old son picked it out at the video store and we got through maybe :10 minutes before he volunteered to turn it off and do Play-Doh instead. The plot if poorly contrived, the production value is low, the acting for the most part is awful, and it's basically just a way to stitch together a series of music videos which at his age, my son has no interest in. He did like the part where the muppets try to break open the dressing room with a jack hammer. But I'm not buying the video for a 12 second clip. Better bets: A Celebration of Me, Grover or Sesame Street: The Street We Live On 1573305766:more_like_mtv_for_toddlers_than_sesame_street:j._davis_"jlc240" 1573305766 Elmopalooza!: DVD: Jon Stewart,David Alan Grier,Rosie O'Donnell,Gloria Estefan,Cindy Herron,Kenny Loggins,Shawn Colvin,Jimmy Buffett,Dicky Barrett,Richard Belzer,Chris Rock,Cindy Crawford,Tyra Banks,Kevin Clash,Carroll Spinney,Jerry Nelson,Steve Whitmire,Martin P. Robinson,Fran Brill,David Rudman dvd 3 of 9 2.0 August 14, 2004 J. Davis "jlc240" Upstate NY USA I just rented this video for my 14 month old daughter. I was disappointed with the 4 dollars I spent on it for that. It is more like a music video than a story. The segments are of adults, no children singing or playing and the story line isn't much. Sure my daughter swayed along with the music but there wasn't anything educational about this video and I am so glad I didn't buy it. I really limited my daughters exposure to tv and this was the first video we ever left her watch and now I'm sorry that we did even that. Stick with the sesame street tv program or prescreen other dvds before you buy. I hope this helps you from being as disappointed as we were. 1573470481:"virginal"_encounters_might_be_a_better_title__[:-(:dirty_old_man 1573470481 Virtual Encounters: DVD: Elizabeth Kaitan,Taylor St. Clair,Rob Lee (II),Micky Ray,Lori Morrissey,Jim Caciola,Jacqueline Lovell,Tricia Yen,Brittany Andrews,Jill Kelly,Vince Voyeur,Ashley Bates,Cathleen Raymond,Everett Rodd,Sheron Drew,T.J. Hansen,Sarah Bellomo,Cybil Richards dvd 6 of 9 2.0 September 7, 2005 Dirty Old Man Utah All the promos made me think that this would be a really great Sci-Fi story with beautiful babes all over the place. Well, there WERE some beautiful babes but the anticipated provocative poses by sexy ladies, never materialized. Has the art of "posing" been lost by modern girls? Maybe all the good directors have retired or died! What a pity...Why, I couldn't even muster a stiff upper lip as I played this DVD through to the end. In spite of my being a certifiable "dirty old man". [:-) B00000F169:you've_gotta_be_kidding_me:joseph_fannigen B00000F169 Dark Star: DVD: Brian Narelle,Cal Kuniholm,Dre Pahich,Dan O'Bannon,Adam Beckenbaugh,Nick Castle,Alan Sheretz,Joe Saunders,Miles Watkins,Cookie Knapp,Michael Shaw,John Carpenter dvd 5 of 22 1.0 February 28, 2006 Joseph Fannigen Texas Did anyone else watch the same movie that I did? Or should I say try to watch the same movie that I did? I am a huge classic sci-fi movie lover and had heard good things about this one. I was mislead. I can seriously think of no redeeming value to this movie. In fact, I am sure that Carpenter and O'Bannon are quite ashamed of this black scar that lingers in their past. The unwitty dialogue tries to be clever all throughout the movie and is just sooo boring. The 'effects' don't exist, and the whole alien beach ball thing is just embarrasing. It's not funny - it is embarassing. I could make a better movie with a handycam in my garage 0783225520:cropped_pictures_yack!:gypsymuse_"music,_movie,_&_book_fiend" 0783225520 Timecop: DVD: Jean-Claude Van Damme,Mia Sara,Ron Silver,Bruce McGill,Gloria Reuben,Scott Bellis,Jason Schombing,Scott Lawrence,Kenneth Welsh,Brent Woolsey,Brad Loree,Shane Kelly,Richard Faraci,Steven Lambert,Kevin McNulty,J.J. Makaro,Yves Cameron,David Jacox,Mike Mitchell,Jacob Rupp,Peter Hyams dvd 1 of 2 2.0 May 30, 2006 Gypsymuse "Music, Movie, & Book Fiend" North Ridgeville, Ohio YES! I agree with the other reviewers! This is the one VanDamm movie I LOVE and when I found it in my one used shop I was so extatic I never looked to see screen format! I never though that it would be Full Screen@!#!*!%!!!!! Ye Gods! it totally ruins that wonderful sceen in the kitchen of him doing the splits! Hey ya I'm a red-blooded female...and I can go OUCH at that scene too! that stunt hurts to do and man.....Whistle.....Looks very nice! The cropping really really ruins the impressive impact of that scene and I've not see the picture since it first came out it was really a Disappointment when I saw FULL SCREEN Come on UNIVERSAL!!! WE WANT WIDE SCREEN! FULL PICTURE!!!! this is a fantastic action picture and a crying shame to see it in full screen only!!!!! B0002X7GFM:yuck!!!!!!!:veronica_trommer B0002X7GFM Morrisey Presents The Return of The New York Dolls - Live from Royal Albert Hall 2004: DVD: New York Dolls dvd 4 of 13 1.0 December 21, 2004 Veronica Trommer How sad and pathetic this concert is.I loved the Dolls but this dvd is so bad it almost diminshes their legacy.After seeing how good the Stooges reunion concert was I was hoping for more of the same ...wrong!!It becomes painfully clear from the start that Johanssen in particular is phoning it in.Low point of the show is when they make "Human Being" [one of the greatest rock-n-roll songs ever] a sing-a-long.Give me a break!!!! B000A6T1ZO:which_is_worse,_the_acting_or_the_plot.:una_seckler B000A6T1ZO The Resurrected: DVD: John Terry,Jane Sibbett,Chris Sarandon,Robert Romanus,Laurie Briscoe,Ken Camroux,Patrick Pon,Bernard Cuffling,J.B. Bivens,Robert Sidley,Des Smiley,Eric Newton,Tom Shorthouse,Jim Smith,Phil Hayes,Elizabeth Barclay,Judith Maxie,Charles Kristian,Megan Leitch,Paul Jarrett,Dan O'Bannon dvd 1.0 November 10, 2006 Una Seckler Chuckey, TN United States This is one bad movies. I am a devout horror fan, but I was unable to find one redeeming point in this movie. The acting is worse than bad, it's a joke. The plot is so far beyond lame as to be ridiculous. Save your money. Even the cinematography is utterly unimpressive. There is no humor, no likable characters, not even a decent quote or one liner. by the time it ambles toward its pathetic excuse for a conclusion, you will wishing you were in a theatre so you could demand your money back. So save yourself disappointment and keep looking, this movie is the biggest bomb, I have stumnbled across in years. B000ECXWW2:jump_maria_jump!:laura_nason_"sushi_girl" B000ECXWW2 The Dark (2005): DVD: Maurice Ro ves,Sophie Stuckey,Richard Elfyn,Sean Bean,Abigail Stone,Maria Bello,John Fawcett dvd 2 of 7 1.0 August 29, 2006 Laura Nason "Sushi Girl" Gainesville, Florida I have to say I had no expectations going into this movie, I watched it with an open mind, ready for anything. What I got was movie that not only managed to make me want to go to Wales, but also made me want to wail for hours because It was a waste of time. I am just confused about the whole thing really, the plot the characters the ending.....I see other reviews on here about how "creepy" it was, and I just didn't feel that. What I felt was an extreme hatred of the main woman played by Maria Bello (who I have never thought had a face or talent for acting) What they tried to do was take some made up legend of an otherworldly plane, where the dead go, and we can get the dead back if we give something living. The daughter is whisked away like Penelope taken to Hades but with much less interesting results. The mother and father, now have to take care of a displaced spirit child, her haunted freaky father, and a bunch of sheep that just need to be shorn and turned into a nice Ikea blanket for me. Are we supposed to care for this mother who hits her daughter, goes out and parties to the extreme enough to where the father abandons his family to go live amongst the obviously na ve and gullible local folks? (Who worships in an abattoir? C'mon people) none of these folds deserved children, much less a ghost one. So when the mother realizes that she sucks, and decides to make the ultimate sacrifice to get her daughter out of underworld foster care I didn't really care, I was thinking the girl was much better off. I was also bothered by the girls attempted suicide and the fact that the father had no idea about it, what mother is so selfish that she keeps something so horrible from the father, because her daughter asked her too? Um, maybe what's wrong in this family is that No one communicates!!!!! Oh, wait, they all flipping know Morse code so that's enough?!?! There aren't any genuine scares, and sheep with glowing eyes aren't scary unless you happen to like eating lamb chops and feel guilty about it. The ending , both of them, didn't leave a good feeling or bad or even tie things all together, it felt rushed. I don't understand Hollywood's obsession right now with creepy children, it's an echo of the days of "the bad seed" and "the omen" but not homage, more like terrible copycats with no "oomph". So see this movie If you like Sean Bean, he is the only good thing about it, other than that see it to cheer when Maria Bello hurls herself off a cliff. B00004RF96:oh,_those_poor_racists_lost_their_slaves,_how_sad!:doc_savage_"doc_savage" B00004RF96 Gone with the Wind: DVD: Clark Gable,Vivien Leigh,Leslie Howard,Olivia de Havilland,Thomas Mitchell,Barbara O'Neil,Evelyn Keyes,Ann Rutherford,George Reeves,Fred Crane,Hattie McDaniel,Oscar Polk,Butterfly McQueen,Victor Jory,Everett Brown,Howard C. Hickman,Alicia Rhett,Rand Brooks,Carroll Nye,Marcella Martin,Victor Fleming,George Cukor,Sam Wood dvd 6 of 25 1.0 October 13, 2006 Doc Savage "Doc Savage" San Diego, CA (1) Scarlett O'Hara is the least likable "heroine" I've ever seen. She has no redeeming qualities. (2) We're supposed to sympathize with the South and feel nostalgia for the good old days when white folks could own black folks? (3) This movie is way too long and dull. (4) I'm glad they burned Atlanta to the ground. (5) There was nothing honorable or respectable about the Old South and the plantation way of the life. The "gentlemen" were nothing but racists who thought they were aristocrats because blacks did all their work for them. (6) I'd rather watch "Mandingo" than this racist garbage any day of the week B00004XPP8:a_miserably_tedious_and_pointless_film:david_w._pittelli B00004XPP8 Highball: DVD: Justine Bateman,Peter Bogdanovich,Andrea Bowen,Dean Cameron,Rae Dawn Chong,Chris Eigeman,James P. Engel,Carlos Jacott,Lauren Katz,Catherine Kellner,John Lehr,Ryan Postal,Christopher Reed,Annabella Sciorra,Ally Sheedy,Eric Stoltz,L.B. Straten,Dean Wareham dvd 2 of 6 1.0 July 6, 2005 David W. Pittelli Natick MA Ignore the blurb on the VHS box, the movie is not about a couple's hot parties with hip friends, it is about a couple's awful parties with jerk friends. Now, that might not be a bad thing -- in fact, I think it could be easier to make a good movie about bad parties than about good ones -- but the advertising is dishonest. Much worse, though, is the the pointless and boring character of the movie, which is about a bunch of stupid or verbally sadistic "friends" who mostly don't like each other. While I've known cliques that keep getting together despite frictions between some members, it's inconceivable that these people would keep getting together for these abusive and tedious holiday events. Also, the couples' relationships, which come and go between these parties, are unexplained and mostly unexplored, as are some individuals' character changes, and indeed, almost everything that doesn't happen at the parties themselves B00000ILEE:good:pink_ipod B00000ILEE Waiting to Exhale: DVD: Whitney Houston,Angela Bassett,Loretta Devine,Lela Rochon,Gregory Hines,Dennis Haysbert,Mykelti Williamson,Michael Beach,Leon,Wendell Pierce,Donald Faison,Jeffrey D. Sams,Jazz Raycole,Brandon Hammond,Kenya Moore,Lamont Johnson (II),Wren T. Brown,Theo,Ken Love,Graham Galloway,Forest Whitaker dvd 2 of 5 2.0 December 30, 2003 Pink Ipod This should have been better but Angela Bassett's performance was the best, so I guess it's worth a watch B0002KQNPO:the_worst_movie_i've_seen_in_the_past_5_or_10_years:amateur_curmudgeon_"kaleun76" B0002KQNPO Twentynine Palms: DVD: Yekaterina Golubeva,David Wissak,Bruno Dumont dvd 18 of 26 1.0 March 5, 2005 Amateur curmudgeon "kaleun76" Denver, CO United States Others have already described the movie; so I shall not repeat what has already said. Dumont makes a movie, somewhat reminiscent of the late 60s early 70s "road" movies, in which a couple, gets in a car and drives off, to nowhere in particular. I hated those movies, but at least, in those movies the emotions the characters exhibited had some kind of rationale to it. Here the emotions are totally disconnected from reality, have nothing to do with what is going on in the screen, and seem only to be there to move the plot, if there is one, along. Katia, the girl, who seems quite psycotic if you ask me, keeps getting angry for no reason whatsoever; for instance, she entices pair of dogs to follow their moving car, then gets p#$sed at her boyfriend, when he hits one of them. By the time the movie approaches its dismal end, I did not care anymore how the director was going to wrap it up. The DVD includes a "Director's note of intent" (always a bad sign) A mix of Felliniesque dialog, blended with Sun Tzu; not a good combination. At the end of the "note of intent" the director finishes with "Envisage this film only in relation to the means employed and so only work from instinct" Well, instinct will not get you a viewable movie; I don't think you could make a worse movie, if you were trying to achieve it. It is not the violence or sex, other movies have that but still have some redeeming values, photography, artistic creation. There is no redeeming value in this. Just a waste of the DVD plastic. B000F8DB94:silly_video_filled_with_hollywood_posers_:ian_funk_"bfitbreal" B000F8DB94 Shiva Rea - Yoga Trance Dance: DVD: Shiva Rea dvd 2 of 5 1.0 October 25, 2006 Ian Funk "BfitBreal" Naples, Florida I purchased this video to get ideas for a yoga fusion class that I'm designing. Boy was I dissapointed! This film is for spectators and posers, not for serious Yogis. You can barely hear Shiva's cues over the music. The video is so focused on being 'cool', that it totally fails to instruct, cue, or demonstrate poses. Anyone who has never done yoga would be totally lost. And as for the trance dance....I was not entranced. The problem was that Shiva was very tight and I didn't get a sense of freedom from her. There was one guy that seemed to be 'in the moment', but for the most part the trance dance was quite silly. Not a good instructional video. All glitz, no substance B00008WJEY:mississippi_masala:philippe_graf B00008WJEY Mississippi Masala: DVD: Mohan Agashe,Sarita Choudhury,Ranjit Chowdhry,Willy Cobbs,Charles S. Dutton,Mohan Gokhale,Yvette Hawkins,Ashok Lath,Natalie Oliver,Karen Pinkston,Rajika Puri,Joe Seneca,Roshan Seth,Anjaan Srivastav,Dipti Suthar,Sharmila Tagore,Varsha Thaker,Denzel Washington,Tico Wells dvd 0 of 1 1.0 November 13, 2006 Philippe Graf Unfortunately, I was sent a standard American copy of the movie which, of course, doesn't function on a european system, despite my adress beeing in Switzerland. So I was kind of disapointed to have a)lost the money b)not been able to watch the movie. One is wrong to assume that every european household is having an american compatible DVD player. B0000DKDUV:not_pauley's_best_movie!: B0000DKDUV Jury Duty: DVD: Pauly Shore,Tia Carrere,Stanley Tucci,Brian Doyle-Murray,Abe Vigoda,Charles Napier,Richard Edson,Richard Riehle,Alex Datcher,Richard T. Jones,Sharon Barr,Jack McGee,Nick Bakay,Ernie Lee Banks,Shelley Winters,Dick Vitale,Billie Bird,Jorge Luis Abreu,Siobhan Fallon,Gregory Cooke,John Fortenberry dvd 5 of 9 1.0 March 29, 2002 I like Pauley Shore I have seen him in other movies that I liked so I made the mistake of buying the Jury Duty video because I liked In The Army Now and Bio-Dome and assumed I would like this too, well I learned my lesson well and I learned it the hard way and wasted my money and I have learned to never assume I will like a movie because I liked the actor in another movie and from now on I will rent the movie first! Jury Duty simply was just plain awful with it's weak, boring plot and unfunny humor! In The Army Now and Bio-Dome were a lot funnier, and if you want to kick back, relax and laugh your [backside] off than watch those movies B00015HVK6:nice_job_"mark_m":douglas_p._barrett,_jr. B00015HVK6 Clifford: DVD: Martin Short,Charles Grodin,Mary Steenburgen,Dabney Coleman,Richard Kind,Jennifer Savidge,Brandis Kemp,Ben Savage,Don Galloway,Tim Lane (II),Susan Varon,Josh Seal,Kevin Mockrin,Timothy Stack,Marianne Muellerleile,Kirsten Holmquist,Megan Kloner,Jessie Stock,Creighton Douglas II,Jennifer Nash,Paul Flaherty dvd 1 of 16 2.0 May 8, 2005 Douglas P. Barrett, Jr. HEY GENIUS. GOOD JOB RUINING THE END OF THE MOVIE FOR ANYONE WHO HASN'T SEEN IT. LIKE, SAY, MY FIVE YEAR OLD AND EIGHT YEAR OLD CHILDREN. IT'S A MIRACLE IF I CAN EVEN GET THEM TO SIT STILL FOR FIVE MINUTES, AND NOW THAT THEY KNOW THE ENDING TO THIS FILM, THERE'S NO WAY THEY'RE EVER GOING TO AGREE TO GO TO BED TONIGHT. THANKS A BUNCH. EVER HEARD OF THE INTERNET BEFORE? YOU MUST BE A FIRST TIME USER. B0009A5MUO:hey!_you_got_your_charmed_in_my_smallville!:a._azad_"johnnyfog" B0009A5MUO Smallville - The Complete Fourth Season: DVD: Smallville dvd 2.0 July 22, 2006 A. Azad "johnnyfog" Brooklyn, NY Here we go again. Another of my favorite shows starts repeating itself and treating the fans like idiots. The differences between season 3 and this drivel are STAGGERING. They must have swapped out writers or something. How else do you explain the camera lingering on Lana Lang's MANY revealing showers for no reason? Let me say this as clearly as I can: Showing skin on Smallville doesn't work!! Good Points: Michael Rosenbaum is still the best Lex Luthor ever put on film. Sarah Carter as Alicia Baker is back! She's Clark Kent's interim girlfriend, like a psycho Lori Lemaris (who cares if she tried to slice n' dice Lana last season and it makes NO sense for Clark to be within 50 miles of her? I don't). There are two new supporting characters this time, Lois and, erm...Jason. I weep for Jensen Ackles. He's way too good of an actor to be put through this horrible role. The way he takes a dumbly-inserted character like Lana's New Boyfriend and immediately makes him likable deserves him an emmy or something. Erica Durance as Lois: EASILY the worst actress, and her lines don't help. I don't really mind, because Erica LOOKS like Lois, even if her snarky remarks reach a cheese grater-level annoyance. I think Lois would work better if she just STAYED in Metropolis and we saw her only through Chloe. But I guess it's cheaper to keep her on the regular set. Personally I think it's a conspiracy to give Allison Mack less screen time. Why doesn't she get a revealing shower? Bah. ****THINGS THAT MAKE MY BRAIN HURT:**** 1.) Clark (somehow) becomes a quarterback for the football team. You get to see it for five episodes. What drama. Ok, this is just stupid. He's CHEATING, OK?? It's CHEATING. He can't just switch off his powers when he wants to. Clark's football career also results in the episode "Recruit", which is hazardous to your health. 2.) Turns out Lana's part-witch. I thought she was Native American? Nah, just French. And a CRINGE-worthy villain. 3.) PRODUCER: "Hey, doesn't this show remind you of Charmed?? WRITER: "Not really, but great idea!! Lets dress Lois, Lana, and Chloe is corsets and make them shoot purplish energy balls from their fingers!" 4.) If the writers weren't going to keep Jason around for more than one season, why put him in the credits?? Durr. 5.) Jane Seymour shows up in for the most pointless guest appearance in TV history. She does nothing for a few episodes then cashes her paycheck. Bye. 6.) 'Jynx', 'Spell', 'Recruit', 'Sacred', 'Spirit' and 'Ageless'. Oh right, and 'Forever'. ALL LAME! They make me ashamed to watch the show! Some are so awful I don't think I've ever watched them more than once. That's like HALF the dvd set. Bah. Oooohh, I wonder if Clark and Lana are gonna get together this season! Just they like get together and break up EVERY season! I'm on pins and needles! The ONLY things keeping this from 1 star are the excellent first couple of episodes. Oh yeah, Hey writers, stop ripping off other successful shows and movies! Morons B0001US8F8:the_worst_best_picture_winner_ever???:s._barry_"jimmer72" B0001US8F8 Around the World in 80 Days (Two-Disc Special Edition): DVD: David Niven,Cantinflas,Robert Newton dvd 7 of 22 2.0 November 23, 2004 S. BARRY "jimmer72" EAST LONGMEADOW, MA United States First off, let me explain why I purchased the AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS DVD in the first place, sight unseen. One, I was trying to collect as many notable films of the 1950's as I could on DVD, to add to my personal library. Two, it was the winner of the 1956 Best Picture Oscar (how bad could it be, right?). And third, it was on sale at my local wholesaler. So I figured, what the hey, I'll take a chance. Talk about a COLOSSAL disappointment. I'm a huge movie buff. I'm only 32 years old, but I love all sorts of films and genres from different periods and countries. I love old black & white and silent films, and I don't shy away from foreign films either. I'm also a huge fan of Warner Brothers' 2-Disc Special Edition DVDs. I try to keep an open mind about all the films I see, but I just can't come up with any convincing arguments to either buy or watch this film/DVD. To start, there is NO GOOD REASON why this film should be 3 hours long. It could have very easily been edited down to 2, if not 90 minutes. There is almost no script to speak of, and what little there is consists of trite exchanges and banter with barely 2 memorable lines of dialogue. There are endless shots of open seas or country, followed by about 30 seconds of dialogue, followed by EVEN MORE endless footage of different locales. There is no real drama or comedy going on to drive the film, and the pacing is absolutely DREADFUL... I found myself hitting the "fast-foward" button on my remote on more than a few occasions, simply because I knew I wasn't missing any dialogue and the establishing shots would go on for 1 or 2 minutes STRAIGHT! Secondly, the entire cast is virtually wasted. David Niven is always a delight to watch, but is never given a chance to make Fogg truly shine. He has one demeanor that he holds throughout: stiff and mannered, with little or no variation. Cantinflas, who supposedly was one of the highest paid comedians in the world at the time 80 DAYS was produced, gives us little reason to believe how or why he was such a sensation (other than doing his own stunt work). He's mildly amusing at best, and his accent is so thick and mumbled that I had to rewind and replay some scenes with the "subtitle" button on. As for the "noted" cameos... again, the actors/comedians are given little to do and barely play to their strengths and familiarity. The only cameo actor who stuck out as having any real performance or impact was the great John Carradine (can't miss that voice!). It's hard to believe it took THREE different writers to come up with such a frustratingly bland, lifeless and unfunny script (not to mention headscratchingly illogical... when Cantinflas rescues the Shirley MacLaine Princess character, wouldn't she fall in love with HIM, her actual rescuer, rather than the cool and distant Fogg, who only ordered the rescue? Talk about a missed opportunity for some genuine comedy!). Although this film obviously has some fans, I wonder if it's only because of some overriding nostalgia factor, whether it was seeing it for the first time back in 1956 or on TV as a child. Other than that, I can't understand how anyone could seriously recommend this film. Yes, it's beautifully photographed, and the costumes are great, but THAT'S IT. I can't believe that 80 DAYS won the Best Picture Oscar of 1956, a year that also gave us GIANT, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE KING AND I, THE SEARCHERS... hell, even FORBIDDEN PLANET or INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS should have won before this overblown moving postcard. I'm sorry to say that I probably won't bother watching this film again and will most likely end up reselling my DVD copy (if anyone will take it!). Certainly my most disappointing DVD purchase EVER. Don't say you weren't warned! B000E6ESA8:awful!:brandon_l._harlow B000E6ESA8 In Living Color - Season 5: DVD: In Living Color dvd 7 of 12 1.0 April 9, 2006 Brandon L. Harlow Colonial Heights, VA United States This final season is just ridiculous...and not in a good way. When the Wayans abandon a project, then you know it is unfunny and over. Just look at the Scary Movie films. Kelly Coffield left because the producers wanted to use Alexandra Wentworth more. A huge mistake! Kelly was hilarious. Save your money and avoid this stinker season B000E6ESA8:when_the_wayans,_j.lo,_kelly_koffied_left_then_so_did_all_the_talent:janets_man B000E6ESA8 In Living Color - Season 5: DVD: In Living Color dvd 2 of 4 2.0 March 20, 2006 janets man Detroit, Michigan When shows do final seasons usually they go out with a bang. But saddly this shows last bullets in this shows gun was a bunch of blanks. Now dont get me wrong, it was funny, I'll give it that, that's the only reason it got 2 stars, but season 1-4 raised the comedy standeard so high and were so funny but this season was a huge failure IN LIVING COLOR wise. So I'd recomend this for the series collectors like me. meaning I have season 1-4 and although I didnt like season 5, I'd feel uncomplete without it B000G8NXZ0:classic_film_but_terrible_video_transfer:peter B000G8NXZ0 Playtime - Criterion Collection: DVD: Playtime dvd 10 of 21 2.0 April 4, 2000 Peter Tokyo This is a wonderful film. Some may say it's a bit slow paced and perhaps it's not geared for the MTV generation's pace of visual stimulation. Nonetheless, patience has it's rewards for anyone who cares to take a chance. It appears that every last detail in this film was molded by the director, Tati. Unfortunately, the video transfer on this edition is so terribly soft, as though the telecine was not in focus. It's a crime that such a great film could not have been treated with greater care. One only hopes that a DVD transfer of superior quality is in the pipes B0009DWW36:no_power:r._feenstra_"r_and_c" B0009DWW36 Acts: DVD: Simone Newman,Bruce Marchiano,Jennifer O'Neill,Henry O. Arnold,James Brolin,Dean Jones,Reghardt van den Bergh dvd 2.0 November 9, 2006 R. Feenstra "R and C" California The book of Acts is a book of power! Sadly, this is what is lacking in the DVD presentation. The minute I began watching I knew it was going to be a weak (acting) rendition of the story. Thankfully, it is word for word from the Bible, which is why I gave it two stars. Reading through the book of Acts one can almost feel the electricity of the Holy Spirit working in and through the lives of the Apostles and believers. All of that is lost in the DVD presentation. I would not recommend this DVD. Stick to the Book instead B00008YLV1:not_objective_comparison_between_two_company:onder_yilmaz B00008YLV1 NOVA: Battle of the X-Planes: DVD: Nova dvd 1 of 3 2.0 May 5, 2006 Onder Yilmaz Seattle, WA USA I did watch that and I did not liked cause I know good detailed information about this history. This DVD is making polishing Boeing company instead Lockheed won this techonology war ! It is 2 hours long and Boeing appears most of the times. There is no good explanation how Lockheed is performed that outstanding job. It all talkes about Boeing and at the final it again declares Boeing bla bla good bla bla succesfull at stealth jobs. I think the director was from Boeing Compan B0001WNL26:meh...:rafe B0001WNL26 Animusic - A Computer Animation Video Album (Special Edition): DVD: Wayne Lytle dvd 2 of 11 2.0 June 6, 2006 Rafe Virginia Tech, VA - USA I don't know what to say about this...it was interesting but not wowing by any standards. It was semi-enjoyable to watch with interesting graphics and the concept is novel too. But the music SUCKS and thats half the DVD right there. Recommend renting or borrowing from a friend. I wouldn't buy this DVD again B000CGX7FC:the_sixth_sense_wanna_be:sai-con B000CGX7FC The Dark Hours: DVD: Kate Greenhouse,Aidan Devine,Gordon Currie,Iris Graham,Dov Tiefenbach,David Calderisi,Jeff Seymour,Bruce McFee,Trevor Hayes,Kathryn Haggis,Paul Fox dvd 3 of 6 2.0 March 26, 2006 Sai-Con Ma Ok, I'll addmit this had some pretty stunning moments here and there but other than that this was a yawn. This film is trying to jump on the japanese horror bandwagon. It really doesn't take a genius to figure out this plot. I mean as soon as the main actress enterred the cabin and heard her husband in the next room I turned to my girlfreind and told her the whole film's plot and sure enough I was right on the money, only I thought it would of ended 20 minutes earlier but oh no, it had to keep going and going...just end allready, I get it! B0007Q6VXC:i_was_very_disappointed:kent_parsons_"zenzen1" B0007Q6VXC House of Flying Daggers: DVD: Takeshi Kaneshiro,Andy Lau,Ziyi Zhang,Dandan Song,Hongfei Zhao,Jun Guo (II),Shu Zhang,Jiusheng Wang,Zhengyong Zhang,Yongxin Wang,Dong Liu (II),Qi Zi,Xuedong Qu,Liping Tian,Hongwei Zhao,Weina Huang,Dan Ge,Xiadong Yang,Yisha Shang,Ying Liu,Yimou Zhang dvd 2 of 2 1.0 November 22, 2006 Kent Parsons "zenzen1" Wendover, UT I am a big fan of martial arts films -- having lived in Taiwan. However, this one was over-hyped in my opinion. The love affairs in the DVD were unbelievable at best and even absurd at times. I often enjoy the melodrama and over-acting of Chinese films, but I gagged a few times on this one. It was down-right goofy at times. I really wanted this one to grab me, but it did not. B000A1INIK:totally_conned:andrew_certain B000A1INIK The Staircase: DVD: Jean-Xavier de Lestrade dvd 2 of 2 2.0 June 18, 2006 Andrew Certain Seatte, WA While it may be true that the "camera doesn't lie," when you take 600+ hours of footage and edit them down to 6, you have a lot of leaway to manipulate. Immediately after finishing the film, I would have given this movie 4 stars. It's very well crafted and kept my wife and me fascinated for all eight episodes. After we finished watching it, however, we wanted to know more, so we started gathering information from other sources. Very quickly, we discovered that we had been conned. Jean-Xavier de Lestrade clearly knew what would make a compelling story, and he crafted the footage to tell that story. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be the real story. We felt so betrayed. We'd spent 6 hours watching what was purported to be the truth only to discover that huge amounts of evidence had not been shown (much less explained) and that the documentary clearly was more spin that revelation. If you want to see a well-made film that will keep you amazed and guessing, definitely see this film. If you want to see something that reflects reality, I would look elsewhere B000067D1Y:desperation:eik_nyl_"e" B000067D1Y Intimacy [IMPORT]: DVD: Mark Rylance,Kerry Fox,Susannah Harker,Alastair Galbraith,Philippe Calvario,Timothy Spall,Marianne Faithfull,Fraser Ayres,Michael Fitzgerald,Robert Addie,Deborah McLaren,Rebecca R. Palmer,Greg Sheffield (II),Vinnie Hunter,Joe Prospero,Sian Reeves,Paola Dionisotti,Marcello Walton,Christian Malcolm,Amy Lindsay,Patrice Ch reau dvd 27 of 36 2.0 March 23, 2005 Eik Nyl "E" Controversy courted the release of this film and people went to see it for the actual depictions of sex between the actors, thinking somehow it would be pornographic or titillating. But this film showed two desperate, middle-aged strangers (with all their flaws abundantly clear) meeting once a week for no-strings-attached encounters. The fact that the audience sees graphic moments adds only to the "desperate", tawdry, pathetic feel of their relationship. Naturally, one of the two of them becomes too curious and wants to know more about the other partner, one of the greatest pitfalls in the dangerous pursuit of anonymous encounters: sooner or later, anonymity is not good enough anymore. B00005UKBG:bad:j._brodeur_"disgusted_consumer" B00005UKBG Atlantic 1316 CD Storage Case (110-Capacity, Wave): Electronics electronics 15 of 16 2.0 May 4, 2005 J. Brodeur "disgusted consumer" cons tips extremely easy on carpet and if you have a lot of cds stacked at the top poorly designed, it is a vertical cd rack that doesnt have individual slots for cds, so if you want a cd from the bottom of a stack you have basically pull the whole stack to get to it putting it together was a pain, the one i bought i had to break a piece of metal just to fit it in its guide holes. again..poorly designed... doesnt even fit cds that well, there are gaps, and the cd casses are loose fitting pros .......... i guess it can hold a lot of cds.... B00005UKBG:save_your_money!:heidi_myers B00005UKBG Atlantic 1316 CD Storage Case (110-Capacity, Wave): Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 March 18, 2004 Heidi Myers Tampa, FL It's a nice look, but it tips over very easily. It is not steady on a rug surface dispite what the picture on the box shows. My advice is if you need a CD rack that holds a lot of CD's? Save your money and invest in something nicer and more sturdy B0009O5MWI:horrible_dvd_player:m._martinez B0009O5MWI Philips HTS3400D/37 Home Theater System with DVD Player: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 June 23, 2006 M. Martinez I have bought and returned three of these units now. Each one has been defective, and finally I just gave up on returning the system. The DVD player constantly gives "Bad Disc" errors and skips if there is even the slightest smudge on a disc. The sound quality is very nice for the price, but since the player doesn't work, it's essentially useless. This is a complete rip-off at any price point B000067VBM:cases_break_instantly!:f._mcpartland_"fmcp" B000067VBM 50-pack Slim CD/DVD Jewel Cases (5mm) Clear: Electronics electronics 12 of 13 1.0 October 30, 2005 F. MCPARTLAND "FMCP" Virginia I knew these were inexpensive CD cases, but I can't even open one without it breaking into two pieces.. B000093IRC:these_dvd-rs_suck:suzette_truesdell B000093IRC Memorex 4.7GB 4x DVD+R Media (25-Pack Spindle): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 February 11, 2006 Suzette Truesdell Key Largo, FL I used a 25 pack of these doing DVD backups, and the last 5 or so failed. I thought it was my software, so I got new software. Guess what? My first disc out of the new package of 25 that I bought failed, too. It's not my burner (as another reviewer suggested, implying that people should learn to read), as it's brand new and doesn't require the firmware upgrade they mention. They just suck and have a high failure rate. So the consensus seems to be that TDK or Sony are best. I'm buying some now and save myself the frustration B000093IRC:waste_of_money:c._ambrow_"renegade" B000093IRC Memorex 4.7GB 4x DVD+R Media (25-Pack Spindle): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 January 21, 2006 C. Ambrow "Renegade" Tennessee I bought these discs at CompUSA because I needed a few before I got the ones I ordered online. Well, I just wated a good 25 bucks because out of 5 discs, I got one that burned good. Not much bang for the buck. I have burned many discs but never Memorex, usually Verbatim or Ridata or MAM. Very disgruntled with these discs making coasters. Maybe my burners don't like them but whatever the case, I won't buy them ever again. I thought Memorex made good products B000093IRC:good_when_it_works:stefanie_clay_"stef1223" B000093IRC Memorex 4.7GB 4x DVD+R Media (25-Pack Spindle): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 November 3, 2005 Stefanie Clay "stef1223" Morristown, NJ The DVDs I burned successfully showed the movies in excellent quality. The only problem is that for every 3 good burns I get one bad one. I'm using the Plextor DVD burner (love it!!), but I'm going to try my luck with a different DVD brand. The failure rate for Memorex is unacceptable. It's less the cost that bothers me, but more the time wasted on burning coasters B000093IRC:is_it_live_or_is_it_memorex?:k._fournier B000093IRC Memorex 4.7GB 4x DVD+R Media (25-Pack Spindle): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 January 16, 2005 K. Fournier Sitka AK I hope it's live because if it's memorex, it's crap! that's my latest opinion after using this product. I have a LiteOn SOHW-802S and it hates Memorex. I rarely get a decent burn. More often than not I'll discover while watching my movies just how horrid the quality it. My movies will skip, stutter, or stop all together. So disappointing! Unfortunately I found out too late that Memorex uses CMC media, which only has a 0-50% success rate! [... B00008RW8B:dead_on_arrival...:william_b._zimmerly_"a_nobody" B00008RW8B Lexar Media USB 2.0 6-in-1 High Speed Reader: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 April 28, 2006 William B. Zimmerly "A Nobody" St. Louis, Missouri, USA While I read the reviews on this machine, it is clear to me that Lexar has some serious quality-control problems. For some people it worked, for others it was a miserable failure. I am in the latter group. Sigh. Mine was dead on arrival. I tried the device with *BOTH* of my Windows-XP machines and in both cases, it was unrecognized. Lexar tech support subsequently proved to be a contradiction in terms as they would not return my email requests for help B0007P4G76:beware,_re-_bate_not_honored!:roving_reviewer B0007P4G76 Xtreme TB264DKO 264-Disc CD/DVD Case: Electronics electronics 1.0 July 24, 2006 Roving Reviewer i kept copies i knew the cash back offer sounded too good to be true...and sure enough they rejected my upcs (i kept copies) only have hounding them and contacting the better business bureau did they say 'whoops a mistake' i have a fleeting suspicion this was intentional B0007P4G76:no_cash_back_here!:mr._b_"1st_gradeteacher" B0007P4G76 Xtreme TB264DKO 264-Disc CD/DVD Case: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 May 15, 2006 Mr. B "1st GradeTeacher" Washington, D.C. Please don't expect to get the cash back from this purchase as promised! To date, I've been denied twice. The second time they said the U P C number was invalid. Only, it's the original U P C barcode! I was meticulous filing the paperwork, yet they state, "All required products were not submitted." Meanwhile, I have phoned AMAZ0N to lodge a formal complaint. The product itself is average. I've used better and worse. That said, it's definitely not worth the full asking price B0007P4G76:tinstaafl:j._davis_"jimidee" B0007P4G76 Xtreme TB264DKO 264-Disc CD/DVD Case: Electronics electronics 6 of 10 2.0 March 23, 2006 J. Davis "jimidee" Columbia, SC USA/Tokyo, Japan No free lunch & you get what you pay for...is that the verdict on this product? Well, the poor rating given by those who have purchased this product has discouraged me from buying it. I need disc binders and the Case Logic brand, while being the original, is pricey. Low cost alternatives are needed, but not at the expense of quality and TCO (total cost of ownership). But the flap about poor customer service (rebates) and poor quality (zippers and sleeve binding) is enough to give me pause..... So, if someone from Xtreme's management is paying attention....fix it or be content to lose business. Price isn't everything to everyone in the markt for your product.. B0007P4G76:poor_quality_-_avoid:william_barham B0007P4G76 Xtreme TB264DKO 264-Disc CD/DVD Case: Electronics electronics 9 of 9 1.0 February 15, 2006 William Barham Los Gatos, CA I have a collection of over 1500 disks so I have bought many cd/dvd cases over the years and this brand is the worst quality on any that I have purchased. I would avoid this brand. [... B00026KJ26:worst_choice_of_my_life:yeppy_fan_"alan" B00026KJ26 Lexar Media 32X 1 GB Secure Digital Card (SD1GB-32-231): Electronics electronics 10 of 21 1.0 March 6, 2005 yeppy Fan "alan" NY Bought this a month ago for use with my DX4330 kodak 3MP digital camera. It worked for 2 days.After that, everytime I on the camera, it wanted me to reformat the card,WTH is that? Now I can't use it at all.... I'm always so confidence with my previous purchases from Amazon.One mistake I made,I threw away the shipping and product packages once I tested out the card, thought It worked and It would be OK.I can no longer return it now. Needless to say,I'm too over confident with LEXAR's products. Buyers beware... B00006RZ1G:well_built,_poorly_suited.:cyber_kid B00006RZ1G Saitek P880 Dual Analog PC Game Pad: Electronics electronics 1 of 5 2.0 November 5, 2005 cyber kid I purchased this game pad due to good reviews. Found it online for $15 with free shipping so had to try myself. Its true its built well and pretty comfortable in the hand. The programming software is alright as well, not as nice as the Nostromo n50/52 software for example. But what i didnt like about it was much more relavant. Firstly there is a toggle lock shift button. This button is easy to press by accident and since it is not a momentary button you have to go back and press it off agian. Interupting game play. Also buttons 7 and 8 are not paddles but rather thumb, and quite far from normal thumb use. I had a hard time using those buttons quickly. Also the toggle and digital buttons cant be mapped for other uses so your limited to 8 total buttons rather than 10. And finally, for some reason there was no way to invoke fight in NHL06, i couldnt live with that so i had to ship it back, and ill soon go with the logitech B00009YUPS:i_would_never_recommend_this_product_to_anyone:rono_wubker B00009YUPS ADS Tech DVD Express 2.0 (USBAV-701): Electronics electronics 0 of 2 1.0 August 19, 2006 Rono Wubker California I've only got this thing to work for about 3 hours and that is not in a row. I've spent hours with this product on several machines and I can now say the hardware sucks. B00009YUPS:freezes_and_tech_help_not_good:jud B00009YUPS ADS Tech DVD Express 2.0 (USBAV-701): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 June 21, 2006 JUD Indiana, Richmond I purchased dvd express and it never worked. I spent endless time with tech support. The old story about, "It must be your computer." did not fly either, my machine is a media type and it far exceeds the system requirements advertised by ADS. I exchanged the item and it was supposedly checked out before I got it. Same problems. Tech support told me I was the only person having trouble with this product. They need to check out a few websites that review products there are hundreds of bad reviews very few good ones. My only mistake was not reading them before I wasted my time and money. ADS also told me it would not work with Ulead's Movie Factory 3, some of the software it came bundled with, but that was Uleads problem. I should use Cap Wiz ( Their program ) DUH!!! Guess what, it did not work with their program either. Ulead said they had several complaints with ADS's product. Their final solution hold on to the product and maybe they will have a new version of cap wiz and that might work. Save yourself time money and aggravation buy another product! P.S. Since ADS doesn't consider the product defective they will not refund your money or allow you trade it in for an upgrade. I don't think they want a product like that either. The only reason I gave one star is.....it was packed well. JU B0000DK3I4:kingston_2_gb_sd_memory_card:bernard_kliks_"printmaker" B0000DK3I4 Kingston 512 MB Secure Digital Card (SD/512): Electronics electronics 1.0 November 9, 2006 Bernard Kliks "printmaker" Portland, OR USA This SD would not work in my Nikon Coolpix S6 camera (but the Fuji and Sandisk product did B00006JPV8:sad_compared_to_older_models:james_c._titus B00006JPV8 NOVI WI-4C 4-Channel FM Wireless Intercom: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 October 22, 2006 James C. Titus Just purchased 3 units , thought they would work as well as the Novi units they were replacing however they have absolutely no range . My original Novi 2 channel units worked well from a distance of approx 110 ft from house to barn , these only work in the same room... I am attempting to return these currently. B0007N5LPE:look_for_other_alternatives...:barbara_a._blackburn_"jollyrb" B0007N5LPE Additional Units for Reporter Wireless Portable Intercom: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 October 29, 2006 Barbara A. Blackburn "JollyRB" Chicago I bought four of these and returned them immediately. Two were dead out of the box. A third had horrible sound. After searching the internet and reading a variety of reviews for similar products I finally settled on the 900 Megahertz Wireless Intercom from Radio Shack. (43-3102) Beautiful sound. Well made and about half the price of the Reporter. Pretty much the same featues but it only claims a range of 300 feet as opposed to 1000 feet. So if you need more than 300 feet for range it's something to consider. Better warranty than the Reporter as well and for 8 bucks you can extend that warrarnty for another year. Anyway I couldn't be happier with the RS intercom. I just can't recommend the Reporters given that 3 out of 4 units that arrived were faulty B000092WZ1:worked_great_at_first......:scott_a._urbaniak B000092WZ1 Monster Cable Ultra-High Capacity 2100mAh AA Rechargeable Powercells (4 pack): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 March 10, 2006 Scott A. Urbaniak milwaukee, WI When I purchased these batteries, I was very pleased, but that wore off after a couple of months. I don't use my camera all that often, but when I do, I expect ther batteries to have some charge. I recharge them per instructions, and they do not hold a charge any longer.I know Monster makes good products, but I am a little disappointed in this one B0006ZSW1S:kodak_card_reader:digial_rebel_"card_reader" B0006ZSW1S Kodak 8 - in - 1 Multi-card Reader, KRW8IN1SCS: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 2, 2006 digial REBEL "card reader" ny I got this from JnR . This unit powers up but the computer fails to detect it. I tried this on multiple computers. MAy be this was just a lemon. I will exchange it to a better brand B00004Z5QI:not_suitable_for_heavy_books:conal_ho B00004Z5QI Fellowes Book Lift Copyholder - For Use with Textbooks and Large Manuals: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 October 10, 2006 Conal Ho This bookstand, despite the description, is not suitable for heavy books. If you put heavy books on this, the stand that props up the whole unit is likely to snap off. B00004Z5QI:flimsy_product.:r._al_sarraj_"anyothermonday" B00004Z5QI Fellowes Book Lift Copyholder - For Use with Textbooks and Large Manuals: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 August 25, 2006 R. Al Sarraj "anyothermonday" Oberlin, OH Its made of flimsy plastic, and all the parts snap on. I'm afraid to put a heavy book on there, because I'm sure the parts will just snap off B00004Z5QI:total_rip-off:m._warren B00004Z5QI Fellowes Book Lift Copyholder - For Use with Textbooks and Large Manuals: Electronics electronics 32 of 33 1.0 August 8, 2005 M. Warren USA In the ten minutes since I've had it out of the box two pieces have fallen off. More importantly, It can't handle large manuals as advertised. (The reason I purchased this particular book holder) My 1000 page manual only fits if you happen to only want to read the middle chapter. Based on that I estimate that this is a totally worthless product to anyone needing to go through a manual or training book more than five or six hundred pages. If you don't anticipate needing it for a book that big then just glue the rubber feet on, keep an eye on the page retainers (these are the parts that fell off) and you should be ok. As for me, I'm off to read Amazon's return policy and see if I can get rid of this useless hunk of plastic B0007XH72E:sent_it_back:s._anderson B0007XH72E JVC FSG5 180-Watt Micro Audio System with 5-Disc CD Changer and Digital AM/FM Tuner: Electronics electronics 16 of 20 1.0 October 2, 2005 S. Anderson New Hampshire USA I had to send this item back because it stopped playing cds. The sound quality was good, but the dependability of this item is questionable. B0000CD08M:poor_customer_service:j._l._knepp B0000CD08M SanDisk SDCFH-512-901 512 MB Ultra II CompactFlash Card (Retail Package): Electronics electronics 0 of 3 1.0 August 10, 2006 J. L. Knepp Somerset, PA United States I purchased this memory card for a camera I was also purchasing. It was listed as an accessory to the camera on the same page. When I received the card first and then the camera, I was disappointed that the card was the wrong shape and size for the camera and would not fit. Because I had opened the plastic package to the card, I was unable to return it. In fact, when I emailed the company who sent it, I never even received a response. B000CO77FA:told_by_company_that_it_would_take_up_to_four_weeks!:jason_e._luba B000CO77FA 2-Year Replacement Plan for Electronics Products $50 to $74.99: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 November 1, 2006 Jason E. Luba I am the type of person that ALWAYS buys the extra warranty on whatever I purchase. However, I started reading the reviews on this company and many people reported that it was four weeks and counting and they still hadn't received their refund check. I was astonished. I contacted N.E.W. myself and asked them about this. With no shame or embarrassment on the part of the customer service reps, I was informed that if I did everything by email, it would take AT LEAST 15 business days (that's three weeks!) to receive my refund check AFTER I sent them the warrantied item. If I had them send me a pre-paid label for the defective item instead of using my own printer, it would take a week for me to receive and at least a week for them to receive the covered item. In other words, it would take no less than four weeks to receive the replacement check and possibly up to eight weeks! I cancelled the contract immediately. It is just not worth it when you really do the math to purchase this contract. I would recommend buying a product from a company that first makes a quality product and then back it up with a good warranty and gives good customer service such as Grado, Sennheiser or Koss. But stay away from these people; that's my feeling and my advice. B0007Y79AI:i've_finally_learned_a_very_expensive_lesson:jane_cox_"linksys_fan" B0007Y79AI Apple 2 GB iPod Nano Black: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 November 15, 2006 Jane Cox "linksys fan" Boca Raton, FL DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT. There, simple advice I wish someone had given me before I bought two of these. With the first one the battery died 13 months after purchase. Since it was 30 days outside the warrantly, apple support told me "sorry, tough luck." I made the mistake of buying another one figuring I just got a bad one and there was no way I could have the same problem again. WRONG! Second ipod just died (same battery problem) - this one died within the warranty period but becuase it took me two weeks to get into the ipod store to see what was wrong and, of course, by the time I got in I was past the 12 month warranty period (who keeps track of the purchase date? I sure didn't). Other than the fact that your substnatial investment will be worthless in about a year - it is a fantastic product. I'm just sorry that it didn't last (twice!) cause otherwise I'd be a fan B0002MSTW2:had_pix_loss_w/lexar_cards:frederick_carr_"flrhcarr" B0002MSTW2 Lexar Media 1 GB 80x Pro Series Compact Flash Card (CF1GB-80-380): Electronics electronics 7 of 25 1.0 March 24, 2006 Frederick Carr "flrhcarr" Kent, WA About three years ago, maybe four, I bought two Lexar CFII cards. One never worked, the other worked, but lost all data. I wrote to Lexar, that I had two bad cards, they sent me one new card of the same size. I gave that to my girlfriend & told her to only use it on pix she didn't care about losing. I still have my card, in a ziplock. None of the file removal programs will get the images off, & I've used all of them, & had their (file removal) tech help give up. In this day & age of "just make the item" I am upset. But you take your chances. Do you want the only picture of your great grand-mother lost because you used a Lexar? I wouldn't, I use an actual sandisk card, myself. If they ever (Lexar) made it right, I may have written a better review, but they haven't. So that tells me that they don't care. How important are your pictures to you? Frederic B00006HYUC:back-ups_es_drops_power_after_power_is_restored!:owen_ward B00006HYUC APC BE350U 350VA Back-ups Es: Electronics electronics 8 of 11 1.0 November 17, 2005 Owen Ward Most people buy a UPS, plug it in and never test it to make sure it works. I tested this device a number of times to make sure the software would at least shutdown the computer after an outage. I set it to shutdown Windows after 1 minute. Only the computer and a few small phone accessories are attached to it. After power was cut, it held the computer up and allowed it to shut down. Then I restored power to the UPS. AFter about 30 seconds, it beeped, clicked, and temporarily DROPPED power to the computer while it was rebooting! So when it switches back from battery power it causes power to be interrupted. That is unacceptable. A UPS should never drop power to the attached devices after power is restored to it. B00006HYUC:beware!:a._bernay-roman B00006HYUC APC BE350U 350VA Back-ups Es: Electronics electronics 49 of 54 2.0 November 23, 2003 A. BERNAY-ROMAN Jupiter, Florida USA If you have a cable modem for broadband connection to the internet, your unit will not be covered by the APS warranty on this device. Lightning hit near our house and the motherboard plus router got fried. The cable modem stayed intact and we filed a claim with APS. They denied it saying backend surges through the cable may have caused the damage (even though the modem wasn't hurt?) B000A5TBM8:unresolved_problem:leland_brun_"penguin_pictures" B000A5TBM8 Sony DRU-810A Internal Double/Dual Layer and Dual Format DVD Burner: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 10, 2006 Leland Brun "Penguin Pictures" Honeoye Falls, NY United States I am still awaiting resolution of a problem I have with these drives. In writing DVDs I get verification errors. This proboem arises if the drives are used in an external firewire enclosure. The drive works fine if internal in your computer attached to the IDE bus, but there is an issue if attached to your computer by firewire B000A5TBM8:wont_work_with_itunes_for_windows_:clifton_lowrey_"clifton" B000A5TBM8 Sony DRU-810A Internal Double/Dual Layer and Dual Format DVD Burner: Electronics electronics 0 of 5 1.0 September 25, 2006 Clifton Lowrey "clifton" oregon also import a cd , money down the drai B000A5TBM8:worked_ok_for_about_230_days,_then_stopped.:paul_curtis B000A5TBM8 Sony DRU-810A Internal Double/Dual Layer and Dual Format DVD Burner: Electronics electronics 4 of 6 2.0 August 23, 2006 Paul Curtis Jersey City, NJ United States The drive arrived at the end of December, was quick to get up and running, and worked fine until yesterday. Then it got the machine equivalent of "lockjaw" and I've been unable to get the tray to release. So, it's a good drive while it operates, but I'll probably make sure I pay for at least a 1-year warranty on my next purchase. As far as my recommendation goes, it depends very much on how inconvenient it is when one's drive fails. Yesterday, I just went to a backup burner and kept working; if I had NEEDED to get the job done, and I had not previously developed a strategy of always keeping a backup device handy, I'd have been in a seething, hair-pulling rage. Computer hardware is never 100% reliable, but is it worth the risk to purchase a device that is known to fail in less than a year B0000B3AKR:garbage-stopped_working_after_2_months_of_extremely_gentle_use:optimist_"optimist2" B0000B3AKR Viking USB00512L2 512 MB USB 2.0 Portable Mini Flash Memory Device: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 May 10, 2006 optimist "optimist2" Houston, TX United States I never even traveled with it. It just stopped working completely making me lose data. NEVER AGAIN I'll buy anything from this company. This drive is a piece of rubbish! B00008EM7V:dont_buy_not_worth_a_cent:a._cunningham B00008EM7V Memorex Optifix Motorized CD/DVD Cleaner and Scratch Repair Kit: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 August 12, 2006 A. Cunningham got it at walmart can't even remove a scuff. i give it -100 good thing i could return it B00008EM7U:sorry_-_didn't_do_the_job_for_me:caris_"caris" B00008EM7U Memorex CD/DVD-Player Laser-Lens Cleaner: Electronics electronics 1 of 4 2.0 July 8, 2006 caris "caris" Los Angeles, CA i've given it 2 stars instead of 0 because after i used this CD, the sound from my system did seem to be a little better (the CD's were not skipping as much). but the bottom line is it didn't fix the problem as the CDs are still skipping noticeably, although not as bad as before. ... not sure if this has anything to do with the fact that my set has a 6-disk CD changer B0000AKVHF:this_junk_died_and_erased_100_images:poet/naturalist B0000AKVHF SanDisk SDDR-88-A15 8-in-1 USB 2.0 Hi-speed Reader (Retail Package): Electronics electronics 0 of 7 1.0 August 5, 2005 Poet/Naturalist MN USA The is perhaps the lease durable item I have purchased in 40 years. It lights up just fine, and it is a reassuring led gold, but it refuses to do anything with my xd card. It worked just fine for 3-4 days, then erased about 100 photos, all of them irreplaceable. Cheap yes, but Cheap Junk. B000AY0HTU:doesn't_pass_the_test_of_time:i._oconnor_"philosopher" B000AY0HTU Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard: Electronics electronics 2 of 5 1.0 October 3, 2006 I. OConnor "Philosopher" USA Great looking keyboard. Unfortunately all it takes is one minor spill and the keyboard is destroyed. That includes cleaning. And don't think you are ever going to take it apart and dry it. The keyboard self destructs after you have the, count them, 10s and 10s of screws. I called their customer support. They weren't like DELL, nobody is that bad, but their resolution was to buy a new one from them for 50% off their retail price. shipping was extra. So you save maybe $10 off street prices. All-in-all they are no longer the good company they were in the past. They need competition. So I'm pulling out my old logitech from retirement. Too bad they don't make those old keyboards anylonger B0009V9I80:broken_within_hours._junk!:chris_b._wallace_"cbw" B0009V9I80 Sony DAV-FX100W Wireless Home Theater Dream System: Electronics electronics 2 of 5 1.0 June 27, 2006 Chris B. Wallace "CBW" Atlanta, GA I ordered this item after reading the positive reviews here. BIG MISTAKE. Upon setting everything up, it all worked great for about two hours... then the dreaded "UNPLUG/PROTECT" screen came up. Now it won't turn on but for a few moments before returning to protect mode. (and no, it's not a short in the wires or overheating... it protects even when stone cold, and with no speakers plugged in) I called sony and they say it is a short in the box. So now my two options are to unhook everything, repack EXACTLY the way it came to me and reship back to the online store I bought it from (with enormous hastle and expense) or take the receiver in to a sony authorized service center (which happens to be across town, and only open monday-friday, 9-5pm. So much for being convenient). This thing is brand new and already needs repairs!! On top of that, even out of the box, NONE of the video inputs worked. Audio was fine, but video was dead as a doornail, right from the start. And even on top of the fact that this machine CAME broken... it sucks even when it works right! The DVDs take forever to load, and it comes with HDMI out, but NO HDMI IN! So if you're an HDMI user, I hope you have multiple HDMI inputs on your television... one for your cable box, one for this crappy system. This is a piece of junk. For the love of god, don't waste your money B0002ZAIM8:get_a_2g!:videogamer B0002ZAIM8 Apple 1 GB iPod Shuffle: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 18, 2006 videogamer Lockport,NY Why would you want this item? Amazon is charging $50 MORE on this item than the 2nd Generation Shuffle! And, according to what I have read, THIS Shuffle isn't very derable. It doesn't even last a year! I don't know about you, but I'LL get a 2nd Generation Shuffle B0002ZAIM8:died_suddenly..._repair_impractical,_lost_my_stuff:mike_warot_"--mike--" B0002ZAIM8 Apple 1 GB iPod Shuffle: Electronics electronics 1 of 3 1.0 October 27, 2006 Mike Warot "--Mike--" Hammond, Indiana One day it just stopped working. I got the dreaded "orange and green flashing lights of death"... the contents of the File space were un-recoverable... and I ended up just pitching it after extensive attempts to revive it. Apparently this is yet another one of the bad products that Apple likes to keep hush-hush B0002ZAIM8:unreliable.__cute_design.__bad_engineering.__poor_quality_control:d._austin B0002ZAIM8 Apple 1 GB iPod Shuffle: Electronics electronics 5 of 7 1.0 September 18, 2006 D. Austin DC Area My shuffle suffered the blinking green-orange lights so I took it into the Apple store. A salesman took 15 minutes to figure out that he couldn't do anything, and said I would have to sign up for a appointment at the "Genius" bar. At that appointment, the "genius" said he couldn't fix it, and because he said he didn't know anything about engineering he couldn't say whether the shuffle was not working because of a software or a hardware problem or both. Apparently being an Apple "genius" doesn't involve understanding how things work, though it does appear to require having a trendy haircut. The 'genius" then offered a $10 discount on the purchase of a new shuffle - but couldn't answer the question of why anyone would want to waste money on such a poorly designed thing. Perhaps it should be retitled the "idiot bar. B000BNMDC4:broke_very_easily:teresa_e._glodek_"tglodek" B000BNMDC4 DLO 009-3032 Transpod All-in-One Car Solution for iPod (Silver): Electronics electronics 1.0 November 3, 2006 Teresa E. Glodek "tglodek" Ann Arbor, MI The extendable arm breaks very easily. I had two of them and they both broke within the first month. The company does have a 3 month warranty but you have to pay for shipping to send it back to them and I have been waiting over a month for my replacement. Very poor product. Do not buy B0009FTMK0:better_not_to_buy:rajagopal_alagarsamy_"-_raj" B0009FTMK0 SanDisk 2 GB Cruzer Micro USB Flash Drive (SDCZ4-2048-A10, Retail Package): Electronics electronics 11 of 13 2.0 May 17, 2006 Rajagopal Alagarsamy "- Raj" Concord, CA USA I'm the consumer of SanDisk USB flash drives. I have used couple of sandisk flash drives (i.e. 512MB Mini, 256MB Mini) before I bought this product. Performance wise this particular product is not doing good. It's taking long time to copy files from my computers. Even it's taking long time to delete files from this disk. So I returned to Amazon and looking for Mini products from SanDisk. I doubt all the Micro products which is having capacity more than 512MB. Now I'm planning to buy 512MB or 1GB SanDisk Mini USB flash drive. Better buy some good one than wasting your time on this product B0007PGADE:be_careful:k._young B0007PGADE Memorex DVD+R 16x 4.7GB 50 Pack Spindle: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 2, 2006 K. Young San Diego, Ca These disks would not work with my Sony brand DVD writer. I have tried several other brands and so far everything works but Memorex. B0007PGADE:garbage!:j._radell_"joecritic" B0007PGADE Memorex DVD+R 16x 4.7GB 50 Pack Spindle: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 September 18, 2006 J. Radell "JoeCritic" VA To back up my personal DVD collection I burned 200 discs. 100 on these Memorex DVD+R's, 100 on Philips DVD+R's. EVERY Memorex had flaws during playback. EVERY Philips was flawless. I've been buying Memorex for years but I'll never buy Memorex again B0007WKB14:broke_after_1+_year:pedro_marmol B0007WKB14 Panasonic DMR-ES10S DIGA Series DVD Recorder (Silver): Electronics electronics 3 of 3 2.0 July 19, 2006 Pedro Marmol Austin, Texas United States Overall the recorder worked OK. A moderate inconvenience was that once in a while the recorded DVDs could not be finalized for unexplained reasons. However, that is irrelevant now. A few weeks ago, the unit stop working. I does not turn on at all. What a waist! It is out of warranty now B0007WKB14:short-lived_machine--avoid_this_lemon:california_dreamer B0007WKB14 Panasonic DMR-ES10S DIGA Series DVD Recorder (Silver): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 June 17, 2006 California Dreamer Southern California Here is the original review of this machine I wrote on June 17, 2006: We bought this machine just over a year ago (a year and two weeks, to be specific). We had another very similar Panasonic DVD recorder (DMR-E55) in a different room and wanted to be able to record and watch DVD-RAMs on both. For a long time, the ES10S recorder worked fine. Recently, though, it has begun making noises when starting up and shutting down, and now it occasionally has problems reading the disks, ejecting them, and even playing them. At first we thought this might be because we'd recorded over the DVD-RAMs so many times. But today we tested one of them in the other machine, which has never made any similar noises, and the E55 had no problems with it. Needless to say, we're not happy that the ES10S seems to be dying, especially since the 1-year warranty just ended. If you buy or own this machine, follow up on any strange noises as soon as you hear them if you're within the warranty period, because the noises and problems just get worse. Panasonic is usually a reliable brand, one we've used for many years, but this machine seems to be a lemon. We're actually going to write to Panasonic about it--I'll try to post again with the results. Here is my update, which I wrote November 3: This is a follow-up review to the one above, which I wrote on June 17. I wrote to Panasonic after my machine had stopped working just after the warranty ended. They sent me a nice letter authorizing a free repair, including labor, of the machine at one of three places they listed. The places were all within a half-hour drive of my home. After doing some research, I chose one and brought in the machine. They fixed it by replacing "the entire internal mechanism" (I don't know what that means). We got the machine back from the repair shop near the end of July; it's now the beginning of November. The fixed machine worked fine for a while, but in the past few weeks, we've been hearing the same old noises that were the beginning of the end for it before. I'm going to try writing to Panasonic again and asking for a refund, because this machine really seems to have something fundamentally wrong with it. It's still working, but I know from the last time with these noises and efforts to read the disks that soon it won't. Avoid this machine. Again, the previous Panasonic model (DMR-E55) we bought hasn't had any of these difficulties and continues to work great. We're still big Panasonic fans, but this particular model is a lemon. B00080FO4O:temporary_device:sooner4x4 B00080FO4O iHome iH5 Clock Radio for iPod White: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 November 12, 2006 sooner4x4 Oklahoma I would only recommend this product if you need something that only lasts six months. There is a reason the warranty is only 90 days. The performance (sound quality) steadily declines over time. The ihome worked great when it was new, but it won't play songs from the ipod anymore, and the radio is a static box B00080FO4O:ihome_is_a_disappointment:manda_"mnda" B00080FO4O iHome iH5 Clock Radio for iPod White: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 November 10, 2006 Manda "Mnda" Virginia, USA So when I first got the iHome for Christmas, I loved it. Well, I loved it in spite of the glaring bright light, that even at its lowest setting has to be blocked for me to get to sleep. However, after awhile the iHome will not register my iPods existence at all. Today I was able to enjoy thirty seconds of a song before it fell into disgrace again. I would not recommend this product if you want something that lasts. This device has become nothing more than a nuisance that won't even pick up radio stations. So, the alarm can only be set to a vaguely annoying beep when these functions are disabled. Useless B00080FO4O:too_bright!__not_for_light_sleepers!:kmoore B00080FO4O iHome iH5 Clock Radio for iPod White: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 October 24, 2006 KMoore Philadelphia, PA United States We have had ours for almost a year - it still works great, but there is one big problem - the display is a white/violet bright light. Great for visibility of the clock when you need it, but unfortunately, even when it's on the lowest setting, it lights up our whole room! My husband sleeps through it fine, but I need a dark room to fall asleep and I always have to throw a sweater or towel over it. We finally gave it up and switched back to our old clock radio B00080FO4O:great_features,_unreliable_connections:k._n._gunn B00080FO4O iHome iH5 Clock Radio for iPod White: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 2.0 September 21, 2006 K. N. Gunn Carrboro, NC United States I like the features. I'm satisfied with the sound. The user interface could be more intuitive. HOWEVER, my overriding complaint is that the docking port (as many other reviewers have mentioned) is not reliable. The connection is poorly constructed, so just walking by the table on which it sits is often enough to make it think the iPod isn't there any more. If they could fix this quality problem, it would be well worth the $100, but since it is very hard to get it to recognize the connection reliably you just can't justify it at any price B000BFYPM8:kills_computer_/_un-stoppable_shriek_alarm__:flagday1960 B000BFYPM8 APC BE350R Back-UPS 350VA for Home/Office Computers: Electronics electronics 2 of 21 1.0 August 3, 2006 flagday1960 St.Louis I mistakenly believed the hype that this thing would PROTECT my computer from BEING KILLED, but instead, this thing has KILLED my computer FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 4 DAYS, EMITTING AN UN-STOPPABLE(i.e., CAN'T TURN THE FEATURE OFF) SHRIEK ALARM. How do smart, talented people idiotically convince themselves that a home product should have an ear-piercing shriek-alarm that can't be defeated / silenced? In addition to doing far, far more damage than it can ever prevent, ask yourself -- do you want this un-stoppable ear-piercing shriek alarm going off in your house at 2a.m.? I BOUGHT ONE APC PRODUCT, AND SO FAR, THEY'RE 100% DEFECTIVE AND 100% DELITERIOUS TO THE USE OF MY COMPUTER & IT'S A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT'S DELITERIOUS TO MY SLEEP. B00005BC0H:no_support:j._kim B00005BC0H C Pen 800C Handheld Scanner: Electronics electronics 9 of 9 1.0 June 10, 2006 J. Kim Let's be honest. This product ain't cheap. It's not something you can just throw away if it decides to stop working. I bought mine at cpenusa.com. Delivery was great, only took them a couple of days. However, my c-pen cable was damaged. The connector to the c-pen was, for some reason, cut in half. Without it, you can't recharge or connect the c-pen to the pc. I called their main office all the way in Sweden during the office hours. NO RESPONSE. I sent three e-mails to cpenusa. NO RESPONSE. I don't care if the product itself is great(I'll never know now, will I..). If you're unable to receive support when you need 'em, you're screwed. If you're just interested in electronic equipments, just want to try things out and don't really care if you're on your own, go ahead and try it. Let me know how this thing really is. Otherwise, buy a product that you can trust on with respect to after-sales support B000COB58K:did_not_get_it_in_the_mail_yet:adolfo_reyes B000COB58K 3-Year Service Plan for Personal Electronics $200 to $599.99: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 November 5, 2006 Adolfo Reyes I have been charged however I did not get a copy of the policy to date. B0002CPBWS:bad_quality:harry_potter_tun_"tun" B0002CPBWS Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000- Winter Blue: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 November 7, 2006 Harry Potter Tun "Tun" CA, USA I bought this item like 2 months ago, and now it's broken. I'm sooo frustrated. I 'd not recommend buying this item B0002CPBWS:great_for_a_while,_and_then_not_so_good:weary_road_warrior B0002CPBWS Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000- Winter Blue: Electronics electronics 2.0 October 20, 2006 Weary Road Warrior Chicago, IL This was a great mouse for about the first year I owned. After one year is when all of the problems started. The mouse now loses connection sproadically and sometimes it doesn't want to connect at all. I have changed the battery quite a few times and that doesn't seem to help. It is very tempremental, and I have now given up and am shopping for a replacement. So, a word to the wise - in my experience the mouse will work great for a while, just be prepared to replace it in a year or so B00017IX10:good_system_-_one_huge_flaw:kevin B00017IX10 Altec Lansing inMotion Portable Audio System for iPod: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 8, 2006 Kevin SLC, UT This is a good product - sounds great, gets good battery life, everything you'd hope for in an iPod dock. But it has one major flaw. The iPod docking port is really flimsy, and has no structural support aside from the actual electronics themselves. After a little bit of use, the connection between the iPod and the dock deteriorated to the point that the volume fluctuated up and down, and sometimes the sound cuts out all together. If they added some kind of simple support so that bumping the iPod wouldn't stress the electronics, I'd give this thing 5 stars. But without that, it simply breaks quickly, and no longer performs its only job - to sound good. B000B6KXM8:sony_rm-ax4000:joey B000B6KXM8 Sony RM-AX4000 Home Theater Remote Control: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 November 3, 2006 Joey North Wales, PA This is a poorly designed remote. I have six devices connected to my HD television set. The software depends on the user assigning positions to the various inputs to the TV and, in my case, routinely activated the wrong device when I used the remote. I purchased a Logistics Harmony remote and it works perfectly. At this point the only thing that I use the remote for is to remotely turn on my satellite receiver at a certain time during the day to record to Replay TV (which cannot turn the TV on and off). B000078XAK:does_not_work!!:m._castellanos B000078XAK POWER 2000 ACD-674 Rechargeable Battery ( CANON BP511 Equivalent ): Electronics electronics 10 of 10 1.0 November 21, 2004 M. Castellanos AR, USA With a full charge it does not last more than 10min, could not take more than more 15 pics in my camera Canon Pro1. The original battery works well more than 250 pics on each charge. Initially I thought this problem was because it was new battery but after several cycles it does not work at all. I'll try to get a refund and check their customer service too B0002WPSBC:disappointed:epiphane_flavius B0002WPSBC Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 5-Piece Speaker System with Subwoofer: Electronics electronics 0 of 2 1.0 November 9, 2006 Epiphane Flavius Wichita Falls, TX USA I am disappointed in this product. I was suppose to write to you from the weekend. My two rear speakers just stop working, and also my remote control. I have replace the batteries, but still does not work. I don't have any other rear speakers to try on the system. Pleasy me what to do. Thank you Epiphane Flaviu B0000AMRTM:check_compatibility_with_writer_before_buying_media!:"suavedog" B0000AMRTM Memorex 4.7GB 4x DVD-R (25-Pack Spindle): Electronics electronics 2 of 5 2.0 July 17, 2004 "suavedog" Boston, MA USA One out of every 4 discs would fail on me when I'd burn to this media at 4x. Slowing down the burn to 2x didn't help either! I own a Sony DRU500A with the latest firmware. Memorex isn't on their compatibility list. Lesson learned: check the compatibility list BEFORE buying B0009MZ9UA:the_worst_brand_i've_tried.:r._m._aarons B0009MZ9UA Memorex 4.7Gb/16x DVD-R (50-Pack Spindle): Electronics electronics 2 of 5 2.0 June 28, 2006 R. M. Aarons San Francisco Bay Area, CA USA I've got a LITE-ON DVDRW SOHW-1673S burner (Revision JS02) in my fast G4 Mac running OS X Tiger and burning with Toast Titanium 7. Although my burner is nominally 16X-capable, it only burns at about 6X in my setup, probably due to the slow (ATA 33) bus it's on. I've used a number of different brands of 8X and 16X disks, both +R and -R, and have had a verification failure rate of less than 2% -- so few, in fact, that I often don't bother verifying video DVD's anymore when burning TDK or Maxell discs. (I always verify data DVD's, since errors in those are not ignorable.) But with Memorex, I've gotten about 20% failures, including a couple of aborted burns! In one case, the disc had a blank band between two burned ones! The Memorex discs I'm referring to have Manufacturer ID "CMC MAG, AM3". According to videohelp.com, these are sold under at least 7 different brand names. The reviews there are rather mixed, which is not IMHO good enough! I have not, BTW, have had any problems with the Memorex DVD+R discs I've tried. But I stopped using them because one of my players won't recognize the +R format B000C54E96:great_product_if_i_could_use_it:nancy_mooney B000C54E96 NEC ND3550A / 16x8x16x DVD+RW / 16x6x16x DVD-RW / 8x DVD+R DL / 6x DVD-R DL / 48x32x48x CD-RW / Black / Dual Layer / Retail Box DVD Burner with Software: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 2.0 February 22, 2006 Nancy Mooney I did the research on this product and it was one of the best. I don't know that to be true due to the fact that the software that they sent me was a demo version that was outdated for use. I have to buy another software package to opperate the product that had stated in the description that the software was included. One if not the only reason I had purchased it. I e-mailed tiger.com and received no reply. If your going to sell something false advertisement is not the way B000EH4Y56:unacceptable:dabigpaybackski B000EH4Y56 Sony MHCEC70 Mini Shelf System with 3-Disc CD Changer, Cassette Deck, and AM/FM Tuner: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 2.0 October 5, 2006 dabigpaybackski OR This model was intended as a replacement for my not-very-old and yet quite functional Panasonic PM-series stereo. This is the kind of thing that happens when you browse Amazon while drunk late at night. Unfortunately, with the exception of a very slight advantage in audio quality, the Sony is in all respects inferior; ergonomics, appearance, and above all, FM reception, which is laughably poor. Do not buy this stereo if you expect a quality receiver. Hiss abounds, several local stations I heard previously are now unreachable, and to top it off, Sony has stuck with their time-honored habit of using proprietary connectors, so when I went to plug in an after-market antenna to get better reception, I found a weird little plug that I hadn't noticed when I put the damned thing together. Grrr. So now I'm going to sell this thing and buy a nice new Panasonic with the proceeds. Death to Sony B00000J506:not_very_durable._will_need_battery_changes.:d._amini_"zbestdoc" B00000J506 APC BP500UC Back-UPS Pro 500: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 2.0 February 5, 2006 D. Amini "zbestdoc" Washington DC I have owned five of these UPS units over the past four years. I purchased three for my Mac and PC at home. Then I had to purchase two replacements for units that simply quit. Currently only ONE still works! I have very infrequent power outages, perhaps three in the past four years. These units work well to allow you to save your work and shut down. My G5 mac was so power hungry that I had to use one for the computer and another for the 23 inch LCD. I can't comment on other UPS brands such as Belkin, but I have seen many competing brands on the web and at the computer stores. There seen to be quite a few dealers selling refurbished APC products but this may be a reflection of APC's popularity rather than the poor reliability of their brand. My experience over the past four years has been mixed. These are not inexpensive units and you have to decide how precious your data becomes. If you really fear the loss of data during a blackout then the answer is clear. I chose to switch to high quality surge suppressors and never work during potential storms. Many users do not have that flexibility so a UPS is essential insurance. The units I puchased were identical and only one unit is still operational after four years. I can accept the need to replace the battery every one to two years; three of the batteries failed and alarms beeped until I bought new batteries. Prices vary from $15 to $50 depending on the vendor. Battery life depends on many factors so I don't begrudge APC for wear and tear on the battery but to have 4 out of 5 units simply stop working is unacceptable. I bought APC branded batteries and can't explain why the recurrent failures. I'm frustated with my APC products but it may be a problem with this model. Just beware of the hidden costs of battery replacement when purchasing an UPS B000DLB91A:okay,_i_guess...:c._w._loy B000DLB91A Belkin F8Z060 iPod Nano Silicon Sleeve (Black): Electronics electronics 2.0 November 6, 2006 C. W. Loy San Diego, CA While the silicon used in the construction of the sleeve is very nice (feels grippy but not sticky if you know what I mean), some of the features are just wrong. For instance, the opening for the hold switch on top was apparently cut wrong and does not line up with the switch at all - requiring you to have to push the cover around so you can flip the hold on or off. Also, for whatever reason, the edge of the sleeve is right at the headphone jack which causes it to be somewhat difficult to keep some headphones seated during use (the sleeve can work its way in and pop the jack out). The armband is satisfactory at best - it's just a standard, no frills, velcro armband B00006JPMF:chinese_made_junk_-_save_your_money!:b._roy_"roytech" B00006JPMF Lenmar PRO-415 AA NiMH Rechargeable Batteries (4-Pack): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 February 27, 2006 B. Roy "RoyTech" Sunnyvale, CA, USA I was tempted by the cheap price and got myself a 10 pack. They are rated at 2000 mAh, but run out of juice after the digital camera has shot maybe 5 frames. My 2 year old Panasonic 1600 mAh in contrast can run the same camera for over a 100 shots. I tried these batteries in my MP3 player - and even there, it won't supply enough juice after an hr worth of playback. It is not that the battery does not hold any charge - that it has. But it just does not supply the peak current required by most digital devices. It seems to be all right for use in a flashlight. A set of batteries that will not power a camera will power a flashlight (a bit dimly) for hours (yeah - I tested it). For the test, I had charged the panasonics and the lenmars for the same duration (it is not a charger issue). I plan to complain to the state consumer affairs department regarding this brand and hope action is taken against shady products which are nothing but rip-offs. One last tip - nowadays, the best NiMH batteries are made by Sanyo. It is better to pay 2 - 4 times for them than for a Lenmar. Trust me B000652LUG:about_this_thing:c._housen B000652LUG SanDisk SDDR-103 MobileMate SD+ 5-in-1 Mobile Reader (SD/MiniSD/MMC/RS-MMC/TransFlash, Retail Package): Electronics electronics 2.0 November 9, 2006 C. Housen This product is not for the heavy handed after 2 weeks of use one of the slots was non functional because spring leaf to hold the card against the contacts some how managed to get bent into the path of the card, and seeing that the slot is for a flash card it is almost impossible to get any tool to fit to do any 'repairs'. on the bright side it did work with the stated flash types B0008G1RSU:don't_buy_if_near_us/canada_border:k._kelly B0008G1RSU TomTom GO 300 Portable GPS Navigation System with Maps of US Pre-loaded on SD Card: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 September 22, 2006 K. Kelly This GPS comes with US map on the SD card and Canada map on the included CD but never the twain shall meet. By car I'm a few hours from Canada and several days from the eastern US but I can't swap out the faraway eastern US part of the map on the TomTom Go 300 for a nearby Canadian map. It's either all Canada or all contiguous US. This is a major functional flaw if you live near the US/Canada border or live further away and like to take cross-border trips. Oh, and if you do decide to swap out the US map, be sure to save it on your computer first - TomTom doesn't bother to provide a backup on the CD so if you don't first make your own backup before changing to the Canadian map you can't later get the US map back B0008G1RSU:good_potential,_but_nasty:frederick_p._barnes_"fredpb" B0008G1RSU TomTom GO 300 Portable GPS Navigation System with Maps of US Pre-loaded on SD Card: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 1.0 August 30, 2006 Frederick P. Barnes "fredpb" Delray Beach, Florida USA The Tomtom has great features. But I returned mine. First, the maps are very dated. This makes it iffy at best. It has terrific potential, if it worked. You can use a PDA stylus on the map sitting at home outside on batteries to plan a trip. It's amazing. But I wanted to plan a 600 mile trip myself using it's internal maps and waypoints. But I tried a local test first. I used roads as waypoints, main roads. This way I can force the Tomtom to use MY routes. I did not like it's choices, since it is a dated map database. I set up a local route, and started to follow it. It took me to the first road/waypoint no problem. But it would not go past the first waypoint. I would go down the road (first waypoint) then it would tell me to take a u turn!. I did. Then it said take another u turn. It had me going in circles. Perhaps it's not made to use roads as waypoints, but all indications it gave were that it would. The manual was no help. Support was no help. So it went back. I have ordered a Garmin i2. Hope this is ok. I have taken the same trip from SE FL USA to SC USA with a Garmin C330. The Garmin has maps that you cannot update, but got me to my destination no problem. I don't recommend this TomTom. Do research. Go to manufactures websites and look at unit manuals. Hope this helps 0899336795:stayaway_from_it:sheikhaq 0899336795 The Blue Logger & Street Atlas USA 2006 or The Blue Logger & Street Atlas USA 2006 Handheld: Electronics electronics 3 of 5 1.0 November 30, 2005 sheikhaq usa i have so for used inav iguidance,mapopolis,navigon navigator 5 and The Blue Logger & Street Atlas USA .out of all these The Blue Logger & Street Atlas USA is the worst and inav iguidance 2.1.1 is the best .blue logger gps hardware is good but v impractical to use bcuz of its strange onoff button.... i will not recommend it to anyone....simply waste of time and mone B0000658CH:waste_of_money:m._laad B0000658CH Linksys USBHUB4C ProConnect Compact USB 4-Port Hub: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 September 29, 2006 M. Laad This is a complete waste of money for a number of reasons. 1. This hub will not work with any USB powered devices. So forget being able to charge your phone or running an unpowered external disk through this hub. 2. Extremely slow USB 1.1. This device is NOT USB 2.0 compliant 3. It is clunky 4. Does not comke with a power adapte B0000658CH:love_affair_gone_sour:amanooensis B0000658CH Linksys USBHUB4C ProConnect Compact USB 4-Port Hub: Electronics electronics 8 of 8 2.0 April 7, 2006 amanooensis Flyover Country I have owned this little hub for at least a year. I have an older PC which came without USB, so I added a PCI adapter. I soon realized that I needed more ports, and more convenience, than the two now located in the backplane of the PC on the floor. I shopped around, and this item looked appropriate. As for the short cord, I solved that issue by getting a USB extension cord at the same time. Besides solving the immediate problem, this approach gave me the option of moving the hub to my laptop at some point, and using the extension cord for some other purpose. For a long time it did exactly what it was supposed to do. I attached an external hard drive through it. I used it for a compact flash card reader, and a digital camera. I connected an inkjet printer. Everything worked, once the drivers were installed and everything was set up correctly. (This was all with Windows 98 SE.) But after a while, things started getting less reliable. The system would tell me that various "drives" (on the flash card reader, or the external hard drive) were not available. Or the digital camera would not stay connected to its software. And the printer even started disappearing. Playing with the cables and connectors would sometimes bring devices back to life, and eventually I deduced that there was something wrong either with the connectors themselves being too loose, or with wiring inside the device. Either way, it has finally become a big problem, and I am shopping for a replacement. Most of the devices I connected were self-powered, that is, they did not need to draw power from the hub or the PCI channel at all. The hard drive, camera, and printer were all powered by batteries or AC adapters of their own. And the flash card reader, which did draw power from the hub, used to work fine. It does not matter what combination of devices I try, sooner or later the connection goes bad. It is of course possible that there's something wrong in the PC -- but that would not explain why things are improved by messing with the connectors or the hub itself. So I have to recommend against buying it. I suspect it is discontinued and that this advice won't be necessary for much longer, but I want to prevent somebody from the bother I've been through, just in case B0001DBEM4:be_forewarned,_if_your_thinking_of_using_this_with_airport_express:jacqui B0001DBEM4 Harman Kardon Soundsticks II 3-Piece Plug and Play Multimedia Speaker System: Electronics electronics 1 of 4 1.0 November 13, 2006 Jacqui SF Bay Area This Amazon listing also suggests buying the Soundsticks along with Airport Express. If you're thinking of connecting them to the USB port of Express, Apple says it won't work. (Apple Airport Express FAQs B00007LTB6:worked_like_a_charm_for_24_hours:r._sewell B00007LTB6 D-Link DWL-G650 Wireless Cardbus Adapter, 802.11g, 108Mbps: Electronics electronics 1.0 September 3, 2006 R. Sewell Install went smooth on my W2K/dell inspiron notebook. Everything worked fine for 24 hours then it just stopped. Worked with customer support for about an hour getting nowhere. This thing is junk. I'm sending it back B00007LTB6:unable_to_install,_despite_reaching_d-link_technical_support:boolaboola_"nutmegger" B00007LTB6 D-Link DWL-G650 Wireless Cardbus Adapter, 802.11g, 108Mbps: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 August 9, 2006 BoolaBoola "Nutmegger" Whittier From looking at the D-Link website and talking to five tech support staff, it appears that there are countless versions of this card, each with different driver software. The one I got came with a CD with the wrong drivers. With tech support, I finally found the 8 mb driver file I was supposed to download. However, they did not provide any instructions on how to install the new driver. The normal "automatic" approach did not work. And their instructions did not match the screens I was getting on Windows XP SP 2. So I called back again. And again. And again. Despite being given a case file, each time I was asked the same questions, including what, exactly, is wrong. And each time I was told to do the same thing: Install from the CD. Reboot. Remove the program. Reboot. Install from the new driver. Reboot. Remove the program. Talk to a senior tech support person. Install from CD. Reboot. etc. It would have been easier to send the card with the right files on the CD. A clearly designed website would be second best. And tech support that knows what they're doing and speaks intelligble English would be a nice last resort. I spent three hours calling D-Link technical support and speaking to five people, and they could not tell me how to install the software for this card! I am not alone in this experience; see cnet's web site user reviews of the DWL-G650. Another reviewer reports that this software damaged his operating system. I believe he is right. It appears to have damaged my screen font for Windows message boxes. I have been unable to repair it. The DWL-G650 is bad news. I give them two stars cause they actually have tech support, though in this case it was utterly worthless. Back it goes B00007LTAU:rip-off:_doesn't_advertise_that_you_need_an_ac_adaptor:teacher_"teacher" B00007LTAU Targus PA050U USB 2.0 High-Speed Hub (4-port): Electronics electronics 8 of 15 1.0 February 20, 2006 teacher "teacher" New York, New York USA I would like to believe that this hub works well- but I wouldn't know. I bought it to reduce clutter on my desk from all my devices hooking into my powermac. I hooked up my printer, ipod and digital camera and nothing happened. I called Targus and they said I needed an a/c adaptor. It doesn't come with one and doesn't say anything about one in the manual or instructions, or their website. They said I could get it at radio shack and gave me the info (5 volt, 2.1 amp, center positive). I've been to two radio shacks and online- they don't carry it. I'm upset. Any advice B000BONJXU:are_there_two_m230s_?:joseph_e._archie_"jarchie" B000BONJXU SanDisk Sansa M230 512 MB MP3 Player (Blue): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 12, 2006 Joseph E. Archie "jarchie" Chicago, IL I have read all 181 reviews and decided that half the reviewers did not get the model that I did. Or else they wrote their review too soon. I bought mine in June 2006. It failed before the store warranty ran out. One down. The replacement lasted a month or two before it hung and wouldn't boot. Two down. Sandisk honored their 1 year warranty with a prompt free RMA. That one also failed. Three down. They replaced it with both a m230 AND a 2GB c150. The c150 hung after about 2 weeks. Four down. I have been using the m230 for two weeks now and hope it lasts until the c150 replacement arrives. I have gotten quite good at the RMA game and intend to keep playing it either until my warranty runs out or I get one of those that other people rave about. I don't think I'll buy another SanDisk - unless it is free and has a lifetime warranty. I suggest that everyone with a failed m230 to exercise thier warranty rights. Sandisk needs to know the true reliability of their products. B00006LELP:might_be_great_if_it_worked:lally123 B00006LELP Nintendo e-Reader - Game console trading card reader: Computer & Video Games computer & video games 0 of 2 2.0 December 15, 2005 lally123 We have been unsuccessful with this e-reader attachment since we purchased it. Cards read once and never again. Doesn't matter if we use the GB SP or Advance. Still doesn't do anything. Don't recommend you waste your money B0000DD7PE:sandisk_2gb:carlos_carbonell_"ccg922" B0000DD7PE Sandisk 2GB Compactflash Card Type I (SDCFB-2048-A10, Retail Package): Electronics electronics 7 of 28 1.0 September 6, 2005 Carlos Carbonell "ccg922" Miami, FL USA I just cam from Las Vegas and the sandisk has a disk error that doesn't allow for more photos after only using 40mb. I have tried to format the disk using the camera and through Windows XP. It doesn't allow it to be formatted. Bad investment!!! Would not recommend the product unless there is a way I can get a refund or an exchange B0000A98AC:quality_control?:ruthanne_davis_"the_bookworm" B0000A98AC Memorex 4x DVD+RW 25-Pack Spindle: Electronics electronics 2.0 August 20, 2006 Ruthanne Davis "The Bookworm" Abilene, Texas USA The second disc in this package was faulty, which I did not discover until I spent two hours recording a movie. There was what appeared to be a half inch bare spot on the outer edge of the dvd+r. Not what I expected from Memorex which purports to be the best. I have switched to Maxell B0000A98AC:junk!:wahrani B0000A98AC Memorex 4x DVD+RW 25-Pack Spindle: Electronics electronics 1.0 July 8, 2006 Wahrani San Francisco, CA United States Replaced first spindle and still junk. Will always stick with Verbatim from now on B0000A98AC:very_unhappy_with_this_purchase:gardenia_queen B0000A98AC Memorex 4x DVD+RW 25-Pack Spindle: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 1.0 June 7, 2006 Gardenia Queen I bought this same brand of discs sometime last year on this very site. I was very pleased with the purchase then. I didn't have one problem with the discs. I bought another pack recently and I've been using the pack I just bought. All of the discs are messing up for me. I can understand having a few problematic discs but this is insane to have a whole pack of discs and every single one of them messes up for you. I wish I could send these discs back and get a refund. This purchase has scared me away from anything else related to Memorex. I thought Memorex was a very reliable brand and they would make sure they were sending out top notch items to consumers. I guess I was wrong. And apparently you get what you pay for. Don't be fooled by the good price. You'll just be out of your money and stuck with discs that wouldn't even be worth using as a frisbee. Find another brand to use and avoid this brand B00009ZY33:dwt108_double_wide_108_disc_dvd_tower:marjoire_j-b_simpson B00009ZY33 Case Logic DWT108 Double-Wide 108-Disc DVD Tower: Electronics electronics 11 of 15 2.0 February 25, 2006 Marjoire J-b Simpson Was a little hard putting it together. You have to be very careful taking the cds out or it would fall apart. I am not happy with this product B00008EM7W:bad_compatibility:scott_baret B00008EM7W Memorex CD/DVD Compact LabelMaker System: Electronics electronics 6 of 9 1.0 October 14, 2004 Scott Baret Pittsburgh, PA USA I have the older, larger version of this product. However, it uses the same software. The labels are great and the spring device that is used to apply the labels is great, but the software is awful. There is no direct Macintosh program; rather there are templates. They were written for old versions of software and really don't work right. The Windows side includes an actual Print Shop-style program which works awfully. If you do get this, make your own template on AppleWorks or PowerPoint B00008EM7W:it_does_not_work_with_macs:"cporro" B00008EM7W Memorex CD/DVD Compact LabelMaker System: Electronics electronics 6 of 9 1.0 January 10, 2004 "cporro" New York, NY USA They totally misrepresent this product. It does not work with Macs. I feel cheated and lied to by Memorex, shame on you B00005MIS8:card_error:ty_n. B00005MIS8 Viking CF512M 512 MB CompactFlash Card: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 November 21, 2005 Ty N. i.e. 3 shots/sec. After serveral months of use, "Card Error" was shown on my Canon Digital Rebel for my 512MB Viking card, which was half full with pictures. Fortunately, I just lost a few of pictures. I tried to format the file; "Card Error" kept occuring on my Rebel. This 512MB Viking card is now used for my data files. Probably, 512MB Viking cards are not designed for high Mega Pixel camera and taking many shots in a short period of time (i.e. 3 shots/sec.). My Canon A40 has no problems when used with the 512MB Viking card so far. Probably, I am going to buy a 512MB card from Sandisk or Simple Tech B0002OD0N8:specs__aren't_100%_correct:richmond_sweet B0002OD0N8 Apple M9339LL/C iPod Stereo Connectivity Kit: Electronics electronics 8 of 9 2.0 September 12, 2005 Richmond Sweet Northern Virginia, USA I purchased this and am not impressed. Note that "works with all click wheel iPods" isn't true. It does NOT work with photo iPods (at least the 60 GB model). I'm on vacation and had to remove the cover to get it to fit. I'm ordering a 'photo dock' since I can't see any way to get a cover that is made for the 60GB/photo model. If I'd known this, I'd purchased only the stereo cable and the photo dock separately, since I already have a charger (came with it...). Grr. :- B00006IW1X:has_anyone_else_had_this_problem??:perry_brubaker_"confused!" B00006IW1X Memorex 700MB/80-Minute 52x CD-R Media (100-Pack Spindle): Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 October 30, 2006 Perry Brubaker "confused!" Heres a new one....I have recently bought two spindles of these discs, and my computer (Imac w/ Intel chip-hardly outdated) simply doesnt recognize them-like I never put in a disc at all. The kicker is that this spring, I also ordered two spindles of these discs (exactly the same as far as I can tell), from which I burned one hundred discs (not a single faulty one!) for a freind overseas. I have no idea what the deal is, but have a feeling that the issue is not the quality of the discs. Anyone got ideas? B0006TI9WG:beware_of_mail-in_rebate_hoax:sanjeevp_"bottom_line" B0006TI9WG SanDisk 1 GB Memory Stick Pro Duo (SDMSPD-1024-A10): Electronics electronics 1.0 November 21, 2006 SanjeevP "Bottom Line" USA The card works as advertised but SanDisk does not send in Mail-in-Rebate. Even though I mailed it in with the UPC Barcode, SanDisk sent me a post card stating that I needed to resubmit it with the barcode. How can I resubmit when they already have the barcode? In my experience with SanDisk, I got rebate back on one of two cards that I submitted - so you get mail-in rebate 50% of the time with SanDisk. I think mail-in-rebate is a big hoax perpetrated by these companies. Don't trust it! B00008VF63:painful:t._fischetti_"t.f." B00008VF63 Sony MDR-E828LP Fontopia Earbuds with Winding Case: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 November 9, 2006 T. Fischetti "T.F." New Jersey I purchased 2 sets of these earphones for a 2 hour flight. My husband and I both used them, and we both took them out of our ears after 20 minutes. They were great at first, but after 20 minutes they really started to hurt our ears. The inside of my ears were so sore I couldn't even adjust the earphones when they started coming out, that's how bad my ears hurt. I had the foam pad over them too, and it made no difference. I would not recommend these B0002CPBWI:cheap_hunk_of_junk:d._j._mayard B0002CPBWI Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 -Slate: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 9, 2006 D. J. Mayard Baton Rouge, LA United States This was the worst purchase of any type of computer hardware that I have ever made. It felt very light and flimsy, the definition of cheap plastic. Not just the construction but the performance was terrible. It would work perfectly for about a half hour and then go on a break and do NOTHING for about 10 minutes. This was very very frustrating. Maybe I was just unlucky and received a defective one, but I wouldn't take that chance again. I wish I could give this device a worse rating, somewhere around -4 would be much more appropriate. B0007SL4IW:memorex_blank_dvd's:coffeecorn B0007SL4IW Memorex DVD+R 16x 4.7GB 100 Pack Spindle: Electronics electronics 0 of 3 1.0 July 26, 2006 coffeecoRN douglas,ga In each pack there have been several dvd's that aren't any good. Too many bad discs in my opinio B00009XSYZ:worthless!!!:brien_penn B00009XSYZ ADS Technologies HDUP1500 HDTV Upconverter: Electronics electronics 18 of 20 1.0 February 10, 2004 Brien Penn Baltimore, MD I bought the ADS upconverter because I bought a HDTV only to find out that my cable co. didn't offer HDTV and after 3 failed attempts to switch to a satellite provider that did offer HDTV (too many trees around my house). I wasn't expecting the upconverter to magically turn my standard signals into an amazing HDTV picture, but for $550+ I was expecting the upconverter to do something that was actually noticable. When I first turned in on I asked my wife to look at the picture and tell me what she thought. She looked at the TV and said okay I'm ready turn it on. I said "it IS ON!!" This is pretty much the reaction I had also when I looked at it. The image I got for my digital cable was certianly different, but that's all it was, different. It was NOT noticably better. In fact, in some instances I though the picture was worse. I called ADS tech support and they kept insisting I try it with my DVD because that is what the product is best for (even though that's not what I got it for). So I did and to be honest I really preferred the picture I got directly from my DVD over the picture I got after running it thru the upconverter. It didn't matter what display format I put it in it just didn't do anything to improve the picture. Save your money. If you can't get HDTV don't expect this box to give you anything close to the next best thing B00006B85B:charger_stopped_charging:jennifer_"jen" B00006B85B Kodak Rapid Charger with 4 AA NiMh Batteries: Electronics electronics 12 of 12 1.0 April 25, 2005 Jennifer "Jen" NJ I was impressed with the charger for about 1 month---than it stopped charging the NiMh batteries it came with. I took it back to Best Buy only to find that ALL of the Rapid Chargers on thier shelf did not work either. A sales person and I tested them all, hoping I would be able to exchange my broken one with one that worked. It was more disappointing after calling Kodak ---they were unable to replace it or get my money back. I thought purchasing a Kodak was a smart decision, however, they did not stand behind their product which was very disappointing. B000050AVT:viruses_on_mfg_software_caution_!!!:b_drake B000050AVT KB Gear Jam Studio: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 January 21, 2004 b drake NJ I did not read the prior reviews, I bought this item & loaded the software that came with it in the sealed box from Target.com. The MFG SOFTWARE disc contains TWO VIRUSES one in Quicktime & the other in Totally Hip files. Target has been notified that the software is CORUPT with viruses & that the MFG has gone out of business. This item is only useful as a drawing tablet thru other software programs like paint shop pro as there is no WEB SITE ACCESS or tech support available for this item B000050AVT:install_cd_has_viruses:nicole B000050AVT KB Gear Jam Studio: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 December 2, 2003 Nicole Houston, TX I just recently bought this and when I installed it Norton caught 2 viruses on the install CD. B000093IRD:coasters!:valentina B000093IRD Memorex 4.7GB 4x DVD+R 4.7GB (50-Pack Spindle): Electronics electronics 0 of 2 1.0 February 1, 2005 Valentina Fair Lawn, NJ United States I purchased this item and was excited to get them, but burning my first DVDs.. they're all coasters! ARG.. pass Memorex and go for a more expensive media, like Verbatim B0002A9SJ2:useless:c._nixdorff_"cd_lover" B0002A9SJ2 Aleratec DVD/CD Disc Repair Plus: Electronics electronics 7 of 15 1.0 June 23, 2006 C. Nixdorff "cd lover" Destrehan, Louisiana United States As far as I can tell this thing doesn't work at all. I have now tried it on 3 cds and it did not repair any of them. I should have just replaced the cds B0002A9SJ2:mine_was_doa_too:cara_thrace B0002A9SJ2 Aleratec DVD/CD Disc Repair Plus: Electronics electronics 9 of 14 2.0 May 26, 2006 Cara Thrace How do I assign a rating? As several other people have experienced, my unit is also DOA. I received it, plugged it in, pressed 'clean', and the motor started up. I popped open the cover, put in the disc I wanted cleaned, and pressed 'clean' again. Nothing. Terrible quality control. What's worse is the unit case is glued together -- no way to open it up to try to fix the electronics inside without mutilating it and voiding warranty B0001WV6ZU:hard_to_rate;__didn't_arrive_in_working_order.:bridget_blackwood B0001WV6ZU Panasonic DVD-F87K 5-Disc HD-Compatible DVD/CD Player (Black): Electronics electronics 11 of 12 1.0 March 29, 2006 Bridget Blackwood It didn't work properly from the time it came out of the box. The carousel wouldn't make a complete rotation, so CDs and DVDs would get 'trapped' inside the unit. And occasionally, it would simply refuse to play a DVD altogether. Panasonic has directed us to a local repair shop, so maybe they can get it to function as it should. If you do purchase one, please read the warranty carefully; a defective unit will either have to be repaired or replaced with a refurbished one. Panasonic informed me that they do not replace malfunctioning units with new ones, under any circumstances. B0000A0AJH:bad_disc_error_-_possible_fix:walter_c_"walt" B0000A0AJH CyberHome CH-DVD 300S Progressive-Scan DVD Player (Silver): Electronics electronics 8 of 8 2.0 August 11, 2006 Walter C "Walt" Omaha, NE USA BAD DISC ERROR - possible fix After about 8 months just like the other reviewer it stopped working. I kept getting bad disc error on a new DVD I bought. I tried good discs that worked before but now got the same Bad Disc error. This is not the first time I had problems loading. Previously, unplugging and plugging it in again sometimes corrected the problem. This time after two weeks of Bad Disc errors, I was about to toss it when I decided what the heck, I'll check inside to see if it's dirty or something. FIRST I UNPLUGGED THE UNIT. I removed the 6 screws holding the cover. You may have to pull the sides out a bit if it catches to lift it off. With my expertise knowledge. *eyeroll* I nudged the lense mechanism. It apparently slides to read the discs. I plugged the DVD in and loaded a disc again to see what happens. The lense slid under the tray and started reading the disc. I'll take the elation of dumb luck over the satisfaction calculated knowledge any day! lol So hopefully this will last a little longer. But at least I can use it again for now ... I am downrating it to 2 stars solely on the bad disc error. The viewing quality and performance is decent and covered by other reviewers B0000A0AJH:what_happened_to_the_region_code_free_setting???_help!:valerie_c._feurich-sponsel_"val" B0000A0AJH CyberHome CH-DVD 300S Progressive-Scan DVD Player (Silver): Electronics electronics 2 of 4 1.0 July 25, 2006 Valerie C. Feurich-sponsel "Val" USA Hi! I bought my Cyberhome 300 in April 2006, and was able to set the region code to "0" to watch all DVD's. After not using the DVD Player for a few weeks (and unplugging it), the region code has automatically set back to "1" and I cannot change it anymore! What happened?? When I try to change it now I can only choose between the settings "1" and "-". Anyone who has the same problem? Thank yo B00004XRDM:not_a_quality_item:hugo_calendar B00004XRDM Linksys L03040 Power 2GO Inverter - Car Cigarette Lighter Power Supply: Electronics electronics 8 of 9 1.0 July 8, 2005 Hugo Calendar Monument, CO This item worked for a while, but required fiddling (unplugging and replugging repeatedly) with the lighter socket each time I restarted my car. Eventually, however, it blew out the fuses in both my lighter sockets. Don't waste your money on this piece of crap B00004XRDM:the_linksys_converter_was_pure_junk!:gene_r._barnes_"randy" B00004XRDM Linksys L03040 Power 2GO Inverter - Car Cigarette Lighter Power Supply: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 July 6, 2005 Gene R. Barnes "Randy" Perryton, Tx The product not only did not work but blew out fuses in my car. The mechanic who checked my car out said the device had a dead short in it. I have written to your customer service department and asked for money back but to no avail. I will not purchase another thing from Amazon until my money is refunded B00004XRDM:did_not_perform_as_advertised:nicholas_wilson B00004XRDM Linksys L03040 Power 2GO Inverter - Car Cigarette Lighter Power Supply: Electronics electronics 16 of 20 2.0 October 15, 2004 Nicholas Wilson Mendocino CA This unit failed to provide reliable power to my new Toshiba Satellite A60 laptop. It cycled on and off every 3 seconds. It powered a 100 watt lamp okay, but wouldn't start a 250 watt heat lamp at all. Product spec sheet says it can supply 400 watt surge and 200 watts for 2 min., and is rated at 140 watts continuous. My laptop power supply is rated at 2A input at 100-240 VAC, and if it drew 2A constantly I agree that it would need 200 to 230 watts, which exceeds the continuous rating of this inverter. However, even at that power demand the inverter should run it for 1-2 min., but only manages 3 sec. In addition, I doubt that the laptop power supply actually draws a full 2.0 amps continuously. I talked to Linksys support, and they suggested returning the unit for replacement or refund, so I did. It did not work for me. Maybe it would work for a laptop that only needs 100 watts, but I wouldn't recommend it for more than that B00000J1QK:allsop_lens_cleaner:leon_m._olszewski_"wood_works" B00000J1QK Allsop CD Laser-Lens Cleaner: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 9, 2006 Leon M. Olszewski "Wood works" Mountain View, MO I didn't notice any change in the operation of my cd writer after cleaning. The cleaner was supposed to play music while it cleaned (30 minutes) It didn't B00006JPFU:wanted_to_like_it,_but...:michael_feinstein B00006JPFU Coby CA-747 Dual Position CD/MD/MP3 Cassette Adapter: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 10, 2006 Michael Feinstein Bedford, MA United States When I first started using this, I loved it. It worked fine in my car cassette deck and had decent sound. In fact, I bought a second one for my wife. Then, after about two weeks, it stopped working. It would no longer play in my cassette deck, which ejected it as soon as I put it in every time. I tried contacting Coby's support on the Web, but they were unresponsive. Luckily, Amazon took it back for a refund. Note that they no longer sell these directly. Bet they had too many returns.. B00006JPFU:great_product!_for_two_days!:grant_d._green_"contrabass.com" B00006JPFU Coby CA-747 Dual Position CD/MD/MP3 Cassette Adapter: Electronics electronics 1.0 October 26, 2006 Grant D. Green "Contrabass.com" Los Altos, CA USA When this adapter first arrived, I thought it was great. The sound quality was excellent, and free of all the distortion and interference I get from using an FM transmitter-style adapter (there are few open frequencies in the SF Bay Area). The first day, I used it for about 20 minutes total (didn't have far to drive), and it worked great. The second day I had a bit farther to drive. After about 30 minutes, it quit. Hasn't worked again since. I didn't expect it to last forever, but less than an hour? Yes, it has a 1 year warranty: just send the unit back with a money order ($6) to cover the return postage. Of course, then you're spending more in postage than you originally spent for the unit.. B000204SWE:stops_working_after_3_months:ms._lingo B000204SWE Philips DVP642 DivX-Certified Progressive-Scan DVD Player: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 15, 2006 Ms. Lingo New York, NY This DVD player does play all types of DVDs no matter how you burn it. But like other reviews, it stopped working after 3-6 months. In my case, it was 3 months. It just doesn't turn on anymore. I unplugged everything and replugged it but it just went dead. I don't watch DVDs much, so it's not like I overused it. Go with another model. This one has problems. I thought mines would be the exception, but I guess not. And now I can't return it because it's been over 30 days. B000F38IQK:panasonic_cd_player_is_not_continuous:john_e._abate_"dr_abate" B000F38IQK Panasonic SC-PM53 180-Watt 5-CD Executive Micro System: Electronics electronics 16 of 18 2.0 October 21, 2006 John E. Abate "Dr Abate" Manasquan, NJ United States The Panasonic CD player has a good sound quality, but does not automatically change from one CD to the next. It requires manual switching via the remote control to change from one CD to another. This feature was not explicitly stated in the specifications, and is misleading to a buyer who is seeking continuous playing of all five CD's B00020SEYM:short_bulb_life:john_l B00020SEYM InFocus X2 Multimedia DLP Projector: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 24, 2006 John L MI I've had the X2 for roughly 14 months. The X2 was used for watching movies (about once every 2 weeks) and big sports event (NCAA/NFL finals.. etc). The unit worked up to about 1200 hrs, then the lamp blew. I was hoping to get to at least 1500 hrs before the lamp went out. Good picture quality for the price (799) but short lamp life (get extended warranty). Check other units first B000093BD4:started_good_but_ended_bad:john_doe_"go_mavericks=p" B000093BD4 PNY 256 MB SD Secure Digital Flash Memory Card: Electronics electronics 2.0 June 7, 2006 John Doe "Go Mavericks=p" Dallas ,Texas I had this card for more than 6 months, and It worked super in my Canon Powershot A510. Transfers went well too. Then all of a sudden for no reason I kept getting "card error" on my computer and digital camera a week ago. My SD/USB converter couldn't find the card either. I had really good photos I wanted to transfer to my computer and now they are probably lost for good. What a joke B0002ER3B8:poor_quality:m._andrews B0002ER3B8 Memorex 4.7GB/8x DVD-R (50-Pack Spindle): Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 April 19, 2006 M. Andrews Chicago, IL I found that these DVD-Rs did not work well in my system, were unreliable and slow. I cannot recommend them B0002ER3B8:these_do_not_work_with_the_burner_i_bought:younetta_hield B0002ER3B8 Memorex 4.7GB/8x DVD-R (50-Pack Spindle): Electronics electronics 0 of 3 1.0 March 10, 2006 Younetta Hield I have tried these dvdrs with the burner i bought from amazon and they do not work, i will try them again and send an email to you. I bought a few imation to try in the burner to ensure it wasnt faulty and they worked!!! what is up with these dvds? B000A2LSPO:don't_buy_this:richard_harrold B000A2LSPO By HandHelditems Travel/ Wall Charger w/ IC Chip for Apple iPod 3G / 4G / Video / iPod Mini / iPod Nano , White: Electronics electronics 4 of 5 1.0 July 31, 2006 Richard Harrold Sun Lakes, AZ I plugged my Nano into this charger for about 10 minutes and picked it up to check it out - it almost burnt my hand. My Nano is now Toast! I hope it just toasted the battery and not the whole device B000A2LSPO:works_good_for_a_while,_then_dies..._:marms79 B000A2LSPO By HandHelditems Travel/ Wall Charger w/ IC Chip for Apple iPod 3G / 4G / Video / iPod Mini / iPod Nano , White: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 2.0 May 2, 2006 marms79 Seattle, WA United States I liked this when I first got it... very cheap, handy to travel with or leave at work, etc. After a couple months, it died completely... the little power light wouldn't even come on. I'm really disappointed all I have now is a charger that doesn't work. B0001DHHIY:you_get_what_you_pay_for_._._._:m._conway B0001DHHIY TRENDnet 54Mbps 802.11G Wireless PCI Adapter: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 3, 2006 M. Conway Virginia I purchased this wireless card based on the price, figuring that even if it didn't live up to the good reviews here, I would only be out ~$20. The set up was easy and smooth, but the card won't stay connected to my wireless network. I've got a Belkin wireless router. The Trendnet signal meter generally shows ~95% signal strength, but the connection only lasts for a few minutes, and I have to keep cycling the connection to regain network access--very annoying. I know there's nothing wrong with the network because my laptop's connection is stable. I purchased a D-Link card, and it has worked flawlessly. Unfortunately, I threw away the packaging when the Trendnet card arrived; if I hadn't, then this card would be on its way back to Amazon now. Like the title of my review says: you get what you pay for . . . B0001FSCZO:piece_of_crap.,...stay_away.:jacob_w._clark B0001FSCZO Linksys Storage Link for USB 2.0 Disk Drives NSLU2: Electronics electronics 1 of 7 1.0 September 29, 2006 Jacob W. Clark I have many Linksys devices and this is by far the worst one. I love Linksys stuff, which is why eveything that i own involving networking is linksis. But this thing is a piece of crap and now i cant recover the 60 gigs of personal pictures that were on my hardrive because of this things format. Spend a little more money and get a dedicated Network Attached Storage hard drive B0000CEPC8:unreliable_-_voice_unit_keeps_breaking:j._a._chen_"loss4words" B0000CEPC8 Plantronics CS50 900 MHz Wireless Office Headset System: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 September 20, 2006 J. A. Chen "Loss4words" NYC My company supplies these cordless headsets to its employees so I have alot of experience using headsets. This is the latest upgrade and it is the worst unit I have ever used. It works great for about 3 or 4 months on average. After that, the voice unit stops working. I can hear others speaking to me but no one can hear me. I have gone through 4 of these units in 13 months and the longest lived unit lasted < 5 months. One broke after < 2 months. Other colleagues have complained about the same thing happening with their units. After the experiences I have had with this piece of junk, I would never buy anything from Plantronics with my own money. Avoid this rubbish B000068IG0:hp_has_lost_me_as_a_customer..:andy_white_"http://www.cartoonservices.com" B000068IG0 HP Color LaserJet 4600 Printer: Electronics electronics 1.0 September 28, 2006 Andy White "http://www.cartoonservices.com" Fort Worth TX USA I'm a cartoonist. I need to be able to print color images for clients. I bought this printer two years ago from Staples, for $2500! Worked great for a couple months, after which the toner cartridges started leaking and the print quality rapidly dimished. DO NOT BUY THIS PRINTER! I'm reluctant to buy anything else from HP, knowing that how it performs on the sales floor can be markedly different from how it will perform after a couple months of light use B000068IG0:total_garbage:d._mullins_"ddmj" B000068IG0 HP Color LaserJet 4600 Printer: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 April 14, 2005 D. Mullins "ddmj" Niceville, FL USA We've had this printer at my office for about 2 1/2 years. It's a giant waste of money. Magenta cartridges spew toner everywhere. Cyan cartridges streak. It's even worse when you use the manual feed. HP has no answers because they deny all the issues. HP's support is lackluster at best anyway. The first time when this machine was under warranty it took me three weeks worth of phone calls to get anything accomplished with them. Stay away from this printer at all costs. If you own one it makes a nice doorstop or paperweight. This is totally unacceptable considering toner and printer costs. I expect more from a product with the HP brand stamped on the box. To bad you can't give 0 stars B000068IG0:magenta_toner_leaks_on_this_model:joseph_c._ross B000068IG0 HP Color LaserJet 4600 Printer: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 March 17, 2005 Joseph C. Ross Obviously HP has a design flaw on the magenta cartridges. I have also experienced leakage from only the magenta (why only this one? B000068IG0:same_as_the_others:michael_n._singer_"sms8634" B000068IG0 HP Color LaserJet 4600 Printer: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 October 20, 2004 Michael N. Singer "sms8634" Fair Lawn, NJ United States Powder from the toner cartridges get all over the inside of the printer and then ruins every page that is printed. Every page that is printed from my printer has a greyish color due to the powder dirt inside. It is impossible to clean it since the powder is everywhere. The only way to get it clean would be to bring it to a car wash (obviously this would leave the printer with bigger problems than page color). What a waste of money!!! Good thing my office bought it and not me or I would be furious B0002CWPV8:terrible..._spend_the_money_and_get_the_d-link_dwl-g730ap_:julie_fey_"american_expat" B0002CWPV8 Netgear WGR101 Cable/DSL Wireless Travel Router: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 April 29, 2006 Julie Fey "American Expat" Songkhla, Thailand We travel quite a bit, both business and pleasure, domestic and international... so the idea of a pocket wireless router was a God send. We bought this one at the beginning of our annual leave (aka tour the US in a month). We'd heard good things about the D-Link but with the rebates, this one was practically free.... there was a reason it's always on sale. It took forever to set up. The old firmware is buggy, the new firmware is difficult and touchy to install. The router itself does not seem to be compatible with most personal cable/DSL modems. Out of the eight houses we were in, it would only work with one, although it appeared to connect with several others. It did work with the Ethernet connection of about 70% of the hotels... but that's not a great average. It also gets very very hot and than will quit working until it cools down again. Frustrating. After the first week we went out and got the pocket D-Link.. excellent- plug it in and it works EVERYWHERE: personal homes, questionable modems, hotels, etc... we have used it from Alabama to Bangkok and everywhere in between. It's also about half the size of the Netgear. Save the hassle and get it first. ... also a tip, pick up a little usb wi-fi adaptor with your router. You will find that many people without a wireless router already, will only have a desktop, and you will need to make it "wireless" as you will be connecting their modem to your router. B0002CWPV8:not__acceptable_for_multi-user_or_wep_access:drjulians B0002CWPV8 Netgear WGR101 Cable/DSL Wireless Travel Router: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 June 15, 2005 drjulians Houston, TX USA I hoping to use the WGR101 to provide wireless, encrypted access to two laptops from a wired ethernet connection in a hotel. It worked fine in single-user, no encryption mode but that is not what I needed. I experienced severe problems trying to use it in single user mode with WEP or in multi-user mode with and without WEP. One or both laptops would lose the ability to connect to the internet at seemingly random intervals. Sometimes cycling the laptop wireless radio would restablish the connection, sometimes I had to reboot the laptops, sometimes I had to reboot the WGR101, and sometimes I had to reboot the laptops and the WGR101. Stay away from this product unless single user, unencrypted access is what you need B00006HOKR:great_while_it_lasted,_but:rocket_scientist B00006HOKR Sangean DT200V AM/FM/TV Portable Pocket-Size Radio: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 2.0 June 7, 2006 Rocket Scientist Huntsville, Alabama My Sangean DT200V pocket radio failed after 2.5 years of infrequent use. I kept it in a padded pocket of my briefcase where it experienced no significant shocks or temperature extremes. It worked perfectly on the few occasions when I used it over the 2.5 year period, until yesterday. The buttons, switches, and display still work perfectly, but only very faint white noise can be heard, whether via speaker or via earphone. The volumn of the faint white noise is not significantly affected by the volumn control. The batteries are new, and there is no corrosion from the previous batteries. B00006HOKR:serious_problems:csl B00006HOKR Sangean DT200V AM/FM/TV Portable Pocket-Size Radio: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 2.0 April 16, 2006 CSL NW USA Perhaps I got a lemon, but I feel wary of buying another DT200V for 2 reasons: 1. From the day I got it, the power button was so sensitive that a tiny waft of air (no kidding) would turn it off (or back on) at whim. Right in the middle of a song, or talk, this shortly became maddening. Since this is unacceptable for a $50-range radio; and since I didn't want to spend as much money mailing it to and fro as it was worth, instead of sending it back -(OH looking back, how I should have!)- I opened it up myself, and had to physically shave down the plastic underside of the on/off button where it touched the internal power switch. As I couldn't conversely move the guts further from the button, this was the only solution. Thankfully this worked, and the on/off button did not give me further problems after this. However, 2. Not many weeks or months of use in, the radio developed this habit of shorting out or something to where my pre-set stations just scanned as blank 'fuzz' (no station, not even 'intelligent' fuzz/crackle like it knew a station existed anywhere on the planet) and I could get zero stations of anything at all--not FM, not AM, and no TV. This would happen right after turning the radio on, and I should note that I always used headphones (not the ones supplied; as with most, throw them away, they're not worth it). It seemed to me through trial and error that just turning the radio on was fine, but the act of plugging in some headphones joggled some connection or shorted something out, and did this. I tried several different pair and types of headphones (some with noise cancelling switches, some without, and with these On and Off), and used the 'lock' switch on the radio both in the on and off position while plugging in my headphones (as the company I bought them from recommended turning the lock switch on when changing batteries, to prevent shorts), but nothing I have done has prevented this from eventually happening again...repeatedly. It is really annoying when it does, as removing the batteries (which always will lose all your presets, by the way) and waiting several minutes rarely clears the short. Weirdly, the thing I've found which clears the short or re-makes whatever connection is messed up correct itself, is opening up the back (screwdriver required) and kind of pushing the guts (board) one direction or another, kind of scooting it (there's minimal movement available, though), and saying a little prayer and putting the whole thing back together again. Most of the time, that has worked. Occasionally, I've had to repeat the process 3-5 times before it will. Sometimes it lasts several weeks before this'll happen again, other times, it happens multiple times a day. The day I can't fix it (I don't even know what I'm doing that's fixing it!), I'll throw it across the room, against a wall, and I probably _won't_ buy another one. (If I do, I'm keeping the receipt, NEVER opening up the back as it voids any warranty, and returning it (not for repairs--for a refund!) the split second it gives me any trouble of any kind.) For all this, I grudgingly say that it does have very good reception quality of FM (I almost exclusively listen to this), pulls the stations in nicely, and has very low amount of static. When one particular station does, it's usually more the fault of distance, or we're getting out of range, or the batteries are very low- that's at fault. Indoors in a computer-saturated office-cubby environment and not near a window, though, I'd have to say, it has had some significant problems pulling in any more than 3-4 strong-signal stations without major static. But your office environs may vary. (Some are more electrical field saturated than most.) The FM (musical) sound quality itself is good/decent, and I might say better than many...but my 1 criticism on it is a certain 'canniness' of sound quality (across various headphones I've plugged in). It's lacking some fullness of the midrange, and warmth. Also, the bass is not what it could be. I'm not sure given its overall sound quality signature if the addition of a bass boost button would have helped it or not. For me, clarity and volume have helped me ignore some of the lesser aspects of the DT200V's sound signature. However, shopping for my next purchase, that will move up higher in importance B00022TN9A:very_cheap_and_"plasticy":dave B00022TN9A Logitech Cordless Desktop - Black: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 January 28, 2006 Dave This has to be the worst keyboard I've purchased. It's my first wireless. I've used and sold several keyboards and none have fealt as cheap as this. With the added snap-on plastic palm rest it sets the base up too high. Without it there is a 'hump' where your palms go that puts your hands an an uncomfortable angle. The plastic is really bad. It feels really cheap and slick. Before I purchased this I had been trying to get in tough with Logitech about their products and compatability but they never bothered to respond. So, bad product....company on the slide.....doesn't add up to a good value. Logitech used to be the best company out there...or at least one of the best... B00022TN9A:disappointed_with_the_mouse:stephen_matthews B00022TN9A Logitech Cordless Desktop - Black: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 July 14, 2005 Stephen Matthews Crisfield, MD USA Though I like the keyboard, I've found two serious problems with the mouse. First, it is very sensitive to movement. I've tried making some adjustments but it is still difficult to control. Finally and more importantly, the mouse burns a set of AA batteries about every 8 days. I only use the mouse about 6 hours a week so I should be getting a lot more battery life. I've bought other Logitech products and have been pleased with them but in this case I wish I had bought another brand. B00005UEA6:slower_than_molasses--until_i_formatted_it.:fred_s._hann B00005UEA6 Viking 128 MB Secure Digital Card (SD128M): Electronics electronics 20 of 27 1.0 October 16, 2004 Fred S. Hann Destin, FL USA NOTE TO EVERYONE WHO IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS CARD--I reformatted it in my camera and it works fine now!! Initially I wrote: I was very disappointed in the shot-to-shot speed with this card (using a Minolta Xg). The Panasonic card that came with the camera, which I thought would be cheap, is THREE TIMES FASTER than this "upgrade". This card is useless to me as it cripples the camera I bought it to work in. It takes FOURTEEN SECONDS from one shot to the next with this card. With the original card, it's less than four seconds. The claim that this is a "high speed" card is dishonest. This is the slowest card I've ever used. I will throw this card away rather than curse someone else with it. B00005UEA6:doa:d._n._weaver_"orhuskerfan" B00005UEA6 Viking 128 MB Secure Digital Card (SD128M): Electronics electronics 16 of 18 1.0 August 7, 2004 D. N. WEAVER "orhuskerfan" Salem, OR United States The first card I received was defective. Even after formatting it in a camera, the image files could not be transferred to any of 3 computers with 2 different O/Ses via USB cable to the camera or card reader. I'm waiting on a replacement. Hope it works B0006OCZHG:all_setup_as_described_here,_unit_not_stable.:fabian_lamaestra B0006OCZHG Linksys WGA54AG Game Adapter 802.11A/G 54 Mbps: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 21, 2006 Fabian Lamaestra Reston, VA After reading the detailed reports here for how to setup this Linksys gaming adapter unit, everything worked great for several days. I setup the fixed IPs, and all the rest of the settings through the web interface, all seemed well. Note: I'm a network engineer, so the dual-fixed-ip recommendation [one for each segment] is actually pretty normal in other network bridging appliances. I suspect the MS game adapter simply performs the DHCP handshake better than this unit and that is why it is so easy to setup. Then the weird stuff started. After having had this unit turned on for several days, I notice the connection would become slow and not quite as fast as when the Linksys is first turned on. Yet, the XBOX still shows the signal between 48 and 54 Mbps. Strange. I have reproduced this several times, booting the linksys device, then playing all kinds of games online for hours, running XBMC and playing media through the network perfectly. All is good for several hours, but come back the next day after leaving the Linksys on all day/night, turn on the XBOX, and the network connection is spotty again, but the link details show a full speed connection in the XBOX wireless interface details. A swift power cycle of the Linksys unit solves the problem immediately, but why should I need to do this? I suspect some NIC buffer is being filled on the Linksys and the power cycle clears out the unit's network buffers. If anyone has figured out what settings to use to keep this thing stable, I am ready to listen, maybe I should select a G-only network and set the speed at 54 or 48 fixed, maybe that will work? Anyway, I am getting tired of power cycling this thing every day. Good Luck, F. B0006OCZHG:incompatible,_no_support:guy_terry B0006OCZHG Linksys WGA54AG Game Adapter 802.11A/G 54 Mbps: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 August 31, 2006 Guy Terry Little Elm, TX I purchased this device to add to my wireless network, which uses a Belkin wireless router. I had to connect the router directly to the game adapter since it could not be detected by my wireless router. After configuring it, I could never find it once it was disconnected from the ethernet cable from my wireless router. I made three attempts at customer service - my first call was disconnected after 20 minutes, the second call was working with a woman in India, who's headset had a ton of static to add to her accent. I had to end that session because we couldn't hear each other. I then used online chat, and after 90 minutes I still had not solved my problem, and that session was disconnected for unknown reasons. The lady from India did mention that mixing their product with any other wireless router would be a problem, and now I believe her B0000632G0:koss: B0000632G0 Koss KD250 DVD Player: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 2.0 May 6, 2004 DON'T BUY IT! I bought a KOSS DVD player and it broke in 6 months. I was told I was out of luck because the warranty is only 90 days. They do not do repairs. My only option is to buy a new one and wasn't even offered a discounted price for it. I have seen several complaints like mine about KOSS on the web. They make JUNK and they make it to last just to get past the warranty period and then it breaks. Oh, by the way I loved it until it broke B0007U0INM:caveat_emptor:mark_n._conry B0007U0INM Toshiba Gigabeat MEG-F40S 40 GB Digital Audio Player Silver: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 October 23, 2006 Mark N. Conry Centennial, CO United States I recently purchased a refurbished Toshiba Gigabeat F40 for about $150. Quite a bargain for a 40-gig MP3 player. However, upon reflection, I regret the purchase. The Gigabeat hardware seems to be OK, with good sound quality etc. The major failing is with the included software. As other reviews have pointed out, the Gigabeat will only play encrypted tracks. The Gigabeat is supplied with Gigabeat Room application software to provide the necessary encryption. Gigabeat Room starts automatically when connected to the PC via the USB port. From the time the Gigabeat is connected till the Gigabeat Room application is displayed on the screen is 30 minutes. If you switch from viewing the Gigabeat file directory to the PC file directory, the application hangs. If you try to update your track library, the application hangs. I have yet to get through a single operation from beginning to end without the program hanging. Every time the Gigabeat Room hangs, you have to restart the application, with yet another 30-minute wait to resume. The file directory on the Gigabeat is usually out of sync with what is actually present on the hard drive. Microsoft Media Player version 10 may also be used to synchronize the Gigabeat. I have a 35-gig library. It took Media Player 18 hours to encrypt and copy all 8100 tracks to the Gigabeat. In short, be prepared for a maddening and time consuming experience with this player. Software that gives error messages such as "The Program Is Quitted" and with such obvious fragility may have been expected in 1986 but is absolutely unreasonable in 2006. In my estimation you would be much better off purchasing an MP3 player, even at greater cost, that can play MP3 files directly, with file maintenance provided by Windows Explorer and or Media Player. B00006JPFT:not_satisfied.:d._arnoczky_"deba" B00006JPFT Coby CA-706 CD/MD/MP3 Car Kit Adapter: Electronics electronics 1.0 July 31, 2006 D. Arnoczky "DebA" North Olmsted, OH USA Even the slightest bump cause the casette to pop out and stop the CD. I will be returning this to Amazon for a refund B00006JPFT:coby_universal_portable_cd/md_car_kit:m._a._vodjansky_"mav" B00006JPFT Coby CA-706 CD/MD/MP3 Car Kit Adapter: Electronics electronics 23 of 36 1.0 January 3, 2004 M. A. Vodjansky "mav" Winlock, Wa USA The picture shows the cassette feature along with the car kit. The cassette did not come with the kit. Very disappointed B0006ZACJ8:not_a_good_product:drew_ragan_"drew" B0006ZACJ8 DLO iBoom Boombox for iPod White: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 2.0 March 15, 2006 Drew Ragan "Drew" Woodstock, GA United States I purchased this to have a stereo for my iPod for primary use in my office, but to take with me other places. I have the 30 gig Video ipod - it fits loosly. The entire system seems cheaply made. As I mentioned, I wanted to use it in my office - well, at the lowest volume control, it is not very quite, so I would annoy my co-workers if I turned it on. Bottom line - Save your money!! B0008JFJRC:needs_significant_improvement:gerryc B0008JFJRC Motorola MD7081 5.8GHz Digital 2-line Phone: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 2.0 September 21, 2006 GerryC Northport, NY I replaced a Siemens 8825 with the Motorola 7081 and was, unfortunately, really disappointed. The 8825 while rich in function, is quite lacking in quality. So what's good about the 7081 is: 1. Great design and feel, especially the handset. 2. Nice look to the unit. 3. Well-lit displays. 4. Easy to understand voice prompts when accessing remotely. 5. Reasonable range. 6. Nice feel to the buttons. 7. Fairly easy to go through the setup. 8. Ability to sort the phonebook alphabetically. 9. Base has phonebook that can be shared by the handsets. 10. Motorola customer support (excellent). Now what's not good: 1. Even at maximum volume, you can barely hear the speakerphone on the base. 2. Sound on the handset is distorted, fuzzy. The person on the other end hears a hiss. The volume is adequate, but barely. 3. Cannot search the phonebook. If you sorted it alphabetically and need to access a name starting with "Z" you have to scroll through the entire phonebook. 4. Can't record an outgoing message remotely. 5. Battery level indicator on handset is useless. When the handset is in the charging cradle, it shows a charging indication at all times. When it is out of the cradle, it doesn't show anything. I really wanted to like this unit because it has such a nice look and feel to it but the poor sound quality is a showstopper. B0008JFJRC:unacceptable:j._moore B0008JFJRC Motorola MD7081 5.8GHz Digital 2-line Phone: Electronics electronics 16 of 24 1.0 October 26, 2005 J. Moore I have had this phone for 20 hours - and am returning it. There is static noise on the line when people talk on the other end. The echo of my voice from the earpiece is very distracting - I find it very disconcerting. The wall mount bracket causes the base to stick straight out from the wall - and as a previous reviewer mentioned, is usually up to your nose given the location of most wall mounts. This strikes me as an unexcusable oversight on Motorola's part. Either make it desk only - or do the wall mount right. The speaker for the speakerphone feature is in the back of the phone - while the microphone is in the front of the phone. Dumb design - I feel like I'm either not listening or not being picked up when talking. The volume on the base speakerphone is too low at highest setting. I'm very disappointed in this phone. Much like a previous reviewer, the 1 star is only because I couldn't give it a 0 star rating B0002OZXHO:ipod_is_great_-_itunes_makes_it_suck!:rachel_alice_hunter_"rachelsfx" B0002OZXHO Apple 20 GB iPod M9282LL/A (4th Generation): Electronics electronics 5 of 7 1.0 August 28, 2006 Rachel Alice Hunter "rachelsfx" Florida USA After using RCA and Creative (both suck), I decided to try an iPod--this one since only a moron watches video on a 3-4 inch screen. iTunes doesn't like M$ too much I guess. iTunes is really crappy software. If you have a big WMA audio collection, go elsewhere. Conversion causes sound quality loss especially if you ripped at 64kbps. Protected files can't be converted so you have to burn to a CD then let iTunes rip it. If you don't use iTunes to buy music, 5 stars. If you do, 1 star. The iPod, which I returned after discovering it would take months to convert to iPod compatibility, is flawlessly designed and takes a licking. Google "itunes problems" and you'll find a lot of hate for iTunes. My problem: why NOT support WMA files? iPod would grab 99% of the market if they did and kill the upcoming M$ MP3 player that will even play iTunes stuff B00065XSP8:the_volumen_is_not_enough:hernan_espinoza_ch B00065XSP8 Macally Podwave Portable Stereo Speakers for iPod: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 November 2, 2006 Hernan Espinoza Ch When I put this device in my mp3 player, I espect listen the music but I need a room completly silent and obviusly that no was my intention. B0001J3Q9W:killed_my_ipod_:thomas B0001J3Q9W Belkin F8V7067-APL Mobile Power Cord for iPod: Electronics electronics 2 of 4 1.0 May 17, 2006 Thomas Arizona I was using this power cord in conjunction w/ the belkin fm transmitter during a recent 4 hour car ride. when I unplugged the ipod, it was incredibly hot, and now it does not work (I get the folder w/ the exclamation point on the display). I tried to restore the ipod, but it is toast B00064L1AI:didn't_work!:q._nguyen B00064L1AI Samsung SIR-T451 High Definition Terrestrial Tuner: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 November 6, 2006 Q. Nguyen Minneapolis I was extremely excited when I received this product and have had good success with Samsung products. However, when I made all the connections, the unit didn't work. I was disapointed and frustrated. All the connections and settings were correct, but it didn't work. I have an older DVI connection instead of the newer HDMI digital connection. I returned the product and bought the Humax brand HDTV tuner. I bought a DVI to HDMI cable and connected the unit. It works like a charm! I don't know what was wrong with the Samsung SIR-T451, but I wouldn't recommend this product to anyone. I'm also having second thoughts about Samsung products now. It seems like the reliability/quality factor of Samsung products has declined now that they are more mainstream B000261N6M:not_worth:viswaprasad_karunakaram B000261N6M Coby DVD-224 Compact DVD Player: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 21, 2006 Viswaprasad Karunakaram Phoenix, AZ This player worked for 2 months. Then all of sudden it started failing with "no disk" message. Please do not go for cheap players B0006ZKX7Y:warning!_batteries_die_quickly!!:silent_watcher B0006ZKX7Y Think Outside Bluetooth Stowaway Travel Mouse for Pocket PC PDA: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 January 19, 2006 Silent Watcher NY, USA I've had it for one week only and I'm using 3rd pair of Duracell batteries right now! I was using it for 3-4 hours per day (I have another mouse at work). Stayed switched off for the rest of the day in order to save batteries. Nice mouse when it works.. Mine is piece of junk, maybe the latest batch they've got was not up to standard. So I totally agree with Mr. Loftin.. And it's silver one in my case, not a black one I've ordered.. B0006ZKX7Y:stay_away!!!__eats_batteries!!!:scott_m._loftin B0006ZKX7Y Think Outside Bluetooth Stowaway Travel Mouse for Pocket PC PDA: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 January 16, 2006 Scott M. Loftin I can use it for about 5 working days and Ka-Put! (Even though I switch it off when I'm not using it.) There is no intelligible low battery indication or warning either. Also when I changed batteries, the battery contacts fell out. Poor quality B00009KO0D:not_by_apple!!!!!!:b._sheehan B00009KO0D Apple - Data cable: Electronics electronics 1.0 June 24, 2006 B. Sheehan Philly I wanted an original apple usb cord for my iPod, and the description said this is, but it isn't. So if you're like me and you want the original, don't buy this one B000E5XHGK:not_what_i_thought:treble B000E5XHGK Apple MA242LL/A iPod AV Connection Kit: Electronics electronics 8 of 20 1.0 February 22, 2006 Treble Arizona This product is not very good. There is no display on the TV, just a black screen. The remote, which is just a pause button anyways with no menu functions, does not make a difference because you are unable to see your small Ipod screen from far away. The overall video quality is quite low, even with an s-video cable B000CSP8IO:stay_away_from_this_product:leduberto_zepulturero B000CSP8IO Griffin Technology 9781-TRP30BK iTrip FM Transmitter with LCD and Dock Connector for iPod: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 November 9, 2006 Leduberto Zepulturero NYC, NY Avoid this product at all costs!!! I should've listened to the other reviews but NOOOO, I just had to see it for myself. This product worked (barely) for 2 weeks then just totally died. In the short time that it worked, the sound quality was just horrible. No matter what free channel you play it on. I have a good 40 mile drive one way (not city or metropolitan driving) and in that span, I'll have to switch channels between 3 to 5 times. Kudos to Amazon's hassle free return policy, I was able to return it and get the Belkin TuneBase FM which I highly recommend B0009U6YQK:the_worst:t._b._clavel_"jb_clavel" B0009U6YQK CTA DIGITAL iPod Fold-Up Amplified Aluminum Speakers ( White ): Electronics electronics 21 of 23 1.0 November 20, 2005 T. B. Clavel "JB Clavel" New York Not at all durable due to very, very cheap construction. I had to massage my batteries to get the speakers to play. A total waste of time to purchase, try to use and return. Couldn't even give these away B0002YY1HW:phone_stops_ringing:dave_"jungleman_techy" B0002YY1HW AT&T 974 Small Business System Speakerphone with Intercom and Caller ID/Call Waiting (Titanium Blue): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 9, 2006 Dave "jungleman techy" Miami, FL I have a VOIP setup with voicepulse. This phone works great as long as I don't assign phone numbers to the presets. When I do it stops ringing after a few days. The lights flash indicating an incoming call and I can answer the phone if I notice the lights flashing but it doesn't ring. If I reset the phone to defaults, erasing all presets, then it works OK. I got a new one from AT&T and it does the same thing. I love the headset button to switch between speaker and headset. Let me know if you know a workaround B0000A8Y5K:barely_works_-_low_audio_quality:andrew_trieger B0000A8Y5K Panasonic KX-TCA92 Hands-free Headset with Comfort Fit and Fold Design: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 June 14, 2006 Andrew Trieger callers can barely hear me, even with the mic right in my mouth (volume adjustment on cord doesnt affect it). and even worse, callers hear an echo of themselves, the mic picks up the caller in the earpiece enough to resend it! (echo!). Must be because its all on the same arm or something crappy. This makes it basically unusable, so waste of money, throw away, going to buy a better one B00005UK9X:incorrectly_described:j._ramirez_"jose" B00005UK9X Garmin Portable Friction Mount for GPS 010-10306-00: Electronics electronics 9 of 9 1.0 September 22, 2006 J. Ramirez "Jose" Piscataway, NJ This Item is not described correctly. This ITEM is NOT for Garmin c550 or Any of the C line. I had to returned it at my OWN EXPENSE. AMAZON please correct the description of the ITEM B00004Z0BN:metal_stablized_system...:b._roy_"roytech" B00004Z0BN Sennheiser MX-400 In-Ear Headphones: Electronics electronics 2.0 October 10, 2006 B. Roy "RoyTech" Sunnyvale, CA, USA On the back of the package it says - 1) Transparent sound and powerful bass. - The "Transparent sound" part is true and "powerful bass" part is totally untrue. 2) Metal stabilized system for high levels. - What was that again? Metal stabilized system?? It has antiroll crossbars I guess!! When companies start making vague claims about their product - thats when you know that there is a problem. These sounded terrible at first - no bass - period. The sound changed for the better once I put on the foam covers. I could hear some bass at that point but even after equalization, it was clear that this product is designed to deliver a lot of high frequency, decent midrange but little by way of bass - even though it claims to have frequency response going from 18Hz to 20kHz. It fits my ears properly, so that is not a problem. This product sounds far inferior to a pair of "Aiwa" ear-buds that came with a "Made in Japan" walkman purchased in 1990! I wouldn't even compare the sound of these MX400 to the excellent Koss over the ear headphones I purchased recently. Maybe they are better than the IPOD headphones (which suck even worse), and the reason people give this 5 stars. Really - no more than a 2 star product. Expected much better from Sennheiser. With this experience, I've decided not to go for their noise cancelling headphone and instead go with the one from Panasonic. Reputable companies should think twice before selling junk in the marketplace B000067SVG:useless_-_does_not_retract:james_murphy B000067SVG Targus PA220U Retractable USB Cord: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 April 6, 2004 James Murphy Pelham, MA USA I agree with the previous review. This phone cord worked twice. Now, it only retracts about half way, and keeps getting worse. I'm returning it for a refund. Don't waste your time with this B00009YUOF:the_worst_technical_support:chas B00009YUOF PNY P-FD256U20-RF 256MB USB 2.0 Flash Drive: Electronics electronics 7 of 9 1.0 July 5, 2004 CHas Wisconsin If you have problems with your flash drive ( like I did) don't count on any technical support. Lines are all automated and wait is always over 20 minutes for live support. Not to mention that it disconects you when it is done telling you this. PNY tech support is a joke B0002GWP46:brand_new_and_its_broken!!!:hotwhipt/a_"hotwhip" B0002GWP46 HP DeskJet 3845 Color Inkjet Printer: Electronics electronics 2 of 8 1.0 March 27, 2006 HotWhipT/A "HotWhip" Tx I'm mad. I bought this one to replace my old one. This one and the other one are doing the samething. I had a chat with an HP service helper and they determined that it was broke. Their customer service is top notch thought! They are sending me a new one for free and apearently I get to keep the ink cartidges for free because of my troubles B0009T8HNE:i've_had_dish_networks_for_two_years_now.:jt B0009T8HNE Dish Network Dish 500 Satellite Dish Assembly w/o LNBF: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 November 18, 2006 JT San Jose, CA United States I like the Dish Networks technology and the potential that it could be. One DVR which covers two rooms is great. The picture is clear when it works. The menus/programming are intuitive. The pricing is reasonable. But, my complaint is RELIABILITY and SUPPORT...for the two years I have had Dish my TV picture seems to go out every 6 months or so. Everytime I talk to Dish customer service I get a different reason why it could be out. Several times I have gotten new DVR boxes mailed to me and there is always a dispute about who should pay. Several times I have had Dish Net come out to my house and they have always tried to make me pay until I told them I'm tired of the hassel and just cancel me. Now my dish is out again this weekend and I am missing the Ohio State / Michigan game because my TV says no Dish Signal (reason tbd). Anyway, if it worked consistently as advertised I would give it 4 or 5 stars. But due to reliability I give it 2 stars. And with Murphy's Law it always goes down when you want to watch that big event (prompting me to write this review instead of watching the game today)!! I may have to switch back to cable. - J.Clark / San Jose, CA B000EWD4TS:no_technical_support_available:data_guru B000EWD4TS SanDisk 2 GB Cruzer Micro with U3 ( SDCZ6-2048-A10, Retail Package): Electronics electronics 3 of 4 1.0 October 7, 2006 Data Guru New Jersey This product stopped working a few days after purchase. 5 phone calls and 2 emails were not returned by SanDisk. This product did not work as advertised and no technical support of any kind is available. I would not buy this brand again B000BJ3BRO:olympus_ws-320m_:haim_perlstein B000BJ3BRO Olympus WS-320M 1 GB Digital Voice Recorder and Music Player: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 2.0 November 16, 2006 Haim Perlstein The Voice recorder meets all my expectations and more Easy to use, easy to transfer great results B00003006K:buyer_beware:g._price_"techo_hobbyist" B00003006K Linksys EZXS88W EtherFast 10/100 8-Port Workgroup Switch: Electronics electronics 1 of 4 1.0 January 21, 2006 G. Price "techo hobbyist" Detroit, MI USA All ports began running slow after just 6 months of use. Followed LinkSys RMA process and they sent me a hub in return by mistake. I followed yet another LinkSys RMA process and had to wait TWO MONTHS for the replacement switch covering their mistake. The replacement switch died after 1 week of use. The latest RMA unit ran excessively Hot until the smell of burning plastic left the air and then it would not power up. This is what I have learned about Linksys: #1) This should be a simple network pass-through device and it should not fail unless manufactured poorly - Linksys apparently cannot make a good one. #2) Do not even think about turning a broken unit into Linksys under their RMA process, they will simply send you a refurbished unit and it cannot be trusted. If these cheap switches fail they cannot be fixed and the original manufacture was flawed in the first place. #3) Choose a competitors product - I have had other brand switches running for years with no issues B0007OWNC2:customer_service_not_helpul:jul9876 B0007OWNC2 Netgear RangeMax Wireless PC Card (WPN511): Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 June 26, 2006 jul9876 New York, NY Purchased this for my laptop (it was supposed to match the Rangemax modem). The adapter was not being recognized by my machine, and I contacted customer service. The customer service rep was obviously from India (suprize!). Unfortunately my inquiry was not resolved and I returned the product back. Probably would explore other brands next time around. B000EHUR3O:low_power:richard_p._stephens B000EHUR3O Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 5000- Metallic Black ( 63A-00001 ): Electronics electronics 2.0 November 9, 2006 Richard P. Stephens I don't like it because it is always saying "low power" and I do every thing it said to trouble shoot the problem with out and luck fixing the problem B000EHUR3O:microsoft_5000_laser_mouse:donald_a._sanders B000EHUR3O Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 5000- Metallic Black ( 63A-00001 ): Electronics electronics 0 of 1 2.0 October 5, 2006 Donald A. Sanders I just purchased this mouse. It has a good feel. It does not scroll as smoothly as I would like. Contrary to what Microsoft says, the buttons are not programmable -- you have to select from a predefined list. I chose to use the small silver buttons on the side as "copy" and "paste". Neither one works.Another irritation, I am already getting a popup that says the "signal" is weak -- about 18" away, yet the menu says it is fine I got a great buy on it at OfficeDepot (half price), otherwise I would return it B0001Z5KHC:poor_sound_quality_-_interference_from_other_electronics:k._strong_"kudzuken" B0001Z5KHC Panasonic KX-TG5200M GigaRange Supreme 5.8 GHz DSS Expandable Cordless Phone: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 March 18, 2006 K. Strong "Kudzuken" Las Vegas, NV Interference from other electronics is a severe problem - I had to return this item for a refund. If you can locate it several feet from any other electronics, it might work for you, but who wants a phone that you cannot place on your desktop, near a computer B0000ZKFKA:not_for_hardcore_gamers:damien_brooks B0000ZKFKA Gateway 17" Widescreen LCD Flat-Panel TV: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 August 11, 2005 Damien Brooks Orlando, FL I am a LONG TIME pc user and pc gamer. I wanted this for a 1. tv 2. pc gaming monitor 3. xbox gaming monitor 4. dvd veiwing device. Here is how I rate this monitor on these four levels on a scale of 1 to 5: 1. tv = 2 2. pc gaming monitor = 2 3. xbox = 1 4. dvd = 3 The ghosting for normal operations is almost too much to live with. I returned this item just so you know. The rca inputs gave me only black and white images. This could have been because my monitor was defective. I am not sure. Ghosting during gaming was very bad. Worse than that was it's lack of good brightness control. This is not for gamers B00081QDDO:good_sound..._sucks_for_ipod!!!:darnley_r._hodge_jr. B00081QDDO Alpine KCA-420i iPod control interface: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 March 13, 2006 Darnley R. Hodge Jr. The ONLY reason i bought this unit when I saw it in the store was for the iPod controller feature. I really looked forward to being able to control my iPod from the deck and hiding my ipod in my dash completely out of sight. Boy was I disappointed! The iPod adpater works and all... but barely. It takes FOREVER to scroll through the songs, artists or albums. Why the hell would Alpine put out a product that has an inferior scrolling mechanism and then lock you out of the iPod so you can't even select songs from the iPod itself? I have over 3000 songs on my iPod... by the time I scroll to the song I want I've already reached my destination... and that's if I even find the song at all! So now what I have to do is unplug my iPod, scroll to the song I want, then plug it back in. (Luckily the reciever continues to play whatever song was already playing when you plug your iPod in.) But again... that defeats the whole point of having the controls built into the deck. Bottom line, the iPod control feature flat SUCKS. The deck features a "quick search" function... but it is uselss... it isn't used to search through artsts or albums... only individual songs and there's no way to skip 10, 20, 30 or 100 songs at a time... only 1 by 1... What's "quick" about that? I have 3000 songs and hundreds of artists and albums and Alpine thinks I'm supposed to go through them 1 by 1???? Another annoying thing about this unit is that when you skip through songs while the iPod is playing, the display just says "song up" or "song down" instead of just showing the name of the damn song! Who thought of that? What possible help could "song up" be to anyone? Just show the name of the song while I'm skipping through... that makes more sense right? There are a bunch of other problems I have with the practicalness of this unit when used with the iPod adapter and iPod... but the sound quality is great which is the most important thing... but then again... who cares if the sound is great when it takes you all day to find the song you want to listen to B00081QDDO:not_good:steven_t._limbert_"pismo10" B00081QDDO Alpine KCA-420i iPod control interface: Electronics electronics 13 of 19 1.0 June 8, 2005 Steven T. Limbert "pismo10" Marshfield, MA United States I bought an Alpine 9847 and the Ipod interface. I works but it totally hijacks your Ipod. The beautiful intuitve, fast controls on the Ipod itself are locked out and you can ONLY control the Ipod from the car stereo. It is therefore very hard to deal with especially if you have a large music catalog on you Ipod. It is very slow, not at all intuitive. Even after getting used to it it is no good. The info on artist, album or song title imports from the IPod very slowly. Turning the volume knob is equivalent to circling on the Ipod but one turn eqauls about 3 spots on the list unlike one circle on the Ipod which equals dozens of spots on the list. Therefore if you have a large catalog you have to spin the volume knob 100 times to get thru a long catalog list which takes forever........Very annoying, very slow, very cumbersome. If only it did not deactivate the normal controls on the Ipod itself. A better and much cheaper solution is to find a car stereo with some form of line in, either stereo mini plug or RCA jacks. The just connect directly and use the IPods own controls which are infinitely better. I replace an old stereo to get the Ipod option and am very sorry I did so B000B5UINS:junk:john_m._goeke B000B5UINS Insten - Black Gooseneck FM Transmitter with Car Charger for iPod Nano: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 6, 2006 John M. Goeke The only thing this item is good for is charging your ipod. The transmitter is so weak all you hear is static buzz with muffled music in the background. Don't waste your money. And, don't expect any help from the manufacturer who refuses to answer emails or accept a warranty return. B000B5UINS:insten_-_gooseneck_fm_trans._w/_car_charger_for_ipod_nano_,_:carol_burnett_"cb" B000B5UINS Insten - Black Gooseneck FM Transmitter with Car Charger for iPod Nano: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 October 11, 2006 Carol Burnett "CB" Tokyo, Japan Terrible Design did not fit my car's electical outlet, it does not work with my Jeep Liberty. The jack construction is defective does not even power on B00005K4PO:font_size_stuck_ridiculously_small:philip_greenspun B00005K4PO Brother PT-1750 Electronic Labeling System: Electronics electronics 1.0 October 1, 2006 Philip Greenspun Cambridge, MA USA Mine worked pretty well for about the first 50 labels that I made. Then the font size got stuck ridiculously small so that the message only covers about 10 percent of the tape surface. If you want really small labels with a hard-to-read font size, you could use my PT-1750 to print them out and then cut down with scissors to eliminate all of the wasted label area B00005K4PO:a_few_problems: B00005K4PO Brother PT-1750 Electronic Labeling System: Electronics electronics 16 of 26 1.0 June 15, 2004 I just purchased this product. In the instruction manual, it states that only the Brother AC adapter should be used and any other will invalidate the warranty. Why is it that only a Brother adapter can be used when AC adapters are supposed to be standard? A tactic to increase sales? The adapter itself costs an additional 15 to 20 dollars. In addition, I agree with some of the other reviewers that a significant amount of label is wasted with each printing due to the empty space on either side that must be cut off. The 2 line printing does look very nice. I have not used many of the other features and so cannot comment on those B000FJLBTU:don't_buy_this_ink_hog:david_h._reed B000FJLBTU HP Deskjet F380 All-in-One Printer/Scanner/Copier: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 November 17, 2006 David H. Reed Kirkland, WA United States Don't even accept it as a freebie (as I did) unless you are prepared to pay $1.15 per sheet for color ink. That was my experience with the first color cartridge, which was fully consumed on a total of 20 sheets, 12 of which were heavy color, the others being mixed color and text or very light color. At $17.99 per color cartridge and $14.99 for black I calculate the outrageous, obscene $1.15 per sheet figure for ink. This is about six times greater than the average ink cost for my old HP720c, which unfortunately does not work with my new HP Pavilion PC (no printer port on this model, among other issues). I have vowed to not purchase any HP product in the future if I can possibly avoid it. I just ordered a Canon Pixima to replace this ink hog. On the positive side, the print quality is good, speed is excellent, and color fidelity is fair. The software installed without incident, and the machine is easy to operate, but the HP software is overbearing and constantly trying to sell you something--worse than daytime television B000FJLBTU:hp_-_bad_printers,_bad_service,_and_a_bad_name.:jj_bugs_"jj_bugs" B000FJLBTU HP Deskjet F380 All-in-One Printer/Scanner/Copier: Electronics electronics 9 of 9 1.0 October 5, 2006 JJ Bugs "JJ Bugs" Minneapolis, MN U.S.A. Bought this all-in-one printer and the install disc was bad. Prints test page every time I turn it on. Won't print. Jobs get stuck and cannot cancel. Spoke with customer service for 1.5 hours! Yes, that long. They would not refund me and told me that I should have did a better job researching their products. They got that right. All I could get was a refurbished replacement that also performs like crap. HP has lost a customer forever, and I am making it my mission to share with everyone how terrible they are with products and customer service. Canon, meet your next customer B0001RM3WU:doesn't_fit_etrex_vista_cx:richard_tabbutt B0001RM3WU Garmin Etrex Windshield Mounting Bracket: Electronics electronics 2 of 5 1.0 August 29, 2006 Richard Tabbutt Woodinville, WA USA This bracket will not fit the eTrex Vista CX. This is because the battery cover supplied with the bracket (replaces the original battery cover to provide attachement lugs) will not clear the microSD card socket. This is very frustrating because the Garmin website even shows this bracket, part number 010-10361-00, in the eTrex Vista CX accessories list. So if you have a CX, don't purchase this item B0007ZFM38:not_too_good!:f._contreras_"chama" B0007ZFM38 Logitech 980356-0403 Stereo USB Headset 250: Electronics electronics 0 of 2 2.0 November 3, 2006 F. Contreras "Chama" Las Vegas, NV The first few times it worked great, after that i haven't been able to use it, for some reason incoming audio is good but the mic does not work, i have to use my computer's which is anoying so i stopped using altogether. Waste of money B0001MR140:don't_buy_vtech_-_battery_issues:lg_"lakeviewmom" B0001MR140 VTech ip5825 5.8 GHz DSS Cordless Speakerphone with Dual Handsets and Caller ID (Pewter): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 August 24, 2006 lg "lakeviewmom" Chicago, IL We have bought 3 of these VTech Phones for our house. Since the begining we have had battery problems. It is really annoying when you have to make a phone call and your phone doesn't work because of the battery. At any point in time, at least one of the phones constantly reports a "low charge" or "no battery" message, which means you can't use that phone. Of course, you can hear the ring from the phone that is never at the same room that you are, so you have to run to pick up the other phone, since the one in your location has the no battery problem. As other reviewers have noted, this in spite of the fact that we make minimal use of the phones and leave them in the charger most of the time. On the beginning we used to take the battery out of phone and put it back in. That doesn't quite work anymore. I tried to get support but you can't get a live person at the VTech number. On their website they suggest replacing the batteries, but they are rechargeable, so how many times are we really supposed to buy new rechargeable baterries (I have already replaced it once)? I know we wont buy VTech products again. B0001MR140:very_disappointing_in_numerous_ways:ken_januski B0001MR140 VTech ip5825 5.8 GHz DSS Cordless Speakerphone with Dual Handsets and Caller ID (Pewter): Electronics electronics 3 of 4 1.0 August 16, 2006 Ken Januski Philadelphia, PA USA It's not often I find a product that's as disappointing as this. The interference problem is very serious and makes most conversations a pain. Moving around the house and outside of the house, standing on your head holding the phone at a 45 angle, etc., are part of the daily ritual in trying to hold a legibible conversation. But that's not the bad part. The bad part, as at least one other reviewer has noted, is that each of the phones constantly reports a "low charge" message or something similar. This in spite of the fact that we make minimal use of the phones and leave them in the charger most of the time. The only solution I've found is to take the battery out of phone and put it back in. Then it will work for a day or two. I suppose it could be just the batteries. But if so then we were shipped batteries that were already on life-support. I read a few good reviews of this phone, and of course there are a number right here. But out experience has been the opposite. The phones have been nothing other than a pain B00008DSR5:beware:j._turner B00008DSR5 GN Netcom 4170 Headset Telephone: Electronics electronics 6 of 8 1.0 January 14, 2005 J. Turner Houston, Texas United States I picked up this headset telephone because I am spending more and more time on the phone. Almost immediately after plugging it in, everyone I called asked me to speak up, repeat what I said, and that they could not hear me very well. When I attempted to setup a new voicemail system, I found out why. The headphone is amplified, but the microphone is not. No matter how loud I spoke (or shouted) the audio is severely suppressed and barely audible. Simply stated, this product is not usable. B00006B903:targus_pa400u_defcon_1_ultra_notebook_computer_security_system:saliya_ratnayaka B00006B903 Targus PA450U DEFCON KL Notebook Computer Key Lock: Electronics electronics 1 of 5 1.0 September 7, 2006 Saliya Ratnayaka Tucson, AZ, USA I had this for approximately 2 years. It worked fine for couple of months but suddenely started to activate the alarm without any disturbances. One day I left my laptop attached the alarm in my office for about half an hour. During this period, the alarm was activated and I was embarrased to face my office workers. This is without increasing the sensitivity of the alarm. I sent it back to Targus and they were nice enough to give me a new alarm. But after several months, it started the same problem. So, now I am afraid to use this security system with my laptop. But I did not face problems like changing the combination by its own. You can use it without the alarm activation (i.e: without batteries) but the cable is so thin, it is not recommended to protect any valubles B0008ESGAY:poor_macintosh_support:ben_crane B0008ESGAY Olympus DS-2 Digital Voice Recorder: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 November 20, 2006 Ben Crane I bought this item after seeing the almost uniformly good reviews including the one that says there is good Macintosh support. Unfortunately the player does not work well with the Macintosh. The included software often crashes and does not seem to be able to import DSS files. The software can move the files between the recorder and the computer but the files do not appear in the software window. The use interface is also fairly crude and looks as if it was ported directly from Windows 3.1. The DS-2 appears to the finder as a standard USB disk and I have been able to copy the DSS files from the player to the compuer using the finder. It is then possible to play the DSS files by double clicking them, but it will only play one file. If you want to play another file it is necessary to completely quit the DSS player and relanch it. Exporting the files to a format usable by other software such as AIFF is also nearly impossible. There is an export function in the menu, when it is selected it asks were the new file should be saved but no file ever appears. Unfortunately there is no other Macintosh software available to read or convert DSS files as Olympus refuses to allow others use the the format on the Macintosh. Search of the internet reveals that others have found extremely painful ways of converting the DSS files such as playing the entire file and re-recording it with another program B0009Q4PHO:poor_build_quality:c._castille_"ccastille" B0009Q4PHO Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro Earphones (Black): Electronics electronics 3 of 7 2.0 October 18, 2006 C. Castille "ccastille" Los Angeles, CA Great sound, but the build quality is just not there. On a recent trip to Europe, the left bud completely fell apart and the leads became disconnected from the bass driver. They are only two months old and I always keep them in the case! I had to solder it back together and then super glue the bud back together. Since then I've also had to superglue the right bud as well. Also, the cable sheath is fraying over one bud lead, revealing the fine speaker wire underneath. I don't expect these phones to last much longer which is too bad. They are great sounding and comfortable, but unfortunately they seem to have cut some important corners. Be warned B000779RZA:aweful_headphones!:richard_g._trezevant B000779RZA Sony MDR-EX51LP Fontopia Headphones, Blue: Electronics electronics 1 of 5 2.0 October 6, 2006 Richard G. Trezevant SF, CA These headphones are so expensive and they are aweful! I dont remember if it was the left or the right but one side of the cord is longer than the other; its very annoying! I tried to loosen it and the wire was showing, what a piece of s***. Its very annoying because the ear bud fell out when I listened to music and it doesnt feel comfortable. Also the rubber on the ear bud falls off very easily. They are too expensive for a piece of junk! The only reason I rate it two stars is because the sound is great on the headphones. Instead purchase the Sony SRF-HM01V S2 Sports Walkman Street Style Headphone Radio. I purchased those after these fell apart and they are much better :) B000H72MMU:just_not_good_enough:s._walton_"bibliophile42" B000H72MMU Monster iCarPlay Plus Wireless FM Transmitter/Charger for iPod: Electronics electronics 10 of 11 2.0 October 22, 2006 S. Walton "bibliophile42" Janesville, WI USA I SO wanted to love this thing. I have an iPod that I am seldom without, and my car isn't iPod compatible. I bought a Monster Wireless FM Transmitter/Charger so I could listen to my music on the way to my class reunion. Unfortunately, the thing just didn't work for me. There are 8 preset stations (low on the dial) and if all of them are in use, you're out of luck. I don't live in a huge city (maybe 60,000 with farmland all around), but only two of these stations were available. Although I was able to tune in to my iPod, it wasn't crystal clear. In fact, it wasn't even plastic clear. The static sometimes overrode the music, which drove me nuts. This is like a fax machine - the original may be spotless, but the fax will be a little fuzzy. If you have a cassette player in your car, there are adapters that go through the cassette player and are much better. If your car isn't iPod compatible and you don't have a cassette player, you're better off just burning a bunch of CD's B000BI7NGU:poor_item_choice:aimee_louise B000BI7NGU Palm Z22 Air Case: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 August 19, 2006 Aimee Louise Florida If all you want is a carrying case that is transparent and UNABLE to use the stylus with the case closed, then this is the perfect item for you(sarcasm). The Palm Z22 Air case states that you are able to use the sylus with the case closed, this was the selling and purchasing point for this item. Problem is, this feature does not work. Affortable, but what is the point if you can not utilize the item for it's selling feature... B00008UVAC:do_not_buy_this:spends_too_much B00008UVAC RCA RCU410MS Universal 4 Device Remote Control (Platinum): Electronics electronics 1.0 April 10, 2006 Spends Too Much Internet I bought this even with the bad reviews. I have one of it's predecessors, a black one and it worked fantastically for 5 or 6 years. It still does but the on/off button finally died. I figured... how bad could it be? The one I have worked great until now. It's BAD. It's AWFUL. It's WORTHLESS. I've had to enter the codes for my tv and vcr 3 times today. The batteries are brand new... that's the first thing I tried. DO NOT BUY THIS. I only gave it a 1 because you can't give it a zero B0009KF2PY:light_duty:michael_f._agunzo_"toolengineer" B0009KF2PY Velocity Nylon 600D CD Wallet (224 capacity, Black): Electronics electronics 5 of 6 2.0 June 26, 2006 Michael F. Agunzo "Toolengineer" New York Product is light duty, over time it will not hold up to being flipped and opened often, If longevity is your goal purchase elsewher B000A3IAKY:disappointed_in_video_quality:j._wooding B000A3IAKY Creative Webcam Live! Motion- Titanium: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 2.0 March 8, 2006 J. Wooding California USA From the photos and specs I thought this was "the camera" to have (both my wife and I loved the look of the camera from the photos we had seen). There's always exceptions to rules, and the rule, "the more you pay, the more you get" is the exception to the rule for this web camera. After getting it, I had difficulty in getting the software to load but eventually had success. I was very disappointed in the video quality. There seemed to be a lot of noise in the picture, and tweaking gave no improvement. I returned it to Amazon and took a lose in the return shipping cost, but considered it worth it just to get the price of the camera back. Amazon lived up to their part and refunded the price paid (less return shipment) with no hassle B000A3IAKY:not_compatible_with_some_notebooks:carlos_escobar B000A3IAKY Creative Webcam Live! Motion- Titanium: Electronics electronics 2 of 9 1.0 February 18, 2006 Carlos Escobar this webcam is not compatible with acer ferrari, with windows xp. I don't know why. I just returned it B0006I5I7G:way_overpriced:gadgester B0006I5I7G Monster Ca M1000DV HDMI to DVI Cable ( 123165 ): Electronics electronics 8 of 18 1.0 January 12, 2006 Gadgester New York If you got a crappy brand TV like the Samsung the East Meadow guy got, you might need a super-expensive cable like this to make the image quality acceptable, but if you have a namebrand TV like Sony or Sharp or Philips or Toshiba or Panasonic, a $15 HDMI-DVI cable totally suffices. This Monster cable is no better than the $15 guy (also available on Amazon, just search for "hdmi dvi cable"). Don't waste your money B0002DUQCM:doesn't_last_as_advertised:f._farahani B0002DUQCM Rechargeable Aa Nimh Batteries: Electronics electronics 1 of 5 2.0 February 10, 2006 F. Farahani I have a Canon S2 and these batteries last almost as long as the cheap costco non-rechargable ones. They do take upto 8 hours to charge and Amazon is correct about that. Does anyone know of good long lasting 2500 Mah rechargable batteries? B00008RS97:i_hate_dese:ernest_jackson_"e.b.j." B00008RS97 Koss UR29 Collapsible Portable Headphones: Electronics electronics 0 of 16 1.0 July 16, 2006 ernest jackson "E.B.J." houston texas I HATE DESE KIND OF PHONES. DAY HAVE EM AT MI SKOOL N DA R TURRBLE. THEY HAV OK SOUND BUT DAY FEEL TURRBLE LIK PUTTIN TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON UR EARS. THEY F--KING HURT DOG. DON'T GET DESE, GET SONY H.EAR DOSE R ALWAYZ DA BEST B00008RS97:portable?:dunckel_"dunck" B00008RS97 Koss UR29 Collapsible Portable Headphones: Electronics electronics 0 of 7 2.0 June 26, 2005 Dunckel "Dunck" These seemed like good headphones at first - but problems with portablity were huge! The sound was good but 3 months into ownership one earpeice died so the phones are useless!! NOT worth spending time and money on these phones B00006B8NQ:no_security_&_difficult_to_use:dave B00006B8NQ Kensington 64050 ComboSaver Notebook Lock and Security Cable (PC/Mac): Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 June 24, 2006 dave Hockessin, DE United States Not a particularly easy lock to use (combo part rotates freely when not in computer, making it difficult to set the combo). Also changing combo is very easy to do accidently. However this is usually not a problem because it is incredibly easy to figure out the combo. I am not a professional lock picker, and I am able to break the combo without any difficulty (which is a problem with many low quality combo locks, but this design try to avoid it at all). I've noticed a lot of people have a problem with the lock "spontaneously" changing combinations. It's probably not because the lock is defective. It's probably because they inadvertently changed the combination because the mechanism to change it is so easy to engage. I would definitely never suggest this product to anyone (unless I really wanted their computer) B00006B8NQ:horrible_lock:christopher_r._gault B00006B8NQ Kensington 64050 ComboSaver Notebook Lock and Security Cable (PC/Mac): Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 March 6, 2006 Christopher R. Gault Like other people here my lock spontaneously changed its combination on me....Surprise! My laptop is currently locked up at my desk at work which ruined my day and is ruining my night. Another stressor I do not need to deal with...do not get this lock if you value the mobility of your laptop over a theft deterrant B0007SXHP0:stopped_working_after__a_couple_of_weeks_use.:tam_cerr_"tamc" B0007SXHP0 Logitech Premium USB Headset 350 ( 980374-0403 ): Electronics electronics 1.0 November 4, 2006 Tam Cerr "TamC" Ellicott City, MD USA Wiring broke at interface box - poor design B00030CHRQ:disparate_cord_length-_more_than_irritating.:fieryfilly B00030CHRQ Sony MDR-EX71SL/WK Fontopia Headphones (White): Electronics electronics 5 of 8 2.0 November 15, 2006 FieryFilly USA I read all of the reviews here and thought these would be the best option for easy transport AND low ambient sound i-pod headpohones without breaking the bank (I'm on a plane frequently). I wanted something that I wouldn't cry over breaking or losing during my many travels. I found that the uneven cord lengths are very irritating- especially if you like to use only one plug (like maybe at your desk at work). The weight of the shorter cord pulls on the longer cord and it is quite uncomfortable- even when sitting still. So then I thought these will be great workout headphones (won't be upset if I break or lose them), HOWEVER, the cords produce noise in the ear pieces everytime they rub on your clothing or your hand. The effect is very loud and disruptive to your music listening experience (even when you are sitting stationary at your desk). It is similar to wearing a stethescope, which defeats the point of wearing in-the-ear headphones (which are supposed to reduce the ambient noise). I do not recommend these headphones, because of this stethescope effect- I could get over the uneven cord lengths for certain uses (they are after all designed to wear behind the head). I'm on the hunt for better quality headphones B00005NND2:not_working_as_well_as_i'd_like:m._williams B00005NND2 Sony SRF-HM33 Walkman FM/AM Stereo Headphone Radio with 20 Preset Stations: Electronics electronics 9 of 11 2.0 August 10, 2005 M. Williams Austin, TX I like this style of headphone radio (especially when I jog), and haven't found any similar models that I like. This is my third purchase of this radio. Each of the three have had problems. First died completely (although it was used a lot). Second still works, but last number doesn't show up on digital display. I wanted a backup in case second died, so I ordered another one. This third works least well of all. At times, entire display is off, radio doesn't work at all, or it won't change channels. Then other times it worked. Seems like might be affected by heat outside. However, I know have another persistent problem. That being, it won't let me program the preset stations. Again, I'm limited in my choices, and I use this type headphone a lot. So I suffer through poor quality B00004Z62V:does_not_retract:r._abramson B00004Z62V HP/Compaq CQ200U HP Retractable Phone Cord: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 October 11, 2005 R. Abramson Agree with the prior reviewers. I can not get it to retract any longer and that was only after 3 uses! B00004Z62V:useless_-_does_not_retract:james_murphy B00004Z62V HP/Compaq CQ200U HP Retractable Phone Cord: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 April 6, 2004 James Murphy Pelham, MA USA I agree with the previous review. This phone cord worked twice. Now, it only retracts about half way, and keeps getting worse. I'm returning it for a refund. Don't waste your time with this B00006HMQZ:didn't_work_well_for_me_-_running_mac_os_10.4.8:c._dennington B00006HMQZ Macally iceMouse USB Optical Internet Mouse (White): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 October 29, 2006 C. Dennington This mouse was barely functional. It did move the arrow across the screen, but it was in a very random fashion. I went to the Macally website and downloaded the latest drivers. Still no luck. I'm sending this back. Guess I'll have to stick with my reliable Kensington. Too bad it's so ugly and doesn't match my ice keyboard. Oh well... function over form B0002XJAKG:not_good_for_dvd_or_game_console:csd_north_carolina B0002XJAKG Logitech X-530 70-Watt 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System: Electronics electronics 3 of 14 1.0 December 29, 2005 CSD North Carolina The product description for these speakers is misleading. They do not plug directly into a DVD player or game console. Then, after buying the adapters and doing the initial setup, three of the five speakers did not work. Perhaps these speakers are a good solution for PCs, but that's not why we bought them, and we immediately sent them back B000BKBZGC:great_sound.__but_lacking_in_other_areas.:dartnok B000BKBZGC Altec Lansing inMotion iM616 Headphones: Electronics electronics 13 of 14 2.0 January 11, 2006 dartnok San Francisco, CA United States Isolation: I had to use the foam inserts because the plastic ones were a little too large for my ears. With the foam, it completely sealed my ear canal and blocked out most noise. My commute home on the J train (light-rail) was quite silent. I was listening to classical music for the first time on the train. With earbuds, I had to put the volume level around 50%. With the Sony MDR-EX71 model, I could to keep it around 40%. The noise attenuation wasn't that good with the Sony model, but definitely better than earbuds (but the sound quality was quite terrible though.) Sound Quality: Superb sound. The partnership with Etymotic Research is evident. Everything sounded great: rock, grunge, classical. The Sonys sounded really muddy while these had a really bright sound with good bass (when the seal was good). Very balanced sound. Cord/Construction: I string my earphones through an REI One jacket, so this was more or less perfect length. The cord is symmetric so it's not weirdly strung behind your neck like the Sonys, and the connection to the ear pieces is solid, not fragile-looking like the ER6. The earphones connect to the replaceable eartips very tightly. The included case is ridiculous though; it's way too bulky for portability. Comfort/Fit: Sadly, this is primary reason I'm returning these. Both the flanged rubber tips and the included foam tips were too big. The foam models got the seal, but they were too big, so I felt an uncomfortable amount of pressure in my ear canals. Those were my only two options with the included package. The other problem is that I cannot find replacements that are smaller, anywhere on the web, including the Altec Lansing site. Documentation: Another reason I am returning these is the documentation. The manual says that I can get replacement ear tips and accessories at alteclansing.com/inmotionearphones, and I get a 404 error when I visit the link. That is pretty pathetic. Update: (1/19/2006)I emailed Altec Lansing regarding this issue on 1/10/2006, and I have yet to get a response from them. Bottom Line: If you have large ears, these may suit you. But if you know that you have smaller ears, then stay away from these, and go for something else B000B622DG:poor_reproduction:christopher_r._silvia B000B622DG Sennheiser PX 200W Collapsable High Performance Closed Headphones: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 2.0 March 14, 2006 Christopher R. Silvia I bought these to replace the standard iPod and Sony ear buds. I was under the impression that I would get a much deeper bass response. I was wrong. The bass reproduction is simply horrid. I read somewhere there is a "break-in" period. I have found this not to be true. They sound just as bad after 50 hours of listening as they did brand new. This is my first pair of Sennheiser and am very disappointed. I know they are low-end headphones - but I expected more. My recommendation is to keep researching B00004TDN2:1_shortcoming_only:craig_duncan B00004TDN2 Handspring Visor Deluxe (Graphite): Electronics electronics 0 of 2 2.0 September 9, 2005 Craig Duncan Silver Spring, MD USA Cons: Defect: the backlight does not work. Shortcoming: has Palm OS 3.1, an early version for Handspring Visors. Neutral: (expedited) Shipping time: 5 days Pros: Price PS: Vendor customer support contacted me and provided a replacement unit with a working backlight, free of additional charge :) B000069LIG:item_was_the_wrong_color:natalie_t._goldberg B000069LIG Panasonic KX-TS105W Corded Speakerphone (White): Electronics electronics 1 of 10 1.0 August 25, 2006 Natalie T. Goldberg Item was advertised as white, but it was really grey. As a result we had to return item and assume the cost of mailing it back B000069LIG:disappointing_speakerphone:j._b._oneill B000069LIG Panasonic KX-TS105W Corded Speakerphone (White): Electronics electronics 6 of 8 2.0 March 16, 2006 J. B. ONeill I bought this phone for use in my home office based on the rave reviews on this site for its speakerphone. Unfortunately, I have had nothing but repeated complaints that the voice is distorted or goes in and out, with the beginnings and ends of sentences frequently cut off. I am in the market for another phone after just 2 months B0007OWNBS:my_pc_is_now_dead,_and_netgear_doesn't_care:young_j._putt B0007OWNBS Netgear RangeMax Wireless PCI Adapter (WPN311): Electronics electronics 1 of 3 1.0 October 8, 2005 Young J. Putt During the installation of the software on my PC running Windows 2000 Server, the installation program froze my PC completely. I had to turn off the PC, and now it does nothing when I turn it on. The lights on the front light up, but nothing happens at all. I called Netgear, waited on hold for 15 minutes, and then was connected to a gentleman whose English was not very good. I explained my problem about 5 times before he seemed to get it. He told me that the problem is that the product is not compatible with Win 2000 Server. I told him that I had never before encountered a piece of software that ran on 2000 Pro, but not 2000 Server (perhaps there are some), but he insisted that this was the case. I explained that, typically, installation programs that encounter and incompatible operating system would display a message to the user, and exit, rather than freezing and disabling the computer, but he held firm, and advised me that there was nothing he could do to help, and that he recommended that I contact my computer vendor so that they could restore my initial configuration. I went around and around with this fellow, then finally asked for his supervisor. After another 15 minutes on hold, another guy came on the line, who was pretty fluent in English. He explained his understanding of the situation, which was still wrong, and I explained the whole thing again to him. He had me turn the computer on and off, which of course I had already done several times, and check the monitor connection. After this analysis, he determined that the situation could not possibly have been the result of the frozen software installation that occurred just prior to it, and must be some other problem with my PC that had previously been working perfectly, that, coincidently, occurred at the exact same time as the software freeze. I expressed skepticism towards this explanation, and asked him if he would believe that if it was his PC. He said that absolutely he would, and reassured me that there was NO POSSIBLE WAY, (emphasis his) that his software could have caused these symptoms. Since I understood that it would be difficult for him to actually fix a computer in this state over the phone, I suggested that I could take it to a local technician, and send Netgear the bill for repairing my system. He declined that offer. So, at the end of the day, I'm left with a dead PC, but, according to Netgear, a perfectly good wireless card and installation CD. No more Netgear for me, thank you! B0007YPOAA:why,_oh_why,_didn't_i_check_amazon_reviews_first?:b._richards_"frustrated_audiophile" B0007YPOAA PIONEER CD-IB100 iPod Adapter for Pioneer Car Stereo Receiver: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 24, 2006 B. Richards "frustrated audiophile" Phoenix, AZ I am totally stunned that this could be sold as iPOD compatible. Nothing, absolutely nothing, works as you would intuitively think it would. Pause does not pause, forward arrow does not forward to the next track (just starts the same track over and over again), and heaven help you if you actually want to find a specific song or artist. There is no way to actually speed through a menu - you have to advance one artist at a time. This is fine if you love Aaron Neville but chances are you will be in a limb severing accident if you are trying to get to ZZ Top. I am taking this back tomorrow and demanding something that will allow me to control my iPod again from my iPod B00003CWDQ:it_is_what_it_is:jeff B00003CWDQ Monster Cable MP HTS800 Home Theater PowerCenter HTS800: Electronics electronics 1 of 5 2.0 October 3, 2006 Jeff Houston, TX I guess for $50, this is an ok product. I am usually very against monster products, but I'd seen this for almost double at big box retailers, needed a surge protector for my new DLP tv, so figured what the heck. It arrived without incident, I hooked it up and so far so good. It basically a power strip with labels that also happens to be purple... for the "neato" effect I guess. Anyways, no idea if its worth more than your run of the mill surge protector. But the claims of independent circuitry to minimize cross-interference is what I was really interested in, as I have my reciever, cable box, DVD player, and subwoofer all connected... All in all a good buy I guess, at least you paid a lot less than retail... : B0007W1K8M:six_months_and_no_thinkpad_tip?_completely_unsatisfactory!:olin_sibert B0007W1K8M Kensington 33197 120 Watt AC/DC Power Adapter for Notebook Computers, Cell Phone, DVD Players, PDAs: Electronics electronics 6 of 9 1.0 September 27, 2006 Olin Sibert Boston, MA, USA I bought one of these a few months ago. It worked perfectly with my old Thinkpad, but not long thereafter I got a Thinkpad T60, thinking, "Hey, universal means universal, of course it will work". But no: SIX MONTHS after the T60 was introduced, Kensington STILL hasn't gotten their act together to produce a "SmartTip" for it. They haven't even added Lenovo to the list of manufacturers on their web site! All Customer Service can say is that they don't have one, they don't know when or if they ever will, and they suggest that I check back on the website someday if I still hold out any hope. So, I have a $100 brick on my hands. Very disappointing, Kensington. It's really too bad: the unit is lightweight, sleek, and functional, and (unlike some reviewrs) I think the 5-inch cord was brilliant (and it doesn't get tangled up in my briefcase). The cables are much nicer than on my 70-watt iGo supply, and the connectors don't break like they did on the iGo. And it's not like there's some technical problem: the T60 needs 20 volts, 90 watts, well within the 24-volt, 120-watt capability of this unit. However, six months delay in supporting a major business computer brand is just unforgivable, so I can no longer recommend it B000E1FYQA:very_disappointed_and_i_returned_them:musicfan B000E1FYQA Sennheiser CX300-B Earbuds (Black): Electronics electronics 1 of 5 1.0 November 4, 2006 Musicfan California I wanted to get something better than the standard earphones for my Ipod. I saw some good reviews and this brand has been known always for great headphones. Bought these and was shocked at the terrible sound quality. Yes, the sound is clean, but TOO clean. The highs are too high leading to tinny and over-brassy sound. Voices have too much hiss. There is virtually no low end bass of any type. Very disappointing B0001YFX7U:amazon_is_sleeping:baljit_singh B0001YFX7U Ridata 8x 4.7 GB DVD+R Spindle (100 Discs): Electronics electronics 2.0 September 24, 2006 Baljit Singh ny usa dvds are less than 30 dollars now with 16x speed and look at amazon ,it is still selling then above 40 (only 8x speed B0001YFX7U:want_to_donate_your_money_to_ridata_plus_pay_tax_and_shipping?:ganesh_usha_"ganush" B0001YFX7U Ridata 8x 4.7 GB DVD+R Spindle (100 Discs): Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 August 9, 2006 ganesh usha "ganush" CA Then buy these Ridata Disc B0001YFX7U:terrible_discs:big_leo B0001YFX7U Ridata 8x 4.7 GB DVD+R Spindle (100 Discs): Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 January 1, 2006 Big Leo Ft Lauderdale, FL Bought 100 DVD blanks - so far every one a coaster. Never had this kind of problems with any type of discs. Tried different software and burn speeds but nothing good. Very disappointed - at least they were cheap (...). B000F8VIRQ:save_your_money:gerryc B000F8VIRQ Panasonic KX-TG6700B 5.8 Ghz Cordless Phone Two-line Expandable Phone System: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 2.0 September 23, 2006 GerryC Northport, NY I am looking for a system to replace a Siemens 8825. The 8825 has, in my opinion, the best set of functions of anything currently available but I have some reliability issues with it. I first tried the Motorola 7081 and found that unsatisfactory. My next attempt was the Panasonic KX-TG6700B. This phone has decent volume and clarity at the base. The handset has good clarity and range but the volume could use a little help. The base layout is ok but the way you turn on the answering machine at the base is silly. The handset feels light and chintzy. The clarity of the outgoing messages on the answering machine is poor. The base is ugly; what were they thinking? Anyway, it ok, not wonderful. But since I couldn't get the answering machine to save messages on either line (it's defective) I sent it back. Back to the drawing board B0007UQ6LK:scan_disk_mini_sd:atf B0007UQ6LK SanDisk 1GB miniSD Card (SDSDM-1024-A10M, Retail Package): Electronics electronics 1.0 November 3, 2006 ATF Phoenix, AZ USA it did not work at all and Amazon would not take it back saying it was my responsibility that it did not work. I would never buy this or any other product from this seller B000CS1TLE:a_big_disappointment:naushad_a._virji_"naushad_virji" B000CS1TLE Logitech Harmony 890 Advanced Universal Remote Control: Electronics electronics 1 of 4 1.0 November 3, 2006 Naushad A. Virji "Naushad Virji" Orlando, FL - USA I was excited about consolidating 3 remote controls I regularly use plus my fan and light controls. However, the Harmony 890 has proved to be a big disappointment. I was much better off with the 3 remotes I was using before. It was much simpler than fooling with the Harmony remote which requires so many key presses for basic functions. I never have been able to get the Harmony to control the fan and lights. Some reviewers have said that you just need to take time to do the programming properly. Even if you do, in my case it's just easier to juggle my 3 remotes and press ONE button to do what it would take with SEVERAL key presses on the Harmony. My Harmony is now going to sit with the other remotes I never use and I'll just stick to the 3 that work for me B0006ZBHWY:buyer_beware!!!!:k._walls B0006ZBHWY Western Digital 80 GB Passport 2.5-inch External Hard Drive: Electronics electronics 6 of 7 1.0 October 6, 2006 K. Walls Metro St Louis United States Before you buy this drive, be sure to Google "Cypress AT2LP RC42" and "western digital". Until yesterday, I recommended this drive to everyone. Then my drive failed, prompting me for new hardware and to install a driver for Cypress AT2LP RC42. It appears that there is a chip in the drive housing manufactured by Cypress that is failing in drives left and right. (Class action suit anyone?) The Western Digital support staff is no help. Act like they have never heard of this error. Offer no option to just switch out the housing. Will replace drive- but you lose all the data. There are $30 replacement housings available - but you void your warranty. Bottom line - if you buy this drive, be prepared for it to fail. Keep everything backed up, because there will come a day that this drive will fail B0006DPT5M:a_lot_lacking_for_this_kind_of_money:headset_horseman B0006DPT5M Plantronics CS50-USB Wireless Headset for VoIP Softphones: Electronics electronics 23 of 28 2.0 May 2, 2005 Headset Horseman California While convenient and a nice, lightweight unit, the voice pickup is very poor, regardless of how you adjust the set. This is not only with the set I have used, but with others I have talked to - you can tell if the person on the other end of the phone is using one of these units because they are so faint. I've gotten so I just ask if they're using a Plantronics CS50 when they are faint and the answer is invariably "yes". Also, if you are in a building with a lot of exposed metal (window/door frames, high cubicles with lots of metal), the range deteriorates significantly B00003CWEZ:again,_monster_has_to_be_kidding_(and_they_are):great_movie_addict B00003CWEZ Monster Cable MVSV3-4M Monster Super Video 3 Double Shielded S-Video Cable. (13.12 ft.): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 April 29, 2006 Great Movie Addict New York City For some years I tried this and other Monster products, to the tune of over $1000 in Monster a/v gear. The more you learn about video and audio, the more you'll avoid anything with the Monster label. Specifically, this s-video meets no NTSC, DVD or IEEE standard; it is common 30-ohm hookup wire with ineffective shielding and a poorly designed, low-conductance connect plug that can wreck your input jacks and gives poor grounding. Has a sharp image, but includes a catalog of chromatic aberrations from off-color skin tones to color blotching, dirty grays, burned highlights, murky shadows, noisy reds, and poor color balance due to impedance mismatching that results in cyan errors and bleeding reds. Makes video test patterns look great, but who watches test patterns all day? Amazon offers many other brands at good prices, why waste your $$ on this stuff? I removed every piece of Monster from my system and replaced them with AR, Belden, Viewsonics and others from Amazon. Result: vast improvement in every respect. B0008F69KM:poor_quality_video._not_worth_purchasing.:funboy3_"funboy3" B0008F69KM What Really Happened While You Were Away! Secret Security Camcorder Hidden in a Clock (SI401): Electronics electronics 46 of 48 1.0 October 12, 2005 Funboy3 "Funboy3" Phoenix AZ I recently purchased this item from Sharper Image and was very disappointed. The video is faint, grainy (even in strong lighting), and out of focus once you are more than 2 feet away from the camera. Colors all but disappear. It's practically black-and-white video. The power supply weighs more than the device itself (one pound, including cord) and is HUGE. It also gets very warm after an hour or so. I've tested this product in every type of lighting situation and the results have been unsatisfactory in all cases. The only thing the device does well is detect motion. B000CRFI8A:lousy_customer_support_and_windows_xp_surprise_changes...:linksys_sufferer B000CRFI8A Linksys WUSB54GC Compact Wireless-G USB Adapter: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 October 22, 2006 Linksys sufferer Thousand Oaks, CA I bought this adapter along with the Linksys WRT54GL Broadband Router. I managed to set them up and install them properly. (The best advice I got from the "Home Networking for Dummies" book was to get a 100 foot Cat5e patch cable so that I could put my router in the place I where I wanted it, and hook it up with a wired connection first. I actually only needed a 50 foot cable, and got it for $20 from a local electronics supply store.) So I got everything up and running (remember to install your router first, and then your network adapter), surfed the internet for awhile, and then shut down my computer. Here's where the trouble started.... As other reviewers have noted, the Linksys installation makes changes to your Windows XP configuration, de-activating the Welcome screen and the feature Microsoft calls "Fast User Switching." This happens with no warning. When I went to turn on my computer again, I got a new start-up screen for Windows, demanding a password. I freaked out, because I don't remember ever setting a password for Windows. I called Linksys, and was extremely unimpressed with their customer support. The young woman seemed to be amused by my problem, and was actually laughing at me. She began to start me through the process of completely re-setting the router to the factory settings (this would NOT have helped). What finally helped was figuring out (with no help from Linksys) that if you never set a password for your Windows XP logon, all you have to do is hit "Enter" at the password prompt. That's all there is. Linksys could have told me this, or better yet, warned before installation that these changes to Windows XP would take place and suggest setting up a User Password in advance. Another gripe about this network adapter and the Linksys router--neither came with instruction manuals. There is a 60-page instruction manual on the CD rom that comes with the product, but you'll have to print it out yourself (Do it before you install or try installing the product). In the case of the router, I also had to do deep searching to actually find the instruction manual on the CD-ROM--it wanted to start up the Setup Wizard automatically and the instruction manual was not easy to access from the CD-ROM. I guess this may be the norm now with computer hardware, but it still stinks. I do not recommend the Linksys WUSB54GC, primarily because of the unannounced changes it makes to the Windows XP system, and because of Linksys' non-existent or non-functional and rude customer support B0009PD3PA:not_worth_it:m._voges B0009PD3PA TomTom Navigator 5 (Software Only, US): Electronics electronics 2.0 September 19, 2006 M. Voges San Clemente, CA USA I have owned the TomTom Navigator 5 for almost a year now. While the program is well thought out and provides a good function, it does not work well with my Tungsten T5. I have contacted customer service 4 times now and they have always been helpful in trying to fix my issues (listed below), but to no avail. Some of the issues I have had: Any time the software has to redirect or think, it locks up. If I stay on the original planned route, it sometimes works properly... In a 30 minute trip from Orange County to Long Beach, I had to pull over 7 times to reset my device after the software locked up. Voices lock up mid sentence giving a stuttering sound until you are able to pull your car over to reset the device. In a 20 minute trip from San Francisco to Oakland the device locked up 5 times. I finally gave up and called a friend to guide me. Bear in mind, I have had no problems with my T5 in the 1.5 years of ownership...it is only with this software. Customer service has acknowledged the problems and given solutions that have solved little to nothing. In summary, it's not worth spending the money to have to print out Mapquest directions to have when the device crashes...stick with Mapquest B0009PD3PA:okay_product._contemptuous_product_support.:jerry_saperstein B0009PD3PA TomTom Navigator 5 (Software Only, US): Electronics electronics 15 of 15 2.0 April 1, 2006 Jerry Saperstein Evanston, IL USA Essentially once TomTom has your money they're finished with you . . . until you want to spend more money with them. The product is okay. The map data is from TeleAtlas, a vendor to many of the map software producers. What makes TomTom different is its GUI (Graphic User Interface) that the user interacts with. It really is a work of art most of the time. The map presentations are rich and may be viewed as 3D or 2D. The planning interface is icon driven and easy-to-use. Unfortunately TomTom really didn't think it all the way through. There are several irritants, all of which vie for first place. One is that TomTom doesn't give you the option of using its maps without a GPS. There are many instances where I know where I am begining from and going to and I don't need a GPS fix. TomTom ignores such desires and annoyingly keeps prompting for you to start your Bluetooth connection. There is one mode that you can use to plan a route without a GPS and it simply doesn't work very well, often informing you that TomTom can't route you from a point beginning on an interstate to another point further along the same highway. That's just plain dumb. This is a mapping application. If I want to use these expensive maps for walking directions without a GPS, I should be able to. TomTom certainly doesn't think so. Another irritant is the documentation. Probably in an effort to make TomTom appealing to the casual user, the documentation is dog simple . . . and often wrong. It appears that they didn't update the documentation to the newest version. Although you can load maps by region, TomTom makes no allowance for travelling from one region to another. You have to calculate your route to the ending point within one region and then begin it anew in the next region. Again, this strikes me as a silly omission. If you are in Wisconsin, which is one region, and drive to Minnesota, which is in another, you have to create two routes. Not bright. There are a number of idiosyncracies, anomalies and bugs that drive me up a wall. However, overall, TomTom is still better than the competition. It computes routes quickly (when it is capable of figuring a route at all). Annoying, however, it tends to prefer expressways, regardless of your preferences. In a major metro area laced with expressways going in all directions, this can create some incredibly convoluted - and ridiculous - routes. Creating alternative and more logical routes is possible, but tedious. The worst part of the TomTom experience is its customer support. Well, perhaps support is the wrong word for it. I encountered two problems installing the software. It was obviously that the tech support person was clueless and was simply guessing and grasping at straws. (I had resolved the issues before the rep called and already knew what the problem was.) The TomTom rep didn't listen, kept interrupting and when it was pointed out that he was contradicting the manual, he just kept moving. (The manual in at least one instance was correct and the rep wrong.) The TomTom packaging itself arrived in broken condition. The rep denied it was their packaging, claiming that I must have bought a third-party repackaged product. Talk about insulting: I have the package in front of me with the TomTom labels, the whole works and this guy is telling me that my lying eyes are deceiving me? A fax to TomTom management about my experiences has gone unanswered more than a week later. TomTom is riding high right now but I suspect in a couple of years as competitors introduce better products with better support that TomTom will be history. It won't be the first company that offered a good-enough product without support and possesing contempt for its customers to disappear and it won't be the last. I know that if I find a marginally better product with adequate support, I'd abandon TomTom in a flash. Jerr B0009PD3PA:map_activation?_for_a_product_i_purchased?_:j._bougiamas_"booyia" B0009PD3PA TomTom Navigator 5 (Software Only, US): Electronics electronics 15 of 17 1.0 January 5, 2006 J. Bougiamas "booyia" Syosset, NY USA The TomTom Navigator is a nice enough device, until you get to the Maps activation. The Maps activation? Why should I have to activate my maps if I have paid for the product? Good question, well, I activated these maps on one PDA, and within 2 weeks my PDA died and I had to obtain warranty service. Well, I decided that I would upgrade to a new device and then sell my old device when I got it back from the manufacturers (I tend to switch my PDA every 3-4 months anyway). So I installed the maps on the new device and it asked me to activate. OK, I figure...no problem, I will be able to activate it 1...2...3 because after all, only I have the activation card/code. No such luck, TomTom wants PROOF that I have brought a new device? what kind of nonsense is that? What if I lost my PDA in 2-3 months? What if I'm a nut who likes to change PDA's every 3-4 months? What, you mean I have to show you proof that I switched? Isn't the fact that I have the activation card proof enough? I don't know too many people who pay $269 for a product and let other people use the activation codes. Avoid them at all costs. You will regret your purchase if you change devices frequently. One other problem with this product...out of the box it is not 100% compatible with Windows Mobile 5 devices (most of the new Axims are WM5. You really have to break your back to install on these devices. Avoid B000196C2A:why_is_this_so_cheap?:nedthedog B000196C2A Garmin 010-10454-00 Handlebar Mounting Unit for GPS 60 Series: Electronics electronics 1.0 October 30, 2006 Nedthedog Ohio I agree, this is a flimsy piece of plastic that will not hold the GPS unit over a few little bumps. I expected more from Garmin. Consider this: Touratech Mount for Garmin 60C series. Its a solid unit. It costs a little more but you won't be replacing your GPS unit due to it falling to the ground. B0001DB6LS:barely_gets_the_job_done_...:michael_w._dini_"mike_(la_jolla)" B0001DB6LS Garmin iQue 3600 GPS Auto Bundle: Electronics electronics 6 of 8 2.0 May 9, 2006 Michael W. Dini "Mike (La Jolla)" Southern California My company car has a built-in GPS unit and I have gotten to like it, sort-of. I have gotten lost in a rental car trolling around Silicon Valley enough to get a portable GPS unit. After some research, the Garmin iQue 3600 is what I ended up with and I paid about $700. The unique feature of this portable GPS unit is that a PalmPilot comes integrated into the package. I use a PalmPilot, so this GPS unit replaces my PalmV. Installation was quite awkward, and getting it up and running was a chore. I got the thing synced up and some maps loaded and have been using it for several months now. It does do the job, fitfully, and has several glaring issues. Most irritating, the Palm function and the GPS function are not seamlessly integrated. If an address is entered in the Palm part and then route to this address is selected, the iQue 3600 makes you find the location. But the address from the Palm section doesn't transfer cleanly into the find section and you must retype the address. I'm left-handed and graffiti has NEVER worked for me all my letters are drawn backward. The GPS can be engaged as soon as it recognizes where you want to go, but my unit takes a good 5-10 minutes to find the satellites when first exposed to sky. This means that I must have a good idea what to do for the first 5-10 minutes. Sometimes I just drive randomly until the GPS locks in and starts to issue navigation orders. Also, the antenna must be deployed to get any GPS reception and must be forward enough in the windshield to see sky. This is OK, except that the iQue 3600 doesn't tell you that the antenna has not been deployed. The iQue 3600 does not work propped up on the passenger seat so a 5 pound holder is necessary to hold the unit on the dashboard. If the antenna is not deployed, the iQue 3600 simply doesn't navigate and doesn't tell you why. Worse, it acts stupid by going into a dangerous and unhelpful simulate mode. If I ever figure out what that means, Ill tell you in a future post. I figured out the antenna problem the hard way in an ice storm outside of Ottawa. I'm a fan of GUI design, and I must say that the UI here is very, very bad. Not the worse I have ever seen, but very bad: non-intuitive, inconsistent, and arbitrary. The FIND function/button has an entirely different function in the GPS section from the Palm section. Of course, the same icon is used. I cannot imagine grandma using this thing to navigate. What little there is of the very pretty documentation is atrocious. About 10 times more information is needed here. It shuts down randomly on occasion for no apparent purpose (Battery savings maybe?). The secure digital card is too small (max of 256MB), so you can't put more than a few California counties in the memory. Maps storage is managed with a rather hostile GUI. This is not fatal, but is irritating. I would rather put a 1GB SD card in the iQue 3600 and be done with it. The iQue 3600 burns too much power to be used as a portable, so it must always be tethered to the car or resting in the cradle. I don't find the power issue to be a problem. I understand that to get clear, bright screens it is necessary to use power. I agree with the tradeoff here. B0001WW3F2:good_idea,_poor_design:w._d._henderson_"radio_guy" B0001WW3F2 Griffin Technology RadioShark AM / FM Desktop Radio with Time-Shift Recording: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 May 27, 2006 W. D. Henderson "Radio guy" Houston, TX Summary........good idea, very poor implementation. Good software and easy to use, major problem is reception of radio stations. I live in a major metropolitan area and have to practically stand on my head to get the radio shark to get clear reception (even with a plug in antennae) B0001XGQBS:very_cheap_cases...and_i_don't_mean_only_the_price:scott_k._mccormick B0001XGQBS Fellowes 100PK SLIM JEWEL CASE ( 98335 ): Electronics electronics 6 of 6 1.0 August 21, 2005 Scott K. Mccormick The price on the cases is cheap but you get what you pay for. I will never buy these cases again. Quite a few of them were broke when I got them. Even the ones that weren't broke are made of VERY flimsy plastic and I have a feeling they will break if I open them very often. They also don't open and shut very easy. Look elsewhere for good cases B000DZS3UQ:cheap_costs_you_more_in_the_long_run:real_name_here_"quilt_artist" B000DZS3UQ Sentry SP400 MP3 Folding Speaker System: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 March 26, 2006 Real Name Here "Quilt Artist" Rytchere I bought this and I'm sorry. It sounds horrible. Don't waste your money because you'll just have to buy another one anyway for any true enjoyment. This crap is barely good enough for my bathroom B00008ZLHG:got_mine_at_the_dollar_store:dan303 B00008ZLHG Monster Cable AICYP iSplitter Mini Y-Adapter for iPod and Mac: Electronics electronics 8 of 20 2.0 January 16, 2005 dan303 They sell these at almost every dollar store, sure the sound quality might not be quite as good, but you're going to have signal loss whatever you hook it up to. These things sell for $1.50 CAN at dollar stores and are worth every penny of THAT pric B0000BZO6E:the_worst_wireless_card_ever:g-unit B0000BZO6E Microsoft MN-720 Wireless 802.11g Notebook Adapter: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 September 6, 2005 G-Unit Alright before I begin let me just say I know quite a bit about wireless networking. I had already connected 2 wireless pc's to my 128 bit WEP encrypted router. I had initially set it up as WPA but opted to change it as this hunk of junk doesn't support WPA. This card will detect your network no problem, just try connecting to it. Apparently I am typing in the wrong WEP pass.... I can assure you I am not. Perhaps there is an issue between Micro$oft and D-link I am unaware of...go figure. I do not have the time nor patience to deal with Micro$oft's customer support regarding this issue. Back to the store this goes. Do yourself a favour and do not buy this B0000BZO6E:an_interesting-looking,_but_useless,_blinking_bit_of_plastic:asdf B0000BZO6E Microsoft MN-720 Wireless 802.11g Notebook Adapter: Electronics electronics 5 of 10 1.0 August 21, 2004 asdf MN Microsoft has never failed to disappoint me, (I suppose there is something to be said for consistency) and this carries on that somewhat dubious tradition. I bought this with a the MN-700 wireless router, and both worked fine for a couple weeks. However, they both conspiratively proceeded to stop functioning. This card was the most maddening of the pair, because it would find the wireless network every once in a while, yet refuse to connect. I've tried every channel, and made sure its on infrastructure mode, but it still refuses to work. I suppose I deserve it, though, expecting that a microsoft wireless card would connect to a microsoft wireless router with a microsoft operating system. Do yourself a favor and buy your wireless networking from a decent company that has some expertise in networking, like Linksys or Belkin. Whatever you do, give as little money as possible to this shoddy company B0009ORXEI:not_worth_the_money:stacey_mitchell B0009ORXEI iRiver T10 512 MB MP3 Player with FM Tuner: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 November 9, 2006 Stacey Mitchell Philadelphia, PA I returned this product after a week - it was difficult to manage, the screen way too small to read (and I have 20/10 vision!) and just a very disappointing product overall. Do not waste your money. I ended up buying a Samsung and I couldn't be more happy B000FJLBTK:terrible!_do_not_purchase!:lenny B000FJLBTK HP Photosmart C4180 All in One Printer/Scanner/Copier: Electronics electronics 5 of 25 1.0 October 2, 2006 Lenny North Carolina, USA I just purchased this printer last night at BestBuy and took it home. When I removed the contents of the box, I noticed that the USB cord was not in there. I read the directions and said that you had to buy the cord separately. I couldn't believe it. So, I went to the store and bought one. This cost me an additional $11. I went home, installed the software and plugged everything in. I printed off a few things and it looked great. Today, I went to use the printer again and the power woudn't turn on! I disconnected then reconnected everything and still no power! I tried several more things and still couldn't turn the power on. Now I have to return it to BestBuy. This was the first and last time I will ever buy anything from HP!! B0002SQ0AE:fire_hazard:c._hadden B0002SQ0AE Logitech Z-5300e 5.1 5-Piece Surround Sound PC and Gaming Speaker System: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 September 20, 2006 C. Hadden We purchased this system less than two years ago. It has seen light to moderate use. Several days ago, the speakers started intermittently cutting out. This afternoon, the subwoofer popped several times--then caught fire! Fortunately, my son was able to extinguish the flames before much damage was done. Beware!!!! B000FJEYZS:five_stars_for_the_buds,_zero_stars_for_the_cord:r._smith B000FJEYZS Sennheiser MX75 Twist-To-Fit In-Ear Stereo Sport Headphones: Electronics electronics 1 of 4 1.0 November 11, 2006 R. Smith New Orleans, LA USA I do not recommend Sennheiser's MX75 headphones. First, the good features: 1. As with all Sennheiser products, these earphones deliver first rate sound for its price range. 2. The earphones are very comfortable and easy to fit properly using the included pads. 3. Once inserted in the ear, these earphones will not fall out due to vibration, movement or sweating. However, the cord has ugly problems: 1. The cord is unusually stiff and consequently tends to be tough to manage. This is especially true when the phones are first removed from the package, as the cord maintains a sort of corkscrew shape for quite some time. 2. The cord running to the right earphone is substantially longer than the one connecting to the left earphone. The result is annoying slack around the face and neck. 3. The cord is the ugliest possible shade of green. All in all, should Sennheiser offer a new product using the same earphones, but with conventional wiring, I'll be a buyer. Until then, I've given up on using these lime green annoyances B000DIM9AS:wouldn't_work_for_me_-_soooo_disappointed:okcpa B000DIM9AS Coby TF-TV505 5" LCD Color Television: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 7, 2006 OKCPA Tulsa, OK I bought this TV for my husband to take hunting but we can't get very many channels and the ones we do get have a terrible picture. The TV is an awesome size and the design is really nice with a good size screen. I didn't hook to cable so that may improve the picture but we don't have cable. I tried programming the channels from two different locations 20 miles apart from each other. I tried programming with the antenna on the TV and with separate rabbit ears. It would only pick up one of the three local network stations. It picked up maybe 8 other misc stations which aren't popular. I couldn't get a good picture on any of the stations and I tried adjusting all the menu items, brightness, hue, etc. It didn't even have a good black and white picture .... it was like a white screen with blurry images in the back. Sooooo, sooo disappointed because I wanted to be able to use this at work too. B0007TJ7TE:an_o.k._keyboard_with_cheesy_backlighting_and_no_fn_key:peter_frishauf B0007TJ7TE Saitek Eclipse Keyboard ( PZ30AU ): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 October 15, 2006 Peter Frishauf New York, NY USA I wanted a keyboard that I could use in low light with both my PC and Mac, and this one is reasonably o.k. Those users who enjoy the backlight of a Mac PowerBook or MacBook Pro will be disappointed by the cheap approach Saitek used to illuminate the keys, though. On the Mac, each key has its own embedded light under the key. On the Saitek light is splashed under the entire keyboard, reducing the contrast and making it much harder to see the keys. But it's better than nothing, and is helpful in low light. It would have also been nice if they had an Fn key, but such is life B000095SMR:this_card_adapter_doesn't_work_with_my_hp_printer:teresa_l._carpenter_"travel_lore_crafter" B000095SMR Fuji CompactFlash xD Card Adapter for xD-Picture Card: Electronics electronics 7 of 7 1.0 November 17, 2004 Teresa L. Carpenter "travel lore crafter" Kingsport, TN USA I purchased my Fuji CompactFlash xD Card Adapter elsewhere and it doesn't work in my HP officejet 7130 all-in-one. It won't load in as it's supposed to but will fit correctly backwards. Except then I get an amber light that says there is a card error. This is supposed to work with my all-in-one but it doesn't. For that reason, I'd give it a zero star rating if such a rating existed. I'm going to take this CP version back and hope the more updated CPF version works. I'm a travel writer planning to take my own photos to go with my articles, but I'm getting nowhere fast with this card adapter that refuses to work properly. This one is definitely a thumbs down. However, this is my first dud Fuji product I've bought and I love Fuji digital cameras B0002DQUHC:cheap_and_cheaply_made!:m._eder B0002DQUHC D-Link DWL-G122 Compact Wireless USB Adapter, 802.11g, 54Mbps: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 October 31, 2006 M. Eder NYC Mine worked fine for about a month before it stopped working. dealing with D-Link isn't a pleasure either. Don't get it. Get something better. Spend a little more, avoid the hassles B00006B9ZB:if_you_have_a_tekxon_digital_camera_do_not_get_this!:tyler_reed_"tyler" B00006B9ZB Lexar Media 128 MB Secure Digital Card: Electronics electronics 1.0 February 4, 2006 Tyler Reed "tyler" Keller, TX IF YOU HAVE A TEKXON DIGITAL CAMERA DO NOT GET THIS because when you put the memory card in and you turn the camera on the screen goes black! B00006B9ZB:stressful_30_minutes:peter_tonev B00006B9ZB Lexar Media 128 MB Secure Digital Card: Electronics electronics 2 of 10 2.0 December 27, 2003 Peter Tonev Toronto, Ontario Canada My brother got a Lexar for Christmas. He put it in his Tungsten C and for 30 stressful minutes the card did not work. The device recognized the card, but you could not copy, format, nothing... just got an error "This card is read only and cannot be <whatever>." Then all of a sudden it started working. 2 stars for the stress and for the fear that it will stop working again B000233YDK:not_reliable_and_customer_service_is_poor:mr._stargazer_"clear_dark_skies" B000233YDK Syntax Olevia LT27HV 27" HDTV-Ready Flat-Panel LCD TV: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 October 16, 2006 Mr. Stargazer "Clear Dark Skies" Wisconsin Everything your read about the picture quality is true... however, this product just isn't reliable. Cost me another $600 to get it fixed and it isn't even 18 months old. I am sure I am not alone since you can see these on that famous auction site may with similar power issues. Customer service from this company is also very poor. If I had it to do over I would not have purchased this product and I probably should not have spent the money to get it fixed. I think it will be just a matter of time before some of these 5 star reviews begin to change their tune B0001IXUDU:your_money_is_better_spent_elsewhere:joshua_hodge_"aylwyne" B0001IXUDU Monster Cable HDMI 400 High Resolution A/V Cable - 4 Meters: Electronics electronics 23 of 24 1.0 October 20, 2006 Joshua Hodge "Aylwyne" Boston, MA Like most have pointed out, it's a digital signal and there's no need for all the gas-injected, gold plated, shielded stuff monster cables hype. For analog signals this stuff absolutely makes a difference because analog cables are highly affected by outside EM interference. Some people have pointed out that monster cables are more durable. So yes, if you plan on swinging around on your cables it might matter. If, like most people, you plug the stuff in behind your equipment then leave it be for months and months, don't waste your money B0001DYTY4:if_i_could_give_this_a_zero,_i_would.:bri-man_"the_video_dork" B0001DYTY4 SimpleTech 160 GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive ( STI-USB235/160 ): Electronics electronics 1.0 November 25, 2006 Bri-Man "the video dork" MN Bought this and plugged it in and backedup some files, went to transfer them to another computer and the drive was dead, I treid a few computers and no of them could regonize the drive. I guess I have one of the many "bad ones".. B00023CJKE:too_many_disappointments:s._sturch B00023CJKE AT&T E5865 5.8 GHz DSS Expandable Cordless Phone with Answering System and Dual Keypads: Electronics electronics 2.0 March 6, 2006 S. Sturch San Antonio, TX Others have written about this phone not holding the charge, and I agree! I can't tell you how many times a call has gone dead in the middle of a conversation, with no warning, no low battery message. I've only had the phone since November. There is not a quick, convenient way to redail numbers--you have to choose from a list of options, 1-plus number, or the area code without the 1, or no 1 and no area code. No easy way to speed dial. Range is disappointing. I'm looking for a new phone. Back to Uniden or Panasonic B000799LQS:just_didn't_work!:mark_twain B000799LQS Memorex 2.4x 8.5 GB Double Layer DVD+R Pack (3 Discs): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 January 21, 2006 Mark Twain West Coast After burning one coaster, I thought, it's just a fluke. I'll burn my first DVD in no time. I was wrong. After updating the firmware on my new Plextor DVD burner and downloading the latest version of Nero 6, I burned two more coasters. Don't buy these unless you want pain and frustration B000799LQS:worst_media_ever:nickyct B000799LQS Memorex 2.4x 8.5 GB Double Layer DVD+R Pack (3 Discs): Electronics electronics 6 of 7 1.0 November 8, 2005 Nickyct Plays fine on the first layer. But picture will freeze during layer switch. I either have to stop or skip pass the chapter but picture will be jumping and pixellated, pretty much unwatchable. you have to skip at least couple chapter away from the layer switch to get a decent picture on your screen. don't waste your money. Buy verbatim instead. I never had any problem with that media. B00004Y3UX:not_for_a_serious_audiophile_setup:david_v._bowen B00004Y3UX Monster Cable SS4 Multi-Speaker Selector: Electronics electronics 11 of 12 2.0 October 15, 2005 David V. Bowen New Jersey Dissapointing. The sping-loaded connectors at the back of the selector are not particularly strong, so thick or rigid cables under tension (e.g. twisted at odd angles) easily slip out. The depth of the connectors is also not great, so wires cannot be inserted very far to compensate for the lack of traction. Connections might be better using Monster Cables' own Angled Gold Pin connectors, but I didn't try those B000E39V9O:disappointed_with_dph-50u:m._harris B000E39V9O D-Link DPH-50U Skype USB Phone Adapter: Electronics electronics 2.0 October 18, 2006 M. Harris Utah On the good side, it was easy to set up, and worked reasonably well if the phone (tried both cordless and corded) was plugged directly into unit. However, I could not get it to work on other phones in the house when I used the jack to plug it into the wall per the instructions (so it would work like a land line on any phone in the house). I do not have a land line, so it may just need a land line to work since you are supposed to be able to switch back and forth. I even tried disconnecting the line outside the house but that didn't work either. I experience sporatic dropped calls that were not present before installing this device. I contacted tech support and was sent a driver upgrade v 1.20 (not available from their website). This seemed to improve the dropped call situation a bit, but I still have more dropped calls than before. The dealbreaker for me was after I found out you had to be logged in as an administrator for it to work. With an "always on" internet connection, I was not willing to expose myself to that security risk B000E39V9O:unacceptable.__this_is_worse_than_beta.:c_campbell B000E39V9O D-Link DPH-50U Skype USB Phone Adapter: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 October 9, 2006 C Campbell Los Angeles, CA United States I bought this a few weeks ago so that I could connect a cordless phone to my office computer and use Skype for my calling. When it works, it works well, and the sound quality is fine. Unfortunately, much of the time, it doesn't work. It drops calls at random. Customer support is dismal, I emailed them several days ago and didn't even get a response acknowledging the email, let alone a solution to my problem. Just now I have tried reinstalling the drivers but that seems to be failing. We have a VoSky Call Center at home that so far has been working much better. I bought the the DPH-50U because I was in a hurry and the store I was at only carried it, not the VoSky. I wish I had waited and bought a second VoSky B0000BVYTV:sucks!:d._mentzer_"dm" B0000BVYTV Antec USB-Powered Notebook Cooler: Electronics electronics 1 of 4 1.0 August 18, 2006 D. Mentzer "DM" LA, CA the connection keeps coming loose and now it doesnt work unless you hold it in place - useless and a waste of mone B000F1O0X2:scroll_wheel_just_stops_working!!!:a._traverso_"subgenius" B000F1O0X2 Logitech MX 400 Performance Laser Mouse: Electronics electronics 1 of 5 2.0 June 5, 2006 A. Traverso "SubGenius" Petaluma, CA USA I really wanted to like this mouse but so far it has given me nothing but grief. If you plan on leaving your computer on for extended periods of time and then coming back to it to do some work you may find that your scroll wheel no longer scrolls pages. I have had to on several occasions unplug and replug in my mouse in order to get the scroll wheel working again. This is absolutely UNEXCEPTIBLE Logitech! What happened to Logitech? You used to be able to count on them for quality products now I am wondering if I should switch back to Micro$oft products. I may give the Micro$oft Laser Mouse 6000 a try and take the MX 400 back B000F1O0X2:bad_-_bad_-_bad:biil_seeb B000F1O0X2 Logitech MX 400 Performance Laser Mouse: Electronics electronics 0 of 9 1.0 May 27, 2006 Biil Seeb Pittsburgh PA Like the forward/back buttons but they are located too far back on the body for comfort. Like the scroll wheel and side-to-side scroll ability. Pointer flickers a lot sometimes and often disappears over certain buttons. Logitech website gives no help. Comes with an installation CD for a Logitech MX320 !!! Be prepared for a 50MB download to install the MX400. Almost makes Microsot look good B0009L8Q8I:description_and_picture_are_very_misleading.:greg_stratakes_"amazon_fan" B0009L8Q8I GN-Netcom GN Netcom GN 6210 - headset ( 85-00006 ): Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 June 9, 2006 Greg Stratakes "Amazon_Fan" Bradenton, Florida United States I have the same issue as "Misleading Item Description" below. The only reason I bought this is because I thought it was the complete set. What good is a headset without the base? WARNING! TigerDirect does not except returns on this headset; so now I must return the headset to TigerDirect, then buy the full unit from TigerDirect or I lose my $70. The headset with the base is about $35 more expensive than what I would have payed at BUY.COM. I expect a lot more from Amazon. Very, Very Disappointed B0002ZFVB6:very_bad_product:yi_chen_"courga_boy" B0002ZFVB6 Rikaline GPS-6010 USB GPS receiver for laptop notebook PC WAAS: Electronics electronics 5 of 21 1.0 March 10, 2005 Yi Chen "Courga boy" USA I bought this Rikaline GPS 6010 a month ago. I tried to make it work for hundreds times, but it only worked once. Evertime when I turned on the GPS, it was always telling me it was initializing and then it just stopped working.I hate this thing because it embarrassed me before my friends. B0001D3K3A:don't_buy_this_junk.__plenty_of_other_good_adapters,_why_risk_buying_this:j._tone B0001D3K3A Linksys WMP54GS Wireless-G PCI Card with SpeedBooster: Electronics electronics 7 of 7 1.0 August 24, 2006 J. Tone San Jose, CA Mine actually works and I still hate it. I haven't had all the problems others are complaining about. ---I run Windows XP SP2 had no problems compatability. ---Signal strength is fine. ---I had no problem installing on one computer....except that I installed the card before running the CD, just like every other card or peripheral I have ever installed. I've never seen one that didn't allow you to install hardware before drivers. So I had to take it out, run CD and put back in. Just a minor annoyance that cost 10 minutes. But c'mon Linksys why the special order? Most people that are willing to open the computer and install a card don't need instructions to know "take card and put in slot" and "insert disc", so they don't look at them. At least they put a warning sticker about the installation order on the disk cover for us non-direction readers. Annoying but no stars deducted for this. ---Told Mom to buy one (this was before I had installed mine). Installed easy and it worked fine at first. Now it connects to router but can't find internet (yes other computers connect to net through this router just fine). Would think maybe firewall setting issue??? but I used to work then just stopped. C'mon Linksys if your connected to the router how hard it is to find the internet. Deduct 1 star. ---Stupid software only supports hexidecimal passwords. Of course my router also support standard alphabet and my password had some G-Z letters, so I had go change network password and update all devices attached to the network. C'mon Linksys how hard it is to support A-Z. Annoying but no stars deducted. ---SLOW SLOW SLOW SLOW TO CONNECT!!!! On my other computers you hit connect and are online in 5-10 seconds. This thing takes 30 seconds to a minute. Impatient, yes. But still unacceptable. Deduct 1 star. ---Can't hibernate or sleep computer or card disables. Only way to get it turned on again is to reboot. So it's either leave computer on all day long, or reboot everytime I want go online. Deduct 1 stars. --Overall bad product. Deduct one star B0001D3K3A:terrible_connections:a._chu B0001D3K3A Linksys WMP54GS Wireless-G PCI Card with SpeedBooster: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 June 19, 2006 A. Chu Palo Alto, CA USA I bought two of these cards to go alongside my wrt54gs. I though that they should work great together since they are from the same manufacturer. Oh boy was I wrong. Even the though I get full bars with these cards, I get very flaky connections with them. I've tried many different settings and firmwares to try to rectify the problem. Many hours have been spent trying to get a stable connection. No dice, very flaky. Other computers with different cards work fine with the wrt54gs and never dropout. So there is something about this card that just isn't right, and I can't imagine both cards being defective. I haven't tested them with another router, but if it can't work with a wrt54gs v3, then what's the point B00008YBCJ:amazing_furreal!: B00008YBCJ D-Link - Antenna cable - N-Series connector (M) - N-Series connector (F) - 30 ft: Electronics electronics 0 of 2 2.0 January 12, 2006 I got this toy for Christmas. Ilove it. I abanded this toy,and it got some brudle hits. It was still alive! Know I keep safe becuse I don't want it to die. I don't think this toy is a wast of money.Mine is ginger. It came with a silver/grey newborn kittin B00023NDLS:overpriced:james_b._beckham_"jim" B00023NDLS Acoustic Research AW-871 Wireless Stereo Speakers: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 November 23, 2006 James B. Beckham "jim" columbia These speakers are o.k., but don't expect high sound quality (I bought these as refurbs, so maybe that is it, but when you turn up the volume, they don't sound good - I'd recommend going to a store and testing units before buying new). Also, probably the biggest failure in my opinion is that they appear to be line of sight - that is, they fade in and out when you walk around the room. This should not be a problem on this low bandwidth (but it is), perhaps the antenna needs a boost B00023NDLS:not_so_good.:h.f.mudd B00023NDLS Acoustic Research AW-871 Wireless Stereo Speakers: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 November 17, 2006 H.F.Mudd Redding, CA Too much static with snapping and popping - even after making all of the adjustments possible. The speakers are ONLY 10 feet away from the transmitter but still poor-to-marginal sound quality. Don't see how these could work 300 feet away(?) I do NOT recommend this product B000063SNE:cheap_junk:r._johnson_"19th_century_artist" B000063SNE RCA ANT1250 UHF/VHF Amplified indoor Antenna: Electronics electronics 4 of 9 1.0 February 8, 2006 R. Johnson "19th century artist" SoCal, USA Cheap piece of junk. Probably has 2 cents of electronic parts in it. I'm returning it to Wallmart. It might work OK if you live like right next door to the broadcast transmitter. Otherwise it's just too weak in its signal pulling ability. Also, when I turn the gain dials, they don't seem like they are really variable. I think they are really just on/off switches disguised as variable dials, because i don't see any difference between medium gain and high gain on any of the channels. I'm going to now go to a REAL, serious electronics store and look for some SERIOUS tv electronics hardware instead of Wallmart garbage. I'm going to work on improving my roof antenna and its cabling and I'm going to try using a variable gain preamp if I can find one (a high quality one, not junk). I tried a preamp from Wallmart (which wasn't adjustable at all) and it did help a lot with UHF channels, but the VHF channels were much worse because it made the signal too strong. So I need a variable gain preamp, assuming there is such a thing. I would advise everyone to go read the information available on the internet about tv antennas and how to get the best picture with them. I did yesterday and there's a lot of good stuff I never knew before. B000063SNE:indoor_tv_antenna:miles_h._kennedy B000063SNE RCA ANT1250 UHF/VHF Amplified indoor Antenna: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 2.0 October 3, 2005 Miles H. Kennedy Cleveland, Ohio I live in a particularly bad spot for TV reception and have been forced to use cable. This antenna brings in several local stations but the quality of the picture is unsatisfactory. So, unfortunately, for me it's either back to cable or try an amplified outside antenna. Miles Kenned B0000DBLMB:does_not_work_in_presentation_view.:randy_dodd B0000DBLMB Kensington 33062 Wireless Presentation Remote Control with Laser Pointer (PC/Mac): Electronics electronics 2 of 3 2.0 September 18, 2006 Randy Dodd Novato, CA United States Yeah, they claim this thing works with MS Powerpoint. But what they do not tell you is that it only works with PART of Powerpoint. It only works in Slide Mode. It does NOT work in Presentation View mode. Of course, most of my presentations are run in Presentation View mode. SO the remote is useless. And they have no fix for it. They cannot even document that this is the case. I am going to look for something else. Maybe the Microsoft Remote. ***UPDATE*** It's true, this presenter has problems with PowerPoint's Presenter View because in that mode PgUp and PgDown keys are used to scroll the notes. However, here's a neat trick I discovered that makes it work again: - Start the presentation in Presenter View - Pres "B" on your keyboard to show a blank screen - Click the mouse (anywhere in the blank screen) once to resume the presentation and then AGAIN to advance to the next slide - Magically, from this point on the presenter buttons work flawlessly. B0002ZZTFE:confusing_description_of_item:a._coughenour B0002ZZTFE Motorola MD71 5.8 GHz Cordless Accessory Handset for MD700 Series Phones: Electronics electronics 1 of 9 1.0 May 14, 2006 A. Coughenour California I wish the description had beem better. Somethimg like THIS PHONE NEEDS ANOTHER UNIT TO WORK! People who have never seen an expansion phone can be missled like I was. Returned item B00006FXR9:review_of_zenith_zhdtv1-hdtv-uhf_digital_indoor_antenna:david_j._krupp_"djk" B00006FXR9 Zenith ZHDTV1 HDTV-UHF Digital Indoor Antenna (Silver and Black): Electronics electronics 0 of 4 1.0 November 16, 2006 David J. Krupp "DJK" NYC , USA The Antenna did not work at all! Save your money! B000I5PGOM:dead_unit:j._maldonado B000I5PGOM Creative Labs Zen Vision: M 60 GB Portable Media Player Black: Electronics electronics 0 of 22 1.0 November 1, 2006 J. Maldonado Georgia I recieved this unit 3 bussiness days after I ordered it. Fast shipping. To bad when i recieved it it only worked for 2 minutes!!! Sending back tomorrow, not sure if i want another one. Only comes with usb charger, no wall charger B00005MITU:at&t_210:a._ritchie B00005MITU AT&T 210 Trimline Phone with Memory Dialing (Black): Electronics electronics 2.0 November 9, 2006 A. Ritchie Wakefield, MA United States Phone seemed nice but I bought it to hang on a wall and it wouldn't due to manufacturing. B000136P8W:terrible,_useless,_and_unecessarily_complicated.:walter_o'brien_"concretewo" B000136P8W Plantronics S12 Corded Telephone Headset System: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 November 16, 2006 Walter O'Brien "concretewo" Clinton, NJ USA All I wanted was something to make the incoming audio louder while listening to a call and typing during an interview. I couldn't find just a headset amp so I purchased this "system" based on Plantronics' good name. Instead of just plugging it into the wall phone jack, you have to use a regular phone, route the receiver/handset cord to this, then back out to the receiver/handset again, which makes this light unit basically hamstrung between the headset and handset and doesn't want to sit on the desk without taping it down. Then you have to take the receiver/handset off the hook, place it on the desk (assuming you have desk space, which I don't) then push a button to start up the headset. Most importantly, listening sound quality was muffled and not very loud. If I turned up the incoming sound volume, it immediately put a loud annoying squeal of feedback into the microphone, making it totally unusable. I went back to my regular, unampflied Plantronics headset which just plugs into the wall phone and is always on with no extra cords, ac adapter, or buttons to push. I'm not very thrilled with that, but for $15 it sounds MUCH better and much louder, without the feedback or the hassles. So for now I guess I'll stick with that until I find something else that just improves the incoming sound B0007N55LE:they_don't_stay_on/in_your_ears:tina_mazzarino B0007N55LE Sony MDR-EX81LP Bud-Style Stereo Earphones (White): Electronics electronics 1 of 3 1.0 November 19, 2006 Tina Mazzarino MA I never even got a chance to listen to music through these headphones. I couldn't get them to stay in/on my ears. The loops that go around your ear are huge and just make them more cumbersome. These may fit men with bigger ears better but I wouldn't recommend them for females B0007N55LE:no_need_of_ear_hanger:j._kim_"http://clixlounge.com/" B0007N55LE Sony MDR-EX81LP Bud-Style Stereo Earphones (White): Electronics electronics 1 of 2 2.0 November 9, 2006 J. Kim "http://clixlounge.com/" MD USA I like the color and sony's technology of the earphone itself. But the hanger that should be placed on your ear is worthless. When I put the earphone in the ears, the hanger part is just hanging in the air, not supporting the earphone to be placed in and steady. Because of that, the earphones easily pop out of your ear B00005UK9T:adhesive_problems:m._shanafelt_"shanafme" B00005UK9T Garmin Auto Mounting Bracket for eTrex: Electronics electronics 9 of 9 2.0 January 1, 2006 M. Shanafelt "shanafme" Hollidaysburg, PA United States The device is well built but has one major flaw. The adhesive comes in 2 types, "removable" and "permanent" types. Neither adhesive would stick to the dash of my Jeep Liberty. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it now, it appears as though I'm going to either have to find a more permanent mounting solution or find another type of adhesive B000B6D39I:right_click_is_tricky:christian_oliver_"coliv77" B000B6D39I Apple Bluetooth Wireless Mighty Mouse: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 19, 2006 Christian Oliver "coliv77" Atlanta, GA After two weeks of use, I returned the mouse because 3 out of 4 times I tried to make a right click, it would not work. I eventually got frustrated and decided to return it. I'm sure it has to do with the way I use the mouse but I'm not planning on changing my angle or whatever it is that makes it fail. I think a regular 2 button mouse is just perfect. I wish this mouse had a real mechanical right button because it would be perfect. I LOVED the scroll wheel and will miss it greatly B00081GASC:it_arrived_doa:barry_weber B00081GASC Etycom Headset Pillow Pak: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 11, 2006 Barry Weber Philadelphia, PA USA I had high hopes for this headset. I found that I could not hear anything when I attached it to my Treo 650. The Treo uses a standard plug. I verified that my Treo is working by attaching a stereo headset B0001NA2S6:pure_junk!:erick_perez B0001NA2S6 D-Link DP-G310 Wireless Print Server, USB 2.0 802.11g, 54Mbps: Electronics electronics 1.0 September 27, 2006 Erick Perez Miami, Fl My friend bought one and I tried to set it up for him. Let me tell you, this thing is pure garbage. I spent a good hour and a half trying to get it to work. I tried to set it up using 2 laptops which were set up exactly how the booklet outlined. The direct ethernet connection wouldn't work and connecting to it through wireless was spotty at best. I could sometimes get into the setup page through wireless, but all of a sudden the setup page would stop working. Stay away from D-Link! All their products are cheaply made and difficult to configure B0001NA2S6:difficult_to_install_and_unreliable:j._lin B0001NA2S6 D-Link DP-G310 Wireless Print Server, USB 2.0 802.11g, 54Mbps: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 March 4, 2006 J. Lin San Jose, CA United States I got this print server about a month back. Initially it took me 4 hours to get this thing installed and running in the wireless mode! After I got it setup, it worked fine for a week. But, then the wireless connection with the print server got flaky, so I switched to the wired mode. All was well again, but then after a couple of weeks the wired connection got flaky. It stopped printing and didn't recognize my HP-1200. After fiddling around with it for a few hours I finally got the contraption working again. But, now my latest problem is that the print server prints garbage to the printer! Plugging the printer directly in to a computer works fine, but the print service somehow corrupts the data going to the printer and I end up with pages of garbage and error messages. SUMMARY: This thing was a beast to set-up and every time something goes wrong, it takes a phenomenal amount of time to debug and correct. That's in addition to the questionable reliability of this device. I say steer clear of this thing. I'm now shopping for something better and never buying D-Link again B0002XHFPS:pathetic:brandon_king_"brandon" B0002XHFPS Kensington WiFi Finder Plus: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 June 14, 2006 Brandon King "Brandon" Providence, RI This thing does a horrible job at detecting wifi networks. I have to be within 10 feet of my router to get a 50% signal (even though I can walk out tot he edge of my house and easily still get a good connection). If it does detect Bluetooth, which half the time it doesn't (regardless of it being active), it cancels out the wifi detection. So if you have a bluetooth headset, and you're talking, the thing will just let you know that yes, there is a bluetooth device around. Thanks. I was wondering B0008G1RWG:needs_help:joanna_owen B0008G1RWG TomTom GO 700 Portable GPS Navigation with Hands-Free Calling: Electronics electronics 24 of 24 2.0 August 21, 2006 Joanna Owen Birmingham, Al USA My husband bought me this for Christmas because we were moving to a new city. He picked it out because unlike Garmin and Magellen it was created from the ground up for use on the road. The features are easy to use, the directions are great and when you need a new route because of roadblock or traffic - it really comes up with a great plan. However - my first one lasted 3 months before it died, I then replaced it with another one and it died 3 months later as well. I was very reluctant to buy a different brand - but had to for dependability. I still don't like my Garmin as much - but at least it works. Come on Tomtom - get the electronics working as well as the maps and directions B0009DG7KK:not_ready_for_primetime...:douglas_f._jones B0009DG7KK Wacom Graphire Bluetooth 6x8 Tablet: Electronics electronics 39 of 41 2.0 October 30, 2005 Douglas F. Jones Los Angeles, CA I'm a longtime user of Wacom Intuos tablets and I was looking for something similar with wireless capabilities for my new dual 2.5ghz-G5. There were no wireless Intuos products available at the time of purchase, so I went with the Graphire Bluetooth. Unfortunately, the product leaves a lot to be desired and after a couple of weeks of use, I plan on returning it. The major problem lies with the pen--both in design and responsiveness. Design: the Graphire series is cheaper than the Intuos, and there's a good reason why: the Graphire pen is thinner, lighter, and has no grip. If you have very small hands this might be acceptable; in my hand this feels like a toothpick. It's very difficult to manipulate a tool effectively when it doesn't feel like it has any durability. Additionally, the Graphire pen stand is little more than a piece of transparent molded plastic and slides around the desk whenever I put the pen back into it. Responsiveness: There is a half-second delay whenever using the pen to click in any finder-related options--opening windows, selecting files, etc. 1/2 second may sound acceptable, but if you, like me, use the pen for everything, not just drawing, believe me it is utterly maddening. On the other hand, the mouse behaves perfectly with no delay at all, so I know it's the pen and not my computer. The tablet is attractive and the mouse works fine, but the bottom line is that it's more important for me to have a responsive, durable pen than a wireless tablet. If you've never used an Intuos you may not recognize the deficiencies, but for those who have, this is like going from a Mercedes to a Honda Civic. You'll get better gas mileage with the Civic but the Benz gives you the best overall driving experience. I need the driving experience, so I'm going back to the Intuos--wire and all. B0001A99LK:p.o.s.:caesalpina_"casealpina" B0001A99LK Apple 4 GB iPod Mini Pink M9435LL/A: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 1.0 June 2, 2006 caesalpina "casealpina" southern california I know that everyone else seems to love this, so perhaps my complaint is more about Apple in general. My Ipod Mini (pink)is a lemon. The battery has never worked properly. It takes longer to charge than to discharge, and my current playing time per charge (no changing settings, not backlighting, nothing but hitting play and waiting till the battery dies) is about 2 hours. Apple will gladly sell me a new ($70) battery, but other than that tough. It is apparently my fault thet they're selling shoddy products. I'm not saying don't buy it. There aren't realistically any better choices out there than the Ipod, but buy it when you have a week to sit around and evaluate it and when they get around to opening a store near you. As for me, I think I'm going to dig out my old discman B000BNMDBU:total_crap.__sound_quality_is_awful.:scott.hunter_"professional_stud" B000BNMDBU DLO 009-3030 Transpod In-Car Cradle/FM Transmitter, White ( 009-3030 ): Electronics electronics 3 of 4 1.0 June 2, 2006 Scott.Hunter "professional stud" bonerland I returned this thing the day after I bought it. I should of been clued in when I purchased it at the store, ALL the Transpod models had a little sticker on them advising them about the store's return policy. I thought it a little unusual at the time, but after listening to the thing I understand why now. I'm sure a lot of people had been returning this model. The sound quality was really bad. You have to turn your stereo WAY up to hear the music, and even then it sounds almost as bad as AM radio. I'll add that the files I was playing were 192Kbps aac encoded files so they're decent quality too B00005B9AQ:sub_woofer_problems:m._bouline B00005B9AQ Harman Kardon SoundSticks Computer Speakers: Electronics electronics 2 of 4 1.0 October 29, 2005 M. Bouline Texas After only a couple of months of light use, the sub woofer started making loud thumping sounds and the system stoped working. As soon as power is connected to the sub woofer, the loud thumping starts. I exchanged the system and the second set had the same problem after 6 weeks!! A total piece of junk B000F3YSQ4:fancy_features,_but_bottom_line...poor_performance:michael_r._bell B000F3YSQ4 Fujitsu ScanSnap S500 Clr 18PPM/36IPM Dupl Scanner: Electronics electronics 3 of 5 2.0 October 20, 2006 Michael R. Bell Tokyo, Japan While a nice product packed with great features when it works, the bottom line is that it does NOT support TWAIN drivers, meaning you can not scan through ANY application other than ScanSnap. BIG MINUS. Second minus is JAMS, JAMS, JAMS. I have barely used this machine, but the double feeds are incredible (the rollers are new and the machine is clean). I even tried using high grade color laser copier paper, but STILL double feeds big time! Upon occasion, I get a good feed, and I am so thankful for that. If you are planning to do some serious office organizing with various types of paper, sizes and paper weights, skip this product and go for a ADF flatbed scanner. This baby will JAM up your day and consume all of your time with fiddling, reorganizing the misfeeds and clearing jams. Think deeply before buying this one. Also, with an ADF flatbed, you can scan books, and unusual documents (thin paper, very heavy paper) that an ADF (and the ScanSnap) won't process by simply lifting the lid of the ADF and taking the scan directly on the glass. With ScanSnap, you are screwed B000065UTC:too_loud:dag_a._schield B000065UTC Kensington 62648 FlyFan USB Notebook Fan (PC/Mac): Electronics electronics 1 of 4 1.0 September 29, 2005 Dag A. Schield Just plugged it in and I'm ready to ship it back. Creates an annoying, high pitched buzz B000065UTC:err...:kuyo B000065UTC Kensington 62648 FlyFan USB Notebook Fan (PC/Mac): Electronics electronics 2 of 3 2.0 September 23, 2004 Kuyo Honolulu, HI USA I was hoping that by getting this I'd get a decent flow of air and i'd be able to use it anywayer. But I was sorely dissappointed. It doesn't give much air and all the air you get you need to be close to feel... plus its too loud to use in most places... If you really need it, you can get it... but I can't use mine often because like I said its too loud. Not worth it, not enough air flowing B00005Q3UD:terrible_and_disappointing_product:fred_pickering_"consmer_advocate" B00005Q3UD AT&T 2255 2.4 GHz Dual Handset Cordless Phone with Answering System and Caller ID (Champagne): Electronics electronics 1 of 3 1.0 May 9, 2005 Fred Pickering "Consmer Advocate" Purcellville VA The battery life for this phone after one short year is abysmal. After charging it all night, it dies after a few hours of nonuse. The redial button simply has never worked. It is not user friendly at all although I could live with this if the two issues above were resolved. I contacted AT&T and requested that they send me a new model that works since this phone is obviously defective. If they refuse then I won't ever buy an AT&T product again and neither will anyone I come into contact with. It's that simple. Update...AT&T refused to do anything about the phone despite the obvious flaws,. As a result, I will never buy another AT&T product again. AT&T, you are exhibiting the traits of a company that will go out of business. B00005Q3UD:worst_phones_i_have_ever_used:ross_mccord_"dork" B00005Q3UD AT&T 2255 2.4 GHz Dual Handset Cordless Phone with Answering System and Caller ID (Champagne): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 February 22, 2005 Ross Mccord "dork" Santa Cruz, CA USA We bought a set of these phones because they looked nice, and because AT&T is a reliable company. But these phones are the worst. After having them for about 3 weeks, we began having terrible results with the volume/speakers in the phones. I took them back, and got a new set. These lasted about twice as long, before the battery life just became worthless. We are unable to leave these phones off the hook now for any extended period of time - say, 1 hour. And you can't talk on the phone for more than 30 minutes or so before the battery dies out, and takes 6 hours or more to get back charged again. And yes, we followed all the directions for letting the batteries charge, and all that kind of stuff. Still...I have never used a more frustrating phone, nor will I ever purchase an AT&T phone again. I bought a new phone today, and once fully charged, I will take these AT&T phones out back and smash them with a hammer B00005Q3UD:poor_battery_life_:bruce_e._gunn_"gunnbug" B00005Q3UD AT&T 2255 2.4 GHz Dual Handset Cordless Phone with Answering System and Caller ID (Champagne): Electronics electronics 4 of 5 2.0 October 18, 2004 Bruce E. Gunn "gunnbug" Belvidere, IL USA I have to agree with many others about the poor quality of this phone. The battery life decreased rapidly and after several weeks I was forced to keeps both phones on their chargers. Instead of gambling on replacement cells I bought a Panasonic phone as suggested by other disappointed AT&T model 2255 buyers B0001MQURE:pathetic_sound.:c._champion B0001MQURE Monster Cable iCarPlay iPod Cassette Adapter (AI CAS-ADPT): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 October 17, 2006 C. Champion I also was suckered in by the Monster name. I have an older Sony adapter that I've used in the past with no problems but couldn't locate it right before a road-trip, so I bought this one also. This actually sounds substantially worse than my actual cassettes (even though they're all over 10 years old). The sound is hiss-filled, very poor signal-to-noise ratio. Stay well away B0001MQURE:zero_stars:eieio B0001MQURE Monster Cable iCarPlay iPod Cassette Adapter (AI CAS-ADPT): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 July 7, 2006 eieio Chicago I attempted to use this product in my 2002 Chevy Tahoe factory audio system. As others here noted, the deck would quickly error and eject the Monster Adapter. The Monster Adapter did work in my 2000 Harley Davidson FLTRI factory audio system. The difference is that the Harley unit does not have "cut-tape" detection. The Tahoe does. I returned this Monster unit and picked up the Sony Sony CPA-9C. The Sony device is a bit different as it has small link of simulated audio tape within the tape path. This little bit of simulated audio tape effectively fools the tape unit not to think that there is an error and eject the Cassette Adapter. There are other reasons that these adapters will auto-eject (Google is your friend). But the Sony unit seemed to be the solution for me. The big reason for the zero star review is that Monster has ZERO information on their web site or product packaging regarding device compatibility or troubleshooting. B0001MQURE:so_quiet,_it_didn't_work_at_all:p._brown_"babybrownbooks" B0001MQURE Monster Cable iCarPlay iPod Cassette Adapter (AI CAS-ADPT): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 June 19, 2006 P. Brown "babybrownbooks" I lost my adapter that came from Walmart and was a generic brand. It worked perfect. This thing was expensive and it didn't work at all. I'd have to turn the volume on both the ipod and stereo all the way up and then I'd get some sign of life, not anything you'd want to listen to. It's worst than even the worst RF transmitter I've ever tried. Don't waste your money, believe the reviews B000058BCR:the_worst_unit_i_have_ever_used:douglas_d._gaj B000058BCR Garmin eTrex Vista 24 MB GPS with Compass, Altimeter, and PC Cable: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 November 8, 2006 Douglas D. Gaj Seattle, WA I bought this unit a couple of years ago based on its features, but soon discovered that it can't normally do the one thing that all GPSs should, tell you where you are. I used my e-Trex Vista for about a year and half and would estimate that I spent 10% to 15% of the time staring at some type of lost signal message. The unit is totally useless under any type of tree cover and often has trouble holding a signal anywhere on overcast days, which means about half the time in the Seattle area where I live. I would not recommend this unit to anyone but my worst enemy B000058BCR:lackluster_product_at_best:byngbong_"byngbong" B000058BCR Garmin eTrex Vista 24 MB GPS with Compass, Altimeter, and PC Cable: Electronics electronics 5 of 10 2.0 June 13, 2006 ByngBong "ByngBong" Tacoma, WA USA I had this GPS device for only 3 days and found it to be no better than mediocre. Although at one point I was able to track 6 WAAS satellites and the display claimed accuracy to 17 feet, while driving along a straight road for 5.5 miles, it indicated that I was traveling approximately 350 feet to the side of the road. On two occasions on this straight road, it said I actually crossed the road and traveled on the opposite side. I conducted a test by placing the unit where it would have an unobstructed view of the sky for 1 hour and leave it motionless. The trip computer reported that it had moved nearly a quarter-mile during that hour. I checked the accuracy at 15-minute intervals and it was constantly reporting accuracy between 12-24 feet. The base maps are crude and inaccurate - a major 4-lane road (Hwy 7) in Tacoma, WA stops at 38th street. Really?!? If I drive down Hwy 7, it goes a couple of miles farther than the unit shows. While using the compass you must hold the unit level in order to obtain accurate readings - understandable. There is even a little message that tells you to hold it level if you are off a little - nice. I tried and tried to find "level" according to the unit and after about 3 or 4 minutes was able to determine where "level" was. It was nowhere close to actual level. Now, if I am trying to navigate with the unit's compass while it is mounted to my bike, there is no way it is going to be level and accurate. At 5.3 ounces, it doesn't even pass off as a good paperweight. Fortunately I was able to return it to the seller with no problems for a full refund (Thank you REI!). I found out that Wal-Mart.com sells the unit for 50 bucks less than REI after I bought it though. Recommendation: If you need a paperweight, get a rock - if you need a GPS, get a different one. B000058BCR:good_device,_worst_service_and_software_imaginable:d._j._lidsky_"jolly_editor" B000058BCR Garmin eTrex Vista 24 MB GPS with Compass, Altimeter, and PC Cable: Electronics electronics 9 of 21 1.0 April 17, 2006 D. J. Lidsky "Jolly Editor" New York, NY Garmin's devices are pretty good. Somewhat tempermental, but mostly reliable. It's connecting their software and dealing with Garmin support that is a nightmare. And, you will need to call them because their software has all kinds of bugs and an archaic key system. Customer service hold time: 30-35 minues. Response time for email tech requests: a staggering 5-7 working days. Clearly Garmin does not care about its customers B00014B4OQ:great_product_-_horrible_durability:laura_a._huber B00014B4OQ Acoustic Research AW771 900 MHz Wireless Stereo Headphones: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 October 18, 2006 Laura A. Huber Boston, MA When these headphones are working, they are great. I never have trouble receiving sound. They are amazingly comfortable. Great battery life, and batteries are rechargeable. Long distance is great too, I can walk throughout the whole house on multiple floors without any trouble. But... it's FAR to often that these are NOT working. As a matter of fact I've gone through FOUR pair in the last 2 years. The first pair didn't work out of the box. The second pair lasted two weeks and then the headset just would not turn on. The third pair lasted about eight months before the same thing happened, they just would not turn on. The forth pair lasted about a year and then yesterday the very same thing happened. B000EWARBG:software_defeats_purpose_of_flash_drives.:l._f._martins B000EWARBG SanDisk 1 GB Cruzer Micro with U3 ( SDCZ6-1024-A10, Retail Package): Electronics electronics 1.0 November 22, 2006 L. F. Martins After having an experience with slow startup speeds (and actually freezing a computer) with the 1GB Cruzer Micro with U3, I feel compelled to write this negative review. The mere existence of a software layer to access the flash drive defeats the main purpose of existence of flash drives: a fast and higlhly compatible interface. Any hidrance to this convenience makes the device a liability. I work at an educational institution wher I am responsibel for organizing presentation sessions in which speakers often bring their presentations in a flash drive. As a matter of policy, we will not allow speakers to plug in to our computers devices that run any kind of software in the background B000EWARBG:how_to_remove_the_u3_launch_pad_:picasso_"sharko2005" B000EWARBG SanDisk 1 GB Cruzer Micro with U3 ( SDCZ6-1024-A10, Retail Package): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 October 12, 2006 Picasso "sharko2005" California I bought the Cruzer Micro not knowing that it came with the U3 Launch Pad software preloaded. As soon as I tried to use it on my computer at work, the company's anti-virus/firewall decided it was an intruder, preventing it from working at all. I was ticked... I had almost given up on it and was actually shopping around for another USB drive that had no software on it, when I ran into a website that lets you download an uninstaller for the U3 Launch Pad. I downloaded it, ran it and it took no more than 15 seconds to clean out the offending U3 garbage! Now I like my Micro Cruzer all over again! Oh yeah... the website to uninstall yours at is: [... B000EWARBG:i_hate_this_drive:g._johnson_"glj52" B000EWARBG SanDisk 1 GB Cruzer Micro with U3 ( SDCZ6-1024-A10, Retail Package): Electronics electronics 4 of 7 1.0 October 5, 2006 G. Johnson "glj52" Santa Fe I wish I had read the reviews before buying this piece of junk. As another reviewer says, U3 ruins it. I have a Mac so that feature is useless, but even worse it cannot be disabled. Everytime I plug in the drive I get this cheesy CD image cluttering up my desktop and I have to eject it, along with the drive icon, before the unit can be removed. What clunky engineering. I'll be returning this and scratching Sandisk off my list of reliable companies. I also agree with the reviewer who complained about the packaging. It is impossible to open without tearing it apart, which is probably a strategy to reduce returns B0000E0ZM0:if_the_case_doesn't_fit_you_must_acquit:pbb B0000E0ZM0 Palm Hard Case for Tungsten E and Tungsten E2: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 February 3, 2006 PBB Brea, CA United States Spare SD card slots molded into the lid of this case prevent it from closing completely around the Tungsten E. You will see a noticeable gap around the bottom edge of the closed case. Slight pressure on the latch side side will cause the case to pop open unexpectedly in purse or brief case. I returned mine to Amazon a few days after receipt; still looking for an alternative B0003QIXBY:a_bad_choice_for_16x_writing:thomas_b._talbot B0003QIXBY Verbatim 4.7 GB 16x DVD+R Recordable Media Spindle (25 Discs): Electronics electronics 7 of 17 1.0 December 1, 2004 Thomas B. Talbot Manhattan, KS USA With a destructive toddler in the house I like to back up my DVD movies. Having recently purchased a 25 unit spindle, I recently tried backing up several DVDs with my sony DRU-710A 16x DVD recorder. Although the recording process initially did seem to work smoothly, when I attemped to play back the disks recorded at 16x speed, I would have read errors and lockups on DVD players usually towards the end of the film (the outside of the physical disk, where maximum recording speed is obtained.) I did have better reliability recording at 4x speed and suspect that 8x writes will work fine as well. Given the fact that I paid a premium for this new high speed media, I am disappointed. I have had nearly 100% reliability with Memorex 8x DVD+R, recently making 25 successful recordings in a row with this brand (ASIN: B0001MKU4S B00004Z7XX:an_expensive_piece_of_garbage:joshua_j._callahan_"jcallahan1" B00004Z7XX Plantronics MX10 Universal Amplifier for Headsets: Electronics electronics 5 of 5 1.0 April 10, 2006 Joshua J. Callahan "jcallahan1" jcallahan1 I bought this thing becuase I use voice recognition with my computer and I'm on the phone quite a bit. it was supposed to eliminate the need to for two head sets. With the amplifier and the plantronics headset to go with it The total cost came to around $200. Yay! The amplifier has a strong hum when used through the phone and when I use it witht eh computer it has such poor sound quality that it doesn't work with my voice rec. software. I called customer service and they said I should send the unit to them and they would send me a new one. Funny, I have read that in a few places online. I went out and bought the Labtec equivelent, the dialog-301 at a whopping $15 (headset included, the head set is cheap though) and it is chrystal clear for both the phone and my computer. Plus if you want to upgrade the head set you can buy any analog computer headset. Save yourself $185 and just buy the dialog-301 you will be happy. B000076WEX:one_year_later_the_card_no_longer_works:m._murray B000076WEX Kingston CF/1GB 1024 MB CompactFlash Card (1 GB): Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 December 19, 2005 M. Murray North Coventry, Pennsylvania Just a fair warning to all out there considering this card. After purchasing this card it worked great. Then in the middle of my friend's wedding the card no longer was readable by my camera. I could not believe it! When I got home I put the original card in the camera and it worked fine. I reformatted this card and still the camera could not read the card. Not worth the money for only one years use B000076WEX:john_:jp_in_jc B000076WEX Kingston CF/1GB 1024 MB CompactFlash Card (1 GB): Electronics electronics 7 of 8 1.0 June 11, 2005 JP in JC Jersey City NJ I have the Canon Rebel. I had the same problem where files were corrupted. Also, when clearing the card, some pics stayed filed. I am not happy with this flashcard at all. B000CFSLXG:crappy:sylvia_jensen B000CFSLXG Apple iPod Retractable USB 2.0 Data Cable: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 March 23, 2006 Sylvia Jensen It doesn't work properly. I can charge the Ipod but it doesn't let me sync. Sent an email to the seller but no answer so far! I am very disappointed with my purchase B0000AINEO:the_biggest_mistake_i_'ve_made!!:titurel B0000AINEO Sony RDR-GX7 DVD Recorder: Electronics electronics 12 of 22 1.0 November 27, 2004 Titurel Monsalvat DO NOT BUY THIS CRAPPY PIECE OF JUNK!! I purchased this unit with faith in SONY. Well forget it!! after 4 months the unit failed and began reading "disc dirty" half way through each recording. I sent the unit back for repair. They claimed to have "fixed it" but when I received it back it STILL failed on each disc (note that these failures RUIN the disc!). They sent me a brand new unit. GUESS WHAT..?! It failed after 3 months with the SAME PROBLEM!! I sent it back for repairs. AGAIN they claimed to have "fixed it". Well, it malfunctioned IMMEDIATELY!! I sent it back AGAIN!! This time they gave me a refurbished unit. I know you wont believe this...but the unit is WORSE than the other two!! They are currently sending me ANOTHER new unit. But I have no doubt this one will STILL be a piece of crap. They simply don't have this technology down. SONY should NEVER have put this junk on the market. BEWARE!! - UPDATE - They sent they new unit. Guess what? PIECE OF JUNK. Fails on discs writing and when reading written discs. After trying FOUR of these units I can assure you this is a LEMON. Please note these positive reviews are from buyer who had their units for two weeks or similar time periods. I have had four different units for ONE YEAR and can tell you THIS IS JUNK! Selling this crap on ebay and buying a REAL unit. NOT SONY! B00005KJUG:better_late_than_never_...:ttocsmij B00005KJUG Philips DVD782CH 5-Disc DVD Player: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 August 11, 2006 ttocsmij Upstate NY USA We needed to know if this unit (Philips DVD 782C) was compatible with DVD+RW disks so I Googled it and found this Amazon listing. We were totally amazed to find the reviews we found ... and wish we had done this years ago INSTEAD OF SPENDING ALL THIS TIME STRUGGLING WITH THIS POOR EXCUSE OF A DVD PLAYER. We have spent countless hours MR. Clean'ing and SkipDr'ing disks just to get them to play (and sometimes even that didn't work). Just in case anyone else comes along, take the excellent advice given several times in this collection of reviews ... RUN THE OTHER DIRECTION WITHOUT QUESTION IF SOMEONE OFFERS YOU THIS DVD PLAYER. Now, we do NOT believe this is a fundamental problem with Philips. We have, and have had, many fine products sold by Philips. We are guessing this particular DVD player was the result of some very poor product planning that went very badly before, during and after the fact. Hopefully the person(s) responsible has (have), per usual corporate practice, been promoted farther up the ladder where they can no longer inflict this kind of pain on Customers. P.S. We tried to give this product "0" stars but Amazon requires at least "1" star. Probably a quid pro quo agreement of some sort we imagine B00005KJUG:late_review_but_in_full_agreement:tim B00005KJUG Philips DVD782CH 5-Disc DVD Player: Electronics electronics 7 of 7 1.0 May 25, 2004 tim Fresno, CA, USA Unfortunately my wife and I purchased this "product" without reading the posted reviews here. ALL are entirely accurate! I cannot calculate how many hours I have spent trying to figure out what is wrong. No loading, skipping, freezing, not OPENING when it freezes, all down the line, combined with 100 trips to and from the video stores to exchange their "defective" DVDs. My wife was firmly of the belief the DVDs were just "dirty" but I finally decided (this agrees with one of the reviewers) there is a balance problem in the drawer. When there is a no-load, jiggling/adjusting the drawer sometimes (not always) fixes it, but only until the next time, and will not stop the freezing problems. If my wife had a dime for every time I said "this thing is a piece of @&*!" she would be a millionaire. This is very late but if this product is still on the market in ANY form stay many miles away. And Philips' arrogant lack of response (as reported; I have no personal experience here) is virtually criminal in this day and age B00003CWEY:again,_monster_has_to_be_kidding_(and_they_are):great_movie_addict B00003CWEY Monster Cable MVSV3-2M Monster Super Video 3 Double-Shielded S-Video Cable (6.56 Feet): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 April 29, 2006 Great Movie Addict New York City For some years I tried this and other Monster products, to the tune of over $1000 in Monster a/v gear. The more you learn about video and audio, the more you'll avoid anything with the Monster label. Specifically, this s-video meets no NTSC, DVD or IEEE standard; it is common 30-ohm hookup wire with ineffective shielding and a poorly designed, low-conductance connect plug that can wreck your input jacks and gives poor grounding. Has a sharp image, but includes a catalog of chromatic aberrations from off-color skin tones to color blotching, dirty grays, burned highlights, murky shadows, noisy reds, and poor color balance due to impedance mismatching that results in cyan errors and bleeding reds. Makes video test patterns look great, but who watches test patterns all day? Amazon offers many other brands at good prices, why waste your $$ on this stuff? I removed every piece of Monster from my system and replaced them with AR, Belden, Viewsonics and others from Amazon. Result: vast improvement in every respect. B00003CWEY:i_am_unable_to_verify_its_ultra_high_performance:runfast_"marathon_runner" B00003CWEY Monster Cable MVSV3-2M Monster Super Video 3 Double-Shielded S-Video Cable (6.56 Feet): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 July 18, 2002 runfast "marathon_runner" Miami, Florida ~I bought the MVSV3-1m cable and put it between my Pioneer V555 DVD player and SONY WEGA tv KV-27FS12, I was unable to see with my naked eyes any improvement regading the visual quality, color, sharpness. Same as the result as I used the composite cable came with the box. I really don't know why. I have to say, my TV is a good one and the picture quality is already satisfactory even I don't use DVD player. Unfortunately my DVD player does not have component jack to let me try the next level video~~ experience. I don't want to say this expensive cable is a poor one, I was just unable to verify its alledged ultra high performance. we just don't have a benchmark to evaluate it. B00001P4ZD:disappointed_and_feeling_ripped_off:lesley_symmonds B00001P4ZD Koss KTX-Pro Portable Stereophone: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 2.0 April 19, 2002 Lesley Symmonds Jacksonville, FL United States I bought these headphones based on the first couple of reviews I read here. I should have read further, because about two weeks after I purchased the earphones, the left side went out completely. There was nothing obvious on the outside of the unit and I didn't hear any "rattling" as described by other users. The darn things just quit! I must say, however, that the sound quality for those first two weeks was excellent, but all in all, not worth the money and frustration B000COVZD0:worst_customer_service_ever:earlyadopter_"earlyadopter" B000COVZD0 iAudio U3 2 GB MP3 Player: Electronics electronics 9 of 26 1.0 February 23, 2006 EarlyAdopter "EarlyAdopter" USA Cowon aka iAudio have the worst customer service of any other major company I dealt with. No phone support, they have an 800 number but when you call it they direct you to their website. Their website support gives you the option to submit a ticket or Live Chat. I waited over an hour on their Live Chat before I get a message saying that Live Chat is not available at this time. I submitted a ticket & guess how long before I heard a response. & the response was "ship the item back for a refund". I also tried to download the latest firmware and the link was broken. I heard a lot about how bad their customer service was, but when I tried it myself it was even worse B0000Y3KS0:not_sold_by_amazon_-_beware_of_electrogalaxy:h._christopher_giacinto B0000Y3KS0 Maxell AA Alkaline Batteries Value Pack - 40 Pack: Electronics electronics 9 of 23 1.0 March 2, 2006 H. Christopher Giacinto Tampa, FL These batteries are NOT sold by Amazon. They are sold by an Amazon re-seller called Electrogalaxy. Please read the reviews of this company before purchasing. I do not recommend this company due to their poor return policy and terrible customer service. You have been officially warned. DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM ELECTROGALAXY B0000642RX:keys_rearranged:k._pemberton_"cherith" B0000642RX Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite: Electronics electronics 9 of 13 1.0 May 11, 2006 K. Pemberton "cherith" Portland I went and got this keyboard after the first one broke. I found the keys were re-arranged. Instead of hitting home - I wound up deleting my work. This is a keyboard I cannot work with. Model Number 1 and 3's were better. B00009KH5Q:the_most_difficult_thing_in_the_world_to_configure:chip_gandy B00009KH5Q D-Link DP-311U Wireless Print Server, 1-USB Port, 802.11b, 11Mbps: Electronics electronics 4 of 5 1.0 July 29, 2006 Chip Gandy Problem #1 - out of hte box, these units are assigned 192.168.0.10 as an IP address. find if your network is on the .0 subnet. So I had to change my entire network over to this in order to get it configured. Problem #2 - once changed, now i have Ip address issues because of the existing clients picking up the .10 address. Problem #3 - If you incorrectly specificy the SSID/wep key or IP address, you have to put it back to the defaults and start over. there's no way to configure the unit Problem #4 - it just plain don't work as it should. Easily the most difficult unit i've ever had to configure. It's a shame that I'm swearing off linksys as their prices are good. Despite it's decent price, stay away from this one B00009KH5Q:terrible:p._mansour B00009KH5Q D-Link DP-311U Wireless Print Server, 1-USB Port, 802.11b, 11Mbps: Electronics electronics 2 of 4 1.0 May 27, 2006 P. Mansour kirkland, wa United States I have a D-link router, and I couldn't even get this thing to connect wirelessly. It works if connected with a ethernet wire, but that isn't really the point, is it? I called customer support, and the call dropped 4 TIMES!!!! Even when I was able to stay connected, they obviously weren't listening to me, and were of no use in the end. I'm off to go return. Save your time, money, and aggrevation. Avoid this like the plague B00009KH5Q:not_even_worth_a_star:a._garcia_"aruba60" B00009KH5Q D-Link DP-311U Wireless Print Server, 1-USB Port, 802.11b, 11Mbps: Electronics electronics 1 of 5 1.0 December 10, 2005 A. Garcia "Aruba60" Huntersville, NC USA I bought this unit over a year ago and still haven't figured out how to work it. I have used the D-link wireless router with no trouble, but no matter what I do, I can't get the print server to work properly. This is after hours with their customer service people and doing everytihing possible. Based on other people's reviews this unit actually does work. It just hasn't for me. B00009KH5Q:not_compatible_with_multifunction_printers:n._herriges B00009KH5Q D-Link DP-311U Wireless Print Server, 1-USB Port, 802.11b, 11Mbps: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 September 8, 2005 N. Herriges After 3 hours of banging my head against a wall I finally called Tech Support. They finally figured out that this is not compatible with multi-function computers. You can learn that on their support website but no-where in the standard documentation that comes with it B000EF3D64:garbage:nathan_e._garrett_"blueshadababy" B000EF3D64 Sound Blaster Audigy Se: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 August 28, 2006 Nathan E. Garrett "blueshadababy" Chehalis, WA USA Before you buy anything from Creative, google the words incompatible + legacy drivers + sounblaster + windows xp Huge compatibiltiy issues that will have Creative Tech help telling you to flash and update your system bios, chipsets, leaving an entire PCI slot between Sounblaster card and any other card, update drivers, yada, yada, etc. Read all of the issues from the aforementioned google, and ignore the Creative employee reviews (they are easy to spot). Creative ignores the fact that its products have huge conflicts with Windows operating systems B000816CE4:jamming_piece_o'_junk!:gurlfriday B000816CE4 Brother IntelliFAX 2820 Laser Fax Machine and Printer: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 September 9, 2006 GurlFriday I bought this machine based on the good reviews I found here. I have had it for one month and it does nothing but jam. Now the two week return policy at the store has expired and I am left with a jamming piece o' junk. My advice - look for a different fax machine B000816CE4:awful.__just_awful.:bad_movie_buster_"bmb" B000816CE4 Brother IntelliFAX 2820 Laser Fax Machine and Printer: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 1.0 August 4, 2006 Bad movie buster "BMB" New York, NY I am shocked by the amount of positive reviews on this site. Let me tell you about my experience. I bought this machine in June of 2005. In one year, I have replaced this machine THREE TIMES. All three times, I got error messages that the toner cartridge was out (Toner Life End) even when new toner cartridges were put in. I do give high marks to Brother for its customer service, though. Each time I had a problem, I called and they sent out a replacement by FedEx along with materials for me to send back the broken one. But when the fourth replacement arrived last week and I turned it on and got an immediate paper jam message, I had enough. I had a similar issue with a Brother mutlifunction machine I purchased around the same time. I am done with Brother products B000E204LY:returned_item,_wasn't_blue_tooth:nick B000E204LY Logitech Cordless Desktop S 530 Laser for Mac ( 967664-0403 ): Electronics electronics 3 of 9 2.0 November 4, 2006 Nick North East, USA I ordered this keyboard/mouse combo and it turned out to not be blue tooth, so I returned it. I'm sure it would have been great if I had used it but my Mac has blue tooth and I thought I was getting a blue tooth kbd and mouse. I got an apple blue tooth keyboard instead and I found a logitech blue tooth mouse, which I also got. (Apple doesn't offer a decent blue tooth 2 button mouse in anything like an acceptably reasonable price range) B000E204LY:very_disappointing:codex57 B000E204LY Logitech Cordless Desktop S 530 Laser for Mac ( 967664-0403 ): Electronics electronics 2 of 7 2.0 August 31, 2006 Codex57 California I purchased this for my Intel iMac mainly because I was so frustrated with the Mighty Mouse. I wanted something with two separate buttons. I had tried the Logitech MX 610 (which I purchased as well for another computer) and thought that the ergonomic shape felt wonderful. So, I purchased this desktop set because I wanted it to match my Mac and so I could have a proper 2 button mouse. I figured the Mac keyboard could use improvement as well so the keyboard could come in handy as well. In fact, I thought I would get added convenience since this was a keyboard designed for a Mac and had extra shortcut buttons. Other than having 2 separate buttons on the mouse, this keyboard/mouse combo has been an utter disappointment. First of all, the white doesn't quite match. It's close, but just a touch too cream. Also, there's just too much silver. Especially on the mouse. Secondly, it doesn't have all the buttons the Mighty Mouse does. There is no button to switch to the Widgets. Luckily, you can press F12 on the keyboard. Not quite as convenient, but still possible. However, I have yet to find a button that allows you to switch between various open programs. This is especially necessary if you have multiple web browsers open. Thirdly, this mouse just doesn't work as well as other Logitechs. It is too light, lacking the "feel" and a bit of the comforting weight that the MX 610 has when you move it around. Also, the speed of the cursor is off. No matter how I try to adjust the speed, it doesn't quite match the speed of the original Mighty Mouse. It is either too fast or too slow. I think part of it is simply OSX's lack of adjustability compared to [gasp] Windows for cursor speed. Finally, the keyboard is simply atrocious. I don't even use it anymore. It's packed up in the box and I plugged the original Mac keyboard back in. The keys make a horrendous clatter when typing. The pressure is nonexistant making touch typing just a bit more difficult than normal. Also, the depth is quite shallow. This is a desktop keyboard. You can press the key down further on nearly all the laptop keyboards I've tried. Also, the texture of the keys is far too smooth and uniform. The raised dots to help you find the F or J buttons is too shallow. I can't find the asdf an jkl; rows by touch. I have to look. As a touch typist, this is an unforgiveable sin. It basically transforms you from a touch typist to a hunt and peck typer who has to visually find each key before you can hit it. I'm typing on a Thinkpad whose laptop keyboard is far superior to this Logitech. So, in short, save your money and avoid this keyboard/mouse combo. I rated it a two because the mouse did have 2 separate buttons, unlike the Mighty Mouse, which is why I purchased this in the first place. It hit my most basic requirement. Otherwise, it really deserves a 1 star rating B00005N5Y2:caller_id_stopped_working_on_day_3:elizabeth_"mom2three" B00005N5Y2 Northwestern Bell 76510 Corded Speakerphone with Caller ID: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 October 17, 2006 Elizabeth "mom2three" Ohio Love this phone.....if only the Caller ID would work! It worked fine on day 1, day 2 worked on and off.....day 3 Caller ID not working. Tried moving the phone to different outlets, removing the batteries & putting them back in, tried new wire etc.... The phone works great otherwise. Loved the Caller ID when it was working--much larger than most and easy to read. Oh well B00005N5Y2:do_not_buy_a_nwb_phone:nancy_c._hunter B00005N5Y2 Northwestern Bell 76510 Corded Speakerphone with Caller ID: Electronics electronics 22 of 29 1.0 July 18, 2003 nancy c. hunter twinsburg, ohio United States After having my old phone for 40 years I bought a new NWB phone due to remodeling. It lasted 5 months. You cannot get through on their help line and they do not answer their e-mail. Buy a NWB phone at your own risk. I had to buy another phone--AT&T and it works fine B00004TS2H:these_transfers_blow!:paul_e._shelley_"brit_iron_rebel" B00004TS2H Epson S041153 Iron-on Cool Transfer Paper: Electronics electronics 3 of 4 1.0 February 27, 2006 Paul E. Shelley "Brit Iron Rebel" Goshen, IN USA I am comparing these transfers to the HP transfers for colored shirts. these require a reverse image and are just not user friendly. after three unsuccessful attempts I just went back to the more expensive HP's. The transfers did not adhere well and would flake off in little chunks even before you tried to wash them B0001NNLHK:worthless:j._head B0001NNLHK Shure E3c Sound Isolating Earphones: Electronics electronics 0 of 10 1.0 November 10, 2006 J. Head CT These sound awful. I'm embarrassed to admit I spent 140.00 on these. The earphones from my 1989 sony walkman are far superior. If you like your music to sound as if it came from the bottom of a well then these are for you. B0009MYS9S:so_so_product_with_tons_of_potential._but_breaks.:marcos_kirsch B0009MYS9S Logitech Wireless Headphones for MP3: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 October 26, 2006 Marcos Kirsch Austin, TX USA Bought these pretty cheap, from woot.com. The good: - Great sound quality, all digital transmission so no hissing. - Look good - Decent battery life The bad: - needs drivers (most USB headsets - granted, not wireless - don't) - Doesn't work on the Mac - If you are not playing music, they beep every 15 seconds or so. Then after a couple of minutes they turn themselves off. This drove me crazy and was not configurable. - Takes you ~15 seconds every time you turn them on and try to pair them. - Not terribly comfortable. After about a month of normal use, the headset cracked in the middle and stopped working. Bad quality o material. The Logitech people said they will refund whatever I paid for after I send them a copy of the receipt and the broken product. Too bad I get to pay for shipping and I'm not even sure they'll refund the ORIGINAL shipping. Lesson learned B0007RB1X6:piss_poor_vcr:tom_->_"'the_sadhu'" B0007RB1X6 Toshiba SDV393 Progressive DVD/VCR Combination: Electronics electronics 9 of 15 1.0 October 13, 2005 tom -> "'the sadhu'" same world as you the toshiba vcr combo arrived, and was quite light in weight. it hooked up ok, but the orange (nice color) display, constantly stayed on zeros, and the vcr played tapes so bad, there was always a white static streak across the screen bottom. i sent it back after trying a few tapes (all tested poor.) better to get a good vcr for good vhs picture display quality B00019EYVG:buyer_beware!:c._erickson B00019EYVG D-Link DWL-2100AP Wireless Access Point w/ SNMP, AES, 802.11g, 108Mbps: Electronics electronics 3 of 7 1.0 January 4, 2005 C. Erickson Alaska I bought this unit because a DLink Sales Rep said it would be perfect for my application. Hah! It doesn't work at all (I hope Amazon will let me return it). The first thing I had to do was upgrade the firmware - no instructions on how to do this, but for the uninitiated: you have to download the .ftp file from Dlink, move it to the Dlink Firmware folder on your computer, then get the AP Manager to see your unit (that's another story involving IP addresses - again, no help from the install documents), and then you can install the update. I finally got the DWL-2100AP to see my network, but never could get it to talk back - it just sent gibberish. The Net tech and I worked on it for most of two working days, to no avail. Spent a lot of time on the phone with the DLink tech staff too, where everyone involved said we got some bad dope from the sales staff, but that we might get it to work, provided it is compatible with the existing equipment blah, blah, blah... My assessment of Dlink and the DLINK DWL-2100AP? Poor pre-sales support, poor post-sales support, confusing tech support, and poor documentation/install instruction for a product that may be (but then again, may not be) compatible with your existing equipment. What's up DLink B0007ZK364:spoilt_adapter:vinod_t._mistry_"vinod" B0007ZK364 Acer AL1913cb 19" LCD Monitor: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 2.0 March 14, 2006 Vinod T. Mistry "vinod" trinidad when i got the moniter i said it was cool and alright but whe i plugged it in it did nat work and i was angry.i tried again but it did not work so i tried to send it back but it was to much of a hassle.i decided t see what was the problem and send it to a electronics store and the told me the the ic was bad.the only thing i could have done is to buy a new adapter.so i paid 800 trinidadian dollars to get it to work.i was furious B000EVM5DU:software_and_installation_issues,_buyer_beware:s._wilson B000EVM5DU Microsoft LifeCam VX-6000 ( 68C-00001 ): Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 October 22, 2006 S. Wilson Montana, USA My family and I just relocated 3 states away from our extended family and wanted to get a good webcam to keep intouch with everyone and let our 2 year old see his grandmother once and a while. When I saw the Microsoft LifeCam at Target stores and that it was compatible with Windows Live I thought it would be worth the $100 price tag to be able to keep in touch with family. I purchased the software and started the installation process on my computer. Just so you know,my system is running a pentium 4 processor and has 8 active USB 2.0 connections, only 3 of which are being used for the keyboard, mouse, and this webcam, along with 512MB of RAM which is more than necessary for this product to function. The software took about 10 minutes to install which I thought was a little odd, then it askes for you to plug in the camera. My XP system recognized the camera but told me that the hardware had encountered an error during installation and may not function properly. I uninstalled the software and tried the installation again with the same result. I then tried a different USB port just in case there was a problem. Following a stepwise process I checked and updated all drivers for the USB hub, ports, etc. and I checked under the system manager tools to ensure that all were working properly. I then went to the microsoft website and downloaded the updates for the software (this took another 15 minutes and the site crashed twice). By now I was getting very frustrated but hoped that the software update would allow appropriate conectivity with the camera. I went into the software and found that it was recognizing the mic, but it said that there was no camera attached. I again tried to find the camera through other means with no results. For the price paid and the 3+ hours I spent trying to install the hardware I can say with all assurity that this product is not worth it. I will be returning it to Target for a full refund and will look into investing my money with another brand. As someone else said earlier in the reviews, "does microsoft ever send their products through Quality Assurance before they release them? B000EVM5DU:software_issues:a._t._maruzook_"the_trick_man" B000EVM5DU Microsoft LifeCam VX-6000 ( 68C-00001 ): Electronics electronics 3 of 4 1.0 October 16, 2006 A. T. Maruzook "the trick man" colombo, sri lanka Dont microsoft ever send their software thru Quality Assurance checking? They asked me to install a windows update (KB something or the other) saying that it prevented the software from running at 100% CPU usage. Lo and behold, it still gets stuck!! Task Manager dutifully reports that it is after all consuming all resources B00006JILM:good_looks,_mediocre_performance:jake_sanders B00006JILM Sony MDR-NC11 Fontopia Noise Canceling Headphones with In-line Volume Control: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 2.0 July 16, 2006 Jake Sanders Boulder, CO United States I've found these headphones to be highly overrated. The noise cancelling is primarily from the snug fit in the ear. When the noise circuit is turned on, the background "hiss" becomes incredibly annoying. To be fair though, this model does remove some background low frequency sound, even in addition to the the noise reduction from the ear plugs. The frequency response during playback sounds like an old am radio B00006JILM:break_easily_-_even_when_you_take_care_of_them.:derick_bailey_"computer_guru,_audiophile" B00006JILM Sony MDR-NC11 Fontopia Noise Canceling Headphones with In-line Volume Control: Electronics electronics 3 of 5 1.0 February 13, 2006 Derick Bailey "computer guru, audiophile" Waco, TX In terms of sound quality, noise cancelling, and general comfort - thise headphones are top of the line. I absolutely love the way the sound and the ammount of noise cancelling that they provide. I used them regularly when mowing the lawn and when flying, and I always recieved the highest quality sound and noise cancelleation. I was even able to listen to drum-n-bass while mowing the lawn and hear all of the appropriate frequencies on the low end. However... inside of 6 months, I have gone through 2 pairs of these headphones because the right ear headphone has gone out on them. The worst part is - I can't even begin to imagine why it goes out. I keep my heaphones in a locked cabinet in my office every night. Last friday, I placed back into the nice little carry bag that they come with, and placed them into this cabinet. This morning when I pulled them out for use, the right ear bud is out again... no physical damage is apparent anywhere on the headphones, and there is not a broken wire anywhere. In fact, the wiring is perfectly fine and still functional. It is the physical earbud - the hard plastic peice - that has gone out. If i squeeze the earbud hard enough, it will turn on again. Something inside of the earbud is obviously designed improperly and I would highly recommend that noone purchase these headphones because of this B00006JILM:really_bad:stoak_"soffak" B00006JILM Sony MDR-NC11 Fontopia Noise Canceling Headphones with In-line Volume Control: Electronics electronics 5 of 8 1.0 December 21, 2005 STOAK "soffak" Anchorage, AK United States Someone previously pointed out that these earphones did not filter out the highs well. It may be the highs all I know is the only thing it seems to filter well is my wife and kids voices and allow in every other ambiant noise around. Now I may have gotten a lemon but the sound is poor. Volume cranked to high on any device I put this on comes out low at best. Put in any other set of earphones and it is painfully loud. The little inline triangle that has the on/off switch is cumbersome and is at a strange distance from the earphones. Just seems to far from the earphones or not far enough. Just doesn't seem to clip naturally anywhere. Either to much cord or not enough. I am not a music or sound expert by any means so it does not bode well that I think these earphones are poor at best B00005A9AU:not_for_laptop_users:w._reals B00005A9AU Plantronics DSP-400 Digitally-Enhanced USB Foldable Stereo Headset and Software: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 2.0 September 15, 2006 W. Reals I got Avaya RoadWarrior up and running on my computer to use when I work remotely. My co-worker told me to get a GN Netcom headset but I figured I'd save some money and get this one. Big mistake. There is a major problem with some laptops when the power cord is plugged in, the listener on the other end has what sounds like you in a an airplane during flight. The humming goes away when you unplug the power cord but that doesn't help me, I need to be able to use it when the power cord is plugged in or not. Anyway, I chatted with Plantronics support and then informed me that it's a known issue with no work around except to unplug the power cord while using it. So, it's getting returned. B00005A9AU:inadequate_for_voice_recognition:j._richardson B00005A9AU Plantronics DSP-400 Digitally-Enhanced USB Foldable Stereo Headset and Software: Electronics electronics 8 of 11 1.0 August 21, 2006 J. Richardson Princeton, NJ It failed Dragon Naturally Speaking's sound tests, tests easily passed by the cheapo mike included with the program. And just try to return it. Antonline stonewalls, Plantronics doesn't respond at all B0007Y79G2:died_after_two_days_of_use:veniero B0007Y79G2 Creative Zen V 4 GB Portable Media Player (Black/Blue): Electronics electronics 1 of 10 1.0 October 22, 2006 Veniero Richmond, MA USA Gave it one star because there was no option for zero. Died after two days of use, would not turn on or reset. Previous Zen Nano, same thing after six months of use. I guess that would be my last Creative product B0006ZSXJE:lousy_drivers,_lousy_customer_support__(but_nice_hardware):twinehead_"twinehead" B0006ZSXJE Razer RZ-1600 Diamondback Precision Gaming Mouse- Chameleon Green: Electronics electronics 2 of 8 2.0 November 17, 2005 twinehead "twinehead" Washington, DC The first warning sign is that the drivers are not Windows approved and unsigned. Their installation instructions advise you to ignore the warnings. Next, is the cheesy "cool" looking set-up program. Please forget about the groovy graphics and just provide a usable interface. Then, the drivers don't work. My cursor slides all around the screen after I stop moving the mouse. I tried calling customer support, but there is no telephone support. I then tried connecting with their online chat support. No one helped me after 20 minutes. Two days later, in response to an e-mail, they sent me 3 pages of instructions about how to adjust my system to accommodate their crappy software. Too bad, because the mouse itself is a nice piece of hardware. Solid-feeling, well-built, and comfortable. I'm sending mine back for a refund B0001D3JXG:router_card:delores_j._johnson B0001D3JXG Linksys WPC54GS Wireless-G Notebook Adapter with SpeedBooster: Electronics electronics 0 of 4 1.0 March 21, 2006 Delores J. Johnson TULSA, OKLAHOMA United States THE ROUTER CARD DOES NOT WORK, MY OLD ONE WORKS WITH THE NEW ROUTER BUT THE NEW CARD DOES NOT WORK AT ALL, SO I NEED A REFUND FOR IT, OR A REPLACEMENT, THANKS B0001D3JXG:absolute_junk!:mahfuzul_alam_"dew" B0001D3JXG Linksys WPC54GS Wireless-G Notebook Adapter with SpeedBooster: Electronics electronics 3 of 6 1.0 August 31, 2005 Mahfuzul Alam "Dew" London, England I bought it with my Linksys WRT54GS Wireless-G Broadband Router with SpeedBooster. The software installation procedure is really poor. When I ran the software first few times it constantly gave me error messages (can't remember what they were) so I had to reinstall it 2-3 time till it settled down finally. Then I set up the network settings with my router and scanned for the access point (Infrastructure) but it couldn't find anything even though the router was only 5-7 feet away! At one point it managed to connect to the router but it was still searching for the internet connectivity.. After several minutes it couldn't find anything and disconnected from the router. I knew there was nothing wrong the router or internet because I inserted my old Belkin adapter and it connected straight away! Don't waste your money on this. If you wanna get a router, get the one I've got which is quite good. If you want a WiFi Adapter then get Belkin F5D7010 Wireless 54Mbps Notebook Adapter. I couldn't find any 108g adapters by them but this one is really good. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000085BCX/qid=1125546516/sr=8-5/ref=pd_bbs_unbuck_5/002-4891207-7082407?v=glance&s=electronics&n=17259 B000CEN0YC:totally_worthless:robert_s._balaban B000CEN0YC Global Pet Finder GPS Tracking Device for Pets: Electronics electronics 23 of 24 1.0 February 13, 2006 Robert S. Balaban This product keeps changing home addresses; none of which are the address I typed in the initial field. It does not stay charged so that it is actually able to function as advertised if you are gone from home any length of time and you put your dog in a yard. Additionally, gravity takes it down to the lower neck area in common use so that when the dog is doing normal dog things, the device sinks downward so that the antenna is pointing toward the ground. The pictures are misleading. We tried all of the advise the company gave us. It's just not a device that works when and where you need it to work. It was a lot to invest to have this many problems. B000CEN0YC:there's_this_cool_new_technology...:meg B000CEN0YC Global Pet Finder GPS Tracking Device for Pets: Electronics electronics 12 of 40 1.0 January 25, 2006 Meg Cincinnati, OH ... it's called a leash. Or a fence. How about keeping your pet safe the responsible-- not to mention cheap-- way. I've been a volunteer at a no-kill animal shelter for 5 years, and I'm still amazed at the lack of guardianship people show for their pets. So your dog has this $350-dollar doodad on its neck. It's not going to keep it from running out into the street and getting hit by a car, or picked up by somebody who wants to use it for dog-fighting bait or sell it to a lab (yes, these things happen-- often). Have some sense, people. This is ridiculous. B0002WPSB2:does_not_encrypt_fingerprint!:l._uyeno B0002WPSB2 Microsoft Fingerprint Reader: Electronics electronics 4 of 6 1.0 August 7, 2006 L. Uyeno Los Angeles A nice device, but Microsoft didn't include software that encrypts the fingerprint image. Although very difficult to do someone *could* steal your fingerprint. To be safe I would not use this fingerprint reader for password protected websites that contain sensitive information or for network admin or computer BIOS privledges B0006GDCD0:image_nice,_it_works_when_it_does,_hard_to_manage:mr._ken B0006GDCD0 D-Link Securicam Network DCS-950G Wireless Internet Camera: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 October 9, 2006 Mr. Ken Western Maryland This camera had some nice features like the ability to write to a network storage device, smart motion detection, etc. The recorded videos have their own codec so you can use it or d-vix. Some videos are unreadable and if you dig deep enough, d-link has a utility to make them readable. I upgraded the latest firmware 1.06, tried using the ability to write to a storage device and found it very hard to manage. Motion triggering is touchy but works once you set it up. The wireless caused 90% of my communication problems. Ran a wire and things were fine. Clock could not keep time for anything. Set USA EDT and it was fine and shortly after it feel back one hour. D-Link knows of this and the only solution was to use Atlantic time. It has all the right features and image is great but I have to vote thumbs down on this unit. One more thing, D-Link hard codes an IP address so if you try and factory reset remotely or of you happen to be using a different network addressing scheme, you're done. Why for the life of me they don't use DHCP by default is beyond me B0006GDCD0:great_idea_but_big_issues...:jdub_"jdub" B0006GDCD0 D-Link Securicam Network DCS-950G Wireless Internet Camera: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 April 10, 2006 JDUB "JDUB" Cali Camera will not stay up on wireless network with Dlink router! Firmware has some serious issues. Dlink support was worthless. I returned the camera and bought a Panasonic and never looked back B00006GETD:does_not_work_with_a_nikon_coolpix_4300:girlonthebay B00006GETD Kingston 512 MB Type I CompactFlash Card (CF/512): Electronics electronics 22 of 24 1.0 December 8, 2003 GirlOnTheBay Boston MA It would be really great if Amazon and other resellers did a better job outlining which accessories were compatible with which products. This is stated as a CF Type I card yet this does not work with a Nikon Coolpix 4300--another, more expensive Kingston card, must be used B00009ZHS7:very_large_size_for_travel_and_mediocre_sound:k._schneider_"disappointed_purchaser" B00009ZHS7 Panasonic Folding Travel Speakers (RPSPT70): Electronics electronics 4 of 5 2.0 July 20, 2006 K. Schneider "Disappointed Purchaser" Los Angeles, CA USA I have several pairs of portable speakers for my laptop but forgot to bring them on a recent trip and bought these based on the glowing reviews posted here. However, when I received the speakers I found that they are much larger in size and much lower in both quality of build and quality of sound than for example the Creative speakers. They have a huge and unstable footprint when opened (about 9 inches long and one inch deep) and are not particularly compact when folded either. The sound is not rich and they eat batteries amazingly fast, then begin to buzz. I do not recommend these speakers B0002R5Y5M:don't_waste_your_money:ninthnight_"gadget_junkie" B0002R5Y5M Macally PodFM FM transmitter for iPod: Electronics electronics 3 of 4 1.0 March 15, 2006 Ninthnight "gadget junkie" Upstate NY I bought this for my 5g Ipod. I drive a late model Subaru with the lighter switch inside of the ashtray console. Firstly the transmitter was completely dangerous to operate while driving. Its impossible to use in Park and Neutral in my car. The controls are bulky. The transmission cut out in mountains, on hills, and on the highway whenever I drove over 60mph resulting in my ipod starting and stopping because it shakes and wobbles in the console. In short, it hardly worked and I was afraid to touch it while driving, lest I'd knock my gear shift out of place. Its cheaply made and all in all a complete piece of junk. This is hands down the worst IPOD FM transmitter I have ever used. I've previously used a basic Kensington all in one model (stolen by wife, worked well but awkward) and ended up replacing this with a far superior Griffin Road Trip. I reccommend spending the extra $15 on the Road Trip. B000CFLES0:worked_well_for_a_while,_it_was_always_"krinklely"_and_then_the_sound_went_really_low.:cookievenom_"cookievenom" B000CFLES0 Apple Ipod mp3 Car Audio Tape Cassette Adapter: Electronics electronics 2.0 October 6, 2006 cookievenom "cookievenom" Arizona Worked well for a while ( 2 weeks) , the sound always had static, later the sound went really low and then it just died B000CFLES0:frustrating_to_use:shannon_"jfaction" B000CFLES0 Apple Ipod mp3 Car Audio Tape Cassette Adapter: Electronics electronics 1.0 August 10, 2006 Shannon "jfaction" Lafayette, CA USA I have the same problem some other reviewers had: the audio was extremely low unless I manually adjust the cassette. It's not that easy - you have to stick your finger into the cassette slot while the adapter is in there, and wiggle it forward and backward until the audio adjusts. But that doesn't always work. If that doesn't work, you then have to turn your hand over and use your fingernail to catch a ridge on the adapter and lift it up a bit. I'd rather not have an accident on the highway by either (1) fiddling with the audio, or (2) smashing the adapter into little pieces while I drive. Hundreds of songs on the ipod and no way to listen while you drive... B00030CHP8:bad_quality,_donot_buy_pny_sd_card:vince_wilson B00030CHP8 PNY PSD1GRF3 1 GB Secure Digital Card: Electronics electronics 1.0 August 5, 2006 vince wilson VA USA After using this sd card only twice, it can not be recognized by any of my card reader. Totally a waste of money and time. Do not buy pny brand B0000CEPC0:worst_customer_support_i_have_ever_seen:netizen_fair B0000CEPC0 D-Link DCS-900 10/100TX Internet Camera, Home Security: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 September 27, 2006 netizen fair NJ, USA I had DCS-900W from the same product line. It craped out after 9 months, and now I am on the fifth call to try to resolve the issue and get it shipped back. I don't know where their support is located, but the line quality is very bad, they ran the same drill over and over, but just don't want to issue you an order for you to ship back. This is the first D-Link product I own and probably the last. The resolution looks crappy even when it's new, and now it's totally dead, even reset won't work on it B00006AE3K:my_experience_with_this_item:y._lu_"wsurainer" B00006AE3K SanDisk SDCFB-1024-A10 1GB CF Type 1 Card (Retail Package): Electronics electronics 3 of 5 1.0 November 26, 2005 Y. Lu "wsurainer" Pullman, WA United States Yesterday was the annual Thanksgiving sale day. I got this 1G CF card from Staples by $40 after easy rebate. With this price, I think it is a great deal. However, it worked for my digital rebel only half an hour before it was DEAD. All my photos in the card were lost. I am a graduate student majoring in computer engineering, I know how to recover data if a hard drive fails. But this time, I find I simply can't help. Fortunately, Staples have a good return policy and I just returned it without hassle. Hopefully, this is only my case. My suggestion: make sure your dealer has a good return policy before you get this item. B00006AE3K:pricy:r._sutton B00006AE3K SanDisk SDCFB-1024-A10 1GB CF Type 1 Card (Retail Package): Electronics electronics 1 of 8 1.0 October 11, 2005 R. Sutton Rio Vista, CA USA Of course as all things computer related, as soon as this was purchased the price dropped drastically. Unit works great but buy the 2 gig. More bang for the $ B00006AE3K:1gb_compact_flash_card:richard_w._bock_"rick_bock" B00006AE3K SanDisk SDCFB-1024-A10 1GB CF Type 1 Card (Retail Package): Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 August 10, 2005 Richard W. Bock "Rick Bock" Medina, Ohio The card failed after 23 pictures. Amazon credited me with a full purchase price credit to my credit card account B000CO90L4:on_hold_50_minutes,_52_seconds:brian_bowman B000CO90L4 1-Year Replacement Plan for Electronics Products $175 to $199.99: Electronics electronics 20 of 22 1.0 July 19, 2006 Brian Bowman NW Ohio I was on hold 50 minutes, 52 seconds before anybody answered. I heard "your call is important to us" at least 100 times, which wasn't very convincing B00006B9QM:it_works,_but_it_is_super_slow!:b._williams B00006B9QM SanDisk SDDR-64-768 Compact Flash to PC Card Adapter: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 August 19, 2006 B. Williams I bought this reader for my laptop since it didn't have USB 2.0. But to tell you the truth, I think this device is a little slower than USB 1.0! I am going to buy the Lexar 32Bit card and see if that improves the download speed, because this reader is so slow. It took me about 45min to download 2GB of photos from my Extreme III card. That is unacceptable B00006B9QM:slow,_affects_entire_system:arvin_tanag B00006B9QM SanDisk SDDR-64-768 Compact Flash to PC Card Adapter: Electronics electronics 3 of 4 2.0 April 1, 2006 Arvin Tanag USA Note: I am fully aware that compact flash cards have a maximum sustained upload speed which caps off the potential speed of the medium it is being transferred on. I purchased this product to use in conjunction with my SanDisk Ultra II compact flash cards. I thought that PC cards would be faster than USB 1.1 and 2.0, but thats not the truth. Whenever I try to upload files from my CF cards thru the PC card, it slows down the ENTIRE system. I can't do other tasks while the card is uploading files since everything is acting sparatic and slow. I'll admit, the card is a bit faster in uploading files than USB 1.1, but I can't do anything else on my computer while the card is working. Honestly, I would rather have a little bit slower performance with my USB 1.1 card reader and be able to work on my computer at the same time instead of having the card slow down my entire system. I believe this card is a 16-bit pcmcia card. I've heard good praise for Lexar's 32-bit pcmcia cards, but I have yet to try it out. I'm sure it costs more money than this PC card or a USB card reader, though... All in all, I suggest getting a USB 2.0 compact flash reader over this product if you want to work on your computer at the same time as you are uploading files. Otherwise, if your the kinda person who doesnt mind leaving the computer alone while the files are uploaded to your computer, this will work just fine for you B0002IG356:keyboard_dead_in_less_than_6_months:an_average_joe B0002IG356 Microsoft Optical Desktop Elite for Bluetooth: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 August 25, 2006 An Average Joe Cedar Rapids, IA and the worst part is that I'm actually glad about it! I bought this set to replace a [...]Logitech wireless mouse/keyboard combo that was about 3 years old when the mouse scroll wheel stopped working. I figured I'd treat myself to what looked like the best wireless set out there. Here's what I found: 1) The keyboard is HUGE. I have Dell 19" flat panel and the keyboard looks ridiculous in front of it. 2) Even though the USB dongle is plugged in the Dell monitor about 1 foot from the mouse/keyboard it still loses its connection and I get the message "USB device has malfunctioned." I have to remove and replace the dongle and it starts again. This happens a couple of times a week, but of course at the most inconvenient times. 3) The keyboard goes to sleep like the mouse after a few minutes to save battery life. The mouse will wake up after a slight delay and I'm used to that but I can't tell you how many times I pressed "Ctrl-C" to copy something into the buffer and then discovered that it didn't "take" because the keyboard was asleep. The keyboard should never go to sleep or this "feature" should have a way to be disabled! 4) The keyboard died (stopped responding) at less than 6 months old. I still use the mouse but dug out an ancient Dell quietkey wired keyboard. Frankly I don't miss the behemoth MS monster at all, at least the old keyboard doesn't take up the whole desk and when I hit Ctrl-C it works every time. Microsoft has made some good keyboards and mice, but this set is not one of them. Buyer beware. B0002IG356:extremely_laggy_mouse:james_lin B0002IG356 Microsoft Optical Desktop Elite for Bluetooth: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 May 7, 2006 James Lin Simi Valley, CA United States I bought this keyboard/mouse set hoping to consolidate most of my wireless devices onto a single HUB and standard. Setting up the set was easy enough in Windows, but I immediately found that the mouse did not work well at all. The cursor would move in increments of around 10 pixels at a time. I even put the Bluetooth adapter on a USB extension cord and placed it within inches of the mouse, but that didn't help at all. The keyboard seemed to work well, but I didn't use it for very long because the mouse was unbearable to use. I have several wireless networks in my area, which may be causing interference with the Bluetooh though B00006RVNW:don't_waste_your_money_on_this_overpriced_ripoff:cosymoon_"davidjones" B00006RVNW Monster Cable ULT V1000 CV-4 THX Ultra 1000 Component Video Cable: Electronics electronics 12 of 13 1.0 October 13, 2005 cosymoon "DavidJones" Boulder, CO United States Speaking from real experience, don't waste your money buying this cable which makes absolutely no difference from a cabe you can find with half or less the price. I bought a few top of the line monster cables once I got the top of the line SONY XBR960 HDTV. Later on I switched cables around, with other brand, cheaper component cables such as Philips PTS1000 (the HDMI standard owner by the way), and also other HDMI cables (even no name brands coming with my DVD player). You know what? I see absolutely no difference even under close examination. The SONY XBR960 produces the finest pitch you can find on any TV. You think about what that means. Stop buying this ridiculously priced cables, and save your $$ and buy somethinfg else on your shopping list. Digital is digital. Don't let monster mislead you that their cables produce more 11010 ... than others. B00067KETY:two_big_problems:patrick B00067KETY AT&T 959 Speakerphone with Caller ID (White/Gray): Electronics electronics 4 of 4 2.0 July 18, 2006 Patrick Philmont Basically a nice phone, BUT: A: I've had three of these phones, and sooner or later the little repositionable hang-up tab snaps off, rendering it useless as a wall-mount, and B:I can hear well with the speaker phone, but have to shout to be heard. B0007XXHNW:beware_if_there_are_few_unused_frequencies_in_your_area:zowie B0007XXHNW Kensington Digital FM Transmitter/Car Charger for iPod: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 2.0 November 20, 2006 Zowie Northwestern NJ, USA I purchased the Kensington after my casette adapter developed an annoying wheel noise. I heard and read a lot about the problems with FM transmitters, like static and audio quality but the Kensington was the best rated unit. It arrived the day before I had to take a business trip and thought it would be a great test. The first day I used it, it seemed to work great. The next day on my return trip home, all I got was static and could barely hear the music from my iPod. I tried every station I could find with little or no transmission on it, but the audio quality remained extremely poor. I am not sure if there are just too many stations broadcasting in the NYC metro area or this particular unit is defective, but since my car has a casette player I will go with casette adapter for now. If you have lots of unused frequencies, it might work in your area. Just be sure you can return it if it doesn't work out for you. B0007XXHNW:terribly_weak_transmitter:jonathan_r._pedley_"book_lover" B0007XXHNW Kensington Digital FM Transmitter/Car Charger for iPod: Electronics electronics 0 of 3 1.0 November 14, 2006 Jonathan R. Pedley "Book Lover" San Francisco. CA I had a Monster iCarPlay for some time and had givben it to a friend. So when I was looking for a new one i thought I'd try the Kensington. Big mistake - my car couldn't pick the signal up without manually tuning - very painful. Go for the Monster products over this in a heartbeat B0007XXHNW:device_is_barely_acceptable:private_dad_"electronic_drudge" B0007XXHNW Kensington Digital FM Transmitter/Car Charger for iPod: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 2.0 November 10, 2006 Private Dad "electronic drudge" Houston, TX USA Using this in my wife's Expedition is very annoying. For some reason the cord must be placed in exactly the right position or static will drown out the music coming from the car's speakers. Note that no other electrical devices in this car (and there are a lot of them; she got every option available with the car) misbehave at all. I would not repeat this purchase, not can I recommend anyone else buy one of these. I only gave it two stars because with continual minor effort it can be made to work acceptably - however, fiddling with the cord while driving is certainly NOT a safe practice B000CO90SM:new_=_worthless_thieves!:jesse_p._hapke_"concerned_fellow_enthusiast" B000CO90SM 4-Year Service Plan for Camcorders $1,000 to $1,999.99: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 October 10, 2006 Jesse P. Hapke "concerned fellow enthusiast" Omaha, NE, USA NEW are notorious thieves in the consumer electronics repair industry. I personally submitted for repair both a $1,600 video camera (Sony DCR-PC5) and a car CD player (a Sony CDX-C90, a $1,200 in-dash top of the line unit. If you've heard of it, you know what I'm talking about). I was told that the warranty did not cover what was wrong with my video camera (some ambiguous statement about logic board, power unit, etc. failure followed), and would have to pay ~$780 to have it fixed. I naturally refused, and was forced to keep my dead 4 month-old handycam, an unfortunate testament to some of Sony's now widely publicized QC issues. The reason I did not send in the camera initially has to do with the fiasco involving my CD player. I was told, explicitly, that if NEW could not fix it, they would either return the unit or write me a check in the amount of $1,000 (not even enough to cover the cost of the player). As an added insult, when they indeed could not fix the unit, they KEPT it, and I NEVER received a check!!! Simply outrageous! Blatant theft, and I'm not the only one who will tell you a story about NEW and such an act. They are IMPOSSIBLE to get ahold of, and literally take your money and run/disappear. Don't expect to ever hear from them, should your camera stop working, and good luck getting ahold of them if you happen to send it in beforehand. Chances are, you will have to eat the loss, as I did. This product deserves a negative star and should come with an automatic refund. I seriously thought it was a gag when I saw NEW was in charge of the coverage. What a joke! Whoever runs your company, NEW, ought to be both ashamed of themselves and held liable for all the countless damages and losses they have caused. The whole lot of you belong in an unfriendly prison B000CO90SM:4_years_of_svc......_several_months_of_headaches:carlo_c._chiulli_jr._"carlo" B000CO90SM 4-Year Service Plan for Camcorders $1,000 to $1,999.99: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 1.0 September 7, 2006 Carlo C. Chiulli Jr. "Carlo" New York I originally placed my order with my a digital camera and this four year service plan. Three days after, I had to cancel my digital camera order for personal reasons. However the $161.80 total I spent on this warrant did not refund automatically and nor have I received a confirmation that it will be refunded. After several phone calls and emails of providing information for the requested refund. They finally tell me that it will take 8 weeks for my refund to process. That is two whole months. Horrible service I can't imagine how long it would take for them to either repair or replace my camera should it have faltered. I would not recommend this four year service plan or any other plan by N.E.W. Customer Service Companies to anyone B000E5XCEW:could_be_better:oleg_ursu B000E5XCEW Apple MA360G/A In-Ear Lanyard Headphones for iPod Nano 1st Generation: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 9, 2006 Oleg Ursu Albuquerque, NM USA The sound is really great, but there is one problem with this headphones they keep falling from my ears no matter what rubber caps (they come with 3 different sizes) I used. The design flaw makes them unusable for me B000E5XCEW:earplugs_fall_out:steve_mcbride B000E5XCEW Apple MA360G/A In-Ear Lanyard Headphones for iPod Nano 1st Generation: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 September 1, 2006 Steve McBride Seattle, WA The absolutely worst headphones I have ever had. Trying the different sizes, the earplugs just don't want to stay in my ears (even standing still). The headphones that come with the I-Pod, and the earlier version of lanyard headphones were both much better. The sound was fine, but not any better than the standard headphones. A poor product. I was very disappointed, as I have had good experiences in general with Apple in the past B0001RM9GA:this_is_ridiculous:david_kagle_"frikkinweirdo" B0001RM9GA Sony SRS-T33 Compact Portable Speakers (Blue): Electronics electronics 11 of 17 1.0 November 7, 2005 David Kagle "frikkinweirdo" Boston Ok, after reading the multiple good reviews on Amazon i persuaded myself to buy these speakers thinking some people were just pessimistic. Ok, i got these and immediately put a pair of batteries in. These things sound absolutely awful, it goes about the volume of someone quietly talking and the sound is distorted and fuzzy, forget about any bass. Absolutely do not buy these things. Oh yeah, whoever has been rating these things as good must be working for sony or something cu these things are terribl B0001RM9GA:say_what?:palealien B0001RM9GA Sony SRS-T33 Compact Portable Speakers (Blue): Electronics electronics 1 of 8 1.0 July 19, 2005 palealien Butte Creek Canyon, Ca United States To anyone who may like these, I am sorry to learn about your hearing disability. The T33 looked like a nice little package, but I thought, "How could it possibly sound even acceptable?" I hoped for a Sony surprise, but it didn't happen. When I returned them later that day, the clerk asked, "Is there anything wrong with them?" I said, "Yeah, they suck". She smiled and handed me a refund. B000EEP9V2:you_need_a_really_small_head...:c._heza_"sylver" B000EEP9V2 Creative SL3100 Wireless Headphones: Electronics electronics 0 of 2 1.0 August 29, 2006 C. Heza "Sylver" Pittsburgh, PA I was excited about these headphones because Creative usually has great products. I was sadly disappointed. The connector is clunky and surely going to wear out it's flimsy wire on the jack. The bluetooth signal is weak, take a walk down the street and it begins to distort like crazy. It also distorts at high volumes which you will need to use anyway because the sound is so low. It runs out of power after only a few short hours. And worst of all, the headphones are impossibly tight, causing real discomfort. After only two days of using these headphones, I couldn't take it any more B0009PD3P0:great_hardware_and_interface_spoiled_by_poor_map_data:b._daniels B0009PD3P0 TomTom Navigator 5 Bluetooth Wireless GPS System for Pocket PC, Palm, and Other PDAs: Electronics electronics 12 of 12 2.0 July 14, 2006 B. Daniels I really wanted to like the TomTom Navigator 5. The GPS itself is tiny, well-designed, and very sensitive. It worked fine from down in a underdash cupholder or in the glove compartment. The interface is attractive and easy to navigate. The voice prompts are clear and loud. The installation on a Mac was problematic. Search on TomTom OSX for details, but suffice it to say that the installer included on the CDs simply doesn't work and a new one must be downloaded. Once past that, it ran fine on my Treo 700p. Unfortunately there is one fatal flaw - the map database. In using the Navigator in both California and North Carolina, the maps regularly had misnamed streets, exits referred to by numbers where there were none, and directions that lacked critical information like heading (i.e. take the 101 instead of take 101N when approaching a complex interchange). Worse, the company seems to be actively hostile to updating these maps. If you go to the TomTom site, you can purchase maps on a city-by-city basis. Are they newer than the ones that came with your unit? Who knows? TomTom lists no version info and seems to expect you to buy and cross your fingers. There were just too many errors that I saw while traveling in areas that I'm familiar with to trust the TomTom maps for any unfamiliar territory. Everything else is great, but the whole point of a GPS is accurate navigation. And sadly, that's where the TomTom Navigator fails B0007ZFLYS:it_doesn't_work_well:q._wang B0007ZFLYS Logitech Quickcam for Notebooks ( 961404-0403 ): Electronics electronics 2.0 November 24, 2006 Q. Wang NY,USA It is not as good as recommended. The image is really unclear when the light is not strong, and it's totally white under strong light. The contrast is low. It's not a good product, useles B000AR95EA:buyer_beware:dr._james_boggs_"nuru" B000AR95EA HP iPAQ RX1955 Pocket PC: Electronics electronics 0 of 5 1.0 November 14, 2006 Dr. James Boggs "nuru" Seattle, WA At the moment I am in the middle of a 3-day ordeal sorting out Outlook 2002, which comes with the ipaq. Outlook 2002 has many many many known bugs (which only now I find out) and I can't for the life of me figure out why HP would ship it with their hardware. DO NOT INSTALL OUTLOOK 2002 on your machine. The ipaq itself may be OK, but if this is a foreshadowing of the fun to come.. B000AR95EA:don't_waste_your_time_on_this_paperweight:ammoken B000AR95EA HP iPAQ RX1955 Pocket PC: Electronics electronics 4 of 14 1.0 August 12, 2006 AMMOKen I'll admit, I'm not the techno wizard some on this panel seem to be, but then again, I don't believe you should have to be to operate what should be something simple, like a handheld computer. In essence, the title of this review says it all. Almost $300 and several months later, I am unable to get this hunk of junk to even turn on. Let alone connect to a server. All of these things were supposed to be fixed by a 'patch' that if someone can download from the HP website, I'd love to see it. All downloads came back with an Error message when I attempted to download. Long story short, you'd be better off buying a laptop. HP is not known for their handhelds, do not buy this product or anything similar to this from HP. You will be sorry. B000E62GYS:disappointed:rr7539_"rr7539" B000E62GYS Uniden DCT756-3 Expandable Cordless System with Call Waiting/Caller ID and Extra Handset and Charger: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 3, 2006 rr7539 "RR7539" Amherst, NY United States I like the light that goes on when the phone rings but that is about all I like about this phone. Friends tell me I sound like I am under water and I have had to terminate many conversations due to static and interference. One friend insists that I have a microwave running as we speak. I am actively looking for a new set to buy because these are worthless B0007U8Y9M:thrown_together_phone:r._breeden B0007U8Y9M Panasonic GigaRange KX-TG5576M 5.8 GHz DSS Expandable Cordless Phone with Answering System and Color LCD on Handset (Metallic Grey): Electronics electronics 27 of 42 2.0 November 22, 2005 R. Breeden It looked flashy and well-conceived on the web shopping sites that featured it; however, after setting up Panasonic's KX-TG5576M, I'm underwhelmed... First of all, even in this day and age, it's not Mac-compatible (though the Pansonic Call Center Representative had assured me, after checking with her Superior, that it indeed was.) So, I cannot comment on downloading ringtones, wallpapers, etc. (Meanwhile, these mobile phone-like features were the main reason I wanted this particular cordless phone). Secondly, the built in digital message recorder is of the lowest quality. I was looking for an alternative to the monthly charge for voice mail through the phone company. This isn't it. If you prefer to record your own message in lieu of the generic built-in message options, your Callers will here something sounding like a worn-out Edison recording. It struck me as odd that with the included audio cable, you can connect the handset to an audio device with a headphone jack, to record custom ring tones, with good quality results. Yet, to record a message for the digital answering machine, you need to speak into the dinky little microphone hole on the base unit, with the aforementioned low sound quality. Finally, the battery life of the handset is rather short. This is despite the (too) low backlighting on the handset keypad. Oh, why no backlighting on the base unit? B0009Q5BT0:regional_coding:m._venzky-stalling_"mvs" B0009Q5BT0 HP Photosmart 385 Compact Photo Printer (Q6387A#ABA): Electronics electronics 20 of 64 1.0 October 22, 2005 M. Venzky-stalling "MVS" UK I cannot recommend HP to anybody anymore. The company introduced regional coding, which means printer cartridges from one region cannot be used in another. For most this is probably not an issue, for those busily traveling around it is. Also, it is an issue of principle, its bad enough for DVD, but printer cartridges? HP has introduced this rather secretely and if you don't read the box cover etc very carefully, you may not notice. The main issue is in Europe. I got caught out. I bought a 3 catridges overseas - I could not use them on my HP printer. I asked for a refund, HP Email Support (US) was nice but ineffective. HP Customer Support (Europe) was snotty and very rude. I think HP does not care about its customers and this cost me over US$75, almost 50% of my printer (my sixth and last HP). Don't buy HP B00081A2DQ:missing_ear_plugs_and_travel_kit:juan_a._rufin-velasco B00081A2DQ KOSS Stereo In Ear Ear Plugs - The Spark Plug: Electronics electronics 0 of 12 1.0 November 9, 2006 Juan A. Rufin-velasco I cannot review this item since I have not received it so far at the shipping address I gave Amazon when I did the purchase. I bought four items, and I only got two of them by mail. What happened to the other two items? -KOSS Stereo In Ear Ear Plugs - The Spark Plug (Purchased on 09/15/2006) -Apple iPod USB Travel Kit with Car Charger, Travel Adapter & Cable (Purchased on 09/15/2006) WHO KNOWS.. B00008Y1A7:tinny_indeed_:shelby_h._swatek B00008Y1A7 Sony SRS-A202 Active Speakers with Built-in Mega Bass Sound: Electronics electronics 18 of 20 2.0 March 4, 2005 Shelby H. Swatek Simi Valley, CA USA I agree with the viewer preceding me. Very tinny. The ones I was using from my old computer sound 100% better. These are a complete waste. Two stars because I do hear the music but it sounds awful B00008Y1A7:very_unhappy_with_this_product:j._harris B00008Y1A7 Sony SRS-A202 Active Speakers with Built-in Mega Bass Sound: Electronics electronics 27 of 29 2.0 February 27, 2005 J. Harris Cambridge, MA These speakers were a major disappointment. I have speakers that are about 5 years old, and wanted to replace them. But these Sony speakers were AWFUL - the sound was tinny, the bass was almost non-existent, and the sound was probably worse than that coming from my built-in laptop speakers. And these weren't even the "cheap" speakers - there were many sets that cost less than this. If you care at all about the quality of the speakers, spend another $20-$30 and get a decent set... don't buy these.. B0006Q7FFG:horrible,_painful_product:pam B0006Q7FFG Griffin Technology 4039-EJAM EarJam Earbud Sound Enhancing Covers: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 October 30, 2006 Pam GA These Ear Buds are large and hard. They have sharp edges and hurt my ears. I have large ears and large ear canals and wear other earbud type headphones all the time which do not bother me. These were not only painful but did not enhance the sound, but actually reduced it. This product should be taken off the market B00007MMNS:short_battery_life:anaiselise B00007MMNS Garmin Geko 201 Handheld GPS Navigator (Lime Green): Electronics electronics 11 of 13 2.0 July 7, 2005 anaiselise Using Rechargeable AAA batteries, with the Battery Saver feature turned on, about two hours. Sometimes I get more using alkalines, but not much more. Honestly, this unit is worthless, because I can't trust the batteries. Order a Garmin Etrex Legend instead. It isn't much more expensive, larger or heavier, and it includes a base map of roads, towns, and shorelines. The Legend comes with a cable to transfer data from your computer. The Legend's screen is a bit larger, but shows much more detail. And - the batteries last hours and hours. B0007RA6NW:static,_static,_static:catlover888_"catlover888" B0007RA6NW Sony SRF-M97 Radio Walkman: Electronics electronics 0 of 2 2.0 September 20, 2006 catlover888 "catlover888" SF, CA This did not live up to its price or my expectations. I walk to work and there was static on both AM and FM - B00005NGRQ:not_the_greatest_caller_id_unit:j._reagan B00005NGRQ GE 29016S Caller ID Box: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 1.0 October 31, 2004 J. Reagan Takes 3 AAA batteries that in our experience run out too quick. Other units we've owned have lower battery drain. Also the LCD display has poor contrast. All in all, I'd buy another one that costs a few bucks more B000CFL5LG:third_times_a_charm?__no_not_really.:p._l._reed B000CFL5LG Bargaincell- Apple Ipod Rapid Car Charger for Ipod / Mini / Nano (1gb 2gb 4gb) / Video: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 July 31, 2006 P. L. Reed Alexandria, Virginia United States I ordered this charger a month ago. Since, they've sent me three chargers all the same, all wrong. They've sent me the shuffle charger three times in a row. Don't waste your money on this product, for a few bucks more you can get a company that will actually send you the right product the first time B000CFL5LG:avoid_this_company!:r._roybal_"rroybal" B000CFL5LG Bargaincell- Apple Ipod Rapid Car Charger for Ipod / Mini / Nano (1gb 2gb 4gb) / Video: Electronics electronics 15 of 19 1.0 March 30, 2006 R. Roybal "RRoybal" USA Bought a cell phone battery that, of course, died one week past their return/refund deadline. Refused to refund or replace even though the product is CLEARLY defective. This company is a ripoff and will never do business with them again. Consider yourself warned B000CRUZ2O:defective_product,_mediocre_service:d._scholnick_"gadget_freak" B000CRUZ2O Actiontec VoSKY Skype Call Center ( USB07051C-01 ): Electronics electronics 3 of 7 1.0 June 18, 2006 D. Scholnick "gadget freak" Boston, MA USA I purchased a unit recently and after a couple hours tinkering with it, I couldn't get it to work. I called Actiontec/Vosky support and spent almost an hour on the phone with them. They advised me to uninstall their software and Skype and to try reinstalling each product. When that didn't work, they told me the product was defective. Unfortunately, they refused to take it back themselves and made me deal with the Seller (ANTOnline.com) first (not a very good seller, btw, as they gave me a terrible time when I tried to return the defective product). Hopefully you'll have better luck. Also, be sure to check out whether Vosky is officially supporting Skype 2.5. When I made my purchase, they did not B000196ENC:not_a_universal_mount!:suleman_ishaque B000196ENC Magellan RoadMate GPS Dash Mount: Electronics electronics 3 of 4 1.0 August 3, 2006 Suleman Ishaque SoCal, United States If your cars Dash is curved or sloping, this mount will not work. Did not work on a 1988 Mercedes 300E or a Daewoo Lanos. It might work if you have a perfectly FLAT dash. I had to return the item as it did not sit properly. Even the slightest touch from a finger would make it slide down. Those of you who are clean freaks like me, BEWARE. Products like armour all which leave a protective coating on your dash will further reduce the grip of this stand! I would not trust a $800 piece of equipment on an unreliable stand like this when even a slight touch of a finger can make it slide down. What about jolts and bumps while normal driving? I did not wait to find out using my $800 GPS as an experiment B0002ZH71S:powerline_ethernet_works_great,_wireless_no_so:a._metcalf B0002ZH71S Netgear WGXB102 54Mbps Wall-Plugged Wireless Range Extender Kit: Electronics electronics 2.0 August 25, 2006 A. Metcalf San Diego, CA I bought this to run ethernet into my daughter's room. The powerline etherernet works flawlessly, I've had it up and running for six months without restart or problem into three other rooms. The wireless module however tends to overheat and drops the network after 24-48 hours of operation, so she has to unplug it every time she is done with the network, and plugs it back in whenever she wants to connect. I am going to upgrade her to another wired powerline ethernet module B00000J3UJ:have_an_ibook?_don't_buy_this_lock!:karl_rahder B00000J3UJ Targus PA400U DEFCON 1 Ultra Notebook Computer Security System: Electronics electronics 1.0 October 18, 2006 Karl Rahder Baku, Tbilisi, Chicago I posted a review two weeks ago, but it hasn't appeared, so I'm trying again...I bought this lock two years ago. It has always been difficult to remove. (Note: despite what some other reviewers seem to think, it does NOT have a motion detector - that's a different lock.) Recently, the lock decided to remain firmly inside my iBook, despite my efforts to remove it. After a fruitless call to Targus's customer support, I finally got it out. That took over 30 minutes of struggle. My next step was going to be purchasing a hack saw. Apparently, the Targus lock is not a good fit for iBooks. I'm going to send mine back and demand compensation. If you own an iBook, I strongly suggest you buy a lock made by someone other than Targus B0001WDFBS:great_mechanics_but_the_coffee_taste_is_lost...really_lost.:pio B0001WDFBS Zojirushi EC-BD15BA Fresh Brew Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker: Electronics electronics 10 of 10 2.0 November 9, 2004 Pio Orange County, CA We drink a lot of coffee all day, every day. So we decided to convert to a thermal carafe coffeemaker in order to keep our coffee hotter and fresher-tasting. We first bought the 10-cup Capresso MT-500 which we loved except for the carafe which leaked slightly. The coffee was perfect everytime and the taste great. Unfortunately the control panel burned out about a year and half after we bought it. So instead of another expensive Capresso replacement, we decided to try a Japanese model which we thought might be more reliable. We have been using the Zojirushi for 2 weeks now and it works perfectly. No leaks and it just feels more mechanically reliable than the Capresso. Unfortunately, there is no water filter system in this model compared to others (we had taken this for granted and not checked for it). And no reuseable metal mesh filter (that I could find on the market) instead of paper filters. The water also does not seem as hot when it goes into the coffee grounds. We are not sure why our coffee just doesn't taste very good anymore, but we definitely have noted a real sharp drop in taste quality. Today, we pulled out our very old Krups ProAroma model and have noted a definite taste improvement. We will use this and the Zojirushi thermal carafe until we get a new Capresso coffeemaker replacement. Don't waste your money on this Zojirushi model unless you don't care about taste. It was money thrown out the window as far as we are concerned. Even mediocre coffee beans are too expensive to use with this machine B0002XIX0E:<em>poor_fit,_poor_quality_sound,_decent_mic</em>:j._moe B0002XIX0E Logitech 980231-0403 Precision PC Gaming Headset: Electronics electronics 2.0 September 27, 2006 J. Moe USA Everyone has already covered the basics, so here's the highlights: The audio listening quality is poor, especially for 40mm drivers (which normally sound good with strong bass response). This is due to the fact the speaker itself is far from the ear canal, since the outer padding contacts the side of the head instead of the actual speaker pad. The headphones are heavy, which means a large amount of pressure is required to hold them in position. They slide very easily off the head, and apply a lot of downward force on the ears. I have a big head, and even made some slight modifications that increase the pressure, now they don't slide off, but are uncomfortable for more than an hour of use. At first, the volume slider is stiff, but then becomes smooth. After 4 months of use, the mute switch is getting loose, I don't expect it to work 4 months from now. I really like the microphone portion of the headset, the angle is adjustable, and the volume is loud and clear. In the end, these headphones have a good microphone matched with very poor quality headphones. Next time, I'd grab the cheaper Logitech headset, where they are nice and light and the speaker pads make contact with the ears, not some large outer pad B0002XIX0E:not_for_people_with_small_heads...:vanessa_lane_"vanessa" B0002XIX0E Logitech 980231-0403 Precision PC Gaming Headset: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 September 2, 2006 Vanessa Lane "Vanessa" Upstate New York I purchased this unit not for gaming, but for making PC to PC calls. Here are my observations: Pros: 1. Sound quality of the microphone on the receiving end is reported by my friends and family as exceptionally clear. Certainly much better than what you'd get out of a webcam. 2. Chord is robust and long. Easily fits over my long desk to my CPU that rests beneath. 3. Controls are easy to use, although the mic on/off switch doesn't click into place like I'd expect it to. It just slides back and forth. I can see people accidentally turning it off. 4. Headphones produce good sound, although nothing extraordinary. 5. The mic itself freely rotates, so you can position it however you desire. Cons: 1. First and foremost, if you've got a small head DO NOT PURCHASE THIS!! My head is not big and these headphones ARE NOT ADJUSTABLE! These headphones are so large that they're actually uncomfortable. Their entire weight rests on my ears and I can't wear them for very long without my ears falling off. 2. These headphones are very heavy, uncomfortably so. I've resorted to holding them up to my head and listening through one speaker to take the weight off my ears. 3. Perhaps having the airspace between the speakers and the frame keeps your ears cooler, but it still feels like I'm wearing a set of insulated ear muffs. Chatting on hot summer days is limited to 10 minutes or less until I'm dying of heat exhaustion. 4. You need to get a Y splitter if you wish to have these headphones and your computer speakers on at the same time. If you don't have front headphone plugs on your case this is an issue. Otherwise you have to crawl under your desk and manually disconnect the headset from your motherboard jacks and plug in your speakers again. Y splitters are only a few dollars but it's an accessory you will have to purchase, especially since front speaker ports on most computers can't be hooked up at the same time as your rear motherboard jack (and most people have their main sound systems plugged in with the rear one). Granted, this is more of a general microphone/headset combo issue than anything Logitek related, but if this is your first microphone/headset purchase then you should be aware of this problem. I use onboard audio instead of a sound card, so I don't have multiple output jacks. 5. These headphones are designed to rest behind your neck, not over the top of your head. Unfortunately, the plastic beam is too heavy and pulls the speakers back, placing all the weight on your ears. The plastic beam is also too short (and just!) to go over the top of my head for a more comfortable fit. 6. The design also doesn't make sense. The beam is so short that it should rest behind your neck, yet the angle of the speakers through that air gap is better for wearing the beam over your head. It's pretty uncomfortable. If the headset was adjustable it would be fine! The earpieces are just too huge! Overall I'm disappointed with these. If you're under 5'10" I say go with another model. The hardware works great, but the design is terrible. I'm returning these and purchasing an uglier, but more functional, set of smaller headphones B0002XIX0E:the_mic_is_not_good._the_design_is_not_very_comfortable:first_last_"softorama" B0002XIX0E Logitech 980231-0403 Precision PC Gaming Headset: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 August 29, 2006 First Last "softorama" Sunnyvale, CA United States The headset sits on the back of head, which is ok, however due to large ear rests it feals awkward and uncomfortable. I was not able to use volume control, as the headphones were only audible at higher volume level. The mic is poor. Whether you want it for gaming or just general purpose use, its better to skip this for something else B000A1IUFQ:cool_toy,_but_not_a_useful_tool:w._hoffmann_"strategic_advice" B000A1IUFQ Palm 3207NA GPS Adapter Kit for Select Palm PDAs: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 July 2, 2006 W. Hoffmann "Strategic advice" Phoenix, AZ I have been using the Palmone Navigator with my TX for about eight weeks. Most of my comments are based on a comparison with the built-in navigation system in my Lexus. Software installation is fairly easy. However, you need at least a 256 MB SD card to load more than a couple of states; I recommend a 1 or 2 GB card. While the concept of a TX doubling as a navigation device is intriguing, the realty of it is rather sobering. It is a cool toy, but if you have to plan routes for your job or any other meaningful purpose, this is NOT the right product. The pros are: - Inexpensive in comparison to built-ins und stand-alone products - Unit can be used in different locations and cars and even while walking - One device serves multiple purposes The cons are: - It can take up to several minutes after starting the unit to acquire a satellite signal. This is not the case with my car's OEM navigation system. - The maps are outdated and not as precise as the OEM nav system: I live in Phoenix, AZ and my neighborhood (built seven years ago) as well as most of the freeways I take to work and back don't exist on the software. More recent updates are not available (I checked the Tomtom website). - Navigation is often not precise enough (e.g. it tells me to make a left in 50 yards, when I have already passed the intersection where it wants me to make a left). I never have this problem with the built-in navigation. - Look-up function for addresses and phone numbers is clumsy and doesn't display actual address until you map it. - It tends to freeze at least a couple times a day, requiring a soft reset. - Lost connections to the satellite receiver or lost satellite signals also tend to disrupt the navigation on longer trips with stops. Overall, the unit is too unreliable to be used as your only navigational aid. If you need navigation to get to your travel destination, you are better off with a stand-alone unit. I truly wish I had better things to say about this device since I really like the concept, but the reality just doesn't match the marketing. B000A1IUFQ:great_when_it_works_-_but_far_too_flaky:honest_guy B000A1IUFQ Palm 3207NA GPS Adapter Kit for Select Palm PDAs: Electronics electronics 7 of 7 2.0 February 21, 2006 honest guy Scotch Plains, NJ United States The GOOD news is that this is a full featured GPS solution that is easy to mount in the car and can navigate to contacts in your address book. Maps are detailed and the POI (Point of Interest) database is fairly extensive. The BAD news is that it all too often fails to connect via Bluetooth. Installation of software and maps is error prone (do not follow any of the 'advanced' hints in the manual - they scrambled my SD card). Only buy this product if you like puzzle solving and have a great deal of patience. If you are expecting an out of the box solution that is 100% reliable - look elsewhere. B0007LC49M:the_disappearing_mp3_player:jean_winkelman_"jmwinke" B0007LC49M iRiver H10 5 GB Digital MP3 Player Remix Blue: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 2.0 July 2, 2006 Jean Winkelman "jmwinke" Pasadena, Texas USA I have a 5gb but a lot of the H10's are having the same problem. I can play all of the songs that I owned myself but everything through the subscription service has run out and can't be reinstalled. I've done a little research about the disappearing MP3 player and it appears to be a problem that is affecting a lot of the H10's and 1 other model I can't remember right now and iRiver can't figure it out; although I've been told they are trying desperately to find the bug....So buy with caution.... B0000DIH1D:should_have_check_first:d._k._boyd B0000DIH1D National Geographic Back Roads Explorer: Electronics electronics 5 of 7 2.0 April 25, 2005 D. K. Boyd Austin, TX USA I went looking at Fry's for a mapping software and bought this before looking online at reviews. I'm now stuck with a bazillion (ok, just 17) CDs and a product that takes minutes to load once you initiallize the program. I still can't figure out how to access any info on Hawaii or Alaska and I'm waiting each time an average of four days before "tech support" haha will write me back. Don't buy this. B00005T3N3:not_bose_quality:"boseman69" B00005T3N3 Bose UFS-20 Universal Floor Stands (pair) - Black: Electronics electronics 7 of 14 2.0 January 10, 2002 "boseman69" Sedona, AZ United States Sorry, the speakers don't attach well, and the quality of these stands is not what I'm used to with a Bose system B00005JDDZ:doesn't_play.....:wakeboardr99 B00005JDDZ Memorex 40x Music CD-R Media (50-Pack Spindle): Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 November 15, 2005 wakeboardr99 these cds burn fine BUT they won't play in most cd players. I've tried it in two car aftermarket cd players, brand new mazda, and a brand new F1500 - they all did not read the cd. Most computers can read them, but other than that they are not very usable B000E9BXDU:acer_1916ab:frederick_carr_"flrhcarr" B000E9BXDU Acer AL1916AB 19" LCD Monitor: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 2.0 November 21, 2006 Frederick Carr "flrhcarr" Kent, WA For over eight years (nearly 9), I had an Acer 17" CRT & loved it. I use a KVM to switch computers, & the CRT kept all of my adjustments for that computer, every time. When it started showing signs of age (about four months ago), I decided to try a flat screen, or LCD, though I've heard horror stories about them, my laptop is great. I don't mind the dark overlay associated w/LCDs, I have that on my laptop. I was amazed at how poorly this monitor responds to things. I still swap computers. I can't get the same clarity that I once did. I swap between ME & XP, which shouldn't matter. Don't believe there isn't any flicker, that's wrong. If you change the refresh rate, the monitor changes, not the computer. What happened to dumb monitors (what happened to dumb printers)? Best, should be a button (turn on) away. Some tweaking isn't bad. Fade out: I have the monitor, at the "proper" height, & the upper & lower corners fade. As looking at any lcd from an angle. You can't tilt this monitor very much at all Don't spend much time on shut down or re-start in ME, the lines & jaggies will kill you. I'm sorry that I bought this monitor. The refesh rate for games, is fair. Don't play any games prior to ME! Because ME era games fade badly at the ends, nearly blacking out. Post XP isn't anything to write home about really. I would suggest trying out an hdtv first. With a direct (vga) plug in. It's a few dollars more, but if you're considering an hdtv, as well as a monitor, I'd chance it. You can always buy a 20" CRT for less. I hope this helps B0009V6TL4:keyboard_layout_sucks;_mouse_only_2_buttons_+_wheel:thomas_hundt B0009V6TL4 Logitech Cordless Desktop EX110 ( 967561-0403 ): Electronics electronics 1 of 2 2.0 August 15, 2006 Thomas Hundt San Francisco, CA United States The keyboard with this set is flimsy and cheap feeling. Worse, the layout is nonstandard: they've messed up the key cluster above the arrows (Insert/Delete/Home/End/etc.). And the right hand Ctrl is not below the right end of the Shift key, it is under the left end of the Shift key, where one of the Windows keys (the context menu one) normally is. They've taken out one of the Windows menu keys, too. The wireless features worked fine (I've used it two days) and worked even without installing their driver software (something I'm always reluctant to do). I think some of the extra buttons (multimedia controls) on the keyboard don't work for me, because of this. I use the computer it's on for work, not screwing around, so this doesn't bother me. (I have it installed on a Thinkpad laptop so I can keep the screen farther from my eyes, and my employer bought the thing; it wouldn't have been my first choice.) I've given it two stars only because it worked great, out of the box, with no driver software. (This is on a Thinkpad running WinXP.) I'm already dreading the battery usage (based on another review here). Thankfully, it's not my main keyboard B0009NMQ2I:i_wouldnt_recommend_this_unit:john_f._weiland B0009NMQ2I Delphi SkyFi2 XM Satellite Radio Receiver and Car Kit: Electronics electronics 8 of 12 1.0 April 6, 2006 John F. Weiland Verona, PA United States Ive had this unit for over a 1+ year and ran into problems with reception it would drop signal and it would eventual come back. I found out that this unit had a defect and the xm rep said I could get a replacement for $50!!! They didnt figure to tell anybody about this? If this is true I would not recommend XM Radio at all. Thanks John B0009U4ZDE:this_item_is_horrible:a._temple B0009U4ZDE CTA Digital 3 in 1 Car Kit for iPod: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 October 19, 2006 A. Temple I have to admit, the price of this item got me. It's now 40 bucks down the drain as it has failed to work completely. It worked for about 8 months but was very fuzzy. The quaility was that of an AM radio station. Recently, it quit working altogether so now I am back in the market for one that will work B0009U4ZDE:item_didn't_work:l._mikkelsen_"lm" B0009U4ZDE CTA Digital 3 in 1 Car Kit for iPod: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 August 15, 2006 L. Mikkelsen "LM" Seattle, WA Unfortunately the item didn't work. The company offered to replace it but I just decided to pay more and buy locally B000A2BJ1W:costly_to_run.:sherry B000A2BJ1W Canon PIXMA iP1600 Photo Printer (White): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 October 21, 2006 Sherry Michigan It is an okay printer (I haven't done photos yet) and pretty fast but I have to change the cartridges every 3-4 weeks. This is just home use I'm talking about, not business use. The cartridges are small, run out real fast and cost up to $60 a month for one black and one color. I'm thinking of going back to a Lexmark B000A2BJ1W:you_get_what_you_pay_for...:m._c._kerr_"j.j.'s_mommy" B000A2BJ1W Canon PIXMA iP1600 Photo Printer (White): Electronics electronics 3 of 3 2.0 September 14, 2006 M. C. Kerr "J.J.'s Mommy" Philadelphia, PA I bought this printer because I wanted high quality photo printing and I didn't need any of the bells and whistles that come with more expensive printers. It's a Canon, so I figured I could count on the photo quality. I was terribly disappointed though. I generally buy Staples brand photo paper for general photo printing, and it always worked fine with my Epson printer. But my first prints on this printer looked dull and muddy -- like I was looking at the images though a mild but annoying grey/brown haze. So I went out and bought Canon paper instead. The quality was somewhat improved, but still not what I had expected. So yes, I got a printer for under $30, but now to get even passably OK prints, I need to spend a fortune on Canon brand inks and paper. Not much of a bargain. B000094FRI:threw_it_out.:j._wurzelmann_"plays_well_with_others" B000094FRI CABLES UNLIMITED Zip-Linq RJ12 Retractable Phone & Modem Cable: Electronics electronics 1.0 May 26, 2006 J. Wurzelmann "Plays Well With Others" Chapel Hill, NC USA As best as I can tell the wires were too thin, and it could not handle any kind of bandwidth. B000062STU:doesn't_work_with_my_pc:carmine_d'emilio B000062STU Adaptec 1890600 Fireconnect 4300 Kit AFW-4300: Electronics electronics 1 of 3 1.0 February 21, 2004 Carmine D'Emilio Yonkers, NY USA I installed the board and my PC (running XP Pro) won't boot. I tested all the PCI slots with other cards (and mixed them up too) and the PC boots fine. I returned the card and got a new one. Same problem. I removed all of my other PCI cards and left this one in there alone ... same problem. I'm speechless. I guess it's not compatable with some systems. By the way, I know my set-up is fine. I have 3 PCI slots filled and 3 additional USB devices and all is well. I never had a problem like this before B0000DZET4:if_you_have_sp2,_this_is_not_for_you:d._nasluchacz_"kaleldpn" B0000DZET4 Linksys USBBT100 Bluetooth USB Adapter: Electronics electronics 1 of 3 2.0 September 3, 2006 D. Nasluchacz "kaleldpn" Riverside This adapter will not work at all with Windows XP SP2 - despite any promises from the Linksys website, this cannot be setup - buy the Anycom adapter instead B0000DZET4:has_yet_to_work:roger_miller_"roger" B0000DZET4 Linksys USBBT100 Bluetooth USB Adapter: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 August 1, 2006 Roger Miller "Roger" Illinois I have spent time with lynksys and Dell, both of which say they have done all they can do, (from their manuals). Because I have had to finish phone calls without without solving the problem, I call back and get conflicting oppinions...this keeps me coming back. It still is not working, they have that in common. B0007DFXD4:some_of_them_doesnt_work._cheap_quality_cdrs:murali_tammineni B0007DFXD4 Velocity 52X 80 Minute/700 MB CD-R (25-Pack Spindle): Electronics electronics 2.0 March 9, 2006 Murali Tammineni Webster, NY, USA Their quality is cheap. so do their price. Out of the 25 CDs, atleast 8 of them failed. The rest, okay. I would suggest Verbatim. They are pretty good B000EWTBRW:don't_waste_your_money:mintz_"-mintz" B000EWTBRW SanDisk Sansa e200 Silicone Case White: Electronics electronics 32 of 34 1.0 June 27, 2006 Mintz "-Mintz" Huntsville, AL Pros * Fits like a glove (goes without saying) * Um... Peace of mind? Cons * This case makes pushing the buttons harder than it already is. * There is nothing to protect the screen. * If you're left-handed (or like to operate gadgets with your left hand) note that it is impossible to push the Menu button. It would take a double-jointed freak of nature to comfortably push it. * The case is a dust and hair magnet. Every time you pull it out of your pocket, it's encrusted with lint you didn't even know you had. Dust manages to sneak under every surface, and hair magically sticks to it. This case is a DNA-sample paradise for forensic experts. One of the features of a flash-based memory player is the fact that they won't break as easily when you drop them. Unless you're paranoid about getting scratches on your shiny new Sansa, don't buy this B00006JPFP:bad_product_from_kb_electronics:v._sharda_"goodone" B00006JPFP Coby CA-979 Universal AC Power Adapter: Electronics electronics 10 of 14 1.0 January 20, 2006 V. Sharda "GoodOne" NJ, USA I bought this product from KB Electronics. Because of this product, my digital camera stopped working. On giving a bad review to this product, KB Electronics offered me 10% discount on my next product. So, I told them that I would give a good review to them if they can repair my camera. At this they went silent. So, basically this means that they would try to make someone silent with a few dollars, but if they have to fix their problems, then they would forget all morals and turn dumb. I don't know about the current company, but beware of the same thing happening to you guys. It is possible that KB Electronics has started selling the same product by the name of its sister concern - businesses do this all the time B00005T3ND:great_until_it_broke: B00005T3ND Apex AD-1500 DVD Player: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 2.0 April 16, 2004 I bought this player a little over a year ago, mainly for the ability to upgrade the firmware to region-free. Played everything I put in it until a few days ago, when it started having intermittent problems- graphics were staticy and blocky, sound would just buzz and it wouldn't eject discs until I shut it down and restarted it. That lasted for two days before the problem became permanent. Now it's a doorstop. The Apex web site appears to be down right now, but based on the other reviews here I doubt there's much point in contacting them B00074Z9OQ:ever_wished_you_hadn't_spent_your_money...:k._little B00074Z9OQ Apple M9758G/A iPod Shuffle Sport Case: Electronics electronics 5 of 6 1.0 June 19, 2006 K. Little The resaon I purchased this sport case is because it was an Apple product. My thoughts were that is I was going to dive into the ipod experience I should invest in a quality case to protect it. I'm sure that most people would think the way I do. I read the reviews and felt that even though it was a little pricey I would go ahead. This product is not a good one for the price. Mine broke, specifically, the plastic slider on the side that locks the shuffle in. I know what your thinking... she abused the product but I swear I did not. I loathe returning things but, darn it, this is ridiculous. Avoid this one and go for something less expensive. B0000TNJU4:not_as_fast_as_they_claim:m._easton_"cme" B0000TNJU4 Belkin Media Reader and Dock Connector for iPod: Electronics electronics 21 of 21 2.0 October 28, 2004 M. Easton "CME" San Francisco, CA Though the concept is great, and the controls are straight forward and easy to use, the Belkin Reader falls short of usability. While out on a location, I was away from a power source and thought the Belkin reader would be a great alternative to lugging a laptop around for file transfers. Trying to transfer 1000 pics off a 1GB CF card was impossible. The reader would drain a fully charged ipod and still not finish the transfer. Though it claims firewire transfer speeds, I did some tests from home and found otherwise: 100 compressed 2K pics transferred via: USB1 card reader to computer 1 min 20 sec. PCMCIA card reader in laptop 45 seconds. Belkin Media reader 6 min. 45 sec This was just a simple example. You can see how hundreds of files would take 30 minutes or more. For the price, I'd suggest buying a few more memory cards and not worry about the transfers until you get home, unless you're in no rush and can charge up the ipod regularly B000F5K3Y8:very_poor!:r._sousa B000F5K3Y8 Mustang MV-TILT3 Tilt Wall Mount Adjustable for TV's up to 60-inches: Electronics electronics 2 of 6 2.0 November 7, 2006 R. Sousa Arrived today in a taped, ripped, and open box. It appears as though all the parts are there, but this is definitely not a 'factory sealed' product. Beware! My suggestion would be to buy from someone else B000F5K3Y8:product_missing_user's_guide:bejan_afsharpour_"bejanjoon" B000F5K3Y8 Mustang MV-TILT3 Tilt Wall Mount Adjustable for TV's up to 60-inches: Electronics electronics 33 of 46 1.0 August 25, 2006 Bejan Afsharpour "bejanjoon" California This product came with an italian users guide. In addition the specification fails to state the thickness of this wall mount. It turns out its about 3.5 inches thick and with the thickness of the monitor itself it stands out very far from the wall. I RETURNED THIS BACK TO AMAZO B00067TTZE:not_happy:l._dagenais B00067TTZE Creative Zen Micro 5 GB MP3 Player White: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 24, 2006 L. Dagenais Hard to figure out and organize music... battery life not what is promised and needs to be changed often... don't recommend it. Very "Not happy B000B9RXPA:horrible,_horrible,_horrible:a._bower B000B9RXPA Apple MA186G/A Armband Red for iPod Nano 1st Generation: Electronics electronics 7 of 7 1.0 June 9, 2006 A. Bower I adore my nano, but this armband is one of the worst products I have ever bought. I work out quite a bit with the nano and the band comes off multiple times during my workout. The spacing of the velcro dots means I never get exactly the right fit and the band gets ripped off anytime I do weight lifting close to my body. It is also as other reviewers mentioned hugely overpriced for what it is. I am ordering a band from a different company and this will go straight to the garbage. B0001AU6XU:i_hate_it!:laura_moffat B0001AU6XU Apple iPod Mini Arm Band M9445G/A: Electronics electronics 6 of 7 1.0 July 7, 2005 Laura Moffat Either I am idiot or this product is very poorly designed! It takes forever to get it just right, so that it won't slip off and still it feels uncomfortable and not quite right. Now they have them in sorts of colors, don't buy it, you'll just get annoyed everytime you want to use it, like me. B0001AU6XU:the_clip_is_better:katie B0001AU6XU Apple iPod Mini Arm Band M9445G/A: Electronics electronics 14 of 14 2.0 May 3, 2005 Katie St. Louis, MO I bought the armband when I got my mini ipod. However, the belt clip that comes with the iPod is perfect to clip to my shorts while jogging. You don't need this large, clunky armband B0001AU6XU:destined_for_the_back_of_a_drawer:talawren B0001AU6XU Apple iPod Mini Arm Band M9445G/A: Electronics electronics 34 of 35 2.0 March 4, 2005 talawren Burlington, VT USA I found the armband to be uncomfortable and inconvenient. I think the upper arm is just a bad place to carry an iPod. The added weight is distracting when I'm running. Even worse is any activity that requires me to flex my biceps at all, so lifting weights is out. Put it on too tight, and I constrict the muscle. Loosen it a little, and the band slips off. There is no happy medium. Also, the earphone cord gets in the way more when it's leading from my arm. The belt clip that came with my iPod mini works much better for me. I clip it on the waistband of my sweatpants when I'm working out and it remains very secure, even when I'm running on the treadmill. And the cord stays close to my body, where it is far less likely to get caught on something. The only advantage of this product is that it lets you advertise to the world that you own an iPod mini. Big deal. My armband is destined to be forgotten in the back of a drawer at home B00004U8K1:very_poor_quality:jennifer_fife B00004U8K1 Plantronics T10 Corded Headset Phone: Electronics electronics 3 of 5 1.0 April 1, 2006 Jennifer Fife United States Do not waste your money on this product!! Whilst Amazon has a very good price for it, the headset is junk! I tried two different sets and both had a terrible hum. The hum was audible at all jacks in the house and on two different phone lines. It could be heard by the other party and made my hearing the other party nearly impossible. I work for the phone company and have used headsets over the past 25 years with no problmes. This set is very poor quality and not worth the money. B00004U8K1:buzz_in_microphone:b._coleman B00004U8K1 Plantronics T10 Corded Headset Phone: Electronics electronics 5 of 6 1.0 January 6, 2006 B. Coleman Amazon quickly shipped this item to me and I was ready to rock 'n' roll -- until I plugged it in. There was a distinct buzzing noise that both myself and the caller on the other end could hear. The buzzing noise stopped when I hit mute, so the Plantronics rep said it was a microphone problem. Amazon was very gracious about their return policy and I was quickly sent a new phone free of charge. Well, the second phone does the same thing and I'm returning it to get a refund. Maybe just my phone line? Possibly. But I've tried two phones now and have the same problem with both B000AP1RE8:sound_quality_ok,_but:julian_finn B000AP1RE8 Studio Condenser Mic with USB Output - SAM C01U: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 23, 2006 Julian Finn Karlsruhe, Germany Bought C01U and was glad I could send it back after a testing period: Tried it witih Ableton Live on OS X 10.4.7 and a MacBookPro. Sound Quality was okay but either the buffer was too small (which caused the sound to scratch every few seconds) or the buffer was too large which ended in a lag causing me to get distracted from my monitor-earphones. I tried for about two hours to find the right balance but it didn't work out. This Microphone might have a nice sound but I can'T recommend it for high standard voice recording. B0006TIA34:didn't_last_long:manuel_ferrer B0006TIA34 D-Link DWL-G650M Wireless 108G MIMO CardBus Adapter: Electronics electronics 2.0 July 24, 2006 Manuel Ferrer The card lasted about 3 months then just died. I'm disappointed considering the cost. When it was working it seemed to have better range than my builtin centrino web access card. I don't know if I got a lemon but now I have to check the warranty. B0006TIA34:can't_connect_at_108mbs,_max_is_54mbps:a._verdugo B0006TIA34 D-Link DWL-G650M Wireless 108G MIMO CardBus Adapter: Electronics electronics 3 of 8 1.0 February 3, 2005 A. Verdugo CT The card worked really well except for one little thing. There is no way to enbale super G mode (you need it to connect at 108mbps). Without the most I could connect at was 54mbps. The quick install guide and the manual said it's available, but it wasn't. Tech support was able to reproduce my problem, and tried many, many things. Even though they were very helpful, they coudln't fix it. My guess is that it's going to take a firmware upgrade to enable Super G. If you can wait for that, then you will be happy. I returned mine, and bout a Linksys WPC54GX B0001M3N7O:i_hope_sony_will_go_back_to_the_old_(srf-h3)_design:l._eskin B0001M3N7O Sony SRFH4 Analog Tuning AM / FM Headphone Radio: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 2.0 August 17, 2006 L. Eskin Like another reviewer, I had the SRF-H3 model, and loved them - comfortable, secure, decent sound, and *almost* indestructable. I was hoping these would be "new and improved". Well, they are new... I really do not like them. The electronics/sound seem to be at least as good as the SRF-H3, which is fine, but the new design does not work for me at all, for 3 reasons. 1. The bigger band that goes over the top of the head is almost square - flat on top, instead of curved, so the weight all rests right on the crown of my head. 2. The smaller band, instead of keeping it secure, just loosens up rather than hanging on. 3. The earpads, which were on wobbly stalks on the SRF-H3, to match the angle of the ears, are fixed on this model. so they push more on the rear edges of my ears, and push the headphones forward. The quality of the electronics and sound don't do much good if the things are a pain to wear. Maybe they will work well for some head shapes, but not for mine. Bummer... Maybe I can find the old model somewhere. B000EUGX70:greatly_disappointing:c._douglas_"cmd1" B000EUGX70 Logitech Harmony 550 Universal Remote: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 November 23, 2006 C. Douglas "cmd1" Austin, TX United States I can't say enough positive about Logitech mice. This device, however, was a dismal disappointment. The PC interface works well, and its knowledge of existing components seems impressive. Unfortunately, that in no way translates into a good remote interface. The ability of the unit to reliably turn on multiple components was poor, and, for those with video recorder boxes, very important functionality like the ability to access or schedule recording lists is not readily available (if its there at all, its hidden many keystrokes deeper than I care to know about). Even when reverting to manual operation of individual components, changing which device is being accessed involves two keystrokes (as opposed to just one on less complex universal remotes--a much more irritating trait than one might think). Overall, for day-to-day functionality I actually consider the barely-programmable remote that came with my Scientific Atlanta DVR vastly superior to the Harmony, which I've given up on after only a few days of forced use. Considering the ridiculous pricetag, I strongly advise you save yourself a lot of money and your relatives a lot of frustration this year by steering clear of this sad study in user interface failure B000A6PPOK:used_previous_natural_keyboard...:todd B000A6PPOK Microsoft Natural Ergo Keyboard 4000: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 23, 2006 Todd Simi Valley, CA USA I have 2 10 year old natural keyboards with the old keyboard layout and when I saw this new keyboard with the same layout I bought one. Sadly, this keyboard is painful to use. The keys - especially the space bar - require far more force to use that my previous keyboard. I am a software engineer and used to typing but this keyboard has slowed my typing rate and wears me out after 20 minutes. On the shelf it goes for emergencies as I'll continue to maintain my old keyboard B0007PF7FQ:good_b/w_print/scans,_poor_software_and_color_scans:ivan_ivanoff B0007PF7FQ Brother MFC-7820N 5-in-1 Network Monochrome Laser Multifunction Center: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 2.0 October 9, 2006 Ivan Ivanoff Atlanta, GA USA Used this unit for a few weeks and returned. Annoyances: Sofware: With ADF scanning, you have to enter scan parameters (paper size etc) again for every scan and it does not have an option to let you to continue scanning more pages then ADF can hold. You will have to use "add to file" function and select all scan parameters again. There is no option to scan double-sided pages as well with using 2 pass scanning. So 3rd party software is definitively needed to get a real value out of ADF scanning. Color Scanning: While B/W scans are fast, color scanning speed is very poor to me. Scanning stack of color pages could take ages. Slow color scanning speed was observed in both USB and network modes. FAX: Number of rings before FAX answers is limited to 4 and I found no way to increase that. No good for SOHO B000B61X1S:quit_working_after_printing_three_pages_successfully:s._stanley B000B61X1S HP Deskjet 460C Mobile Printer: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 15, 2006 S. Stanley Denver, CO USA Confusing light display (looking in the manual) told me there was a paper jam after printing three pages. There is no jam. There is nothing stuck in the printer. Sending it back now. I do not have time to troubleshoot a new printer that fails to work properly after three pages. (Maybe you won't have time either!) I am very tech savvy and have checked the manual. The device simply is defective. I also noted that the top lid that folds down for packing to travel seems very flimsy. It's hard to imagine it would not break in time, and since it's the paper feeder, you'd be out of luck. I'd recommend something else B0007XGORI:not_for_mac_user:donttellmama_"neodante" B0007XGORI SmartDisk FCD20 FotoChute 20 GB Portable Digital Storage Device: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 September 17, 2006 donttellmama "neodante" NYC, NY USA The description indicates that it works on Mac platform. But it does not. And the funny thing is the instruction. It says "if it does not work, try different computer." Very helpful, isn't it? So I had to use my PC and set up a network w/ Mac and trasnfer. Too much trouble if you have a Mac. However, it's easy to use. Hook up and click, click. that's it. B00093DA2I:important_read_this_reveiw!!!:jorge_castaneda B00093DA2I Skullcandy SCS-SC Skullcrusher Subwoofer Stereo Headphones (Green): Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 September 16, 2006 Jorge Castaneda Anaheim, CA USA These are some great headphones, BUY THEM FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE! I chose to buy them here because of the lower price, big mistake, what I recieved wasen't the item picutered. I don't know if there an older version or some knock-offs, the sound is ok... but there very cheaply made and theres something wrong with the hinges they don't fold properly. I have an average size head and even fully extended to put them on you have to warp the headband to the point that it looks like its about to break. Returned them and spent the extra 20 bucks to buy them from the actual site B00093DA2I:dead_in_4_months!!!:mr._ownage B00093DA2I Skullcandy SCS-SC Skullcrusher Subwoofer Stereo Headphones (Green): Electronics electronics 0 of 1 2.0 April 14, 2006 Mr. Ownage Kingston, On Canada Worked well when it was working...massive bass response, comfortable cushioning for big ears and funky styling. Only complaint is the cumbersome battery case and cheap feeling plastic construction. However, none of this mattered when it just stopped working 4 months after purchase. Gave absolutely no signs before hand, just working one day, completely dead the next. There are other reviewers here that shared my same fate, so if you want to gamble with these, go ahead, but know that the risk is a pair of dead headphones. B0002VMDIY:terrible_-_i_am_returning_it_:michael_w._yacenda B0002VMDIY Panasonic KX-TG6500B 5.8 GHz DSS Expandable 2-Line Cordless Phone (Black): Electronics electronics 12 of 16 1.0 November 3, 2005 Michael W. Yacenda Stamford CT Low volume ... people can not hear me at the other end. I therefore have to return it. I liked my Siemens 8825 much much better. Other complaints: 1. No central office voice mail indicator 2. All handsets display the same missed call messages; so the same missed call has to be handled 4 times. A very stupid design. 3. Large heavy handset 4. This is not a phone system. It is a collection of phones. B00004Z5H3:not_so_good: B00004Z5H3 Belkin A3L791-14-BLU-S RJ45M/RJ45M 10/100BT Cat5e Snagless Patch Cable (14 FT, Blue): Electronics electronics 3 of 14 2.0 February 11, 2003 One of the two ends was broken B0001N44TO:the_latest_version_fails_to_meet_expectations:willy_loo_"freiwill01" B0001N44TO Case Logic DVB-40 48-Disc DVD Wallet: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 January 19, 2006 Willy Loo "freiwill01" Greenville, SC This version released late 2005 is obviously a cost-cutting result. This release drops the zipper which is essential when travelling. Also the price have doubled compared to the previous style. B0006BKH3S:nifty_device_but_display_tough_to_read_in_daylight:chaz_cone B0006BKH3S Monster A-IP-FM-CH-PS Wireless FM Transmitter: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 November 2, 2006 Chaz Cone Atlanta, GA USA This is my second one of these (I pinched off the cable on my first one with a storage console door and had to get another!) The display has two settings: very dim and off. THe one I had before was quite bright so they must have changed something. That said, it works perfectly. You shouldn't be looking at the display while driving anyway B0000DK662:this_is_a_pile_of_junk.:w._shivers B0000DK662 Hewlett Packard 49G+ Graphing Calculator: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 September 23, 2006 W. Shivers A $150 calculator that I am going to trash. I had the same problem with the keyboard (terrible response); I struggled with it for about a year and then called HP. My warranty was out, so Hp suggested I install an update, which I did. Now the keys are firing off 3 or 4 digits with one press of the button. This is ridiculous. B0000DK662:not_impressed:hydroman B0000DK662 Hewlett Packard 49G+ Graphing Calculator: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 1.0 May 24, 2006 hydroman Blacksburg,VA I am an RPN devotee and have owned two other HPs going back to the original 11C. But this calculator is horribly unreliable because it seems to ignore key entries occasionally. (Although you hear and feel the click, nothing happens) Also, the keys themselves may "bust loose" and start to wobble even after little use. This is my third replacement in the last two years. Be sure and save your receipt because quality control is absent on this one. B00001P4XA:pay_a_little_more_and_get_something_better:edward_b_greene B00001P4XA Koss "The Plug" Portable Headphones: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 12, 2006 Edward B Greene Ponte Vedra Beach, FL This was my first set of in-ear headphones and I bought them because they are cheap. Well, you get what you pay for. Being disappointed with the fit of the Koss phones, I bought the slightly more expensive JVC HA-FX55V. At least for me, a much better fit, which means more comfort and better sound. And I am still shopping. The array of offerings is daunting: JVC and JPlug at about $20 all the way up to Shure's top of the line at $500. So shop around, but forget about the Koss B000CO77TQ:who_really_knows_until_it's_too_late...:oyo B000CO77TQ 4-Year Service Plan for Televisions $1,500 to $1,999.99: Electronics electronics 2 of 4 1.0 September 6, 2006 Oyo Atlanta, GA This warranty is purchased through Amazon, but it is actually distributed by another company. When you search for TV warranties on Amazon, you will see 4 warranties that appear to be the same, but are different prices. I called the company that sells these warranties and asked what the difference was. They told me that there is no difference between the $119 warranty and the $499 warranty; they cover the exact same thing. The girl I spoke with even asked her manager and he said there is no difference. Warranties are a tricky item to review, because it all looks good until you actually need it. So, on this one, I suppose only time will tell. The one difference between the Amazon warranty and the electronic store warranty is that the Amazon one will not replace the first bulb in the TV; but I figure if I need to replace the bulb within those four years I will still be saving $100 because I can get a new bulb for around $200. B0001DYUJ8:quality_control_problems:markbrent_"markbrent" B0001DYUJ8 SimpleTech SimpleDrive 250 GB External USB 2.0 Hard Drive: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 October 26, 2006 markbrent "markbrent" Texas Bought this as a back-up for the internal hard drive of the laptop. My experience was sadly similar to many others on this site. Worked fine for two backups, then the drive stopped being recognized by my own or any other computer. Little red "power" light is on, little disc whirls around, but no blue "data transmit" light appears anymore. These are clearly a dismally unreliable and poorly made product- just imagine the disaster if this occurred when you were trying to restore data to a corrupted hard drive on your primary machine. A free replacement would not be much of a compensation. Avoid!! B0001CFSXG:wait....better_deal:xboxplayer_"xboxplayer" B0001CFSXG Lexar JumpGear MPC064-231 MP3 Player with 64 MB JumpDrive Sport: Electronics electronics 5 of 12 1.0 September 4, 2004 xboxplayer "xboxplayer" USA Buy the "empty" player for 37, then get a 128 mb card....its only 5 bucks mopre total..... B0007KX4TC:ipod_-_great_toy_-_horrible_customer_service/support:once_and_done_"once_and_done" B0007KX4TC Apple 30 GB iPod Photo M9829LL/A (4th Generation): Electronics electronics 6 of 8 2.0 February 14, 2006 Once and Done "Once and Done" USA The iPod is cool but ours ... as we've found has happened to many other owners ... went on the fritz and our nightmare began. Apple's customer service is the worst CS that we've ever experienced regardless of the product or service supported. I could write for days about the awful experience but I've wasted so much time with them already ... I can't bear to waste more. The most notable point is that the iPod CS folks repeatedly stated that iPods are more or less disposable, commodity items and "breakdowns" were common. Wow!! .. $400 Bucks of throw away!?!?!? We still haven't recieved the return box for replacement/repair after several days even though it was promised in 24-48 hours. We also own an MP3 player that we refer to as a "Dell-Pod" from Dell Computer and have had to use their customer service as well. Dell's CS support was awesome. Based on our experience with Apple/iPod CS support ... this is the first and LAST Apple product that will be owned in our household B0007KI6OU:if_you_need_this_in_a_hurry_don't_buy_from_amazon!:novelty_1_"love_my_kids!" B0007KI6OU Brother TN 350 Black Toner Cartridge (HL-2040 and HL-2070N Printers): Electronics electronics 1.0 November 24, 2006 Novelty_1 "Love my kids!" SoCal I purchased this item on Nov. 17, 2006. Amazon claimed it was in stock. I then upgraded from free shipping to Standard, which promises a 3-5 days delivery time. Amazon now informs me that it will arrived on Nov. 29th! This is the second recent order with a longer than anticipated/promised delivery time. I don't know if Amazon is going down hill or what, but it's discouraging. Next time, I'll just buy the item locally and pay a few extra dollars. And by the way, don't even try to call Amazon Customer Service at 800-201-7575. They can't do anything to resolve a problem and barely speak or understand English. Another great American company moving towards metiocracy; what a shame B000IF45QM:microphone_volume_too_low_and_can't_be_set:r._stockton B000IF45QM Kensington Vo300 USB Internet Speakerphone for use with Skype software K33378US: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 October 21, 2006 R. Stockton Michigan, USA Short answer: The microphone volume on this is set too low relative to the speaker volume, and cannot be adjusted independently--either through the device or at the O/S level. I spoke with tech support, and they said this was to keep the echo-cancellation software from having issues. So as a speakerphone, this device is useless. I'd have given it one star, but the rest of the device is actually very well designed, easy to setup, and so on. B00006JPU2:its_just_a_standard_component_cable..:william_the_fighter.. B00006JPU2 Monster Cable 3-Foot Component Video (BSV1CV-1M): Electronics electronics 14 of 20 1.0 November 12, 2004 william the fighter.. NC USA compared this cable to a philips performance component cable and i am not impressed it was the exact same in picture quality. all your paying for is the name.. why spend 50$ when you can spend 20$ on the philps and get the same thing? B00009MVHF:lcd_display_broke_after_2_months:n._nacey B00009MVHF Panasonic KX-TS3282B 2-Line Expandable Speakerphone with Data Port (Black): Electronics electronics 1.0 October 30, 2006 N. Nacey I was fairly satisfied with this phone until I had to re-arrange my office and move my phone. Once I moved it and then tried to reconnect it, I no longer had LCD functionality or speakerphone functionality. I looked on their website and this is what it said on their FAQ: Problem: No caller ID information received Does the LCD screen on the handset show anything? No Your telephone is defective and needs to be sent in for service Since it is on their FAQ I would assume this is a common problem. In trying to exchange my phone they were insistent that I send my phone in first so they could look at it and then refurbish it / exchange it. Since I use this phone for my home office this was problematic for me. I would not recommend this product. I personally will not by Panasonic again due to the quality of customer support (or lack thereof) that I received B000117DF8:poor_support:l._morgan_"programming_instructor" B000117DF8 Lexar Media 512 MB JumpDrive Sport Portable USB 2.0 Drive (PC/Mac): Electronics electronics 3 of 4 1.0 December 29, 2005 L. Morgan "Programming Instructor" I didn't have the same experience as the "Great support from Lexar" review below. The rubber caps on the Sport Jumpdrives will quickly split open and you will probably loose your jumpdrive when it fall off your keychain. Unlike the person below, Lexar would not send me a free replacement. They said that I could go to their web site an purchase another rubber cap. Poor support for a poor product B00009UHYL:not_worth_the_money:time_traveler B00009UHYL TERK BMS-58 5 In/8 Out Integrated Multiswitch (TERK BMS58): Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 August 31, 2006 Time Traveler USA Everyone knows TERK MAKES JUNK, and this multiswitch is no exception. I needed a multiswitch quick, went to Best Buy and paid, get this, $154.00 for this Terk ms!! Yeah, I know, but I needed it asap. ONE WEEK after installation, one of the satellite inputs crapped out, dead. And I do have surge protection on the lines. Also, the unit runs very hot. I've had three other Terk products do the same thing. Avoid Terk at all costs and go with Monster or even Radio Shack in a pinch. Will never buy a Terk product again. Ever B00006B7DB:defective_bluetooth:john_olson_"golfer" B00006B7DB D-Link DBT-120 Bluetooth USB Adapter, PC/Mac: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 6, 2006 John Olson "golfer" marshalltown, ia The item I bought had to be returned due to the fact it did not wor B00004SY4H:did_i_get_a_bad_sample?_totally_disappointed!:eric_j._anderson B00004SY4H Sennheiser HD600 Traditional Over-Ear Open Dynamic Hi-Fi Professional Stereo Headphones (Black): Electronics electronics 18 of 30 1.0 February 8, 2005 Eric J. Anderson Ankeny, Iowa Yes, I burned them in for at least 25 hours. They sounded muddy. Smooth as caramel, but veiled. The bass was heavy and indistinct. The high frequencies were not clean, and not abundant. Having listened to Stax headphones for years and years, I know I got used to a superclean, almost clinical sound. But still I cannot believe how completely different the HD600s were. I borrowed these from a friend, who bought them new and had hardly used them. Frankly, I get more pleasure listening with my Sony MDR-W20G sports headphones that I bought for less than $10. I am at a loss to understand the glowing reviews. I would love to hear a headphone that sounds as wonderful as people are describing. But the one I heard did not. Not even after break-in. Never would I consider one of these phones without auditioning them. Perhaps I truly heard a rare, defective unit. But if so, both drivers were defective, because they sounded the same. B0007Y6AF8:a_disgrace_to_sony,_here's_why_in_point_form:p._an_duong B0007Y6AF8 Sony ICD-MX20 Memory Stick Pro Duo Digital Voice Recorder: Electronics electronics 9 of 18 1.0 March 18, 2006 P. An Duong -small button size -recording time is crap when used with the best batteries -hold button, many bugs with -bugs; files often end corrupt in various ways, meaning you get f***ed over -software is crap, also it cant convert to mp3, o and did i mention you have to convert in general not true for all ic recorders, which others record directly in mp3 for example -mic is without noice reduction -device is the most fragile ic recorder ever -a consumer grade product, not a professional grade product Go with the following: ds-2200 made by olympus, it smokes this ic recorder by a mile, and its tough and goes for about the same price perhaps cheaper. B000167V50:will_not_charge_micro_zen:ron_a._wodehouse_"roadmouse" B000167V50 Zip-Linq 12V DC Auto to 5V USB Adapter (ZIPPWR-DC): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 June 21, 2006 Ron A. Wodehouse "Roadmouse" Southern Oregon Will not charge the Micro Zen, but will power the unit. Will toss it in the car for those times when the battery is dead and I just need my music. B000167V50:another_sad_confirmation..no_go_for_shuffle:b._b._helsabeck B000167V50 Zip-Linq 12V DC Auto to 5V USB Adapter (ZIPPWR-DC): Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 December 30, 2005 B. B. Helsabeck Pompano Beach, FL USA It is rather ironic that this device was so cheap that despite the fact that IT WILL NOT CHARGE AN IPOD SHUFFLE...it cost more to ship it back than I would get in a refund. Bought from an Amazon associated store (Tiger Direct) for $4.99. I also bought the matching car charger for $3.99. NEITHER WORKS WITH THE IPOD SHUFFLE. Oh well. Belkin makes a iPod dock connector to USB adapter that allows you to use your existing FW based stuff for CHARGING ONLY...., I think that is the ticket for charging the Shuffle on the road B000167V50:nice_idea,_but...:f._paul B000167V50 Zip-Linq 12V DC Auto to 5V USB Adapter (ZIPPWR-DC): Electronics electronics 7 of 8 2.0 October 4, 2005 F. Paul OH, USA ...while this device does power your USB cable it seems to fail charging my Blackberry or my iPod. Maybe the 400 mA is not enough for that. I would not suggest to buy this item for these devices. For the iPod you better get the USB charger from the Apple store for 25$ that even comes with a standard iPod cable B0007OCY2G:decent_but_there_has_to_be_a_better_solution_somewhere_out_there!:jdiddy B0007OCY2G DLO TransPod All-in-One Car Solution for iPod Black: Electronics electronics 5 of 6 2.0 August 27, 2005 JDiddy Columbia, MD I recently received an iPOD Photo and after loading in tons of CD's I said . . . hey why not buy an all in 1 adapter for my car. My transpod arrived but I had difficulty inserting the adapter into my car's charger. After working that out and using it everyday for a week, it stopped working. I realized that the fuse had blown. It's small and relatively compact unlike the Griffin RoadTrip, but it's a whole lot of drama for the price. With regard to the quality of the sound through my vehicle's audio system, I am extremely disappointed. What sounds like a million dollars through headphones does not translate to what you hear through fm radio frequencies. I have adjusted the iPOD's equalizer and played around with some options inside my car, but I am extremely disappointed. If someone has a better alternative . . . GOD BLESS YOU but don't waste your money on this product B0006J59YW:broken:r._jensen B0006J59YW Iogear Wireless Bluetooth Mini Mouse: Electronics electronics 0 of 2 1.0 September 21, 2006 R. Jensen My first mouse broke after only a few uses. When I sent it back for repairs, they sent back a refurbished mouse that did not work at all. Avoid buying this mouse at all costs B0006J59YW:100_uses_for_a_dead_mouse:arcane_questions_"mousetapha" B0006J59YW Iogear Wireless Bluetooth Mini Mouse: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 August 8, 2006 Arcane Questions "Mousetapha" Seattle When it works, this mouse is simply wonderful. Small, accurate, easy to recharge, easy to carry. Under those conditions, it's probably my favorite mouse. I've found that it's equally good for both Mac and Windows. One complaint is that when it's tethered to the USB port for recharging, it works nominally, but becomes very slow and awkward. It's not at all the same behavior as seen when it's completely free to move. My first incarnation of mouse lived a long life of about 10 months. My second incarnation of mouse, however, just died at the tender age of 4 months. I've attempted mouse-to-mouse resuscitation, but to no avail, having found that Iogear technical support exists by name only. I have sent multiple requests for help, and have received not a single answer. Both mice died identical deaths. Suddenly it stops being able to hold a charge, and freezes after about 5 minutes of use. Even when tethered to the USB port for a recharge it freezes. I'm sad that a technologically good product should have such terrible quality assurance in its manufacture. And such terrible customer support in dealing with its lack of QA B00011PYC2:tell_apple_to_go_#$&%_themselves:kilgore_trout_"worldwidewebb01" B00011PYC2 AppleCare M9404LL/A Protection Plan for iPod: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 October 7, 2006 Kilgore Trout "worldwidewebb01" Columbia, MO What a waste of money. For $300 you shouldn't HAVE to buy a protection plan for the 2nd year of a products life; unfortunately the poor quality of iPods makes it a necessity. BUT, the protection plan is riddled with clauses that exclude any number of reasonable issues. I've bought Apple for the last 15 years, but never again will I send them my money B00011PYC2:less_expensive_policy_available_for_29.95_from_crutchfield.com:peter_g._gammon_"peteg" B00011PYC2 AppleCare M9404LL/A Protection Plan for iPod: Electronics electronics 112 of 119 2.0 December 21, 2005 Peter G. Gammon "PeteG" Chatt., TN Although this policy is thru Apple, it is 2x the price of similar policies available from other companies that also have very good reputations. One is Crutchfield.com which has a 2 yr. plan for $29.99 which starts *after* the standard Apple 1 yr labor coverage (for a TOTAL OF 3 YEARS). Apple extended warranty is a total of 2 years for $59.99, rather than a total of 3 years for $29.99 thru Crutchfield B00000JCT8:model_#_53725:p._emmett_"traveler" B00000JCT8 Motorola TalkAbout Headset with Boom Microphone for All Series: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 November 30, 2004 P. Emmett "Traveler" After receiving this boon mic, I found it did not work consitently. Losing contact with lost words, and the mic had to be held to the lips, therefore it was not truly hands free. I require a mic that I do not have to touch to work and can be used with VO B0002UE9WI:just_average:jason_sartain B0002UE9WI Creative Labs WebCam Live!: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 2.0 November 9, 2006 Jason Sartain I received the camera and was not happy when I found a cheap mic that was attached to the cord of an ear peace instead of the the superior sound mic advertised in the ad. I called Amazon, they had no appolgies and said the most they could do was refund my money. On another note the picture quality was ok but froze at least 2 times or better per use, as for sound I had to put the mic up to my mouth before the person on the other end could hear me. Not very happ B000AM6QHO:failure_to_please:daniel_a._nichols B000AM6QHO Logitech Z-5450 Digital 5.1 Speaker System: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 November 15, 2006 Daniel A. Nichols USA The z-5450 has good points, reasonable cost, ease of use and ease of setup. It has a major fault in a buzzing noise made when the unit is turned on. Give this item a pass, wait for the next generation and a guarantee that this problem has been corrected B0009RVG7U:track_problems_-_buy_the_cyber_home:l._d._dietsch_"digidog" B0009RVG7U Coby DVD237 Progressive Scan DVD Player: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 3, 2006 L. D. Dietsch "Digidog" Chicago, Illinois This thing looks great - but it still has tracking problems as these cheap units tend to. Do yourself a favor and buy the cyber home - it's the only cheaper unit that seems to have some quality to it B0009RVG7U:not_what_i_thought_i_was_purchasing:s._das B0009RVG7U Coby DVD237 Progressive Scan DVD Player: Electronics electronics 1.0 October 4, 2006 S. Das I searched Amazon.com for a multi-region DVD player so I could view DVDs that I have purchased overseas. This DVD player came up. There are no instructions within the packaging that state how to watch Non-region 1 DVDs. I called the manufacturer and they told me how to "rigg" it to play region 2 DVDs. Also, the remote control did not work from the very beginning and the manufacturer said I would need to pay money to replace it. They also let me know that the DVD player will not work without the remote control (not compatible with universal remotes). This is not a good product B000085BD8:antenna_fell_off_several_times:roy_littwin_"royale6" B000085BD8 Linksys WMP54G Wireless-G PCI Adapter: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 2.0 May 22, 2006 Roy Littwin "royale6" Sonoma County, USA Maybe 2 1/2 stars. Software and wireless setup for this card went fine, even great, and have continued to work for over 1 1/2 years now but . . . Here's the rub. Seems the housing on the card that receives the threads of the antenna was not properly attached to the board. The antenna would not work properly - 0-50% signal strength from the Access Point in the next room when it wasn't falling off the back of my machine! Futzed with the thing getting half-*** performance with it for toooo long until . . . Had to remove board from computer, use plier to remove antenna from the recept and VERRY carefully place the card in a vice and use vice-grip/clamp tool to forcefully slide the 1/2" housing in place onto the board. Did this once and it didn't seat far enough (antenna fell off) and a couple weeks later had to repeat the process. Apparently it needed to be pressed on even further and it actually snapped (securely ?) the 2nd time after using more force that you might imagine on such a delicate device. It has worked as advertised since then (about a year now). There ARE other reviewers who have suffered from "antenna drops off" too. Be warned. When one pays extra "for quality" they should expect better than this. It's time again to add to my network and will try a different board (for half the price). B0002UHUTM:multiple_problems:bekra B0002UHUTM Kensington Auto Charger for iPod and iPod Mini: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 September 4, 2005 bekra Houston, TX This charger is flimsy. 1) As other mention, the "retractable" unit quickly became tangled, and without significant attention every single time (not feasible while driving), doesn't retract. 2) The plastic covering the wire at the base of the jack pulled loose, exposing the wires. 3) After a few months of very gentle use, the white plastic cover of the jack cracked and fell off. As a result, I'm back in the market for a charger, just months after buying this one B0000996B9:these_tapes_didn't_worked_for_me_and_ruin_my_camera:meyer B0000996B9 JVC MDV60ME10P Mini DV Tape (10 Pack): Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 June 7, 2006 meyer i tried them on a sony dcr-trv33, and they clogged my heads in about 10min. of recording. the camera has worked fine for about two years now, and it's the first time i use other than sony. this camera went to the sony service center for a full cleaning/service about two months ago, and worked perfectly fine until i tried these tapes. i read somewhere that the tapes have a surface compound that lubricates the head, and that it is incompatible between brands, clogging the tape head when the different compounds mix in it. i didn't believe it then, and stil not. according to that, maybe they are fine and you only have to stick with the brand. and i'll do, but another one B0000996B9:low_cost_equals_low_quality:dadd75_"dadd75" B0000996B9 JVC MDV60ME10P Mini DV Tape (10 Pack): Electronics electronics 5 of 9 1.0 December 13, 2004 dadd75 "dadd75" Traverse City, MI After purchasing my Canon ZR-90 this summer, and using the four pack of TDK tapes ABC Warehouse gave me with the camcorder, I went online and found these tapes and bought two ten packs due to the great price and the JVC name. They have only done one thing, clogged up my video head on the camcorder. I videotape my sons basketball games for their coaches and it was only after the first couple of games and bad recordings that I got onto Canon's website and realized my video head was clogged. I purchased a head cleaner and the first tape after the cleaning taped great, but the next tape clogged my head up, so to use these tapes, I highly recommend you clean your video head after EACH use, which is not good for your video head on your camcorder B0009H9PZU:don't_waste_your_money:a._kellerman B0009H9PZU iRiver H10 20 GB MP3 Player/Recorder (Blue): Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 November 17, 2006 A. Kellerman It worked okay for about a month and then froze up one day when I was running. I popped out the battery so it would turn off and when I turned it back on it had deleted all of the songs. B0009H9PZU:iriver:j._de_cou B0009H9PZU iRiver H10 20 GB MP3 Player/Recorder (Blue): Electronics electronics 2 of 4 1.0 November 10, 2006 J. De Cou Alpine, WY Don't waste your money. What iRiver doesn't tell their customers is that once the battery goes dead, the system is useless. I will never buy one of their products again and I'm doing my best to inform everyone out there that they'll be tossing their money in the trash by purchasing any iRiver products. My system cost me $340.00 and it is now as useless as the customer service department at iRive B000ANQXKS:cheap_&_buggy:capo B000ANQXKS M-Audio MicroTrack 24/96 Professional 2-Channel Mobile Digital Recorder: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 4, 2006 Capo Memphis, TN The features, size, and design of this unit are what drew me in. But after just a few uses, I quickly came to realize that this was nothing more than cheap electronics wrapped up in an attractive, but completely unusable package. To start with, the unit is small - the smallest of its kind. But the bulky external mic makes the overall footprint just as large as some of the palmtop units that this was made to replace. Second, the unit has a built-in rechargeable battery that cannot be removed. So, when it crashes, which it does frequently, there is no way to "cold-boot" the unit by removing the battery. This is also a problem because it reduces the unit's true portability because you can easily get stuck with no remaining battery life and no AC power to recharge it. Then, what you have is a paperweight. Oh, and by the way, when you do have it plugged in to charge, the backlight is always on (even if the power is off). So forget about using this unit as a plugged in desktop recorder either. But, all of this aside, the firmware simply does not work. It locks up incessantly and, with no way to reboot, you literally have to unplug it, wait for it to auto-power-off, and hope that you can start the machine up again. And, to add insult to injury, the body is a cheap Chinese-made piece of plastic with absolutely no meat on its bones. Overall, don't be taken in by the low price. Paying any amount of money is too much for a unit that doesn't work B000ANQXKS:look_for_something_else:craig_gonter B000ANQXKS M-Audio MicroTrack 24/96 Professional 2-Channel Mobile Digital Recorder: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 September 7, 2006 Craig Gonter New England The microtrack will not hold a charge by itself or even operate very long when hooked up to an external usb battery pack. It just drains away under charge. The concept for this a pretty good , but the implementation woefully lacking almost to the point where I may not reliably recommend to others. B0000C0XS0:junk_at_the_best!:linuxrules B0000C0XS0 Netgear WGT624 Super G 108 Mbps Wireless Router: Electronics electronics 0 of 5 1.0 October 21, 2006 LinuxRules NY USA I bought this product twice. Now I have two of them and none works. This router is not able to get itself an IP from the cable modem let alone sending out a wireless signal. First time i thought the router was defective and I ordered a new one hoping to return the first one, received the second one before i could return the first one, and the new one was no better than the other anyways. Avoid this product at all costs, or else B0000C0XS0:waste_of_money:bag_man B0000C0XS0 Netgear WGT624 Super G 108 Mbps Wireless Router: Electronics electronics 2 of 5 2.0 October 15, 2006 Bag man MA Run WinXP, sp2 with everything updated. I've had this router for 6 months. It is the WGT624v3, firmware updated. I never realized how bad the wireless was on this router until this week - dropped connetion 3 times in 15 minutes today alone, while reading the Amazon.com reviews. My desktop PC's graphics card went down this past week and I had to RMA it... so about 10 days to send out and get a return. I have always used a wired connection for my home desktops. The wireless access was a 'it's there if I need it' novelty. I started brining my IBM R51 laptop home from work so I could get online, VPN into work, etc.. This is the first time I have used my wireless consistently for more than a hour or so. The last 10 days have been rediculous to say the least. I logged on my first day and lost connection 5-6 times browsing MSN and Yahoo. At first I thought it might be channel interference since 2 other routers in range were using channel 11. I went ahead and disabled the 108G feature since I had never come close to hitting that speed anyways, and changed the channel.. I used the IBM ThinkVantage software to scan my area for other wireless routers and picked a channel not being used. I changed channels and I verified my signal strength before and after I changed, 95% signal strength. The connection is still getting dropped randomly. Changed channel to another channel not being used in my area and verified signal strength. No difference. Scanned the networks again using the IBM ThinkVantage software.. theres my router, 97% signal strength @ 54Mbs. unplugged router, modem, repaired my WINSOCKS with WinsockXP, rebooted PC. I turned on my modem first until is was ready to go, then the router until it was ready, and then my PC (as per the netgear website)and yea, no difference in the connections stability. The conection is still getting dropped randomly. I might expect this from a router thats on all the time and is getting tired from constantly being hammered. But I hardly ever used the wireless access (yes, wireless radio has been OFF). After reading these reviews, I am pretty sure the problem wont go away. The part that upsets me the most, I payed premium money for a product that I thought was premium. If this had been priced (at the time) at bargain bin prices, I wouldn't of cared.. but it wasn't and i do. The 'you get what you pay for' saying does not hold true for this product. Buyer Beware B000F2M16E:pos_zen_micro_creative_support_now_sucks:ashley_j._gibbon B000F2M16E Creative Zen Micro Photo 4 GB MP3 Player Black: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 20, 2006 Ashley J. Gibbon Greensboro, MD United States Caution. Creative used to have great support. Now, 60 days of phone support. I have a 9 month old ZEN Micro. It will not start, if I plug it in, it appears to charge but never completes, If I turn it on while plugged in i get to the Creative boot up screen, it goes blank and never completes the boot up. Useless junk now. I cnnot find my original receipt, (who can). I cannot be returned, and I cannot get support on it. I will be returning my perfectly good running Vision M with receipt, as i cannot risk this device breaking down too. I have always hated Apple, I am a PC guy, but an Ipod will be my next MP3 device B00004Z6HU:completely_useless_for_me:the_stampfers B00004Z6HU Belkin A7J304-250 10/100BT 24 Awg PVC Cat5 250FT Bulk Cable (Stranded): Electronics electronics 1 of 75 2.0 July 21, 2001 The Stampfers Brookline, MA USA I wanted to connect a computer to a router, and the computer was going to be pretty far away from the router. So I figured I needed a long cord, and decided to get this one, which is supposed to be cat 5 stranded patch (which was what I needed.) Well, it's long. That's the only good thing about this cord. But the bad thing is so bad that the cord is useless. There is nothing on the ends! It's just a giant wire! There aren't any connectors on the ends that I can use to plug the cord into my computer, or the router. So I have a cord, but no connectors. It's completely useless, unless I buy the connectors separately, and attach them myself. Do I know how to do that? Do I want to do that? No. So I'm returning this. Maybe, if all you need is the cord (it's grey, by the way), and not the connectors, you might be able to use this. Otherwise, it's completely useless. If you can't find any cords this long that have connectors, maybe you should consider trying a shorter cord. .. B000067SVF:useless_-_does_not_retract:james_murphy B000067SVF Targus PA205U Retractable Phone Cord (20 Feet): Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 April 6, 2004 James Murphy Pelham, MA USA I agree with the previous review. This phone cord worked twice. Now, it only retracts about half way, and keeps getting worse. I'm returning it for a refund. Don't waste your time with this B0002ZAEY0:warning_about_the_ipod:keith_daudt B0002ZAEY0 Apple 60 GB iPod Photo (4th Generation): Electronics electronics 6 of 7 1.0 March 11, 2006 Keith Daudt Seattle, WA USA I have really enjoyed my I pod until I started to get errors in January 2006. I started to get an error that state that Itunes can't read to or write form the Disk meaning the Ipod itself. That means I cannot add music to or take music off of the Iopd. This was very upsetting to me as I have had this item for less than a year. I Finlay called tech support at Apple. They asked for the serial# for my Ipod. They told me it was out of warranty, that the warranty had expired in December of 2005 and there was NOTHING I could do, literally. I checked my purchase and found out that I had purchased this on April 7, 2005. I was so angry that they would tell me that it was out of warranty when it clearly was not. So, this is a warning to all Ipod owners of this potential problem B00005BIDT:waste_of_money!!:p._iyer_"paddy_i" B00005BIDT Jensen JTH940 Telephone Headset: Electronics electronics 0 of 4 1.0 July 19, 2002 P. Iyer "paddy_i" Sunnyvale, CA DOnt buy and I had tough time in adjusting the ear piece as it falls out every time you hang it over the ear. B000FCTAP4:do_your_research:thomas_kenny B000FCTAP4 D-Link VTA-VR Broadband Telephone Adapter with Vonage: Electronics electronics 1 of 4 2.0 October 2, 2006 Thomas Kenny We signed up with Vonage a couple of months ago. Setting up the D-Link adapter was a snap and I had a dial tone quickly. After several days, my line was ported and I thought everthing was ok. That was until I tried calling my dad several times and he just hung up on me. I heard his side clearly, but all he heard was static. Others complained about our connection too. Vonage support helped me change a few things on my account to take care of those problems. However, I still have not been able to use my computer modem to fax. I have tried multiple tips to get it to work, and still no luck. Calling Vonage's tech support is horrible. Long wait to talk with someone who doesn't speak good English nor has a clue about what to do with your problems. The worst part is that Vonage makes you sign up for a contract. If it wasn't for that, people would flee in droves. I think it will get better, but it has a way to g B0009M96K4:these_are_horrible.....:j._nosek B0009M96K4 Memorex DVD+R 8.5GB Double Layer 2.4x 15 Pack Spindle: Electronics electronics 6 of 9 1.0 March 25, 2006 J. Nosek Norridge, IL United States These were expensive..... These are a P. O. S. If you dont know what POS is google it, because I cant say it on amazon. Basically, the layer has an OFFSET. The layers do not match in position. This will give you CRC errors if you have a file which is directly on a layer break, or at the end of the disk. DO NOT BUY, I REPEAT, DO NOT BUY. IM NOT SURE WHY MEMOREX HASNT RECALLED THEIR CRUMMY PRODUCT B0009M96K4:was_not_recognizeable:paul_ferguson_"pferg" B0009M96K4 Memorex DVD+R 8.5GB Double Layer 2.4x 15 Pack Spindle: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 March 23, 2006 Paul Ferguson "pferg" these were not recognizable by my Sony Dual layer burner... maybe with more attempts and practice they will be B00009KAPX:one-third_the_features_for_three-quarters_of_the_price:d._powell B00009KAPX Belkin Auto Kit for iPod: Electronics electronics 12 of 26 1.0 December 13, 2005 D. Powell Pennsylvania, USA My wife bought this as a gift for me, thinking that it included an FM tuner. For ten dollars more, she could have purchased a product that does everything this one does (it is essentially a $35 car charger) plus the tuner. If you want to use this product to actually listen to your iPod in your car, you'll need to purchase yet another device: either the cassette adapter (old school! part F8V366-APL) or the FM transmitter (part F8V367-APL). Either one connects through a jack in the side of this unit. The FM transmitter is another $40 (you're now $20-30 over what the Monster iCarPlay, which does all of the above, would have cost you)...and, surprise! The transmitter takes AAA batteries! There's no way to power the transmitter through the Auto Kit. To power the FM transmitter without batteries, you must purchase yet a third accessory, the "Mobile Power Cord for iPod" (F8V7067-APL, just $15!)...except your car's power plug is occupied by the Auto Kit, so you'll need to buy a twin-plug adapter for that. Are we having fun yet? I'm not, and am wishing I'd skipped all this nonsense and just purchased the iCarPlay in the first place B00001RME1:just_did_not_work!: B00001RME1 Invent It! Iron-On Transfers: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 June 12, 2001 I am the owner of a home day care and I had all of the kids bring in T-shirts so that we could all create our own unique father's day gifts with these iron-on transfers. When I say that I followed the directions Precisely I am not fooling! I was so concerned about slip ups that I made sure I followed the directions to the letter, but every time I tried to pull off the cooled transfer paper off came half of the design and the rest styed on the paper! Very disappointing B000BK2ERQ:bad_luck_or_low_quality_product??:cristian B000BK2ERQ RCA Lyra RD2317FM 1 GB Digital Audio Player with FM Transmitter: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 2.0 August 9, 2006 Cristian Sierra Vista, AZ USA Very bad start, bad point for Amazon. I wanted to get a good quality device and that is the reason I chose buying from Amazon even it was more expensive than other sites. I just turned on the device and tried to search for broadcasts. It was like all the radios in US were shut down or at least in my region. By mistake I filliped the device and surprise: the device started receiving radio signal. After that everything seemed to be OK but some strange noise in headphones. Cons: failure/malfunctioning while operating the radio. Pros: - great sound (with other than manufacturer provided headphones); - long operating time using rechargeable battery; - excellent expandable via SD cards feature; - I love the flip display capability. I really love that device because of its features and I hope it was only my mischance getting a damaged one. However I requested Amazon the replacement of the device instead of reimbursement. I also already advised some friends to buy that device. As a good point for Amazon, the very fast answer when I requested the replacement of the device. I will come back with updates after I receive the replacement. Hope a good one next time. Thank you Amazon Team. Coming back after receiving the replacement device. First of all it was a very good idea buying Amazon fulfilled products even it was a bit more expensive than other sellers. The replacement came faster than the product. Excellent Amazon Team and very professional. It's a pleasure doing business with you. The device works perfectly. Really a device you must have. More than that, my friends I recommended the mp3 player are very happy with their new acquisition. They were luckier than me. 5 Stars for the product now. B000BB80TQ:wish_i_had_done_more_research:angela_markwalter_"1abm" B000BB80TQ Apple MA072G/A Dock for iPod Nano 1st Generation: Electronics electronics 31 of 33 2.0 January 28, 2006 Angela Markwalter "1abm" Dacula, GA USA Yeah, the Nano Dock is useful; however, be aware that it comes with NO cords whatsoever. This means that you have to purchase yet another accessory for it to be of any practical use. BOO Apple! There is absolutely no excuse for following in the footsteps of Microsoft B0001OTBUK:images_heavily_out_of_focus_despite_adjustment_-_returning:j._hammerschmidt B0001OTBUK Labtec WebCam Pro: Electronics electronics 1.0 October 7, 2006 J. Hammerschmidt Mountain View, CA Just got this camera in the mail as a birthday present. Installing the software was easy, but unfortunately the camera is essentially broken. It is only (somewhat) in-focus for items about 1 inch away. Adjusting the focus ring doesn't help, so this camera's build seems to be defective. My brother bought the same camera and it doesn't seem to have the same problem. Anyway, returning mine. B0000CEPE8:too_many_problems:wireless-less B0000CEPE8 D-Link DWL-G120 Wireless USB Adapter, 802.11g, 54Mbps: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 August 22, 2006 Wireless-less Philadelphia, Pa United States I had a D-link USB adaptor before which was really good, but was old. I upgraded to a wireless G Linksys USB adaptor, but I was supplied with old goods (a Linksys sales manager confirmed that), so I sent that back. I thought I'd try D-Link again. Bad move. First, I tried to upgrade the drivers. My current version was 1.0.5.0. I downloaded the version 1.12 from D-Link's site. After uninstalling and reinstalling (several times) I still had 1.0.5.0. An hour and a half on the phone with D-Link tech support and I still had 1.0.5.0. Another hour on Google, and I'm not the only one with this issue. Seems to be a version-control issue with D-Link. Then, even more irritating, every time after I use my wired connection and go back to wireless I have to reinstall the drivers and reboot. And re-enter all my security info again. (I believe this has something to do with using a different USB port from the last time, but whatever the reason, it's unacceptable). This adaptor's going back too. Don't know what I'll try next. B00004Z0C7:long_cord_didn't_work:ontheroad B00004Z0C7 Maxell HP20 Headphone Extension Cord with Adapters: Electronics electronics 3 of 4 1.0 March 19, 2005 OnTheRoad Denver, CO The long cord simply didn't work. I returned it to Maxell, using the address on the back of the package, and had the product returned to me because the facility has closed. I've spent almost $5 trying to return an $8 product. B0009RKL5S:tdk_branded,_not_made_by_tdk:wannabe_patent_lawyer B0009RKL5S TDK Electronics 4.7GB/16x DVD-R (100-Pack Spindle): Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 November 12, 2006 wannabe_patent_lawyer These discs are not really TDK - they are low-quality discs branded and priced as TDK. I have a Samsung S182M DVD Burner and it will not recognize these discs at all. It just spins them around and around forever. The one time I got it to recognize one of these, it reported that it was Media ID Daxon0016s. Avoid these. B00004Z6BJ:terrible_network_card_:stefan B00004Z6BJ Netgear FA311 TX 10/100 Ethernet Card: Electronics electronics 6 of 7 1.0 September 5, 2005 Stefan PA SUCKS I had this right form the start with my compaq 7970 which is amd k7 processor and has the via chipset. The computer seemed to work for a while or at least had few errors when I first used it but I guess that was when I had windows 98 for 2 years. When I upgraded to windows XP it just got terrible I had frequent blue screens and errors. I thought it was my video card or my ram or Irq sharing tried all that didn't seem to be it. Eventually I was wrong it was this card as mentioned before by others apparently it does not like some amount of internet use and when the card gets stuck it shuts down and windows xp just says error or points to the video card or irq sharing ot page fault in non page area as the problem. The card was the problem buy another card other than fa310,fa311 the one I have and fa312 even if you have intel or something else I would not waist my money on this card it will probably give you problems down the road. I have tried updates from [...] and updating my ram and video card have checked my irqs and reformating hard drive none worked. I put in a 3 com card I bought a few years before this computer and wow no crashes that other computer is now wirelessly connected to my home network B00004Z6BJ:ahhh!_its_horrible!:joe_shmoe B00004Z6BJ Netgear FA311 TX 10/100 Ethernet Card: Electronics electronics 2 of 5 1.0 May 5, 2005 Joe Shmoe USA Please! for the love of god! do not buy this product! it is absolutly horrible. i'll admit that since i bought my computer and go this card back in 2002, i hadn't had problems until the past few months. i play an online game - a MMORPG - and after every time the game is updated and i have to install the updates i am unable to log onto the game! it freezes up, and either makes my computer crash or destroys my internet connections, forcing me to restart. as you can imagine, this gets rather frustrating, and if you play MMORPGs, you can see how it is even more frustrating. i am currently running XP home edition. i beg you, DO NOT BUY THIS ETHERNET CARD JUST BECAUSE IT IS THE CHEAPEST ONE OUT THERE! you get what you pay for! now i'm off to buy a new one B00003CWDT:product_application:bob B00003CWDT Monster PC700 Computer PowerCenter with Surge Protection: Electronics electronics 10 of 13 2.0 May 7, 2004 Bob USA The photo on the Target website shows a cable input/output for cable protection. The unit arrived with a phone line input/output-not much help for those expecting protection on their cable line B00004SYNX:mac_users:_d-link's_claims_about_compatibility_are_false._look_elsewhere:traveler B00004SYNX D-Link DFE-530TX+ 10/100TX PCI Adapter, WOL: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 July 13, 2006 Traveler New England I have a G4 tower Mac that did have a built in Ethernet. Unfortunately, a lightening strike took out the port and I was forced to get a PCI card to replace the port. The first card I bought was the D-Link DFE-530TX+. I was excited because the box clearly said that the card would work with Macs and that the "minimum requirement" was OS 10.2. They lied. OS 10.2 is the _maximum_ for this card. For most people, it won't work with 10.3 and up. D-Link has no driver for 10.3 or higher, only 10.2. A google search shows that some people have been able to get the card to work with 10.3. I couldn't. I tried several different drivers (some users recommended a driver from Realtek) and none worked. It's my guess (and totally a guess) that this card is really only for older Macs that are limited to 10.2. D-Link doesn't seem to have any intention of supporting modern Macs. This is the second D-Link product I've used (the first was a cable modem) and I've been disappointed both times. I can't speak for Windows users, but this company doesn't deserve Mac business. B000FGNM6I:not_very_dependable:kkrome25_"kkrome25" B000FGNM6I Transcend 2GB (SD) Secure Digital Card: Electronics electronics 2.0 October 19, 2006 kkrome25 "kkrome25" California, USA I started out with 2 gigabytes. And then after I had filled this card with about 500 photos, I downloaded all the photos to my computer. After deleting all of the photos from this card, the capacity had suddenly decreased to only half! What happened to the other 1 gigabyte? I'm sure they pre-formatted this card to appear like it's 2 gigabytes, but what a surprise when you start using it. Not good B0007DFXEI:item_not_delivered_in_reasonable_time_frame:g._galperin_"gosha" B0007DFXEI Velocity 8X 4.7 GB DVD-R (10-Pack Spindle): Electronics electronics 3 of 4 1.0 July 27, 2005 G. Galperin "Gosha" NJ I canceled the order of Velocity DVD-R disks since it took too long to deliver B0001YFW3K:not_so_great_as_they_say.just_ok:toytreker_"wallytrek" B0001YFW3K Motorola T7400R GMRS / FRS Rechargeable 12 Mile Two-Way Radio, 2 Pack, Yellow: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 2.0 June 15, 2006 TOYTREKER "wallytrek" DOWNERS GROVE, IL USA These radios look nice but there are some problems here. First the batteries do not last long unless you do not talk. Second the biggest problem for me was uncompatibility with other radios and brands. The receive quality is very poor and hard to understand at times. I also hace a T7200 and the difference is like night and day. The 7200 is the best. The 7400 i believe is an has flaws and that is why you see them priced so low. I paid $24.00 on ebay and also have seen the set at home depot clearance for $44.00 today. What good is any radio if you cant understand what someone is saying? Good try motorola but this is a poor product.NOT RECOMMENDED TO PURCHASE B0001YFW3K:so_not_available_in_2-3_weeks:laura B0001YFW3K Motorola T7400R GMRS / FRS Rechargeable 12 Mile Two-Way Radio, 2 Pack, Yellow: Electronics electronics 30 of 89 1.0 September 1, 2004 Laura MA I ordered this radio back in May and I still don't have them. It is now September. I have exchanged several emails with Amazon, the first one I received a very nice but untrue reply. The second response was borderline rude but at least honest, they told me that they don't have the product and don't know when they will. If you are looking for something to use now, don't waste your time with ordering this radio B000BD35SK:horribly_noisy:numb_d._plum B000BD35SK Griffin Powerjolt Car Charger for iPod: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 May 20, 2006 Numb D. Plum Columbia MO, USA The box says you can either "power" or "charge" your iPod with the Powerjolt. To me, "power" means listening to the iPod while it is plugged in to the Powerjolt. However, there is an overwhelming amount of buzz and static when the iPod is playing while connected to the Powerjolt. Maybe this thing works ok to "charge" while the iPod is not playing, but it is not an acceptable way to "power" the iPod while it is playing. B00085ESA0:cheap_as_in_quality_not_price:chaos_rex B00085ESA0 Philips HN 110 Folding Noise Canceling Headphones: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 October 2, 2006 Chaos Rex Bay Area, CA USA I commute via public transportation, the majority of that on a noisy train. Earbuds and over ear headphones don't block out enough of the noise to enjoy the music. I received these Philips HN110 headphones as a gift. When I first got these I was pretty disappointed at how flimsy they appeared. I have some KOSS over ear head phones which are nice and beefy. These are scrawny but on the other hand take up less space. They use a single AAA batt. Using them on the train I was able to turn down the volume on my music player a tad but a lot of the noise still gets through. I'm not an expert on these but I guess this noise cancelling works mainly on lower frequencies. Alot of the noise on the train is higher in pitch and thus gets through. The next thing I noticed was that with a cord coming out of both the left and right earphone you are limited in how you can put these on and take them off. My KOSS and Sony headphones and earbuds use the single cord to one phone and the connecting cord from there (or it runs through the headphone band). I realize I like this single cord feature very much. Again these Philips HN 110 don't have this. I also noticed that when the Noise Cancelling is turned on and the wind is blowing you can hear the wind as if it were amplified. After about a month and a half the battery compartment door latch broke inside. Now I can't open the battery compartment without doing some damage to these headphones. I checked Philips website for info on these phones but I couldn't find any. I called their customer support and they told me I had to call a different #. I called the different number and got the Return Merchandise Authorization # but was told I need to send the receipt in. I got them as a gift so I don't have the receipt. In summary, their noise cancelling ability is pretty week. Better than my hefty non-noise cancelling KOSS over ears or my stethascope like Sony ear buds but only by about 10% or so (just to put a number in their). Flimsy design. Cords from both earphones. Hear the wind amplified. Battery compartment latch broke after a month and a half and their warrenty sucks B0002E1HGK:low_quality:j._walters B0002E1HGK Musician's Friend Lo-Z Microphone Cable, 20 Foot: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 23, 2006 J. Walters Charlotte, NC USA After only having the cable for a week under very light usage, the cable stopped working intermittently. It makes crackling noises when the cable is moved. I am not talking about whipping or quick movement, just gentle movement of the cable causes crackling and loss of signal. I was about to scrap the cable altogether but I decided to resolder the connector to see if that would help. I cut off about half a foot of the cable and resoldered it, only to find that the same problem persisted. I got a bad cable, obviously.. B0009I6K7K:did_not_work-avoid_this_product:oceanblue996_"blue" B0009I6K7K Altec Lansing inMotion IM3C Portable Audio System for iPod and iPod Photo: Electronics electronics 0 of 3 1.0 November 11, 2006 Oceanblue996 "Blue" California The iM3c was a gift - looked like a great little portable stereo for my Pod. First used it on a trip. Started off playing ok and then the sound cut in and out. Frustrated me for the week as I didn't know if it would play or not on any given day. When it did play it was ok but not great. Finally, it didn't play anymore. Returned it to the Apple Store where purchased to find that there was only a 15 day return policy and I missed it by 2 days. So, I tried to contact Altec Lansing. The phone number in the owners book didn't work although I tried for several days. Then I emailed the Altec support email. No response after two emails. Sometimes a product doesn't work and it's easy to return or get repaired. On this one, it looks like this product will be finding the trash can. Do not buy. B00084O8A6:do_not_do_business_with_bargaincell!:r._roybal_"rroybal" B00084O8A6 Digicom iPod Car Charger (White): Electronics electronics 1 of 10 1.0 March 31, 2006 R. Roybal "RRoybal" USA Bought a cell phone battery that, of course, died one week past their return/refund deadline. Refused to refund or replace even though the product is CLEARLY defective. This company is a ripoff and will never do business with them again. Consider yourself warned B0000SVSNA:short_lived_performance:digitalbuff B0000SVSNA Mojo MP3/FM Player 256MB USB with voice Recorder & Headphones: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 2.0 November 3, 2005 DigitalBuff Chicago, IL I bought the TDK Mojo 256 about a year and 3 months ago. It worked wonderfully for the first year - did what it was supposed to and the radio quality was great. Then I upgraded to Windows XP and that's when everything started going wrong. This MP3 player needs propreitary software to copy files from your hard disk or CD to the mp3 player. Unfortunately the software doesn't work well at all with XP. Right now, my player is piece of junk. I have tried copying files which it shows as copied but then when you reconnect the player, they don't show up on there. What's more, formatting the internal memory will also not release the space and so I have the internal memory full but it shows up in the software as free. However, it won't copy over any new files and gives me a "Storage Full" error. It doesn't act reliably with XP either and I had to unplug and replug several times for it to even read the list of songs on the mp3. It lasted all of 15 months. While it sounds like a great deal ( good features for price ). DO NOT buy this if you will be using it with XP and if you do, please don't expect it to last more than 12-15 months B0000SVSNA:its_a_piece_of_junk:mr._g._chawla B0000SVSNA Mojo MP3/FM Player 256MB USB with voice Recorder & Headphones: Electronics electronics 5 of 7 1.0 February 6, 2005 Mr. G. Chawla Atlanta This player is a piece of junk. First the USB really doesnt mean you can hot swap. You can access the files only if the software is installed on the computer which means that you cannot pick up MP3 from any computer. Second, it gives errors with XP. It tries to install drivers every time. THird, removing old and adding new MP3 is such a hassle. It takes minutes to delete old files and add new. Seems like you are working with a floppy. Fourth, its Mojo software hangs all the time. Fifth, it sucks battery life. Sixth, if your MP3 is not in a directory, i.e. if copied directly, it wont show. Then it wont delete and will show 200 MB as not free space. Formatting is the only way out. Seventh, it came with a mail in rebate which never showed up. Overall, a bad experience B0000AUB1U:poor_quality_and_"zero_customer_service":the_fiddler B0000AUB1U SkyGolf SkyCaddie GPS rangefinder delivers distances on the golf course: Electronics electronics 8 of 12 1.0 April 14, 2006 The Fiddler New Orleans Does the unit work??,...Well yes to a degree. It takes 6 holes to lock on to the satellites and then does a fair job of giving distances. The display is poor and though they say "up to 40 objects per hole" there is normally 2-4 objects per hole. All this depends upon the Skycaddie course recorder. The user (you) can not modify the course or add any objects that the course recorder didn't think was important. Now the bad part. The unit attaches via button and belt clip (like a cell phone). My button (part that attaches to main unit) has died twice in the first 30 days. When it breaks again,...which it will often,..the unit will probally hit the dirt. This isn't good. But fear not. It will be packed away weeks trying to get in touch with Skygolf. And another week to get a replacement button (which has been modified even weaker than the original one). Now my replacement broke on the first time I clipped it to the belt. Now back to Skycaddie to get another. After being on hold for another hour, they need to transfer you to another tech that handles parts. This will take another hour. You then get a message to leave a message. Normally within a week someone will call you back. By normally I mean about 35% of the time you leave messages they return them. Would I buy another,... duh,.... NO B0001IXUDK:be_an_educated_consumer!__you_don't_have_to_spend_a_lot_for_*digital*_cables:navarro_l._parker_"motion_graphics_dude" B0001IXUDK Monster Cable HDMI 400 Cable (2 Meters): Electronics electronics 26 of 26 1.0 September 20, 2006 Navarro L. Parker "Motion Graphics Dude" San Diego, CA United States You don't have to spend a fortune on expensive cables when you are dealing with digital signals. Keep in mind that all digital interfaces have error correction built into them. Did you know the internal components of consumer electronics are connected with tin and nickel? There's no gold inside! So there's no need for oxygen-free, gold tipped, multi sheilded, super mega supreme cables. If you don't believe me, buy this cable and a no-name cheapie. Compare them for yourself -- you will see no difference. With analog signals, a good quality cable may make a difference (although the difference is usually only visible on an oscilloscope). B0001IXUDK:great_product,_terrible_cost.:g._harper_"why_does_this_site_do_this?" B0001IXUDK Monster Cable HDMI 400 Cable (2 Meters): Electronics electronics 56 of 57 2.0 July 5, 2006 G. Harper "why does this site do this?" College in KY, USA Have you ever heard the saying that something would cost you "an arm and a leg"? These cables cost that, your first son, and bidding rights to your estate. Don't get me wrong- Monster makes great cables. Let there be no confusion on this point. But they're just incredibly expensive, and this is made much worse with these cables. Several people have pointed out that the digital signal on HDMI cables must adhere to error-correction and certain standards (even a $10 cable cable must meet some specifications to even reach production)- and this is largely true. Unless BluRay implements new features that require new cables at some point in the future, there's really very little difference between HDMI cables. Yes, the gold-plated pins and other features will improve your connection a bit, but the improvement will be far less than you'd see between any other "cheap" versus "designer" cables on the market. But Monster cables really are made to a standard that makes some difference, and that's worth mentioning. This cable is built sturdy, so that none but the most harsh of treatment could ever damage it. And the shielding isn't just the usual electrical shielding- Monster cables are toughened to the point that I wouldn't doubt if they're certified against nuclear fallout. If you have the money to blow and you want the confidence of knowing that your entertainment center could fare well in an EMP strike, you're looking at the right cables. But for nearly all consumers, these cables cost 4x as much as alternatives, with no real plusses. At the very least, you can pick up a mid-grade cable (Sony, etc) at a mid-grade price ($40) to get the increased sturdiness and the gold-plated connections. And over these products, the Monster cables basically have nothing at all except their branding. Please do look up a cheaper alternative this time, and spend some of the extra money on an extra set of whatever tools you use to keep your screen clean. You'll get much better results with these tools than you will worrying about $100 HDMI cables B0001IXUDK:dumb_dumb_dumb:hibernia B0001IXUDK Monster Cable HDMI 400 Cable (2 Meters): Electronics electronics 66 of 66 1.0 June 26, 2006 Hibernia Cork, County Cork Ireland What do they say about fools and money? HDMI uses TMDS which is a digital transmission system with built-in error correction. TMDS has been designed to work over cheap cabling and a $10 HDMI cable will meet the specification. If you spend 9 times more on this cable than another one then you have just wasted $80. That's all there is to it. You don't need expensive shielding or gold plated connectors for a cable. The picture or the sound are not richer or more vibrant with a $90 cable over a $10. In fact the signal is identical. Let me repeat - HDMI (& DVI-D) devices talk digitally with error correction. This cable and ones like it are for suckers only. B000EF1820:think_before_you_buy:m._newman B000EF1820 Belkin F8Z049-BLK TuneBase FM for iPod: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 October 21, 2006 M. Newman Seattle If you can't abide an ever-present low hiss in the background, and louder interference in the presence of power lines, don't buy this product. I wish I'd read the reviews more carefully before I bought. A number of even the most favorable ones mentioned this annoyance. The manufacturer replaced the first unit after I complained, but it was no improvement. This may be the best product of its type out there, but it still comes up short. B000EF1820:love_the_concept,_hate_the_product!:jennifer_a._johnson B000EF1820 Belkin F8Z049-BLK TuneBase FM for iPod: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 2.0 September 6, 2006 Jennifer A. Johnson st. louis, mo I think this product design concept is great. I love the flexibe arm size. It fits great in my car. The CRAPPY part. I live near metro st. louis and i could not hold a signal ANYWHERE! I always had some intereference. whether it was fuzz or the signal going in and out. This product did not meet my expectations, especially since the back of the package states I should have crystal clear sound. This is not true. I have returned this product after little success over the first week of purchase. I am now waiting to get my DLO transpod 2 in the mail to try it out. I want something to work! B0007WTHLY:listen_to_the_rest_of_us:j._bart B0007WTHLY Etymotic Research ER6 Isolator Earphones (Black): Electronics electronics 5 of 8 2.0 August 27, 2006 J. Bart Florida I have to say, since I really started listening to music I have payed attention to a lot more detail of sound. With that said I am not a bass junky; but bass and compression of the overall mix is what makes a sound a good sound. I currently owned a pair of Sony MDR-EX81LP (that cost me 30-40 dollars a year ago) I am a medical student and I study all day and all night, but cannot have my music blasting. Conversely I needed to have a nice isolation of my sound. Comparing my old Sony to the new ER-6 that I just got, I am EXTREMELY DISSAPOINTED with their performance. I was expecting a great sound with minimal noise from the outside and get almost no response at the level that I studied with my old ear buds. To be fair remember that these are not noise cancelling, they are noise reducing. There is no component involved here, they are basically really good earplugs with speakers in them. My wife just ran the vacuum and I barely heard it. The earplug reduced noise feature is great and comfortable; however my other ones (Sony earbuds) sound better. A combination of the two would be great. Keep in mind that this is my opinion and make your own based on why you are buying earbuds. Environmental sound reduction is great, sound quality is not as good as some others.....choose your fault and pay attention to pricing. B0007WTHLY:not_worth_the_money:scott_knecht_"wagon78" B0007WTHLY Etymotic Research ER6 Isolator Earphones (Black): Electronics electronics 2 of 4 2.0 August 20, 2006 Scott Knecht "wagon78" Connecticut I was disappointed with these earphones. The sound level was low and higher frequency sound seemed attenuated. The $30 Sony MDR-EX51 earphones I already owned sounded much better B0002MK9WU:phantom_paper_jam_can_cost_extra:savy_mom B0002MK9WU HP PhotoSmart 325 Compact Photo Printer: Electronics electronics 9 of 9 1.0 December 24, 2005 savy mom Minnesota I have had the 325 model for less than a year. Up until recently I was satisfied with its performance using it to print less than 5 pictures at a time. Recently, I needed to print a series of pictures (more than 10 in one sitting) and had an error message-print cartridge jam-I fixed the paper jam but continued to get the error message. I called HP and they stated this was a fatal error in the unit and encouraged me to purchase the updated model rather than fix my printer. I searched the internet for a solution only to find that others had encountered this and the solution was to purchase the "new'model- A not very cost effective solution as this was not supposted to be a disposable model. B0007TC39A:file_13:joblessnusa B0007TC39A SanDisk 1GB Cruzer Micro USB Flash Drive (SDCZ4-1024-A10, Retail Package): Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 November 17, 2006 JOBLESSNUSA DON'T BUY THESE THINGS ! THEY GO BAD AND SANDISK WON'T REPLACE THEM. BUY OCZ OR A-DATA OR SOMETHING. THESE THINGS ARE VERY UNRELIABLE.. B00022TN36:who_knows_how_to_solve_the_c:13:01_error_?:francisca_estay_"fran_estay" B00022TN36 Sony 128 MB Memory Stick Media (MSH-128): Electronics electronics 28 of 30 1.0 May 26, 2005 Francisca Estay "Fran Estay" Santiago, Chile I bought the Sony 128 MB Memory Stick (MSH-128) a few months ago, but I only used it once. When I was in my 20th picture, an error appeared in the screen of my Sony P100 camera: Error C:13:01, Memory Stick failed First, I went to Sony Service Center, but they didn't know what was happening. Then, I went to different Sony Stores, but the only answer they gave me was that my Memory Stick is failed, that it's impossible to fix or format it and, the worst, there is no way to save the pictures !!!! Finally, I tried to solved it by myself, and I "google" the C:13:01 error. If you do it, you will find hundreds of people with the same problem, looking for a solution. That's why I don't recommend this product. If all of us have the same problem, you can be the next B0002XZQHM:be_careful_of_this_one:fei_zhao B0002XZQHM Lexar Media 1 GB Secure Digital Memory Card (SD1GB-231): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 March 20, 2006 Fei Zhao A friend gave me this card for free, when I travled to Arizona. I use this card in my Dell X51V. From time to time, this card can't be recoginize by the PDA. I have to pull it out and re-insert it in, and reset my PDA. Then oneday, my GPS software showed "Map data corrupted". All the data in the card was wiped out, and the card's space reduced to around 300M, have no idea where the remaining space goes to. Don't put important data on this one!!! That's my lesson B0002XZQHM:never_work_properly:anthony_villalobos_"video_game_crazy_lover" B0002XZQHM Lexar Media 1 GB Secure Digital Memory Card (SD1GB-231): Electronics electronics 8 of 11 1.0 August 18, 2005 Anthony Villalobos "Video Game Crazy Lover" Maracaibo, Zulia - Venezuela I bought this SD card on April 11. Unfortunately, the card doesn't work properly, in fact, my camera and my computer never detect it. Also, I recived a different card, it didn't like the picture on this page. I think I was swindled. Well, I had to buy another SD card B0002XZQHM:a_lame_duck_card:kyle_witten B0002XZQHM Lexar Media 1 GB Secure Digital Memory Card (SD1GB-231): Electronics electronics 6 of 9 2.0 February 8, 2005 Kyle Witten Berea, KY I purchased the 1gb Lexar card, and 5 hours after I started using it, I've got corrupted data that no amount of formating or data deletion will remedy. Given that I had already disceted the box into small pieces to send in for mail in rebates, I contacted Lexar and sent it to them on a Warrenty claim [cheaper then driving back to the retail location I purchased it at anyway]. I got it back yesterday, and it was suffering the same problem I sent it in for in the first place! Their solution, they pay for the return shipping of card #2, and swap it out for two 512mb cards. Not happy. But at least they are somewhat responsive to fixing the problem B0007KXFH8:two_units,_both_failed:james_l._guelde_"hubba_bubba" B0007KXFH8 Garmin GPS10 Bluetooth Enabled Wireless GPS with Mount and Software: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 1.0 June 10, 2006 James L. Guelde "Hubba Bubba" Far West I bought a brand new unit directly from Garmin. It worked for about a week, then it would no longer charge. I returned it and got a REFURBISHED UNIT in exchange. The refurbished unit did better.. it lasted 3 weeks before failing. To use it, I must use the charger plug constantly, as the unit will not charge. Sending it back now to try a third unit B0002H4YUI:look_like_multiple_functional_but_not_working:space_traveller_"s.t." B0002H4YUI Kensington 33117 International All-in-One Travel Plug Adapter: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 August 18, 2006 space traveller "S.T." Co, USA I had bought this item due to good review before I went to a trip to Bulgaria. However, it plugs in but doesn't work. Why? I don't know. how should I deal with it now? Is it a defect one? I have no idea, to me I just lost 17 dollars for an experience. (don't buy electronic items from a book store, even it's cheaper) Fortunate I also bought Targus travel adaptor set that save me B000CLCRVM:don't_buy!!!!!!!!!!:ilovemusic B000CLCRVM DLO Podfolio for 5G iPod: Electronics electronics 2 of 7 1.0 February 1, 2006 ilovemusic If you have a 30 gig. video iPod, mabey. But for a 60 gig. it is too tight to it, got a mark on iPod after taking it out, covered up part of the screen on mine, and I'm taking it back right away. It is a waste of money to buy this product and I made a mistake by getting it for myself. Get a different case than this one B000CLCRVM:terrible:gerant_rivera B000CLCRVM DLO Podfolio for 5G iPod: Electronics electronics 1 of 6 1.0 January 12, 2006 Gerant Rivera San Diego, CA United States Please, do not buy or use this product. The "hand-stitched, supple leather" scratched my new 60G black iPod video. The description says it "will fit all iPod videos" but mine was very tight. So far, DLO has not answered my complaints. Neither has Apple. I bought the Speck ToughSkin (have not received it yet) and hope it helps me heal the pain. Bad product B00006B9WE:didn't_know_you_can_sell_trash_over_amazon.:hovik_akopyan B00006B9WE Cyber Acoustics CA2016 2-Piece USB Powered Computer Speaker System (Black): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 15, 2006 Hovik Akopyan It was horrible, soon as i plug the speakers in it was making a constant noise, really annoying, the speakers were junk, worst purchase i've ever made from amazon. I would've returned them but I didn't want to go through the trouble of sending it back. So i just smashed them and went to best buy and got new ones. I know it was a cheap speaker, but hell it should atleast work properly. Talk about trash B00006B9WE:horrible_feedback:jc_"jclair" B00006B9WE Cyber Acoustics CA2016 2-Piece USB Powered Computer Speaker System (Black): Electronics electronics 1.0 November 12, 2006 JC "jclair" New York, NY These speakers are unusable. They give off horrible feedback even when there's not a cell phone or cordless phone in the room B0006DNMMO:great__features,_great_price,_horrible_speakerphone:phil_gigante B0006DNMMO HP 1050 Monochrome Inkjet Fax Machine: Electronics electronics 14 of 14 2.0 January 11, 2006 Phil Gigante Yonkers NY This machine is great looking, compact, and seems to be the perfect combination fax/answering machine/speakerphone. One major problem: The phone is well below average in sound quality, and the speaker is absolutely terrible. The tiny, poorly made speaker is placed in the back left side of the unit and and is totaly inaudible at loud volumes due to distortion. The fax is great, the print quality is great, the speed is great, but you have to lower the volume and lean over with your head against the speaker to hear messages. This problem also renders the speakerphone useless. I returned this unit twice thinking it was defective, but spoke to HP and was told that is just the way this unit works. Buy the Panasonic KX-FHD351 if you need a great sounding unit. The only problem with the Panasonic is that it doesn't come in black, but is a much better phone/answering/speakerphone. B00005B8M3:don't_buy_it__for_c340:n._stoianova B00005B8M3 Garmin 010-10085-00 Cigarette Lighter Adapter: Electronics electronics 6 of 7 1.0 August 23, 2006 N. Stoianova I bought it for my c340 but it does not work with it. Maybe it was my fault for not reading the description in depth. I really thought it did say it is good for street pilots, though. There might not be anything wrong with the item but it needs a better technical description B0000BVUZ4:useless_-_does_not_retract:james_murphy B0000BVUZ4 Targus PA225U Retractable Phone & Ethernet Cord (Plastic Casing): Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 April 6, 2004 James Murphy Pelham, MA USA I agree with the previous review. This phone cord worked twice. Now, it only retracts about half way, and keeps getting worse. I'm returning it for a refund. Don't waste your time with this B0000BVUZ4:do_not_wast_your_time_with_this_product...period:alan B0000BVUZ4 Targus PA225U Retractable Phone & Ethernet Cord (Plastic Casing): Electronics electronics 4 of 5 1.0 August 8, 2003 Alan Carol Stream, IL USA I am on my second one and I will be returning this one also. Both of them worked once and then would not retract fully after that. I was so mad I almost threw it against the wall. I thought the first one was a defect, but then when I got the second one I realized it was a design flaw... If you buy the Targus one keep your receipt because I guarantee you will be returning it. What I don't get is how Targus has the guts to release this product and also put on it: Satisfaction Guaranteed. What a joke.. B00006B9QF:seriously_annoyed:customer B00006B9QF SanDisk 512 MB CompactFlash Card, SDCFB-512-A10 (Retail Package): Electronics electronics 8 of 18 1.0 August 13, 2005 customer New York City This card is on its way back to Amazon. I purchased it as it was one of the "recommended items" with the camera I also purchased, never mind that it doesn't work with the camera. I'm not hugely tech savvy--I (wrongly) assumed that any items recommended with the main item (a $500 camera) would be compatible. Check to make sure that any recommended accessories will actually achieve what you want them to. B000EWE3GQ:i'm_shocked,_amazon_cancelling_orders_withouth_any_notification.:mark_e._michel B000EWE3GQ SanDisk 4 GB Ultra II Memory Stick PRO Duo (SDMSPDH-4096-901, Retail Package): Electronics electronics 13 of 22 1.0 March 31, 2006 Mark E. Michel This isn't the type of behavior i would expect from such a valuable and big company as Amazon is. They cancelled my order same way as the other people's. They didn't even send any notification email and i found my order cancelled by looking at the site. Amazon MUST learn that this is illegal and they must ship all the orders placed, if they made a mistake pricing the item is THEIR problem not ours and more after many customers confirmed the price over telephone. If Amazon don't ship the orders already placed they will throw stones over their own roof and make lots of bad publicity. I'm one of many who won't be buying anything ever if Amazon don't send me my ordered items. Count with me for any legal actions that may be taken B00000J3LY:what_a_joke:sat B00000J3LY HP C6049A Iron-on Transfers: Electronics electronics 3 of 7 1.0 December 10, 2004 Sat I bought these because I have an HP printer and figured they would be best for the shirts I want to make. I couldn't get them to take for anything in the world. I put the pressure on it, ironed them longer, everything you can think of and they still wouldn't take. Then when I finally got one to take it completely cracked and crumbled and started peeling off before an hour was up. It never made it to the wash, so now I am out the money I paid for them and still have no shirts. Any other brands you suggest instead B00005RZP3:no_customer_support: B00005RZP3 Socket Communications Low Power Wireless LAN CF Card: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 February 7, 2004 It's the most expensive CF card with absolutely no customer support. After a while the CF card stopped working - no power light as if the card "burned out". I really can't tell you exactly what went wrong because it's impossible to contact someone at Socket customer support. I followed their web-site instructions but was never contacted. I'll never buy another Socket product again B00005RZP3:not_palm_compatible: B00005RZP3 Socket Communications Low Power Wireless LAN CF Card: Electronics electronics 0 of 8 1.0 November 18, 2003 Connects to your Microsoft Pocket PC and will not work with a Palm. If you mistakenly order, AMAZON.COM will not refund your shipping. Have a nice day B0006BB6Z6:technical_details_misleading:krob B0006BB6Z6 HP 97 Tri-Color Inkjet Print Cartridge with Vivera Inks (C9363WN#140): Electronics electronics 4 of 7 1.0 July 14, 2006 KROB Chatsworth, CA USA It states in the Technical Details that you can get 450 pictures from this cartridge. This is not true. After much discussion with HP, they finally admitted that it's only rated for 150 4 x 6 pictures. My experience is that you actually get a little under 100 pictures from it. If you're buying this cartridge, you've probably already bought the printer, but you should know before you buy the printer that you're going to go through a lot of expensive ink B0006BB6Z6:watch_out_for_shipping:kevin_k._fosler B0006BB6Z6 HP 97 Tri-Color Inkjet Print Cartridge with Vivera Inks (C9363WN#140): Electronics electronics 10 of 15 1.0 June 15, 2006 Kevin K. Fosler I put this item in my cart -- it was one of the "buy both now" deals. The problem is, the first item was sold by Amazon, with free shipping, the second item was sold by another company with outrageous shipping costs. I caught this easily while checking out but just wanted to post a "buyer beware" to check the shipping costs B000BFM68I:love_it_but_it_keeps_breaking:jeffrey_rabe B000BFM68I Speck Nano Armband: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 June 14, 2006 Jeffrey Rabe Dallas, TX USA I love the functionality of this armband. The problem is that it keeps breaking. The place at which the band loops through the holder keeps breaking.. I'm on my second one and it is almost ready for another replacement.. B00006I5FR:problems_at_radom:sterling_j._badon B00006I5FR Lexar Media 512 MB Secure Digital Memory Card: Electronics electronics 1.0 July 8, 2006 Sterling J. Badon Longmont,CO. USA This LEXAR brand has had issues with it's Memory Cards. I lost lots of pictures from a vacation to Disney World and a Convention. Their site had SOFTWARE that was to help recover some of those lost images!! I have never had Flash memory trouble until LEXAR! I now only buy SCANDISK items. Samsung invented this tecnology and SD is their product. The Store I bought the LEXAR chip was in a hurry to give me another chip I could trust. He gave me the higher costing SD chip. I wasn't the first to have issues from buying it in his store. He took a $50.00 loss to make me happy. People take lots of photos now that we went Digital. Imagine looking for some pictures you know you took and they are not there! Most think they messed up. WIth this chip you will have that happen so pay very close attention. Most of what is lost can not be recovered. Pay the extra money for SCANDISK. B00009KO14:earbuds_fall_out_if_you_move:john_busco B00009KO14 Apple M9128G/A iPod Remote and Earbuds: Electronics electronics 1 of 3 1.0 March 3, 2006 John Busco Silicon Valley, CA USA The remote control is OK. But the earbuds are horrible! They are very sensitive to your particular "ear anatomy". I suppose they fit for some people, but for me they are useless. They stay in for a few seconds, but don't dare do anything like running, walking, or moving your head and expect them to stay in. Much better to get lightweight headphones with an over-the-head or behind-the-head band, or even the models with "hooks" that fit over the top of your ears. B00009KO14:wires_too_long,_connector_sleeve_disconnected:paul_arellano_"big_$$$-_phils-ny-uk-va" B00009KO14 Apple M9128G/A iPod Remote and Earbuds: Electronics electronics 4 of 6 2.0 November 14, 2005 Paul Arellano "Big $$$- Phils-NY-UK-VA" VA, USA A short review... Don't buy this product. The wire is too long and the remote control is too heavy for the jack to hold. After a month of the remote and wire hanging and swinging about, the wire where it's connected at the jack gave out making this remote unuseable; I have to jiggle and find the sweet spot now just to make the remote work. Long wires plus a remote adds considerable stress and weight on the jack...a serious design flaw. If you want to buy this, I suggest you tie the wire and the remote using a rubber band around your IPOD to support it's weight without pulling the wire off the connector B00029U13A:massive_problems_with_sony_ce595_:j._miller B00029U13A Sony SCD-CE595 5-Disc CD/Super Audio CD Player: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 24, 2006 J. Miller Atlanta, GA I am sorry to say that my experience with the CD player has been miserable. After a series of unhelpful conversations with SONY folks, I am going to return it. It often fails to read the CD or cuts in and out on new CDs that play perfectly in other CD players; the shuffle program simply spins and spins, and rarely settles down to actually play a CD. It occasionally generates a read error message (uh, yeah...). Even if on "continuous" play, it often fails to recognize the CDs loaded into it. Instead, it displays a "No Disc" message. Then, even if it does play a series of CDs on continuous play, at some pt, it just stops. It has been like this since I first brought it home and has not improved in the weeks since. The experience with the tech support people alone convinced me that they do not care. It took a long time to even get through their tech support lines the first night I had it, and then a lot of persuading to even get them to agree that their CD player was not working. Then they tried to convince to me send the brand new machine back, **for a price**, to have them repair it. Uh, no, not likely to fall for that--paying them to repair a brand new machine straight out of the box, taking time out of my way-too-busy life to ship it to them?? I finally have a reference number with permission to return it to the store for a full refund; so back it goes. Then there are the limitations on the remote control that others here have noted. Since I had the same shuffle problems with my previous SONY carousel player, I am not inclined to try a 3rd machine. Needless to say, no more SONYs are coming into my life. B0001LTT64:at_this_price_point_i_think_the_many_other_mice_feel_more_solid_than_this_logitech_mouse.:awesomefunn B0001LTT64 Logitech Optical Mouse- Black: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 August 28, 2006 Awesomefunn St. Louis USA I mainly chose this mouse because I needed one quickly and it was black and matched my set up. I had been using the standard greyish white optical mouse with a scroll wheel and a red light that shined out from under my wrist. This one feels smaller, but still comfortable. However a couple weeks of normal usage made the mouse much less solid feeling. The plastic now mushes as the seems flex slightly in my hand. I decided to have a friend repair the cable of my old mouse. :-/ I am going to donate this mouse to a friend who still has a tracking ball mouse. I like some of Logitechs products and higher end mice. But I would stay away from this mouse. Its not bad, its just not good enough to pick over other mice that cost the same amount. Hope that helps. Awesomefun B0006698SI:do_not_buy_this_adaptor!:joshua_hazel_"josh_hazel" B0006698SI D-Link DWL-G132 Compact Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter, Cradle Included, 802.11g, 108Mbps: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 September 6, 2006 Joshua Hazel "Josh Hazel" Visalia, CA I first isntalled this to WinXP 2nd ED and all of a sudden I am getting blue screens and the system keeps rebooting over and over. I uninstall and the problem goes away. Coincidence? I will let you decide. I reinstalled the adaptor and it gets very very hot.. reminds me of my notebook that overheats and shuts down. I cant get a connection to my router. I have my notebook im typing on now connected right next to the adaptor desktop and get a signal just fine with my notebook. I will be sending this back B0006698SI:it's_a_4-star_product:l._gong_"geoff" B0006698SI D-Link DWL-G132 Compact Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter, Cradle Included, 802.11g, 108Mbps: Electronics electronics 1.0 August 11, 2006 L. Gong "Geoff" Michigan OK. I take my words back. I found a solution to the connection problem with windows xp. Download a patch ( WindowsXP-KB884020-x86-enu.exe, solving WPA issues) from microsoft, then everything goes as it should be. ------------------------------------- i bought this USB adapter along with DI-624 router for $99. The router works perfectly fine. The USB adapter gave me so much trouble. i used it to connect my desktop pc to wireless network. It works when the network is not encrpted. But it won't find an IP address under WPA security. It searches IP address endlessly. I have winxp sp2 which is supposed to support wireless flawlessly. I think either this so-called 108m bps or the driver causing the trouble. Having seen others having problem with other brands of USB adapter, i think maybe for desktop, a wireless pci card is better B0006698SI:flakey:curley_q_joe B0006698SI D-Link DWL-G132 Compact Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter, Cradle Included, 802.11g, 108Mbps: Electronics electronics 1 of 4 1.0 December 27, 2005 Curley Q Joe It dies if you plug in any external USB disk drive or card reader. D-Link just doesn't know how to write device drivers that work well. I've had problems with every D-Link product I've ever bought B000CO90YG:warranty_problem:j._golden_"giant_fan" B000CO90YG 4-Year Service Plan for Televisions $200 to $999.99: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 9, 2006 J. Golden "giant fan" new york when i purchased this plan it was for a tv between $1000 and 1499.99. new contract claims that my purchase had to be under $1000 so they will NOT honor it. this means i do not have an extended warranty. i either want this warranty for the price that was agreed upon or a full refund. i'm happy i found out about this problem before i needed the warranty. B000CO90YG:bad_customer_service........:christine_baran B000CO90YG 4-Year Service Plan for Televisions $200 to $999.99: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 6, 2006 Christine Baran I never received the 4-year plan, when I purchased the TVHD in August 2006. I have wrote to Amazon several times with no follow up by Amozon. My next step is legal, since Amazon is acting like it dosen't care about the customer. The reason I both the TVHD was because of 4-year service plan. Terrible customer service...... B00006I56B:do_you_feel_lucky?:j._d._henry B00006I56B Coby CX-TV6 5" Portable Black & White TV with AM/FM Radio: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 September 6, 2006 J. D. Henry usa If you do, go ahead and take a chance. I did and got burned. Tv didn't work right out of the box. Will return soon. B0001PFQ08:junk!_stay_away:the_tech_dude_"thetechdude" B0001PFQ08 D-Link DI-524 Wireless 54 Mbps High Speed Router (802.11g): Electronics electronics 0 of 1 2.0 October 13, 2006 The Tech Dude "thetechdude" King of Prussia, PA United States Unfortunately I bought this router (aka junk) from Amazon. Never worked smoothly. Did not like WPA. After I set the the protocol to WPA and restarted it, the router froze. Updated firmware, no use. Now its not working. Power is intermittent, will shut off whenever it wants. Freezes randomly. This garbage is going back to Dlink today. Dlink tech support also said that they are having a HUGE number of complaints with 524 especially revision D. I will never buy another Dlink. DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND AVOID DI-52 B0001PFQ08:if_you_like_headaches_and_hassles,_buy_this_router:l._michelle_brockway_"brockway" B0001PFQ08 D-Link DI-524 Wireless 54 Mbps High Speed Router (802.11g): Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 September 17, 2006 L. Michelle Brockway "brockway" Houston, TX USA This may be one of the cheapest routers out there, but it's cheap in every way. I spent hours either on hold or talking with poorly trained overseas "tech support" whose expertise consisted of (barely) reading a script. Eventually these computer whizzes determined that my D-Link router didn't work. They told me to send it back (on my nickel, of course), and they sent me another one, which also did not work, at least not with my computer system. After more wasted hours, I was referred to the one guy at D-Link who--supposedly--has mastered this router's bugs. The problem? He never answered the phone. And despite all my calls to him and all my voicemails asking him either to call me at work or to set a time for us to talk, he repeatedly returned my calls at 3:00 in the afternoon, the time when most people who can afford routers are working. Finally I had an epiphany: Life was too short to %*&#@ with D-Link. I packed up the router and sent it back to the CEO, Stephen Joe, with a letter. Then I went out and bought a Netgear router, and I was up and running in minutes. Mr. Joe never responded to my letter, but what else do you expect from a company that so clearly doesn't value its customers B0001PFQ08:not_a_reliable_router,_do_not_upgrade_firmware!:james_harper B0001PFQ08 D-Link DI-524 Wireless 54 Mbps High Speed Router (802.11g): Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 September 5, 2006 James Harper NYC Have had this router for over a year. During this time the router constantly lost the internet connection, even when it's wired directly to my desktop PC. The disconnect can last anywhere from a couple of seconds to minutes. A new firmware (1.23) was released a few days ago for revision A (the version of the router I have). D-Link's website said the firmware "improved reliability" so I decided to upgrade. After flashing to the new firmware, the router will not let me into the control panel or respond to pings. The lights blink, that's all. I've reset the router, but this does nothing to restore the old firmware. D-link's firmware upgrade appears to have put this router out of its misery--which is perhaps for the best as it now forces me to finally go back to a reliable router company B0001YFWCQ:i_bought_2_pairs_of_this_radio:carlos_a._puello_matos B0001YFWCQ Motorola T5500R GMRS / FRS Rechargeable 8-Mile Two-Way Radio (2 Pack, Blue): Electronics electronics 1 of 28 2.0 March 10, 2006 CARLOS A. PUELLO MATOS i bought 2 pairs of this radios and 1 of the pairs have a damage radio, the microphone dosen't work and i cant fix it!! :( im sand about it!!! B0001YFWCQ:not_happy_with_what_i_got:elliot_gonzalez B0001YFWCQ Motorola T5500R GMRS / FRS Rechargeable 8-Mile Two-Way Radio (2 Pack, Blue): Electronics electronics 3 of 18 1.0 February 24, 2006 Elliot Gonzalez San Jose, Costa Rica A while ago I purchased the same item, maybe a month, and I received what I paid for: 2 walkie talkies, 2 RECHARGABLE BATTERIES, and a CHARGING BASE for the walkies. In this last purchase I thought I bought the same things, I even paid the same amount of money, but neither the batteries nor the charging came in the package. Thank you Humberto Gonzalez San Jose, Costa Ric B0002CSK8U:bummer:robin_jordan_"upset" B0002CSK8U Razor Electric Mini Chopper Bike (Black): Electronics electronics 1 of 4 1.0 December 8, 2005 Robin Jordan "UPSET" SOUTH CAROLINA Bike did not run right from the beginning. THe battery did not stay charged. After awhile just quite running altogether. Company was not very usefull. Warranty only 90 days. Do not buy this peice of junk B00006B72I:kds_not_interested_in_long-term_customers:technet_guy B00006B72I KDS CD Organizer Electronic USB75-cd Capacity 1.8 Access Time: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 April 28, 2005 TechNet Guy I spoke with customer service rep at 800-283-1311. Devices have a one-year warranty. I stated that I sent in the Registration card, and asked if she would look up the purchase date. She said no, "Registration and Warrany are in different departments." She asked me to hold, and came back on the line stating that since this model originally sold in 2003, my unit went off warranty in 2004 unless I have the invoice. I called back about an hour later, after finding the invoice, and got the same customer service rep. She recognized me and belittled me for calling back and said unless I have a question, there's nothing they can do. I stated that I found the invoice as requested and she asked me to fax it to her. I did that, so far no response. We'll see if they replace the unit or not. Just an FYI...after the one-year warranty, there are no options. The do not offer parts or service after the one-year warranty B00006B72I:kds_cdo_not_ready_for_prime_time:c._j._west B00006B72I KDS CD Organizer Electronic USB75-cd Capacity 1.8 Access Time: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 May 19, 2004 C. J. West Washington, IL USA I purchased two CDOs only to find out that some of the lights on one of them did not work. After 6 weeks, KDS finally replaced it. It did not cost me anything but time and frustration. After 2 months, my second one has now failed. Most of the trays do not eject. It is no longer returnable and I have CDs stuck in it. Do NOT make the mistake of purchasing even one of these. Go to K-Mart and get one of the old fashioned manual ones. You will be much happier B000BHWV2M:won't_return_money:marie B000BHWV2M Epson PictureMate Print Pack (2 Ink Cartridges/270 sheets of Glossy Photo Paper) - T5570-270: Electronics electronics 3 of 5 1.0 September 6, 2006 Marie Redwood Falls, MN USA Adorama is a terrible company to deal with. They sent me a pkg of 2 Epson ink cartridges and 270 papers. I have called several times as the ink cartridges were not the correct ones. I returned them as instructed, written 3 letters and called. This started in mid July. I called 2 weeks ago (Aug 28th and a different gal said she thought I should have my money back and would see to it. That was over 2 weeks ago and nothing since then. I would recommend that anyone should NOT order from this company B000AUQICO:problems:robert_s._pollock B000AUQICO Delphi XM Roady XT Satellite Radio Receiver: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 November 23, 2006 Robert S. Pollock Los Angeles, CA USA I bought this unit to use with a boombox and it functioned well but after a few minutes it just went blank. I tried batteries in the boombox, AC power and two boomboxes because they thought the boombox was the problem But after two boomboxes I guess the problem is the Roady. Anyone else have this problem? I use the XM only at home with the boombox. Currently waiting for response from Crutchfield and Delphi. I will post again when (if) this is resolved. B000AUQICO:below_average_sound_using_fm_wireless_signal;_also,_cancelling_service_is_a_joke:rws_"rwscpa" B000AUQICO Delphi XM Roady XT Satellite Radio Receiver: Electronics electronics 1 of 6 2.0 October 13, 2006 RWS "RWSCPA" Redondo Beach, CA USA This review is more about my several month's experience with XM satellite radio and the not-so-good quality using the wireless FM frequencies through our car's radios. I live in Los Angeles. I got this little Roady XT for me, and the XM2GO radio receiver for my wife. I was excited about getting these new satellite receivers in our cars. The Idea of having all these "no ads" radio stations playing through my car's FM frequency seemed cool. Setting up the unit and getting it to work was easy. Changing FM frequencies for the wireless transmitter is easy as well. It really is a neat little receiver. However, after setting up this unit in my car and the XM2GO in my wife's car, I was really disappointed in the music sound quality. The music sounds flat and with a hissy quality, almost monaural at times, and the volume seems a lot lower than the car's radio at the same volume setting. I had to turn the volume dial up quite a bit when playing satellite radio. The car's regular radio sounds much better than satellite radio if using wireless reception with any of the radio receivers, IMO. Besides, there are plenty of annoying ads and interruptions on XM radio as someone mentioned in another review. I thought about having the units professionally installed so that my wife and I wouldn't have to use the poor sounding wireless FM technology, but realized that both family cars have very expensive navigation systems and I didn't want the vehicle's factory warranty voided if some installer got inside our car's dash and accidentally messed something up. So about two month's ago, after several months of off-and-on use of XM radio service, I called to cancel my subscriptions. I had paid for a six month subscription for both receivers when I joined. As I expected would happen, when I called them to cancel, I was on the phone for allloooooonnnng time waiting for a customer service rep. Finally, I got to tell the rep all my relevant account information so I could cancel the service only to be put on hold and transferred to their "special" customer service department for cancellations where I was "accidentally" disconnected and had to call back and start all over again. Finally, after another long call to them, I was able to cancel my service.....or, so I thought. Yesterday, I was looking at my September credit card bill and saw that XM radio had charged my credit card for the next six months despite the fact that they assured me that my two accounts would be closed. I called my bank and had them reverse the charges and I may have the bank issue me a new credit card with different numbers in case XM tries to charge me again six months from now. B0001Y9UEW:disappointing:rick_w._kasper B0001Y9UEW Monster Cable RadioPlay Car Stereo Wireless FM Transmitter (MBL-FM XMTR): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 August 9, 2006 Rick W. Kasper Purchased the transmitter for my MP3 player. Reception is poor with constant static through my car radio. The instructions (which you don't see until you have already purchased the product) says antennas integrated into the window can have problems. Since that is the only purpose for this device, I don't understand why Monster is selling a marginal product B00000J47L:i've_just_replaced_my_set_of_these:charles B00000J47L Energizer NH15BP-4 ACCU 2500mAh Rechargeable AA Batteries (Four-pack): Electronics electronics 2.0 November 10, 2006 Charles NC I've had a set of these batteries for a year or two now. The last few times I've taken them out for vacation use in camera, I've had the same problem: I charge two sets (one Kodak and one these Energizers) when I put the camera away. A few weeks later, I go off on vacation. The Kodak 1600mAh set will last me all day on the charge from a month or so before. The Energizer 2500mAh set might last me half a day, having lost most of its charge from sitting for the same number weeks before use. After missing out on some pics on my latest trip due to dead batteries, I'd had enough. The Energizers are going in the bin, and I just followed the good reviews to buy a set of Duracells to replace them. B00000J47L:great_for_a_few_months,_then_won't_hold_charge:e._shen B00000J47L Energizer NH15BP-4 ACCU 2500mAh Rechargeable AA Batteries (Four-pack): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 October 22, 2006 E. Shen Iowa I got these batteries just over a few months ago for my portable GPS unit that I use often on my travels. In fact, I bought eight of them (two packs of 4). I was upgrading from my previous set of 1600mAh Rayovac NiMH AA batteries that were still going strong after 2 years. When I saw the new energizer 2500mAh rechargeables I was excited to purchase them thinking they would last longer than my old 1600mAh Rayovacs. Boy was I wrong! For 2-3 months, the 2500mAh energizers worked well. A charge lasted about 6-7 hours in my portable GPS unit. I was getting roughly 5.5-6 hours on my old 1600mAh Rayovac AA's. My GPS unit is spec'ed for 6 hours on a pair of AA's so the new 2500mAh energizers seemed to work flawlessly. Now they work okay and seem to be getting worse each time I charge them, appearing to hold less of a charge each time. For the last month or two (4th & 5th month after their initial purchase) I'll be lucky if I can get 4-5 hours of use out of them in my portable GPS unit. I now get roughly 3.5-4 hours of use out of them. I pulled out and tried my old 1600mAh Rayovac AA's and once again got approximately 5.5-6 hours of use out of them in my GPS unit - and my trusty Rayovacs are just over 2 years old! I thought I might have had some defective energizers but I can't seem to get any pair of combinations to hold a decent charge. Charges just don't seem to last - it's really disappointing. I am going to look at another brand for high capacity 2500+ mAh NiMH batteries to replace my 1600mAh Rayovacs. Would be great if the energizer could hold its charge. But because they don't, I do not recommend the energizers to anyone B00000J47L:junk_nimh_batteries:gary_w._cleveland B00000J47L Energizer NH15BP-4 ACCU 2500mAh Rechargeable AA Batteries (Four-pack): Electronics electronics 5 of 8 1.0 September 9, 2006 Gary W. Cleveland I bought several packs of these batteries 6 months ago. They were great at first, but now most of them won't hold a charge at all. They discharge in 2 weeks without even being in a device. DON'T buy them! They're JUNK B00006JILC:good_sound,_when_they_stay_on_my_ears.:l._decker B00006JILC Koss KSC22 Sportclip Headphones (Red/Silver): Electronics electronics 2.0 November 9, 2006 L. Decker Clifton, NJ, USA I had such high hopes for these headphones. I wanted to hook them over my ears and go running whenever I pleased. But it was not to be. The day after I received my headphones, my grandmother passed away. I packed my bags, put my idpod and headphones in my carry-on, and headed to the airport. Once settled in my seat, I tried to put on my headphones, but they kept falling off my ears. I tried to adjust them, bending the earclips all sorts of ways, but it was extremely difficult to do so, and my adjustments wouldn't hold. If I couldn't get these headphones to stay on when I was stationary, running was out of the question. Maybe others have had better luck. Maybe my ears are just too small for them. But I am not impressed with these headphones B00009V2PN:one_word_-_lousy:"jbohnen" B00009V2PN Panasonic KX-TCA98 Headset with Dual Wear Options: Electronics electronics 24 of 25 1.0 February 23, 2004 "jbohnen" Lombard, IL United States You would think that Panasonic Cordless phone and Panasonic Hands-Free Headset would work well together, being that they are sold by the same company. Well, that is clearly not the case. I bought this headset specifically for the reason that it is sold by Panasonic to work with their cordless phones. I've tried it a few times and each time I get the same response from the person I'm talking to. They say I sound too far away, that they can barely hear me. This product is clearly not worth it B0006BB6YW:hp_96_ink_cartridge:walter_l._johnson B0006BB6YW HP 96 Black Inkjet Print Cartridge with Vivera Inks (C8767WN#140): Electronics electronics 2.0 November 9, 2006 Walter L. Johnson I like the HP 96 because it can be used in many HP printers that use the HP 98, but its a better deal than the HP 98 because it contains almost twice as much ink. HP's ink cartridges provide excellent performance, but I think they are over priced B000AY0IT4:make_sure_you_keep_your_old_mouse_and_keyboard:nicholas_s._mead B000AY0IT4 Logitech diNovo Media Desktop Laser: Electronics electronics 1 of 3 1.0 August 18, 2006 Nicholas S. Mead Looks beautifull......works about 40% of the time. Be ready to reinstall the software weekly. Very expensive for something that dosent work all the tim B00009YW8B:wg311v2:aj B00009YW8B Netgear WG311 54 Mbps Wireless PCI Adapter: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 20, 2006 aj Mansfield, Texas United States Terrible product. I have tried using the Windows XP wireless application with just the netgear drivers and tried using the Netgear wireless application with the netgear drivers. Using either one the card disconnects at random using WPA, then you have to repair the connection and sometimes reboot to get the connection back. I reinstalled windows both times I changed drivers just to make sure nothing was conflicting with it, but nothing helped. Latest drivers are 2_0_0_7 and were published in Nov 2004, so netgear has moved on to other cards and is not supporting this one any longer B000E1FYRO:extremely_uncomfortable,_but_good_sounds:a_buyer B000E1FYRO Sennheiser HD 205 Studio Monitor DJ Headphones w/ Swivel Ear Cup: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 October 21, 2006 A Buyer Los Angeles, CA these are extremely uncomfortable. It's too tight and will hurt the ears. However, if you're head is small enough, perhaps it might be okay. On the bright side, they sound extremely well B000E1FYRO:good_sound,_terribly_uncomfortable:chris_desalle B000E1FYRO Sennheiser HD 205 Studio Monitor DJ Headphones w/ Swivel Ear Cup: Electronics electronics 9 of 11 2.0 May 3, 2006 Chris Desalle Do not get these headphones, as they are way too tight. I have been using them for a month now, hoping they would break in more, but they have not. You can only have them on for 20 minutes or so before your ears hurt so bad you have to take them. Im not sure why they made them so tight, but they would probably best fit a 10 year old. B000EPYLJ2:why_the_zboard_isn't_worth_it:c._merryman_"bukkake_boy" B000EPYLJ2 Ideazon MERC Gaming Keyboard: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 2.0 September 7, 2006 C. Merryman "Bukkake Boy" Beverly Hills, CA I bought the Zboard and was sorely disappointed in it's playbility, efficiency and value for several reasons: -The left buttons, which are the feature of the keyboard, are based on a mirroring system. You experience keyboard lag at times because the board has to interpret the button presses based on the zboard program, then the game. I personally had to press some buttons twice, or even three times in order for that command to register. -The left buttons cannot be configured to your game, you must configure the game to it. The templates for different games cannot be modified, all it does is change the button configuration. There are no patches for configuring the keys to how you want it. -According to the website, the top buttons for media can only be used with windows media player. If you use winamp, itunes, or anything else it wont work. -You cannot program any macros into any of the buttons. If you are looking for a keyboard that can autofire or program keystrokes this isn't it. - The numpad is configured differently than a normal keyboard. This can actually be a good thing if you like having a compacted pad. I found it frustrating since I put attack commands on the numbers, and would press the wrong one sometimes because of the layout. I experienced a lot of frustration with this controller while pvping in world of warcraft. The top buttons on the left side of the board give you access to a bigger arsenal of spells and abilities when programmed right. The problem is remembering how zboard configured the button layout. I would constantly get wailed on because a button wasn't where I originally remembered it to be. This forced me to sit in the key bindings menu to configure the buttons to where I could remember. After completely revamping my bindings, I gave up, restored my defaults, and used a regular keyboard instead. There is nothing gaming enhancing about this keyboard beyond having an accessory on the left side that looks cool because the buttons are grey and red and contoured to your hand. To achieve the same effect as the zboard, turn your current keyboard slightly to the right and enjoy. B0000C20XD:hummmmmmmmmmmmmmm...:r._durkin_"my_opinion_only" B0000C20XD Altec Lansing VS4121 2.1 Computer Speaker System, 3 piece: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 2.0 January 15, 2006 R. Durkin "my opinion only" Bay Area, CA I picked these speakers up because the price was right and they sounded great in the store. But I get them home to my quiet house and lo and behold the subwoofer constantly hums. I'm not an audiophile and therefore not overly particular about sound... other than this annoying hum from the subwoofer. Since these are set up in my home office where I spend a lot of time reading, I find this humming far too distracting. Although the price is good, I'd prefer to pay a little more just to omit the subwoofer's constant hum. I'm returning these speakers today and will shop around for another set B000BNDEZY:firmware_buggy:jimb B000BNDEZY Buffalo Technology AirStation Turbo G High Power Wireless Ethernet Converter ( WLI-TX4-G54HP ): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 September 10, 2006 JimB Georgia Can not get this thing to connect to my Linksys Wireless router. Problem is not that it doesn't see the LinkSys, the problem is that the v2.50 firmware in the WLI-TX4-G54HP is _buggy_. If I try to enter a 10-digit hex key for 64-bit WEP encryption-- it says I have to enter a 5-digit value. This is the 2nd one I bought (I returned the first). Piece of junk, and _no_ support from the manufacturer B00006I56A:please_don't_bother!:n._j._dellolio B00006I56A Coby CX-TV1 5" Black-and-White TV with AM/FM Tuner: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 October 9, 2006 N. J. DELLOLIO San Francisco, CA United States One star is too many! (It should be negative one). This sad excuse for a television/radio has to be the worst piece of lame crud I have ever bought in my entire life. Picture fades into black, terrible reception which fades in and out as you move about the room, smells like burning plastic after a half-hour, and so on. Please, Amazon shoppers, don't waste any money on this! You might just as well throw the $15 out the window. Step up to something more reliable from a better manufacturer B000BWACX2:what_if_you_want_to_use_it_outside_of_your_car?:j._adams B000BWACX2 Griffin 9501-TRIPCB iTrip Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Charger for iPod: Electronics electronics 1 of 13 2.0 October 25, 2006 J. Adams Bloomington, MN United States I love bringing my ipod to parties and broadcasting it through the stereo, what use is this thing then, NONE! Thanks for making us spend so much money Apple. This type of stuff should be built into the iPod for $400!! B000B9OEFM:looks_good......._but:greg_rees_"greg" B000B9OEFM Apple MA094G/A iPod Nano Armband (Grey): Electronics electronics 6 of 6 2.0 August 20, 2006 Greg Rees "Greg" Midwest I purchased this armband to hold my Nano during workouts. The band barely fits my arm and tends to slide down the arm while running or cross training. Looking for a replacement right now B000B9OEFM:horrible,_horrible,_horrible:a._bower B000B9OEFM Apple MA094G/A iPod Nano Armband (Grey): Electronics electronics 7 of 7 1.0 June 9, 2006 A. Bower I adore my nano, but this armband is one of the worst products I have ever bought. I work out quite a bit with the nano and the band comes off multiple times during my workout. The spacing of the velcro dots means I never get exactly the right fit and the band gets ripped off anytime I do weight lifting close to my body. It is also as other reviewers mentioned hugely overpriced for what it is. I am ordering a band from a different company and this will go straight to the garbage. B0000APCIV:pay_attention_to_technology:j._d._robinson B0000APCIV Terk TV44 Amplified Clip-on Outdoor TV Antenna for Dual LNB Satellite Dishes: Electronics electronics 8 of 8 1.0 June 23, 2005 J. D. Robinson I have a dishnetwork 942 HDTV DVR system. This antenna is designed for a much older system. It doesn't fit the dish very easily and was difficult to secure. I can't tell if it works because so far it just seems to be incompatible with my system B00006HO37:does_not_support_19"_or_larger_crts: B00006HO37 ALLSOP MetalArt Jr. Printer, Monitor or Peripheral Stand: Electronics electronics 3 of 5 2.0 January 8, 2004 Do not be fooled when the description says this stand holds up to 21" monitors - that is only true for *flat-panel* monitors, not traditional CRT monitors. Note that the weight rating says 50 pounds! Most standard 19" monitors weigh 60 pounds or more. I purchased this item at a Staples near me, and brought it home to use with my 19" CRT. After placing the monitor on the stand, the stand bobbed up and down and seemed as if it would completely bend at any moment B000EPJLGK:so_bad_screen:may re_"weblord" B000EPJLGK Apple 30 GB iPod video White (5.5 Generation): Electronics electronics 1 of 19 1.0 November 24, 2006 May re "weblord" I can't understand how apple sell so much ipod video while they are so bad in front of an archos. Just look at the screen and you'll understand ! Archos is an hundred times better B000AY649C:amazon_lies:s._lee_"serious_buyer" B000AY649C Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 3000 Laser (967553-0403): Electronics electronics 0 of 6 1.0 September 30, 2006 S. Lee "Serious Buyer" Boston, USA Amazon says that it is in stock. Do not believe it. I ordered it at 8/26 and they could not even ship it at 10/1. They delayed it several times saying that it is in stock. Of course the website says that it is always "IN STOCK" and can ship it now. Maybe their now is like 3 months... My current keyboard has broken keys, and I have serious inconvenience because of this B00000J4GE:be_wary.:kamisuri_astalis B00000J4GE Memorex 32020700 Jewel Case Inserts (50-Pack): Electronics electronics 5 of 5 2.0 August 15, 2005 Kamisuri Astalis MO USA While certain labels with this software are much more easier to work with such as the CDs and the general labels, I found this product much less than satisfactory. The inserts and the software don't align too well and are a few centimeters off...especially on the lower half of the page. If one wants to keep the insert regardless of whether or not the "cut offs" are present it would be best if the paper was inserted within the opposite position in the paper tray in the printer so one can cut to the size needed. Otherwise, I would suggest what another Amazon customer has done. Use cardstock paper....at least for the back inserts. And trim with either a scissors or paper cutter. A product should do what it promises it will do. Unfortunately, this one does not. At least, within my experiance this does not measure up to what was previewed within the Memorex beginner's package w/ CD label stamper. Two stars for at least being able to print the front side. Although it would have been nice if they had said so without stating they could do both when they cannot B00000J4GE:will_do...:anders B00000J4GE Memorex 32020700 Jewel Case Inserts (50-Pack): Electronics electronics 11 of 12 2.0 November 11, 2000 Anders Marina Del Rey, CA USA I have used these labels for a long time, mostly because they seem to be the only ones out there. The paperstock is good, but if you have a good printer the paper won't do it justice. The labels always end up looking kinda cheap. I would love to see Memorex make a package with glossy paper/high end paper. Maybe Epson will beat them to it B00004UF7T:little_to_offer_over_the_gps_12:craig_a._wilson B00004UF7T Garmin eTrex Summit Handheld GPS Navigator: Electronics electronics 9 of 17 2.0 December 8, 2001 Craig A. Wilson MESA, AZ USA I really love my Garim GPS 12. It is easy to use and move between screens and features. The Summit is not as easy to use. It is not as convenient to identify way points, does not work with mapping software and its display is to simple. It was not a step up but sideways. I use it in conjunction with my GPS 12 mostly just to keep the track log B000BXEUDY:was_nice_until_it_broke:l._morin B000BXEUDY ViewSonic VA1912WB 19" Widescreen LCD Monitor (Black): Electronics electronics 1.0 November 24, 2006 L. Morin USA I bought this monitor in June 2006 and at first was quite pleased with the nice display. Less than 6 months later, in November 2006, I heard a strange noise while using the monitor and all of the sudden the screen went very bright -- like an overexposed photo. I'm currently working with Viewsonic to get it repaired (I must mail it to CA to be repaired, postage must be paid by me). All in all a disappointment and a hassle. Next time I'll buy a name brand B0000524PB:great_cables,_until_one_of_the_colors_goes_out!:wesley_gallagher_"mac_enthusiast" B0000524PB Monster Cable GameLink 400 Component-Video Cable for PlayStation 2 (10 feet): Electronics electronics 1 of 3 2.0 November 26, 2005 Wesley Gallagher "Mac Enthusiast" Charlottesville, VA I bought these cables, brought them home and immediatly hooked them up. I set the PS2 for component and set my TV for it as well. And it looked awesome....for about 2 weeks. Then the short in the cables caused only the blue and green colors to work making everything look creepy. It would just fade back and forth until it just stop and the TV would have all the colors washed out in green. I found that I could stick a PS2 case under the cables at the base and it went away. But sometimes someone would move the case and it would come back. I have the PStwo (Small version) and the PS2... the small version has the problem, but the large one doesnt. So dont get them if you have the small version... The large one works fine. B000BB5T2M:great_looking_maps,_can't_find_its_way_out_of_a_paper_bag.:r._iser_"electronics_fan" B000BB5T2M Lowrance iWay 350C Portable GPS Navigation System with MP3 Player and Picture Viewer: Electronics electronics 5 of 6 1.0 September 16, 2006 R. Iser "Electronics fan" Maryland I logged 870 miles with the iway 350. 270 miles around maryland it was / is a great item. I took it on our first trip to New York and Long Island and it was terrible. The first problem occurred on the New Jersey turnpike. I was supposed to use the turnpike from start to exit 18 and at exit 4 we stopped to eat. The unit said I was off course because the rest area was 100 feet from the highway. However when we returned to the highway the unit could not chart the course any more. It said I was doing 95 miles a hour when i was doing 70, and it would lose satellites and go searching for them in the middle of the highway no obstructions of any kind anywhere. I even pulled over at exit 6 and we waited for 20 minutes to see if we just needed to stop the car for it to do the job. It did not recalculate our course until after exit 18 some 100 + miles from when it acted up. We even tried a full restart and cancel route and retried again from the address book and from direct typing the information again. About 1 mile from our destination it worked for 2 blocks and was lost again. Then after 2 more blocks we found where we where going. We often get lost on this trip this is why we purchased the unit. Then on the trip from the Bronx to Long Island a 30 mile trip it stopped 5 blocks into the journey and was recalculating. I had to call the people we where visiting and they directed us by phone. However about 1 mile from their place it started working again. We used it on long island with no trouble at all. Then on trip back to the Bronx it worked pretty good only losing its position once on a major highway no trees or obstructions. Then on our way back from the Bronx to long Island it was lost half the way finding position and calculating . The same exact way we went in both directions but it was clearly not right leaving the Bronx. On our way back to Maryland it operated pretty good after a short stretch of lost signals and redirecting and we used exactly the same roads in both directions. I did update the software to the new 1.2.0 days before we took the trip. Also charting the 212 mile course to the Bronx NY took close to 20 minutes, then the extra destination to Long Island a 30 mile addition took the Iway 350 30 or so more minutes. I figured with all that time the trip home calculations would be faster but I fell asleep after waiting over a hour for it to complete the task. I feel this is one issue the unit has. Longer trips take so long to calculate so when it thinks your off track it takes forever to chart a new course. On short runs under 20 miles it was very fast. I returned the unit and got a Garmin C530. The C530 is a very nice unit fast in every respect. B000BB5T2M:how_to_get_lost!_over..:r._riedel_"tybee_bob" B000BB5T2M Lowrance iWay 350C Portable GPS Navigation System with MP3 Player and Picture Viewer: Electronics electronics 5 of 6 2.0 August 1, 2006 R. Riedel "Tybee Bob" Tybee Island, GA USA The 350C is well packaged with almost current programming. It only got me lost eleven (11) times on a 865 mile trip:All cities in Georgia - Tybee Island to Pine Mountain to Newnan to Stone Mountain and return to Tybee Island. (I packed and returned the unit the day after getting home.) It may suit others well, but I can not rely on the unit. Four of the eleven lost episodes were because newly constructed highways were not recognized. Five were due to the unit reacting too slowly in rapid turning sequences. (One wrong turn took me sixty miles out of the way.)Two were for unknown reasons. The unit seems to take forever to acquire available satellites. Instructions are clear, but preferred views automatically switch to "Map" even when not wanted. I need a faster reacting unit that allows programming while enroute to a destination (by a passanger, of course. B000BB5T2M:three_units_in_three_weeks!:aaron_c._burt_"a-train" B000BB5T2M Lowrance iWay 350C Portable GPS Navigation System with MP3 Player and Picture Viewer: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 2.0 July 31, 2006 Aaron C. Burt "A-Train" Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. I bought this unit on a wim. I was leaving for a business trip and needed a GPS. I really like it and it worked well for me. Unfortunalty the unit wouldn't hold a charge on the battery. So I returned it for another one. It worked for one week and then I had the same exact problem. Which to me is not a good sign of quality when the same problem happens on multiple units. When I tried to return this unit, the unit I was given didn't work at all, it gave me an error message when the GPS booted up. Unfortunaltey the vendor I purchased it from didn't have any more units that I could exchange it for. So I called customer service and got an RAN. I am hoping when I get the next unit back in 7 to 10 days that I don't have any more problems B000932AMO:so_many_problems!:a._harris B000932AMO Apple 1 GB iPod Nano White: Electronics electronics 1 of 3 1.0 November 9, 2006 A. Harris Ohio I received the iPod quickly which was a plus. But it was horrible when it would only download 5 songs. I had friends who have the same iPod try to fix it and it never worked. I sent it back and requested a refund. It has been a month and a half and I have YET to get my $120 back. B00067ARYQ:completely_unreliable:ed B00067ARYQ Netgear WG111T 108 Mbps Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter: Electronics electronics 1.0 July 16, 2006 Ed San Francisco, CA I bought this since it's economical, compact, didn't need cabling (although it has an extension if you need it), advertised a whopping 108 mbps. Well so much for that: 1) Drivers are problematic and causes conflicts with XP SP2. My first ever blue screen of death in about 3 or more years running XP came this item 2) It is EXTREMELY UNRELIABLE: - already mentioned repeatedly, it overheats - it drops connections randomly and yes, the only way to re-acquire the signal is to unplug and plug back in - It's utility is worthless, just install the driver (if you can). If you try using WPA, forget about using this utility, just use Windows to configure it. - I've also found out that it's better if you just remove this utility from the STARTUP (don't run it at all) so that Windows can do everything it needs to connect, which is faster and more reliable. Be careful not to UNINSTALL, since it will also remove the driver...just remove it from your Windows Startup folder list. Netgear has an FAQ about this problem, but I'm not going to tweak Windows and risk more stuff for this cheap piece of hardware. 3) 108 MBPS? Yeah right. You'll need the RIGHT KIND OF access point/wireless router for this, if not, it's 54 mbps. This was one of the selling points, but it's definitely a "gotcha". You're limited to specfic equipment, specific channel (6), so if you have neighbors on the same channel, well, you get the picture B0002GRUJ6:great_picture_--_when_signal_doesn't_drop:d._hawks B0002GRUJ6 StarTech.com 6FT HDMI TO HDMI DIGITAL VIDEO ( HDMIMM6 ): Electronics electronics 18 of 26 2.0 November 29, 2005 D. Hawks Rochester, NY USA All HDMI cables are created equal...well, yes and no. While the signal is 100% digital (which means that $20 & $150 cables give the exact same picture quality), it doesn't mean that each HDMI cable type gives the same rejection of noise (signal to noise ratio) as other HDMI cables. I've had this cable a few weeks now, and am consistently getting digital "dropouts" every now and again (only that part of the image looks scrambled for a few seconds) -- very annoying while the action is in the scrambled section. Went out and bought the Monster HDMI cable (not exactly cheap, though...) -- the Monster cable gives the exact same picture quality as this cable, except the Monster cable did not experience the digital "dropouts". If you don't mind seeing the dropouts every now and again, this is a great cable. If you want a picture that doesn't experience any dropouts, get the Monster cable. Regardless, the picture quality is the exact same between the cables (minus the dropouts) B0000DJEK7:not_happy:jayakrishnan_adukkadukam_"jay" B0000DJEK7 Magellan RoadMate 700 Vehicle GPS with Windshield Mount: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 2.0 November 5, 2006 Jayakrishnan Adukkadukam "Jay" CA, USA I bought Magellan RoadMate 700 Vehicle GPS 2 months back and its not working as expected. its very poor in locating the the place and sometimes don't even work. Many times this sytem got hung and power off and on again is the solution to get it work again. Might this product is very good in market, but I got the bad piece B000636FJG:does_not_work,_bad_service:mauro B000636FJG Sony DRX710UL DVD+R Double Layer External DVD+-RW Drive (16x): Electronics electronics 29 of 36 1.0 June 11, 2005 Mauro New Haven, CT, USA The DVD burner connected very easily through USB, was immediately recognized by WinXP, the software installation was fine. I was beginning to feel good. However, whenever I burned a DVD (I tried 4 different brands, some R, some RW etc...), several files would contain errors, and would be completely unreadable. The burning process moreover does not detect this: one needs to verify the data written to check and find these errors. Moreover, the firmware update just does not work on my machine, pardon, machineS. Completely standard Dell machines, all latest WinXP and drivers, good CPUs (3Ghz and up), lots of memory, big hard-drives. I called customer service to try to solve the problem. First of all the average waiting time to get to a technician was about 30 minutes. The rudeness and the plain lies these guys give you are amazing. To make a long story short, I had to call 3 times. First guy: oh, "of course it doesn't work, you have EasyCD creator installed!". Ok, I buy it, I go through the (painful) uninstallation process of Roxio's software. No problems solved. Second guy: "Oh, of course it does not work, it requires 10Gb of free hard-drive space! It's written on the box". Plain lie: on the box it says you need 10Gb for NeroVision (for burning videos), but only 1Gb for Nero. Quarrel (they are tough!) with the guy who could not care less about the fact I got him lying, or that the product description is wrong. Ok, patiently I freed up 10Gb from hard drive, try again, exactly same problem. The only thing they could offer in the end was a replacement. I got perhaps relative lucky because the replacement will be a 720, not a 710, since 710 is not manufactured anymore (wonder why?). Notice I tried this on two different machines (one laptop and one desktop), with identical results. Other lie: I noticed, as somebody else here, that the Nero software provided writes only on Sony drives: so if Nero is really the only software that should be installed because of conflicts with Roxio (et al.?), you will never be able to use your own CD drive to burn CDs. How ridicolous is that???? The technician said this is because I had both software(s) installed, but that was another lie. The incompetence of these guys is beyond belief. If the new drive will not work, I hopefully will get a refund through my credit card. You know, the technician even said that that is not possible, credit cards companies do not do that (LOL) B000636FJG:good_drive_when_it_works,_but_warranty_support_is_awful.:gman79 B000636FJG Sony DRX710UL DVD+R Double Layer External DVD+-RW Drive (16x): Electronics electronics 17 of 19 2.0 June 8, 2005 gman79 I am on my third drive now, thanks to the first two breaking. Sony sent me the 720UL as a replacement for my 710UL, but it's the same drive with the exception of some faster burn times and the 720UL doesn't support MAC OS. The Sony Service Center in Manning, IA gave me a huge runaround... first they agreed to pay for return shipping on the second defective drive. Then they called me back 2 hours later and refused to pay for the shipping. What a joke. Good drive when it works, but may god have mercy on you if it breaks after the return period. B0000D8LSW:no_way!: B0000D8LSW Apple iPod FireWire Power Adapter: Electronics electronics 8 of 41 1.0 March 20, 2004 who would even think about buying something that plugs into the wall for sixty bucks! maybe thats why the ipod is so expensive............... B00005NWV1:not_compatible_with_windows_2000/xp,_horrible_tech_support_-_avoid!!:honest_opinion B00005NWV1 NETGEAR FA511 32-bit CarBus PC Card Mobile (10/100): Electronics electronics 1.0 July 10, 2006 Honest Opinion Boston, MA USA I had this adapter running in my the Cardbus slot of my Windows 98 computer and it ran fine. I installed it on my Windows 2000 laptop. Well, my first sign of trouble was a warning popup when I installed the drivers that the drivers were not certified by Microsoft. So, imagine my shock when my brand new computer constantly got Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) crashes. Big blue screen, loss of data, computer freezes tight, power button inoperative, and when you have to use a pin to press that tiny little laptop reset button on a brand new computer, well, we all know that's when you're in Computer Hell. I'm a Microsoft Certified Professional so I was able to narrow down the source of the problem. After definitely identifying the FA511 as the culprit, I contacted Netgear's online tech support. And that's when things really started to get ugly. It took forever for Netgear to finally give me an answer. This was after days of inactivity, wildly inappropriate responses, and repeatedly requesting same information from me. Finally, Netgear escalated the problem to their next level of tech support and I was shocked to read their solution: "This is a Windows issue regarding permissions and ***16 BIT*** compatibility mode" While they were vague as to the exact nature of the problem, and contradicted themselves as to whether compatibility mode had to be enabled or disabled, their solution was straightforward: I was directed to a Microsoft Knowledge Base article which tells you how to enable Compatibility Mode - and for 16-bit compatibility mode I had to make my nice clean Windows 2000 computer compatible with Windows 95 (yes, ninety-five). So, while the FA511 hardware is a 32-bit Cardbus adapter, apparently their drivers are 16-bit!!! No wonder the FA511 was never certified for Windows 2000. And I wouldn't trust it for Windows XP either. There are other Ethernet adapters out there by 3COM, Belkin, Linksys, SMC, and Xircom that work flawlessly with Windows 2000/XP by companies that will respond to your questions. Go get them. Avoid the FA511 B000IK5XWW:no_way:will_moore B000IK5XWW Apple iPod USB Power Adapter: Electronics electronics 5 of 15 1.0 November 9, 2006 Will Moore Monroe, GA USA No way am I purchasing this for my iPod. I would love to be able to charge my iPod away from my iMac, but I refuse to purchase this. This should of been included in the box. It is a tremendous ripoff to buy an AC adapter seprately (and at $30), but then again, I'm sure Apple is making a ton off of this gimic, but I refuse to contribute. I can see not including a dock, A/V cables, etc, as those aren't essential iPod accessories. But an AC adapter? Come on. Bad Apple. Bad! On the plus side, this AC adapter is smaller and comes with an iPod to charger (or iPod to computer) cable, which the previous model did not include. It's still a ripoff, though B00029ZV0I:nice_features,_but_can't_compete_with_cox_dvr:simon_mall_"chris" B00029ZV0I TiVo TCD540080 Series2 80-Hour Digital Video Recorder: Electronics electronics 7 of 10 2.0 July 16, 2006 Simon Mall "Chris" Broken Arrow, OK United States I have been a DVR user through Cox Cable for approx. 1 yr, and have always been disappointed. I have kept my eye on Tivo for some time, and when my DVR box went out for the 2nd time, I decided it was time to try Tivo. I got a refurbished Series2 DVR that was free for signing a 1 yr commitment for $12.95 per month. I received the Tivo only 2 days after I ordered, very impressive since I didn't pay to have it shipped that quickly. The setup was reasonably straight forward. I had heard so much about Tivo that I had very high expectations, and here are the problems I encountered that surprised me: 1) My first mistake was not recognizing that you have to get a Dual tuner unit to be able to record 2 seperate programs (DVR does this automatically). So I ordered the wrong unit. To be honest, I don't see how this service is very useful at all with only a single tuner, my family relies on dual tuners A LOT. I am shocked that Tivo even offers a single tuner system, to me it's like a tricycle compared to a 10 speed, a dual tuner is so much more useful. 2) I thought I would be able to hook up a wireless receiver to connect to my home network. No, you have to buy theirs for $40 to $50. Since I didn't know that, I had to rely on the phone line option. This really stinks, it is very very very slow. I spent 2 hrs trying to download one days programming, the system kept getting interuppted during download (yes I disabled call waiting). 3) When you use the online program guide, it covers up the entire screen. My Cox DVR puts the TV in upper right corner (approx. 1/4) asnd the rest of the screen lets you see the guide. We use this all of the time to see if there is anything better on, but that won't work so well with Tivo. Plus, scrolling up and down is painfully slow, the screen takes for ever to refresh. 4) Similarly to item 3 above, when you review recorded programs the show you are watching is turned off completely, you can only see the Tivo guide. Again, Cox DVR lets me look at my list and delete files etc.. all while my TV program stays visible in the upper right corner. 5) Remote wouldn't work with my 42" Akai plasma. I can't fault Tivo too much on this one, none of the universal remotes seem to work with this TV for some reason. I did love some of the Tivo features and wish my Cox DVR had them: 1) Wishlist 2) Tivo Suggestions 3) Can access your Tivo through internet 4) View photo's through Tivo. In the end my items # 3 and 4 were things I just couldn't get past, so I returned my Tivo. They were friendly and helpful and I really wanted to like this product, but in my opinion it's not able to compete with the speed and power of the Cable companies DVR. B000F4C2AM:junk,_sorry_panasonic:tall_paul B000F4C2AM Panasonic DMR-ES15S DVD Recorder with DV Input: Electronics electronics 3 of 6 1.0 September 24, 2006 Tall Paul San Diego, CA United States I bought a lot of Panasonic stuff in the past without any problems but the picture quality on this thing is awful, even at the highest quality setting. All I saw were blocky artifacts that seemed to be blinking. I even had the DNR (digital noise reduction) enabled and it didn't help. Most recordings skipped and stuttered at the beginning. I took it back for refund and Best Buy told me this model is known for doing that. I don't see how Panasonic can put their name on this junk. Those cheap $99 recorders you find at Walmart have better quality than this. B000IK5YZ8:fm_remote_users_beware:william_e._hamilton B000IK5YZ8 Apple iPod nano 2nd Generation Armband (Gray): Electronics electronics 7 of 14 1.0 October 2, 2006 William E. Hamilton Rochester Hills, MI USA Heaven help you if you want to use this with the FM remote -- a very common usage at heath clubs which provide TV rebroadcasts over FM. The FM remote connects to the iPod via a large plug on the left hand side. The armband provides a small circular hole on the right hand side, but no means of connecting the large FM remote plug B0000DDAED:portable_tv:corabeth_"my1k9" B0000DDAED Jensen J50-MCTV Portable 5" Color TV with Radio and Mounting Bracket: Electronics electronics 4 of 16 1.0 January 18, 2004 Corabeth "my1k9" Vermont This portable color tv doesn't give me any channel that you can actually watch. I returned it and I was credited. However, much to my surprise I received the same five inch tv as I had returned. It already cost me to have it returned. Since I didn't ask for it, should I consider it a gift B0002V8KX6:fuzzy_sound_and_worst_customer_service_ever!!!!!!!:m._reed_"reedmt" B0002V8KX6 Linksys PAP2 Phone Adapter for Vonage Internet Phone Service: Electronics electronics 1 of 5 1.0 July 7, 2006 M. Reed "reedmt" Hinesville Georgia Stay away from vonage! I have had it for several months, and have been trying to cancel it. I have been put on hold a MINUMUM of 45 minutes to and HOUR each time, and then transferred to someone ELSE who then does the bait and switch AGAIN. When you go to their web site, the only thing you can get is their custumer service number, which takes you RIGHT BACK to the same old nonsense. I need to cancel because of a military deployment, and all I'm getting is a run around...the same thing happened with AOL, but this is EVEN WORSE. There are tons of blogs out now about how VONAGE SUCKS...check them out. It's no wonder this company is tanking, their customer service is the absolute WORST!!!!!!!! I hope they read this.... they really need to change!! B00009EFQH:combination_mysteriously_changed:sheetal_patel B00009EFQH Targus PA496U DEFCON VPKL - Video Port Key Lock: Electronics electronics 10 of 11 1.0 April 30, 2006 Sheetal Patel NJ I had been using the lock for my laptop for the past 4 months without any trouble. All of a sudden, today, as I went to pick up the lock, which had been left untouched in the open position overnight with my combination in it, it decided to change combinations by itself. So it was in the locked position but the combination is still the one I had set. I tried so many combinations 'around' mine but obviously there are so many different possibilites. The fact that I even have to try to think of what combination my lock decided to change itself to today makes this a lock I can't rely on B0001OKBKY:save_your_money:k._muller B0001OKBKY QuikFinish PL100 10" Document Laminator: Electronics electronics 48 of 48 2.0 August 22, 2005 K. Muller I am in the process of looking to return. The seal is not so good, so you have to run it through the machine a couple of times. In addition, the lamination has ridges in it. It isn't a smoothe finish (and it isn't air pockets?? B00005ARK3:low_quality_networking_solution_for_low_budget.:m._r._simmons_"techie" B00005ARK3 Linksys BEFW11S4 Wireless-B Cable/DSL Router: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 24, 2006 M. R. Simmons "Techie" Old South I initially chose this router because of its low price. Sometimes, you get what you pay for, and that is exactly what happened to me. As a wired router, this works well enough. It connects four computers to the internet. Just don't do anything to intense with it, and you should be fine. I noticed that when I view video media, the connection totally freezes. But for basic internet and downloading, it works. I generally find, however, that no one buys a "wireless" router not to use wireless, and that is where the problem is. The receiver is so painfully finicky, it does not keep connections. The configuration of this router is about as easy as brain surgery. The linksys support team tries to be helpful, but I can't seem to make this router reliable. It drops reception all the time. Many times my laptop won't even detect a signal. The wireless performance of this router is abysmal. I sincerely hope that if you have this router, it is working flawlessly for you. I can't get it to work well for me not matter what I do. The difficulty that I am having with this equipment is so bad that I am going to replace it as soon as I can. B00005ARK3:good_in_theory..._major_issues_in_practice:m._hockenheimer B00005ARK3 Linksys BEFW11S4 Wireless-B Cable/DSL Router: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 August 18, 2006 M. Hockenheimer Dayton, Ohio, USA I've been using my BEFW11S4 for a few months now. The little thing has its good points - a nice, unobtrusive little box I can just plug in and hide on top of some piece of office furniture, allowing my rather over-laptop-equipped household some nice convenient net access, while still allowing the home office systems a wired connection. Sounds nice, if it only worked. Howver, BEFW11S4 has a MAJOR problem, and a rather common one at that. Specifically, it locks up. It does so frequently. I have to unplug the router at least once a day, and frequently twice, to deal with it locking up. Can't even access the administrator screen, and even hitting the reset button isn't enough to fix it. Wireless isn't too useful when you have to physically walk to the unit multiple times a day, is it? The problem seems to lie not in the hardware, but in the firmware (the software that runs on the router). If Linksys would release reliable firmware for this router, I'd give it 4-5 stars. But until they resolve the issue that wires down their wireless modem, I can't possibly justify giving the BEFW11S4 more then two stars B00005ARK3:don't_buy_a_linksys_router_if_you_have_a_mac_computer:mara_kurtz B00005ARK3 Linksys BEFW11S4 Wireless-B Cable/DSL Router: Electronics electronics 1.0 July 25, 2006 Mara Kurtz New York, NY USA I bought this router and spent almost two hours online with Linksys. After trying every sort of suggestion and speaking with three different tech support people who barely spoke English I finally understood that Linksys has "limited support for Macs." When I asked what "limited support" means, I was told "we are not trained to help people with a Mac. If you can borrow a windows PC we can help you". What a waste of time. I am sending the router back. Beware if you have a Mac B000CSQNL0:frustrating_item:f.b. B000CSQNL0 Garmin eTrex Vista Cx Handheld GPS Navigator: Electronics electronics 4 of 6 2.0 September 18, 2006 F.B. Florida The first Vista Cx I purchased died after only 3 days of use. I returned it to Amazon who immediately and painlessly replaced it. The second unit lasted for 4 days until I fell waist deep into a stream with the unit in my pocket. Though it was only submersed for a matter of seconds it immediately stopped working and water was seen internally around the screen. Garmin's claim of waterproofness for 1m for 10 minutes is utter baloney. The poorly designed T-style lock on the battery case cannot possibly assure water integrity from anything beyond high humidity. I probably wouldn't buy buy another Garmin but I'm stuck with them as I have already invested $200 in proprietary MapSource software. I guess that was their plan. On the plus side, the Vista Cx did seem to function as it should...for all of 7 days B0000UI304:unbelievable_piece_of_junk_without_real_support:audiophile_"without_speakers" B0000UI304 Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 Multimedia Speaker System, (6 Speakers, Black): Electronics electronics 1.0 November 1, 2006 Audiophile "Without Speakers" San Francisco, CA USA This is the best sounding PC speaker system available. Absolutley stellar sound quality--for how long is a serious problem. I too own 2 of these systems. After eleven months of bliss my first amp also went out. I call Klipsch technical support, and they explain I can send it in but the amp is backordered for 4-6 weeks. So I buy another one from Amazon and thier retailer Beach Audio, Inc., not having 4-6 weeks to wait for bliss to return. So get this please, not $360 plus tax once, but twice, and add 2 occurances of overnight shipping at $125 per, for a total spend of $970 plus tax!!! Well blow me down but the replacement for amp #1 hasen't even showed up, and 6 working days of bliss later? You guessed it amp #2 fails. Klipsch, well they obviously picked quite a piece of crap for an amp. They stand behind the product though--I have another RMA to send to the fine people at the Klipsch return center. The retailer this site uses, Beach Audio Inc., offered me my money back, but would offer no replacement of any sort, and no refund for the $125 shipping charge. Nothing they wanted to do would help me get a working product. They refered me to Klipsch without mercy, or even lube. Now Klipsch makes some fine home audio (my Klipschhorns are 15 years old, have been rocked to death, and still sound awesome), and this ProMedia Ultra unit sounds fabulous--so I may do business with them again (perhaps not the PC Multimedia division), but I vow to never give another red cent to Amazon's retailer Beach Audio, Inc.. They were uncooperative, unsympathetic, curt, short, unprofessional, and ultimately completely useless when contacted about the failure. PLEASE LOOK ELSWHERE FOR YOUR NEXT PC MULTIMEDIA PURCHASE!!!!!!! THE KLIPSCH PROMEDIA DIVISION SHOULDN'T EVER BE CONSIDERED. B0000UI304:both_klipsch_subwoofers_died_:music_man_"gibson" B0000UI304 Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 Multimedia Speaker System, (6 Speakers, Black): Electronics electronics 3 of 4 1.0 August 19, 2006 Music Man "Gibson" usa The first subwoofer died (no sound) after 6 days. Remember, the sub powers all the speakers in this system. I sent it back to the company I bought it from and they were nice enough to take care of "Klipsch's faulty product". They asked me if I would like a refund and like an idiot I said, "No, just send me another one". The replacement Klipsch system arrived and it played great for about 14 months and then NOTHING. No power from the sub! Same problem but now my warranty is up. Klipsh has a way of designing things to work just past the warranty. Shame on Klipsch for making such a shoddy product. Shame on me for asking for a replacement and getting burned twice. Heed all these warnings my friends. I would buy used speakers at a garage sale before I would buy another Klipsh product. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! B0000UI304:sound_great...._but_stop_working!:brian B0000UI304 Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 Multimedia Speaker System, (6 Speakers, Black): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 July 18, 2006 Brian MA United States These speakers do sound great but just like many others who have reviewed these speakers, they eventually just stop working. It sounds like I was one of the lucky ones as mine lasted two years. But I really didn't use them all that much and I don't blast the volumes. When you spend this kind of many on a product it should at least last 5 years or so. I've never had any other speaker brand just stop working on me before. Worse of all is to hear that Klipsch is charging a lot of money to repair their faulty products and that people had problems with them even after they were "repaired". Well, I'm not wasting time and money on repairing them. I'm just switching to Logitech. No more Klipsch ever again for me. B000BMAL10:so_many_problems!:a._harris B000BMAL10 Apple 1 GB iPod Nano Black: Electronics electronics 1 of 3 1.0 November 9, 2006 A. Harris Ohio I received the iPod quickly which was a plus. But it was horrible when it would only download 5 songs. I had friends who have the same iPod try to fix it and it never worked. I sent it back and requested a refund. It has been a month and a half and I have YET to get my $120 back. B000A2AIHI:good_idea_but_not_ready_yet,_doesn't_work,_unreliable:anonymous_"none" B000A2AIHI LaCie 40GB SAFE Mobile Hard Drive (300809) Biometric: Electronics electronics 4 of 5 1.0 November 19, 2005 Anonymous "None" Columbia, SC I like other Lacie drives I've used very much, thought I'd take a chance on this, but it just does not work. It takes me about a hundred swipes on average to get the biometric sensor to work...That is keeping data a bit TOO secure to be helpful. Also there have been reports of complete data loss by others,but I've not had that experience - could be I just haven't been able to GET to my data enough to find out. Support from Lacie was completely unhelpful (wash your hands and the sensor before swiping which I have already done dozens of times was the only suggestion). If the drive could be partioned so you could have a secure partition and an easier to access partion, the failure of biometrics would not be so serious, but as is, I would definitely not purchase this again, and I would strongly advise against it unless there is some kind of firmware or other improvement B0009JR5HS:don't_stomp_your_feet,_sneeze,_or_slam_the_door.:ultimatepete B0009JR5HS D-Link DWL-G520M Wireless 108G PCI Adapter, 2XR, MIMO, Smart Antenna: Electronics electronics 5 of 5 2.0 March 28, 2006 UltimatePete We have 50+ of these cards at work and I have 4 at home. I have never seen a more "fragile" PCI card. If you slam a door or stomp your feet near the PC, this card may very well cease to function on the next reboot. God forbid you attempt to move the tower. Every other day, someone has a malfunctioning card which needs to be jiggled, removed and reinserted, or otherwise screwed with. When it does actually work, the connection is usually good B0008JFJR2:poor_reception_-_very_static:faithful_shopper_"jzk" B0008JFJR2 Motorola MD7001 2 Line 5.8GHz Digital Expandable Cordless Handset & Charger Accessory for MD7000 series: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 12, 2006 Faithful Shopper "JZK" Ct We purchased this phone to go with the rest of the set and we were extremely disappointed!! We had to return them for a different brand because we could not hear!!! They were so static that you often could not hear the person speaking!! You would think at this price it would not be so static. We went for a brand at a much lower price and they are crystal clear! B0008JFJR2:very_misleading:carlos_bustamante B0008JFJR2 Motorola MD7001 2 Line 5.8GHz Digital Expandable Cordless Handset & Charger Accessory for MD7000 series: Electronics electronics 5 of 24 1.0 January 2, 2006 Carlos Bustamante Cartagena, Colombia Jan 2 2006 I two ordered the "md7001 2 line phone" I thought I was getting a cordless 2 line phone. What I actually got was a 2 line handset that requires a base unit for it to work. This info should be prominently displayed in their description. B00062GJ8E:easily_scratched_w/very_limited_lifespan:l._henderson B00062GJ8E Palm Premium Screen Protectors Multi-pack (3177WW): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 July 27, 2006 L. Henderson Elkins Park, PA United States You'd think that a Palm screen protector from Palm would be best in class. However, these Palm "premium" screen protectors have a lifespan of about 3-4 days at best. I'm very careful with my new Palm TX, yet under normal use the stylus easily scratches the screen protector to such an extent that the device no longer accurately recognizes stylus input. I also dislike having to cut the screen protectors to size. I've tried an Invisible Shield screen protector, and it was tough as nails; the problem was that installation was difficult, and the tacky surface also produced input errors. Next I'm trying a Boxwave ClearTouch. I never had this sort of problem with the old Fellowes WriteRight protector, which lasted a year or more on my old Palm m130 B00008VF91:more_monster_snake_oil...:eduardo_nietzsche B00008VF91 Monster Cable THX SP 16-100 Standard THX-Certified Speaker Cable (100 Feet): Electronics electronics 30 of 39 1.0 March 14, 2005 Eduardo Nietzsche Houston Monster Cable and its similarly overpriced imitators are a triumph of hype over substance, and ruthlessly exploits the consumer's naivete and trust in shady audio/video salespeople. Yes, for most things you DO "get what you pay for"---but when it comes to speaker cables, interconnects, and other a/v wiring however it's another story. All you need for optimal sound is any 12 to 16 gauge generic cable which you can buy at Home Depot for a fraction of the cost. Save your money for things like speaker stands, which really do make a world of difference B00068UJHK:do_not_buy_this_card_if_you_use_windows_98se:ben_franklin B00068UJHK Crucial Hi-Speed USB SD/MMC Card Reader: Electronics electronics 1 of 7 1.0 May 1, 2006 Ben Franklin Oregon I AM DISGUSTED TO REALIZE THAT ALTHOUGH CRUCIAL MARKETS THIS CARD AS COMING WITH A DRIVER FOR WIN98SE, IT DOES NOT. THE CD IT CAME WITH DID NOT HAVE A DRIVER (although it said it did) THE WEB SIGHT DOES NOT HAVE DRIVERS AND AFTER TWO PROMISES ON THE PHONE FROM CRUCIAL TECH SUPPORT PROMISING TO SEND ME ONE, I STILL DON'T HAVE IT. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS DRIVER EXISTS. SO MUCH FOR TRUTH IN ADVERTISING AND AMERICAN COMPANY INTEGRITY B000AM6QH4:worked_for_seven_minutes,_then_quit:s._mcclary B000AM6QH4 Logitech mm28 Portable Speakers: Electronics electronics 1.0 October 13, 2006 S. McClary Oakland, CA USA When I plugged these in they worked fine for about seven minutes, then the speaker's internal power simply cut off. Happened on the AC adapter or batteries, whether I was using my computer or my iPod as the sound source. Same behavior every time. Logitech sent me a replacement from a new production run, same thing happened. Sent it back to Logitech on my nickel, got another replacement from same production run (Product ID: A612). Same problem. After two months and many long waits for Logitech tech support, I'm giving up. Maybe it was just a bad run, or maybe my environment is flukey, but I'm sorry I ever bought this thing B00008Z1QI:weak_sound_unless_you_have_a_headphone_amp:tom_slick43 B00008Z1QI Koss Pro4AAT Titanium Pro Headphones: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 November 3, 2006 Tom Slick43 Kaneohe HI USA The Koss Pro4AAT headphones are quality headphones, but sounds weak when driven through a regular headphone jack from your receiver or tv. To get the great sounds that everyone else seems to rave about, you really need to run these headphones through a headphone amp. Also, the ear pads are of a vinyl-like material which doesn't breathe well, making it uncomfortable to wear for extended periods. I've read that leatherette pads are available, but so far haven't been able to find them. The warranty alone is great, but I wouldn't recommend these headphones unless you have a headphone amp B0001FV3AK:unreliable...don't_get_lulled_w/false_sense_of_security:d._plante B0001FV3AK SanDisk 512 MB Cruzer Titanium (SDCZ3-512-A10, Retail Package): Electronics electronics 1.0 November 13, 2006 D. Plante Device unexpectedly stopped working after 9 months. Has not been thru a washing machine, fallen in the ocean or been run over by a truck! Just nestled in my briefcase. Bullet-proof case is great gimick, but this device is unreliable as a backup for "road" files. Might be better off using your PDA with a large SD card B00000J0D2:worked_for_30_days_-_microphone_broke:s._pritchard_"suzisbooks" B00000J0D2 Uniden HS910 Headset for Cordless Phones: Electronics electronics 8 of 8 1.0 April 10, 2004 S. Pritchard "suzisbooks" CA USA I had one that worked for a year that came with the original phone. Then, I just ordered this one from Amazon and it worked for 30 days. Like other reviews you see here, people started not being able to hear me, but I could hear them. So the microphone broke. But, I called Uniden tech support and they recommended I replace the battery on the phone for $37. So, I just ordered a new phone and tested the headset -- sure enough it wasn't the phone -- it was the headset. A costly mistake. I would not buy this headset again. Also, Amazon has a 30 day return policy, so if it breaks, make sure you return it within that 30 days or you are stuck with it B000853QUS:gs_not_as_good_as_the_original:m._a._dawe B000853QUS BFG Technologies RatpadzGS Gaming Surface: Electronics electronics 1.0 September 18, 2006 M. A. Dawe Victoria, BC I just bought a new RatpadzGS to replace my four year old ratpadz. Compaired to the old Ratpad, the RatpadzGS is made with a lower density Cheap-O(tm) plastic and tracks poorly with my logitech G7 mouse. When using the mouse on the GS it causes the curser to sort of stutter along. Overall I would pass on this product, for now my desk actually works better than this mousepad. B000853QUS:so-so_at_best.:mitchell_bloch_"bazald" B000853QUS BFG Technologies RatpadzGS Gaming Surface: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 June 28, 2006 Mitchell Bloch "bazald" Ann Arbor, Michigan United States It was an okay mousepad for approximately a year and a half. Every so often, my optical mouse jittered from one edge of the screen to the other when left stationary, but I encountered no serious problems. Unfortunately, it seems that might have been indicative of a greater problem with the mousepad. It is all one color. The grooves have all worn away on a large portion of the pad, and now my mouse won't budge. I'm in the process of looking for an alternative right now B000EPHPPE:it_gets_ugly_fast:g._rosario_"gerardo" B000EPHPPE Apple 80 GB iPod video White (5.5 Generation): Electronics electronics 5 of 20 1.0 November 17, 2006 G. Rosario "Gerardo" Nashville, TN USA i don't like how easy it get scratch, and if u get the black one even worst, i went shopping for cases but they get scratch inside the cases too, just by been in the case, i return the case, then i when for those clear stickers and i recomend to put those on on a really clean table and very dry and clean hands may be use glove cause a little touch and there goes your finger print in the sticker, and with a black ipod you can't miss it. and if u don't take your time u will have a lot of air bubbles showing in your ipod, so after a week looks like something that i have for a year, it sucks. B00008SCFL:can't_get_it_to_work.:albert_a._mason B00008SCFL Netgear WGR614 802.11g Wireless Router: Electronics electronics 2 of 4 2.0 November 9, 2006 Albert A. Mason The Netgear wireless router product is apparently in working order because I mailed it to my son in Tennessee who got it to work just fine on his equipment which is the same as mine. Surely, I'm not so technically savvy as my son, but I can read and write and follow directions. The setting up of the equipment is quite complicated, in my view, far moreso than it should be. I've set up other peripherals with success, but this product is more than I can handle. I've followed the directions, over and over, and still the router doesn't connect. I've given up. Can't handle the frustration. By the way, I'm way over the age of 13. I have grandchildren over the age of 13. B0002TPFW2:wireless_printing_problems:j._barber B0002TPFW2 D-Link DP-G321 Wireless-G Print Server USB 2.0/Parallel Port: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 September 4, 2006 J. Barber UK After a bit of sweat I've managed to get the printer working fine from both my XP and MAC OS Tiger computers ...... until I unplug the direct ethernet cable to the router that is needed for set-up. Then nothing happens i.e. no wireless printing. I suspect it's an IP addressing issue having read a helpful article here (take note D-link - Amazon is becoming a better support site than your own!). Changing the IP address messes up my internet connection during install; the MAC works quite hard to re-establish the internet connection & perhaps this breaks the connection to the printer? I dunno, but it's giving me a headache. Documentation & troublshooting help are very, very weak & time will tell if D-link on-line support are any better (22 hours & no response from them yet....) I'm sure network wizards will have this little beasty up & running in no time, but for normal people it's, well, a bit of a pain B0002TPFW2:garbage!-_it_does_not_work_with_most_usb_printers:y._morgan_"wireless_mavrick" B0002TPFW2 D-Link DP-G321 Wireless-G Print Server USB 2.0/Parallel Port: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 2.0 June 29, 2006 Y. Morgan "wireless mavrick" Rye NY I contacted D-Link support and they verified that this product was tested and worked with a very minimum number of popular USB printers (I believe the number was around 30-40). The D-Link DP-G321 Wireless Print server did not work with any of the 3 USB printers I owned (Lexmark Z320, HP PSC 1250, HP Photosmart 7310). It worked okay with my one parallel HP Laserjet 1100 and I was able to connect it to my network and install the print server, but it was not at all compatible with my printers which was key. It this product was more compatible, I would have rated it 4 stars, because the installation was very easy and almost worry-free, plus it was very sensitive to the wireless radio waves i.e. it sensed my secured wireless network when other print server could not in that same location. I returned the D-Link and bought instead a Linksys WPS54GU2 print server that worked with all of my printers, but it was not as sensitive as the D-Link DP-G321, so I had to move my printers and print server closer to my wireless access point B00003CWEI:whoa!!!__apples_and_oranges:dwpc B00003CWEI Monster Cable MV3CV-1M Monster Video 3 High-Resolution Component-Video Cable: Electronics electronics 13 of 18 1.0 January 12, 2005 DWPC Ventura, CA United States Several reviews mention the improvement when these cables to replace a composite (L/R audio + video) cable, or an S-video (multi-pinned plug). ALmost all of that improvement is due to the fact that these cable connection methods are completely different types in signal format and the TV uses different internal circuitry for each one. Virtually any S-video cable connection will give a better image than a composite type cable, and any component (individual R-G-B video) connection will be better than S-video. Cable brand has absolutely nothing to do with it. There may be some difference between one brand of component cable and another, but its almost always unnoticable B000GUO4L0:good_printer_but_drops_the_internet_connection:wds_"wds" B000GUO4L0 Canon PIXMA MP530 Office All-In-One Photo Printer with Fax (0580B002): Electronics electronics 2 of 5 2.0 November 9, 2006 WdS "WdS" Overland Park, KS I was in the market to upgrade my printer and used Amazon's reviews to decide on a Canon MP530. It does a good job, but when I plug the USB cord into the printer, the connection to the Internet drops every time. I have to disconnect from the printer so I can get on-line. Recently I filled out a rather lengthy application on the Internet and plugged in the USB cable so I could print. That step caused the connection to drop and I got to reenter all the information. I will be returning the Canon MP530 and start my search for another all-in one printer B000BPH00M:this_is_a_piece_of_[...]:h._everett_"mr._x" B000BPH00M Memorex 2GB USB 2.0 Mini Travel Drive (32509373): Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 May 18, 2006 H. Everett "Mr. X" New York, NY United States The Memorex U3 TravelDrive is simply a piece of crap. I bought it for easy data transfer when on travel, but it seldom works in any computer. The logo comes up when I plug it in and it simply hangs there. It's utterly worthless B00005B9W6:it_is__piece_of_junk!!!!!!!!:julie_a._ricker_"camera_hound" B00005B9W6 Skipdoctor CD Repair Kit: Electronics electronics 6 of 11 1.0 March 17, 2006 Julie A. Ricker "Camera Hound" Augusta, Maine USA It was not worth the cost to ship it back B000A3WS84:love_it.._hate_it:a._pereyra B000A3WS84 Apple 30 GB iPod with Video Playback Black (5th Generation): Electronics electronics 2 of 6 1.0 November 13, 2006 A. Pereyra Miami, FL United States I bought with lots of ilussion this this Ipod, i put all my music in it and use it!! after a 5 months it stop working, it didn't charge the battery. I took it to best buy where I bought it and they told me that it has "external damage" and didn' repair it. I send it to Apple service and return it without services because the same reason. My Ipod didn't have that damage, it has only a few scratches on the screen. After lots of calls and fight they told me that to fix it I would have to pay US$250.00 that is almost what it cost new. TERRIBLE SERVICE FROM APPLE.. SHORT LIVE.. DON'T RECOMMENDED. Now I'm looking for another option for MP3 player to buy. If you know one please let me know it. B00005T6GZ:setup_difficult:ned_block_"ned_block" B00005T6GZ Linksys BEFCMU10 EtherFast Cable Modem: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 9, 2006 Ned Block "Ned Block" Cambridge, MA United States The modem works well but was very hard to set up. Much harder than an Apple Airport that I had setup previousl B00005T6GZ:buyer_beware_-_amazon_selling_old_version_2:rsd2 B00005T6GZ Linksys BEFCMU10 EtherFast Cable Modem: Electronics electronics 14 of 18 1.0 August 17, 2006 RSD2 CA United States I recently purchased this item from Amazon. What I received was version 2 of this modem. The current version on the Linksys site is version 4. As a Cox customer, the results of my purchase were unsatisfactory. I will be returning this and purchasing the version 4 Linksys from another vendor B00063IT0Y:total_garbage.:ariel_meadow_stallings_"author,_offbeat_bride" B00063IT0Y Ultra-Cord 59-inch Retractable Stereo Earphones: Electronics electronics 36 of 36 1.0 March 11, 2005 Ariel Meadow Stallings "Author, Offbeat Bride" Seattle, WA A short list of grievances: 1. The earbuds don't fit well in the ear 2. The retraction wheel is in the middle of the cord, so that if you're walking while listening to music, it bounces around and threatens to pull the buds out of your ears. 3. The retraction wheel broke after a month, making these headphones no longer retractable. NOT WORTH THE MONEY YOU'LL SPEND ON SHIPPING, let alone the cost of the headphones. These headphones are garbage B0001EMLTS:lost_power_less_than_a_year:m._kelly B0001EMLTS Coby CTV555 5" COLOR TV: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 September 22, 2006 M. Kelly Is there a less than 1 star. After 5month, it just stopped working, How do i get my money back. Not worth it for the money. I have a smaller tv that I have had for 6 years and still works. B0001EMLTS:would_not_buy:oil_can_"oil_can" B0001EMLTS Coby CTV555 5" COLOR TV: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 September 7, 2006 Oil Can "Oil Can" Texas I was never happy with this product. The picture always had a green tint and would not adjust out. After less than a year the tube blew out. B0001EMLTS:this_was_a_mistake.:l._nathenson_"lee_in_chicago" B0001EMLTS Coby CTV555 5" COLOR TV: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 1.0 June 11, 2006 L. Nathenson "Lee in Chicago" Chicago This set lost color and picture quality over the few months that I owned it and then it just stopped working. I'm going to buy something else and so should you B000E65Y92:?hello_?hello:t._amukele B000E65Y92 Uniden TRU9465-2 Expandable Cordless System with Dual Keypad and Call Waiting/Caller ID and Exta Handset and Charger: Electronics electronics 8 of 10 2.0 June 19, 2006 T. Amukele Seattle, WA United States This phone is really cool but it has two major flaws. The first is the caller ID problem which the other posts have already described in som detail. The second is that although the incoming volume is fine, the people on the other end have trouble hearing me and say that i sound 'far away and very soft'. Troubleshooting and reseting doesn't seem to help. Will return ASAP B000J43HJ8:scroll_pad_doesn't_work:m._storms B000J43HJ8 Logitech diNovo Edge ( 967685-0403 ): Electronics electronics 10 of 14 1.0 November 19, 2006 M. Storms Los Angeles, CA USA It looks sexy, but it just doesn't work. The scroll pad is so finicky I wanted to throw it out the window after the first hour. About half the time it moves the cursor when you want to scroll, or it scrolls when you want to move the cursor. The other half the time, it does nothing no matter what part of the pad you touch or how hard or lightly you press. Also beware that if you return this just because you're not satisfied with how it works, Amazon will charge you for both outgoing and return postage! (I've giving it one star out of pity, and because it does look sharp. B000AY2L3U:good_but_problems...:recursive B000AY2L3U Logitech Cordless Desktop S510: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 2.0 September 21, 2006 Recursive California, USA you may notice i am writing this in lowercase. i am using the s510 keyboard i bought over a year ago. the shift keys suddenly went out so the keyboard is now useless. i have to subtract for longevity. the mouse that comes with the keyboard is poor but i use it with another mouse anyway. and, as noted in other reviews this, in common with most other usb keyboards, only works with basic functionality when hooked up through a usb kvm switch. on the good side, the battery life is very good and i think it looks nice, but i'll be looking for something else for a replacement.. B0006B55B2:pricey_for_the_length:yarlee B0006B55B2 Acoustic Research PR-185 Pro II Series HDmi Digital Audio/video Interconnect: Electronics electronics 6 of 11 2.0 July 4, 2006 Yarlee Irving, TX After seeing a wide range in the prices for HDMI cables, I did some research into why is it. Found out that these cables carry digital signals (0's and 1's), so no matter what kind of fancy name you add before this cable, its basic purpose is simple like a cat5 cable. Then I went ahead and bought the cheaper ones which are working perfectly fine. So, dont be fooled by the high price cables. There is no special sheilding &%*p in them. Its all misleading marketing. For this length of cable, I would pay maybe $5 B0002SAE56:confused:j._raines_"crusty_old_cyclist" B0002SAE56 JBL OnTour Portable Music Box: Electronics electronics 1 of 13 2.0 October 14, 2006 J. Raines "crusty old cyclist" Minneapolis From reading the reviews the product weighs 14 oz and is tiny. from reading amazon's specs: 12.0 x 14.0 x 10.0 inches ; 4.0 pound B0002SAE56:too_small:timothy_mcnulty_"metal_head" B0002SAE56 JBL OnTour Portable Music Box: Electronics electronics 2 of 4 2.0 October 12, 2006 Timothy Mcnulty "Metal head" Kalispell, Mt usa Do not be deceived by the photo this thing is tiny. If that is what you are looking very small low volume very portable I suppose it is ok but over price for what you get. I think $30.00 would have been about right. There is no bass response and for there size how could there be. I am keeping them but only because they are so small they might come in handy for hotel use only! The packaging is very cool but the fidelity is non existent B000BM4U2G:been_using_it_one_week_-_dead!:toddman B000BM4U2G Creative Zen MicroPhoto 8 GB MP3 Player (Titanium Gray): Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 November 6, 2006 toddman Ithaca, NY USA I've never had a product [...] out after one week of use. The screen froze up and no matter what troubleshooting tip I tried from the creative website, nothing worked. Now I'm waiting to hear back from email support because they don't have 24 hour phone support. Not impressed. Would have gotten an iPod, but this thing was given as a gift B000BM4U2G:awesome_when_it_worked:a._may B000BM4U2G Creative Zen MicroPhoto 8 GB MP3 Player (Titanium Gray): Electronics electronics 1 of 2 2.0 November 5, 2006 A. May New Orleans, LA I really enjoyed my Zen, when it worked. The first one I ordered I had to return becuase it would only play every other song, and after it started acting up all the lights would start blinking and I would have to take out the battery to make it stop. So, I exchanged it for a new one, and just like the other after only one week the lights started going crazy again, it would freeze up, and would only play 5 seconds of every song. What I liked about it, for the small amount of time I had it was the sound quality, the choice in colors, and the fact that it was so much cheaper than other models with the same amount of storage space. I'm not sure I would recommend it becuase of the fact that they both only worked for a few days. Now I have an Iriver Clix and have had no problems. It has less storage but I don't care, it is easier to control and I haven't had problems with it B00006HVNI:there_are_better_wrist_pads_on_the_market:victoria_siegel B00006HVNI Belkin Waverest Gel Wrist Pad Rubber Backing/Fabric Top (F8E244-BLK): Electronics electronics 17 of 21 1.0 November 15, 2004 Victoria Siegel Seattle, WA United States I bought this as an extra support for my wrist and within 2 weeks the gel started to ooze from the seems. I ended up having to staple all around the edges of the bean to stop the ooze which has worked but definately a design flaw. I wouldn't buy this again B000F50VJK:do_not_buy_this:grifbret_"grifbret" B000F50VJK USB SIM Card Reader: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 May 29, 2006 Grifbret "Grifbret" Houston, TX United States There are too many files you must hunt for online that are not on the cd. If you can read Chinese you may fare better than reading the English instructions for the software. I'm returning mine and will try something a little more expensive but from a company with better quality control B00005O3VE:unreliable_w/high-cost_of_ownership_in_heavy-duty_environmnt:eyesk B00005O3VE Brother PPF-2800 Plain Paper Fax Machine: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 January 10, 2005 Eyesk from the swamps of Jersey We'll give the unit two stars instead of one, since when it does work, it works well, with nice print-outs. But in a span of two+ years, its has needed its drum replaced three times. And has once needed the main system/circuit board replaced. We'd purchased this back when it cost about $125 more than it does now. And the parts have not been quickly available from some vendors. We should have bought the heavier-duty Brother 4750 which we use in another office, and has been flawless. B00005O3VE:one_page_at_a_time_works_great: B00005O3VE Brother PPF-2800 Plain Paper Fax Machine: Electronics electronics 7 of 8 2.0 October 21, 2003 I've had many fax machines and this one, when it worked, certainly wasn't the worst of the bunch. Problem is, the auto document feed tray is cheesy. No matter how many times I smoothed, then fanned the paper, it would accept two to five sheets at a time. If I fed one at a time, this unit worked like a champ. Unfortunately, that can be said of most units. I've had good Brother machines in the past, and probably will buy another, better, Brother fax. This one got me so frustrated I threw it out the back door. It's still laying there, only there seems to be more pieces now B000B59JLU:does_not_work_with_6682:kanishk_"kanjoy" B000B59JLU 1GB Rs-mmc 1024MB: Electronics electronics 6 of 8 1.0 August 5, 2006 Kanishk "kanjoy" Cincinnati, OH United States This card DOES NOT work with NOKIA 6682. I bought this card from an other website and missed the earlier review here. The product description does not show voltage details and compatibility with phones. It is very misleading as the description uses the word "mobile phone ready". Sandisk should address this isse by providing proper product description B00076TK6M:have_yet_to_get_it_to_work:bustin_justin B00076TK6M Q-STOR - USB To Irda Wirless connection: Electronics electronics 6 of 7 1.0 August 2, 2005 Bustin Justin Socal The software it is sent with is different than the instructions given, I have yet to get it to work with my laptop w/xp and a Ir HP laser jet. It may work fine for some cell apps phones etc. B0002ER3BS:horrible_dvd+r!:edwin_jhun B0002ER3BS Memorex 4.7GB 8x DVD+R (50-Pack Spindle): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 June 18, 2006 Edwin Jhun Tacoma, WA USA The Memorex DVD+R has got to be one of the worst dvd-r's out in the market. Not only is the rate of a successful DVD burn very low (movies, games, etc.), it also has a horrible shelf life that lasts for about four months. From what I hear from other members, Memorex uses a low-quality dye, and is explicitly evident in the red colored deterioration of the dye that can be seen on the top layer of the disk. All my DVD+R's are actually stained RED for some reason?!? Overall, go with verbatim or heck, even COMPUSA dvd's will be more suffice than this garbage B00017IX0Q:okay_at_first.....:louiseddmsfan B00017IX0Q iRiver IFP-180T 128 MB Flash MP3 Player: Electronics electronics 2.0 July 2, 2006 louiseddmsfan Cary, NC I got this MP3 at a Black Friday sale and I was absolutly thrilled with it...until the end broke off. The end where the battery was broke off one day and wouldn't stay on. I now have to hold it in place with rubber bands. Now, the player will constantly shut off whenever it moves the slightest bit. The radio, however(before it broke)was great, the organization of the files was good and the mic worked okay if you talked straight into it. Overall, this was okay for the money I paid for it, but I wouldn't recommend this to anyone B0001FV3C8:be_aware_before_you_buy_this!:lynn_hoffman_"author:_the_new_short_course_in_wine" B0001FV3C8 SanDisk SDCZ2-1024-A10 1 GB Cruzer Mini USB 2.0 Flash Drive (Retail Package): Electronics electronics 6 of 11 2.0 October 28, 2006 Lynn Hoffman "author: The New Short Course in Wine" Phila., PA USA Be aware before you buy this flash drive that it will not accept file names with many commonly used characters like: '?' and '/'. When it encounters these characters, it stops transferring files completely and you have to begin the copying process again after 'correcting' the file names. For me, this was a serious inconvenience and an undisclosed liability of the device. For others, it may be less important B0002AHRVI:clunker_--_poorly_made,_didn't_work:paul_dean B0002AHRVI Grundig FR200 Emergency Radio (Red): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 9, 2006 Paul Dean Chicago, IL USA We ordered this radio to have on hand in case of emergency. After an hour of cranking to start the power, the crank came off. Got it back on, cranked more, came off again. Small heartattack later from all the fruitless cranking, we sent it back the next day. Looking for another option for an emergency radio, haven't found one yet. B00007E7L3:doesn't_seem_to_work_properly.:matt_b. B00007E7L3 COBY CA989 AC Adapter for Portable Electronics: Electronics electronics 6 of 7 2.0 November 19, 2005 Matt B. Washington, DC I bought one of these, brand new. When I use it with a portable CD Player/Radio on the proper settings for my unit, the radio works for about 15 seconds, then shuts down. Like the other reviewer, I'm wondering if the voltages are off. Will try a meter.. B00004WFSC:does_not_work_properly:"cherab6" B00004WFSC Brother GX-6750 Daisy Wheel Electronic Typewriter: Electronics electronics 11 of 16 1.0 June 1, 2004 "cherab6" Las Vegas, NV United States I bought this for my 80-year-old mother, who is disabled and can't cope with a computer. Every time the typewriter is turned on, we find that it either types the wrong letter (press a Q, it prints an S; press E and get P, etc.) or else it prints the correct letter but they are not spaced correctly (some overlapping, some huge spaces). There is some esoteric combination of keystrokes that, supposedly, will reset the programming. But this is just too much for Mom. Also, every time it's turned on, you have to re-program the line spacing, the tabs and everything else. I ended up buying a 40-year-old manual typewriter on e-Bay and Mom is much happier with it B00004Z78R:don't_buy_this_printer!: B00004Z78R Fellowes P-400C Confetti-Cut Paper Shreddrer with Basket (Black): Electronics electronics 24 of 69 1.0 January 19, 2003 This printer binds up on two pieces of paper! If there is the least resistance during a jam, the flimsy plastic gears become stripped and the printer is trash. This is what happened to me after less than two months of light use...and I stayed within the manufacturer's guidelines. However, there is NO WARRANTEE on this printer, so BUYER BEWARE B0002INL4M:they_fit_pretty_well,_but_sound_quality_suffers:davey B0002INL4M Shure PA755 Triple-Flange Sleeves for Shure Sound-Isolating Earphones (1 Pair): Electronics electronics 1 of 4 2.0 March 12, 2006 davey St. Louis, Missouri Happy with the three tips included, I decided to try these for the heck of it. While they go nicely and comfortably deep into the ear and don't dare come out until you intend for them to, for some reason, they diminish the quality of the sound greatly. I can most closely describe it as the sound of overcompressed MP3s. They took nearly all of the clarity out of the music B000BM6Z6A:awesome_when_it_worked:a._may B000BM6Z6A Creative Zen Micro Photo 8 GB MP3 Player (Light Blue): Electronics electronics 1 of 2 2.0 November 5, 2006 A. May New Orleans, LA I really enjoyed my Zen, when it worked. The first one I ordered I had to return becuase it would only play every other song, and after it started acting up all the lights would start blinking and I would have to take out the battery to make it stop. So, I exchanged it for a new one, and just like the other after only one week the lights started going crazy again, it would freeze up, and would only play 5 seconds of every song. What I liked about it, for the small amount of time I had it was the sound quality, the choice in colors, and the fact that it was so much cheaper than other models with the same amount of storage space. I'm not sure I would recommend it becuase of the fact that they both only worked for a few days. Now I have an Iriver Clix and have had no problems. It has less storage but I don't care, it is easier to control and I haven't had problems with it B0000C4DX6:not_for_programmers!:m._hannemann B0000C4DX6 Kensington 64338 Comfort Type USB/PS2 Keyboard (PC/Mac): Electronics electronics 23 of 26 1.0 September 7, 2005 M. Hannemann I recently bought this keyboard to go along with a fancy ergonomic laptop stand. The stand puts the laptop screen at a reasonable height for use on a desktop -- that works great. The keyboard, however, is fairly awful, and I'm returning it. I realize I shouldn't expect much for $20, but the keyboard has an exceptionally soft, mushy feeling. The "comfort type" slanted keys didn't get in my way, but they didn't help anything, either. The worst part about this keyboard, however, was that it uses a non-standard layout. Look closely at the right side -- the "enter" key is oversized, and the |\ key is moved below to accomodate it, with the consequence that the right shift key is miniaturized. This, for a shell user or programmer, is awful. When you need to pipe something, or escape the next character, you really don't mean to be hitting return instead. And with the small right shift key, even typing properly with balanced use of the keyboard is difficult. This small design decision makes this keyboard terrible for heavy computer users like me B00062GJ8O:too_lightweight,_no_reset_pin:paul_mischler B00062GJ8O Palm Stylus 3-Pack (3178WW): Electronics electronics 8 of 12 2.0 December 19, 2005 Paul Mischler NJ, USA After purchasing the stylus, I immideatley noticed that the styli were far significantly lighter in weight than the factory included stylus for the Tungsten T5. Even worse, after a fatal exception and hard lock on the T5, I noticed that these styli have no built-in pin to hit the reset button with B0006SD4PE:hate_it!:j._barnett_"jenny@designaweb.com" B0006SD4PE JBL On Stage Speakers for iPod: Electronics electronics 5 of 5 1.0 November 2, 2006 J. Barnett "jenny@designaweb.com" Houston, TX USA There is nothing good to say about this speaker except the size. The sound quality sucks. It stops mid song on a regular basis. It is just a piece of crap. It is so crappy that I am throwing it away rather than give to someone B000069K8O:worked_at_first_but....:william_r._geary_"crjuphd" B000069K8O One For All URC 9910 Premium Learning Line 8-Device IR/RF Upgradeable Universal Remote Control: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 October 4, 2006 William R. Geary "CrJuPhD" Horsham, PA USA I bought this item about two months ago and was happy as can be. No more equipment in the tv room! About two weeks ago though, I noticed that the unit was slower and slower and I had to hit buttons repeatedly to get things done. It has eventually gotten to the point that it does not work at all. At first I thought it was batteries in the remote, so I replaced those a few times. Then I thought the placement of the IR transmitter was off, so I moved it closer to my AV rack. That worked at first, but the problem persisted so I reprogrammed, but to no avail. Eventually I narrowed it down to the remote unit. Even with the remote RIGHT NEXT TO THE IR Transmitter, it now does not work most of the time. Of course the real problem now is that all my av stuff is in a different room, so standard IR remotes (why do they even make those still????) are out of the question. I will be moving onto something else and keep my fingers crossed. Along the way I learned a few other things...other reviewers are right in that the memory gets eaten up quickly when you have to program the unit (which I do with a new LG DVD player). In theory, this is a great unit and the remote is very good when it comes to commands. In practice, however, all it did was make me hungry for an RF system that will work more consistently. B00000J061:do_not_buy_this_radio!:j._beaupre B00000J061 GE 7-2887 Superadio III Portable AM/FM Radio: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 23, 2006 J. Beaupre Cambridge, MA USA The GE Superadio III used to be a great radio. I bought my first one seven years ago and it worked so well that I bought another. I have recently purchased two more as gifts and they are not the same radio. Side-by-side they look the same (except for the numbers on the tuning dial). Inside they have dissimilar circuit boards. The real difference is the two new radios are unable to tune stations nearly as well as the older radios. I would recommend not purchasing this radio B00000J061:not_very_happy:dennis_kazmierczak B00000J061 GE 7-2887 Superadio III Portable AM/FM Radio: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 November 5, 2006 Dennis Kazmierczak buffalo n.y. i was very disappointed with the ge superadio 3 i owned a superadio2 10 years ago which was far superior my advice save your money i had trouble with stations less than 90 miles away this radio is very overated.piossibly poor quality control B000EA6WOE:not_worth_buying:p._caceres_"p.c." B000EA6WOE Creative Zen Sleek Photo 20 GB Multimedia Player (Aluminum/White): Electronics electronics 0 of 14 1.0 October 9, 2006 P. Caceres "p.c." new york, NY USA i order this item and it got lost in the mail. They resend it which was fine but, as soon as i recieve it i turn on the this item and the screen turned blank. I advised not to buy this item B00006686A:didn't_work_properly:old_guy B00006686A Philips Magnavox PM435S 4-Device Universal Remote Control: Electronics electronics 2.0 July 20, 2006 Old Guy Milford, MA United States As mentioned by others the actual product does not look like the photo and is a little on the flimsy side. That did not concern me too much. My problem is that it does not work properly with my Samsung 13-inch color TV. It turns the set on and off and steps up/down the channels but I cannot ehter a two digit channel number and have it go to the correct channel. For example, if I enter "54" it goes to "55". I tried all the listed setup codes given in the instructions B00006686A:good_-_and_then_bad.:swomprat B00006686A Philips Magnavox PM435S 4-Device Universal Remote Control: Electronics electronics 2.0 swomprat california About 1 year after having this remote to go along with my Phillips DVD player the remote conked out. The buttons, while almost all responsive, will not sync up with the systems anymore, and the learning feature on the remote control seems to be defunct. You get what you pay for, I suppose B0002XM01C:doesn't_work:chris_doubleday B0002XM01C Kensington FM Transmitter/Auto Charger for iPod (White): Electronics electronics 3 of 4 1.0 January 2, 2006 Chris Doubleday Philadelphia, PA USA I had reservations when buying - according to online reviews many of these devices seem to be defective (the Belkin as well). I purchased anyway and my fears were confirmed. LEDs do not light, does not transmit on any frequency. Manufacturer representative (from India) confirmed that it is defective. Return will be time consuming and frustrating, but $50 is enough to make me endure even more pain. Don't buy this item B0009OAP0W:dead_after_2_minutes:j._eno B0009OAP0W Philips DVP3050V/37 DVD/VCR Combo: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 August 13, 2006 J. Eno Washington, DC Can't say much for the video or sound quality, menu options, or anything really, since this thing broke after 2 minutes of watching Monsters, Inc. on DVD. Playback just froze, the thing stopped recognizing that DVDs were in unless you turned the thing off and then back on again, and after another minute it wouldn't even start playing the thing at all, just whirred a lot. So, dud B0009OAP0W:does_not_play_dvd's_from_other_regions:v._parikh B0009OAP0W Philips DVP3050V/37 DVD/VCR Combo: Electronics electronics 11 of 17 2.0 March 19, 2006 V. PARIKH Great DVD/VCR combo but does not play DVD's from other region. Does not have an eject button on the remote either. If u have DVD's, VCD from other countries that you would be playing I do not recommed this player B00067TTZO:good_player_but__very_poor_construction:bootsy98 B00067TTZO Creative Zen Micro 5 GB MP3 Player Silver: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 25, 2006 Bootsy98 Chicago, IL United States My player had the same headphones jack problem that so many people here have had, which ended up rendering it useless (out of warranty). However, while it worked, I was quite pleased with the player and the included software. Everything was intutive and ran smoothly (except for an occational freeze with the player which never became frequent enough to be a major burden). I also liked the fact that this player wasn't bound by iTunes or file format restrictions. My only other complaint was that occasionally the touchpad made moving small increments like up one track or down one track somewhat difficult (just give me buttons, I know they aren't sexy but they're easy and work well). I am giving the product 2 stars because, while I liked it, Creative has known about the headphones flaw for a long time and has not improved the build (being that this is STILL a problem with these players). For the amount of money that a player like this costs, it should work for at least year B00067TTZO:great_features,_but_huge_flaws:lloyd_christmas B00067TTZO Creative Zen Micro 5 GB MP3 Player Silver: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 September 28, 2006 Lloyd Christmas Canada This music player was decent: Nice look, controls, and sound. There are many nice features including decent software and using it as a data drive. There are really good things about this unit; however, the faults are just too great; thus, superseding the great features. However, the reaction to your key pushes, and file search are way too slow. The software is pretty nice, but the bad thing is that it likes to rename your files for you even when you didn't ask it too. That gets very annoying. For example, I just want the file to be named as is, with no tags, but the Zen software will add tags no matter what, even if it has to put in the word "unknown". It also has these strange crashes that makes it hard to have it recover. The worst part about this product is that the earphone jack gets damaged in a few weeks or months -- unprovoked! It was so frustrating to think my headphones where damaged, but I switched it up and found out that it was the Zen. Then I read online, and what do you know -- it's consensus, the product is faulty because many other people have experienced the same problem. Some people even found some fixes, and I've tried them, but to no avail. But then again, why do I have to fix a fairly new product? If you're going to have a fault when it comes to a music player, you DON'T want it to be a physical issue that renders the player useless! I'd give it at least three stars as I was quite satisfied with it, but the physical fault with the headphone jack is just too much of negligence to overlook B0007OWNBI:absolute_garbage:barton_t._loeser_"snwoburnt" B0007OWNBI Netgear RangeMax Wireless USB Adapter (WPN111): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 May 15, 2006 Barton T. Loeser "Snwoburnt" DC I purchased this product and ran home to try it out. not 5 minutes after plugging it in to my computer, my computer freezes. I restart and it says my device is malfunctioning. I manage to get it working for about 5 minutes before it craps out on me again. I try upgrading the drivers and it refuses to connect to my network. I'm a network engineer and I am well versed in what I am doing, but this card has given me nothing but trouble. I had to disable the software that came with it and use the windows wireless software to connect. This only keeps me alive for about 30 minutes before freezing. I talked to netgear support and they tell me that my processor isn't supported, which is total BS and just an attempt to get out of supporting me, they wouldn't even let me return the product. My advice: go with linksys or d-link or SMC, ANYONE but netgear B00003CWEK:whoa!!!__apples_and_oranges:dwpc B00003CWEK Monster Cable MV3CV-4M Monster Video 3 High-Resolution Component Video Cable (4 Meters): Electronics electronics 13 of 18 1.0 January 12, 2005 DWPC Ventura, CA United States Several reviews mention the improvement when these cables to replace a composite (L/R audio + video) cable, or an S-video (multi-pinned plug). ALmost all of that improvement is due to the fact that these cable connection methods are completely different types in signal format and the TV uses different internal circuitry for each one. Virtually any S-video cable connection will give a better image than a composite type cable, and any component (individual R-G-B video) connection will be better than S-video. Cable brand has absolutely nothing to do with it. There may be some difference between one brand of component cable and another, but its almost always unnoticable B000031XCM:never_trust_this_product.:rebecca_cho B000031XCM Targus PA410U DEFCON CL Notebook Computer Cable Lock: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 18, 2006 Rebecca Cho I bought this product less than a year ago. 2 days ago, I locked my laptop and tried to unlock it. But I couldn't. It was somehow messed up and the combination did not work. I HAD TO CUT IT!!! I don't know how it got messed up but I'm sure that it was not study enough to last long B000031XCM:lock_changes_combination_by_itself_-_do_not_buy:lgi B000031XCM Targus PA410U DEFCON CL Notebook Computer Cable Lock: Electronics electronics 3 of 5 1.0 September 2, 2006 LGI Dubai, UAE I have been using this lock for a few months without changing the combination. Suddenly I could no longer open it as it appears that the lock has changed its combination by itself. I called engineering in the hotel I was staying in to help me. It took them less than a minute to cut the cable with ordinary pliers. B000031XCM:once_it's_on_it_may_never_come_off.:mary_ann_niles B000031XCM Targus PA410U DEFCON CL Notebook Computer Cable Lock: Electronics electronics 4 of 5 1.0 August 25, 2006 Mary Ann Niles While I don't have any evidence to refute the package claim that it "attaches to any notebook", once attached to my son's computer it was almost impossible to remove. It took 10 minutes to get it off and we were pulling so hard I thought we would damage the computer. We will be returning it. Not recommended B00022RV9E:poor_fm_stereo:marty_fin B00022RV9E Sony STRDE197 Stereo Receiver: Electronics electronics 5 of 5 2.0 August 19, 2006 Marty Fin The first unit couldn't even find FM stereo stations. It had similar FM specs as the Sony ST_JX410 AM/FM Tuner it was replacing. It was returned as a faulty unit. The replacement STRDE 197 was able to find stereo FM stations which played fine in monoral but were noisy in stereo. My 25 year old JX410 tuner did an excellent job on FM stereo stations. The second unit was returned for a refund. Sony's quality isn't what it use to be. I bought an Onkyo TX-SR304. The FM works fine with more features & expandability. B00022RV9E:an_inadequate_receiver:joseph_c._o'hagan_"joeyoh" B00022RV9E Sony STRDE197 Stereo Receiver: Electronics electronics 11 of 13 1.0 March 14, 2006 Joseph C. O'Hagan "joeyoh" Minneapolis MN USA I bought this receiver from Amazon, & received it about 10 days ago. Since then, I've tried to play my cassettes of classical music. When used for this purpose, this receiver sucks big time. If I turn the volume loud enough to hear the orchestra playing softly, when the orchestra gets loud the amp shuts down & PROTECT flashes on & off. I have to turn the receiver off, then turn it back on, & lower the volume. Then of course when the music gets soft again, I can't hear it B00022RV9E:horrible_crackling_noise:stu_"former_delco_audio_engineer" B00022RV9E Sony STRDE197 Stereo Receiver: Electronics electronics 9 of 14 1.0 October 11, 2005 Stu "former Delco audio engineer" Cary,NC I bought one of these, it has a bad audio "crackling" noise on every mode except FM tuner (an obvious defect). Sounds like a capacitor going bad, not sure how it got through final test. Plus, the audio has noise when the display updates or the volume is changed. It also hangs on to stereo mode on weak signals with no blend or rolloff, you hear audio tones from the stereo decoder PLL losing lock from the station 19 KHz pilot tone. AM section is not bad, but the FM selectivity is not good enough to block alternate stations that most of my other radios deal with just fine. Volume steps are so small it takes forever to change, needs a flippin' crank on the knob. Don't buy this steaming turd.....buy a no-name China box, then you can throw it away when it claps out without feeling like you got scammed. B0000696Q1:panasonic_-_terrible_customer_service:a._goldstein B0000696Q1 Panasonic KX-TS208W 2-Line Corded Speakerphone with LCD Clock (White): Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 May 24, 2006 A. Goldstein Livingston, NJ After two months, this phone stopped working. It was returned to Panasonic Repair and we received a notice thirty days later saying that the phone was back ordered and delivery would be in 6-8 weeks. This is not customer service. Panasonic should have refunded the purchase price or offered a comparable or better phone. When called today to check on status of order, answer was basically "tough luck." Never again, Panasonic. Amazon should discontinue this brand B00062FL42:broken_latch,_poor_hinge_design:eskimospy B00062FL42 PalmOne 3175WW Hard Case for Palm Tungsten T5: Electronics electronics 5 of 5 1.0 May 7, 2006 eskimospy West Michigan USA As others have reported, my latch broke as well, but I broke it within three days of ownership. Within a month, I cracked the bit of plastic that is supposed to hold the palm in place when I was removing it from the case to sync it. At the time, the case had so many gashes and dings that it really looked unpresentable. Bought a Rhinoskin to replace this. Look elsewhere before you purchase this one B00062FL42:problems:jeffrey_c._vandegrift B00062FL42 PalmOne 3175WW Hard Case for Palm Tungsten T5: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 April 7, 2006 Jeffrey C. Vandegrift Acton, MA United States OK, so it protects the TX on a fall, however the latching mechanism depends on a thin piece of plastic that eventually breaks, rendering the case without anyway of remaining shut on its own. Replacing this with something like the BoxWave.com hardcase, availab le from Amazon B00062FL42:the_little_plastic_catch_broke_in_less_than_a_month:s._sweeney_"ordinary_whiz" B00062FL42 PalmOne 3175WW Hard Case for Palm Tungsten T5: Electronics electronics 7 of 7 1.0 March 7, 2006 S. Sweeney "ordinary whiz" I purchased the case along with my new Palm TX to protect it on trips or whenever carrying it. It's a metal shell with a molded plastic liner. The little plastic catch in the lid half, which keeps the case closed, never seemed to work quite correctly, requiring several sliding motions before it would click shut. On a trip on March 3rd, this very small lip of plastic molded into the case broke away. Now it has no catch to keep it closed. Since the case cost me about $24 new and I'd only get about half price for the return, I figure the broken little catch costs me too much to return. I'll use a rubber band around the case, reminding me how flimsy and insufficient the case closing mechanism is. Save your money and don't buy this case. I don't remember reading the reviews before I ordered it -- so there's a $24 lesson B0007O7DTK:not_so_hot:jimbis B0007O7DTK Speck Products ToughSkin for iPod 4G & iPod Photo - Black: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 May 30, 2006 jimbis CT Of the various iPod cases I've tried I found this one to be the worst. The click wheel cover is impractical and annoying and the screen cover falls out all too easily. Using plastic in rubber hinges was a bad idea which simply does not work well. See my other reviews for better iPod protectors B0007O7DTK:great_idea_-_bad_design:mark_mcelroy_"www-madebymark-com" B0007O7DTK Speck Products ToughSkin for iPod 4G & iPod Photo - Black: Electronics electronics 18 of 19 2.0 October 3, 2005 Mark McElroy "www-madebymark-com" Jackson, MS United States I was delighted with my ToughSkin for all of two hours. That's how long it took for the belt clip to break, rendering my new purchase worthless to me. The ToughSkin itself is rugged; I loved it. I should have waited before buying it, though ... on my last visit to an Apple dealership, they had a bin full of *just the ToughSkins,* for sale at a discount. When I asked about these, I was told, "The belt clips break, and customers bring the ToughSkins back." I should note I'm very careful with my IPod and accessories. I'm not rough on them. The clip just fell apart while I was walking down the street. Given other comments about the flimsy clips, this is clearly a design issue that Speck Products needs to address B0001MHYK6:not_for_me_(or_gamers):rubix13 B0001MHYK6 Sennheiser PC155 Traditional Binaural PC Headset with USB and Noise canceling: Electronics electronics 5 of 5 2.0 June 16, 2006 Rubix13 Dallas TX First off, I bought this headset for gaming, which anyone who enjoys the pastime will tell you how quickly the hours can melt away. Gamers are dependant on an ultra comfortable pair of headphones that we shouldn't be able to feel. I have been searching high and low for the Holy Grail of comfort and I was certain paying $90+ for a "gaming" headset would be the end of my search. Sorry, these guys are going back. I've tried a couple "cheap" Best-Buy headsets that I found painful to wear after an hour or so. Then I decided to spring for "top of the line". I wore these for 15 minutes before it became obvious this headset was not the Holy Grail I've been looking for. The headset itself feels flimsy and cheap. The padding is made of an itchy fabric, and even on my small head, it feels tight. The earphones do not cover my ears and I can feel them slowly being crushed. I'm not impressed with the sound, but I could overlook that if they were comfortable to wear. I didn't even bother to try the mic. If this is how Sennheiser makes their high end gaming equipment, I think it's safe to say I will avoid these guys in the future. The $30 pair of Aiwa's I wear at work are more comfortable than this and sound the same... if only that pair had a mic. *My ears still feel uncomfortable after taking the set off and then writing this review- I couldn't imagine wearing them for a few hours while gaming. If I find the perfect pair I'll let you all know B0006BBIZO:disappointment:jtb_"atlheff" B0006BBIZO Panasonic RP-HJE50 High-quality Earbuds with Replacement Earpads: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 4, 2006 JTB "atlheff" Atlanta, Georgia United States Terrible. No bass. "J" type wiring is hard to adjust to. Substandard product for Panasonic. AVOI B0006BBIZO:bad_sounding_headphones!:metal_fan B0006BBIZO Panasonic RP-HJE50 High-quality Earbuds with Replacement Earpads: Electronics electronics 0 of 4 1.0 December 23, 2005 Metal fan NYC I've been a fan of Sony earbuds for many years. Due to the bad reviews of durability of the latest Sony earbuds, I decided on purchasing these Panasonic headphones. I bought these headphones because my Sony headphones died after 3 years and to upgrade my factory Creative Zen Micro headphones. I found a perfect fit between the 3 size earplugs. I've noticed that it does block out the sound in your surroundings. It's good for that commute to work when there is a lot of noise. I like the around the neck feature. As far as quality, the extention part of the wiring looks durable but not the around the neck part of it. As far as the performance of the headphones, I'm really disappointed in these headphones. My factory Creative headphones had out performed these. The bass level is too low even when I max out the bass in the player. The mids and treble sound like crap. Don't waste your money on these! Now I have to spend more money to replace these poor quality headphones! argh! B00070FHXS:this_product_ruined_our_car_battery_and_2_ipods:d._williams B00070FHXS Belkin TuneBase FM Auto Charger/FM Transmitter for iPod Mini: Electronics electronics 3 of 4 1.0 September 15, 2006 D. Williams New England, USA We tried the Belkin in one car. When we turned the Ipod on, the car battery immediately discharged (we had to buy a new car battery) and the Ipod died. We bought another Belkin and tried it in a different car and with a different Ipod (in case the first incident was a coincidence) and this Ipod died too. The Ipods were under warranty, the car battery was not. We tried this with 2 different Belkins, in 2 different cars with 2 different Ipods. I would not recommend this product to anyone. B00004Z64M:labels_not_for_seiko_printer.:bonnie_w._suerig B00004Z64M DYMO 30252 Address Labels for LabelWriters: Electronics electronics 6 of 18 1.0 October 11, 2002 Bonnie W. Suerig Springdale, UT United States These labels were advertised with the Seiko Label Printer. They did not work with the printer because the printer requires thermal labels. I sent these labels back to Amazon and they promptly refunded my money B0002OCR5K:waste_of_money:s._walter_"qwicksilfer" B0002OCR5K Apple M9603G/A iPod Carrying Case with Belt Clip: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 September 15, 2005 S. Walter "qwicksilfer" College Park, MD Instead of getting this just get the cheaper skins. I figured to get the nicer one since I already shelled out all my money on an iPod, but it is a lot of money for a carrying case. Definetly get the skins B0002OCR5K:waste_of_money_-_:mehryar_yousefi_"galdes" B0002OCR5K Apple M9603G/A iPod Carrying Case with Belt Clip: Electronics electronics 8 of 8 1.0 September 8, 2005 Mehryar Yousefi "galdes" Sunnyvale, CA USA the case looks nice, but not practical. Everytime you need to change the volume or track you have to pull your ipod out. My ipod had scratch marks on it the first week. Unfortunately, all the picture you see of this case is from the side view, so you cannot see that there is no opening for the wheel and the display. I recommend iskin product. B000629GES:don't_work:rr B000629GES Sony MDR-NC6 Noise Canceling Headphones: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 25, 2006 rr alameda, ca United States Maybe I got a defective pair, but the noise cancel barely does anything, maybe cuts out 3%. Not worth it, taking back and trying something else B00006JQ06:sony_walkman_radio:laurie_a._hanas B00006JQ06 Sony SRF-59 FM/AM Radio Walkman with Sony MDR Headphones: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 November 4, 2006 Laurie A. Hanas THe radio works great....except the last 2 Sony walkman am/fm radios I have had you were able to CLIP onto your WAISTE band when exercising.....it was just a large CLIP thing....THIS new one has a different type that you HAVE to use a BELT with! and WHO uses a belt to work out ? I certainly dont.....so I am using a VERY LARGE safety pin thru the hole in the back and then I pin it onto my shorts....which has made a nice hole in the material of two pairs. Otherwise it is a great item B000F1YF9Q:sent_it_right_back:amighty_"celebrity_poker" B000F1YF9Q Toshiba SD-P1700 Portable DVD Player with 7" Widescreen LCD: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 2.0 November 15, 2006 Amighty "Celebrity Poker" New York City I actually meant to order the Philips 7-incher (brighter screen, $20 cheaper, bulkier), but somehow I got confused when I placed the order...this one looked beautiful so I was pretty psyched anyway and was definitely going to keep it. I was planning on using this for work, as I get a lot of DVD's from clients - so I popped one of those in and guess what? It came up as "invalid disc". It's supposed to play the majority of formats, and I triple checked the disc in my other dvd players, and it worked in my Panasonic DVD/VHS combo player. A store-bought DVD worked fine (although I didn't play it much more than the first menu) so I know it's not broken. The first reviewer also noticed that it doesn't play a bunch of homemade DVD's, so I will confirm that here - if that's gonna be a deal-breaker for you then stay away. BTW, the DVD I was trying to play was made on a Philips burner. I didn't bother to test it with any others B000234WFE:not_to_spec:daniel_e._walters_"herr_x" B000234WFE GMP ELITE LCD ARM ( MV17DC ): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 September 10, 2006 Daniel E. Walters "Herr X" OC, CA USA I ordered 2 of these, realizing they would have limited adjustment range - other reviews are correct in that they are very limited in their travel. What prompts my one star rating and subsequent return of my order is that they will not hold their rated weight. This model is supposed to hold a 25 lb. monitor; it failed miserably at attempting to hold my 23 lb. iMac. There is no tension adjustment (already as tight as it would go) and the computer just flopped forward. With a light monitor, I'm sure it would be fine, but don't expect even close to the stated 25 lb. rating. B00062VYR0:waste_of_money!:d._gordon B00062VYR0 Audiovox D1812PK 8" Portable LCD DVD Player with Car Kit: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 1.0 July 3, 2006 D. Gordon I spent $400 16 months ago on two very similar portable Audiovox DVD players for my kids, for long roadtrips. They were handled with care, never abused or exposed to severe temperatures. I think we got about 6 trips out of them, then the screens went blank while in use and both units died within 24 hours of each other. Circuit City informed me the product is no longer on their shelves and referred me to Audiovox, who will do nothing since the product is now out of warranty. Extended warranties are useless on this kind of product -- who can wait 6-8 weeks for repairs? Parents, find another brand B000189VQ0:two_strikes_i'm_out!:d._obrien B000189VQ0 Garmin GPSMap 60C Handheld GPS Navigator (56 MB): Electronics electronics 2 of 8 1.0 May 12, 2006 D. OBRIEN Southern California Bought one from Amazon, they sat on the order for a week before shipping a unit that arrived dead. Went through the return/replacement process and they sat on the order for over a week this time and the that one arrived dead with the exact same failure mode. The second one looked as if it had been opened before, accessory bag not sealed, manuals out of place, interior packaging worn. I believe the second one they sent was a return that was then resent to me. Bad news!!! I still had both and in hope of fixing on, I contacted Garmin who said they were indeed broken and offered to fix one and send it back. This would mean I'd have paid full price for what would then be a refurbished unit. Both of them returned. I needed the unit right away for a desert trip. Amazon's refund process made it such that they'd not refund all of the funds but hold them on account (those that were originally given to me as a gift certificate from my employer). Therefore I could not get the equipment for a local vendor. I opened one month nearly to the day dealing with slow order processing, bad units, and more. So, I'd not recommend the unit and I think Amazon may need to review their own practices to ensure what they have in inventory is new and likely operational, and that when a customer orders something, they put in the effort to ship it ASAP!! Without that, if you have to buy one, go to a local dealer, put that batteries in at that shop and have them prove it works before you leave with it. Since you can't so that here, don't buy it here. B000189VQ0:ok,_but_not_perfect!:adonis_good B000189VQ0 Garmin GPSMap 60C Handheld GPS Navigator (56 MB): Electronics electronics 5 of 5 2.0 March 2, 2006 Adonis Good Oxford, England My first GPS. It was pretty expensive and had lots of nice features (ability to save many tracks). The software is very US-centric. It worked very well on the flat and in unwooded conditions. However don't use one of these things to navigate in the bush (use a compass). The technology is just not there to cope with either valleys or an overhead canopy. It was handy to confrm where I was when I found a clearing on top of a hill. Finally although the battery life is better than most it is still abysmal. In summary these things are still a toy for a tramper rather than an essential tool B000189VQ0:garmin_support_for_gps_60:w._isenberger B000189VQ0 Garmin GPSMap 60C Handheld GPS Navigator (56 MB): Electronics electronics 5 of 6 1.0 February 1, 2006 W. Isenberger Springfield, MO United States I purchased two of these units the first one worked OK. The second one has a problem. In a side by side comparison the signal qualities of the two units vary. I checked there accuracy and tracking with OziExplorer moving map software. The first unit tracks pretty good, but the second units position is off a large percentage of the time and sometimes as much as 400 meters. I sent the faulty unit to Garmin to be repaired. They sent it back with a description of the problem and that it had been fixed. I checked the unit out and it is the same as when I sent it to them. Now I'm stuck with a dud B00006B9QE:very_disappointing:erin B00006B9QE SanDisk SDCFB-256-A10 256 MB CompactFlash Card (Retail Package): Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 July 20, 2005 Erin Chicago, IL My brand-new card failed the first time I tried to download pictures from it; I lost all of the pictures from my two-week trip to Guatemala B0002DDZ5M:omg!!!:sunday_m._thompson B0002DDZ5M Credit Card Digital Camera: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 October 17, 2006 Sunday M. Thompson New Haven, CT This has got to be the worst camera out there. I don't even think it's suitable for my 13 year old son. The pictures come out horrible! Good thing it was purchase mainly with gift certificates. I'm still sorry I wasted them on this piece of junk B0002DDZ5M:awful_camera:l._watson_"busy_mom" B0002DDZ5M Credit Card Digital Camera: Electronics electronics 10 of 10 1.0 December 25, 2005 L. Watson "busy mom" I purchased this camera for my daughter for Christmas. It was small,compact, and fairly inexpesive, perfect for a preteen. First, it took forever to charge (the instructions indicate that it takes four hours). After waiting for hours, my daughter attempted to take pictures, but the camera would not work. The manual shows several different symbols that you should see in the LCD display, but none of these symbols appeared on this camera. I am returning the camera immediately and I would not advise anyone to purchase one. B00008ZEKC:piece_'o'_crap!!!!!:elizabeth_moe B00008ZEKC Coby CX-CD375 Micro Stereo System with Top-Loading CD Player: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 20, 2006 Elizabeth Moe I bought this so called "stereo" system at a Big Lot's Store for about $40.00. I figured since they were selling it there it must be a good deal, and it looked very cool too. It worked for about a month before it started skipping and remote was wigging out. It never sounded any better than one of those old plastic 45 record players. It looked good in my daughters bedroom but it lookes and sounds much better in the dumpster. I can't believe this company can get away with selling this worthless crap. I will never buy anything from them again B0002XGSS8:spacebar_sticks:k._hiles_"wldangel" B0002XGSS8 Logitech diNovo Cordless Desktop: Electronics electronics 6 of 7 1.0 May 8, 2006 K. Hiles "wldangel" PA USA I would love this keyboard except for the spacebar, which sticks very badly. It installed easily-is sleek and comfortable-but is not usable for very long because of this glitch. I'm starting to see more reviews on this spacebar problem-so it looks to be fairly common with this model. B00023MEL8:good_sound,_not_so_good_quality:t._gray B00023MEL8 Acoustic Research AW721 900 MHz Wireless Stereo Headphones: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 2.0 September 25, 2006 T. Gray I've loved these headphones for the year or two I've had them. I still love them now.... when they work. The problem is that the cord is shoddy. When I plug into my laptop I have a hard time keeping it working. I have to twist the cord just right to get the sound to work. If its not just right I'll get sound in only one ear, if at all. I don't think this happened because of any handling issues seeing as how the base just sits on my desk. I don't think it has ever left my office and I don't tend to put items on top of the wire that might crush it. Overall I like these things, but I'm just getting sick of the sound phasing in and out when my laptop moves the slightest bit B000A2EXI8:adequate_for_simple_recording_only:jon_norris B000A2EXI8 Olympus VN-960PC 128 MB Digital Voice Recorder with PC Link: Electronics electronics 4 of 5 2.0 October 28, 2006 Jon Norris Oregon, USA I purchased this in the hope that I would be able to record verbal messages to myself, creative thoughts and ideas, etc. It does an adequate job of that. I had also hoped I could use it as a simple player, to download affirmations and such to listen to throughout the day. This it won't do, and it was not clear to me from the information here and on the Olympus site that it would not function this way. First, even though it records wav files, it does not let you handle them well at all. To transfer recordings to your computer, you have to install special software (included), but you cannot transfer wav files back to the recorder (according to the software guide). If you want a recorder/player to function easily like that, you should go for the more expensive ones that allow you to use them as a USB flash drive (like the Creative Zen series). I did not install the software, as it offered nothing other than the simple transfer of a recording to my computer. I can record directly to the PC with much higher quality, so why bother? Noise recorded in a high quality format is still noise. It makes more sense to simply repeat anything I record on the Olympus and record it directly to the PC. Second, the sound quality is not great. Given that wav files are what are used on CDs, one would expect more than what this device delivers. It is noisy on either of the mic settings, and I would have to describe the sound quality as medium. Don't expect high fidelity. This is a voice recorder for recording quick notes and not much else. Even analog tape would be better for most things. I may be fussier than most about this, having some professional background in audio, so the sound quality may be okay for most people. People have gotten used to lower standards in just about everything. Finally, playback was very disappointing to me. It has only the simplest playback features. It plays, pauses, fast forwards, and reverses, period. You cannot repeat either a single recording or portion of one, and you cannot create any kind of list to specify only certain files to play. It plays (manually) one recording at a time and that is it. You cannot set markers to fast forward or reverse to (like chapters on a DVD), and searching through a recording of any length is a major pain. In fact, this recorder is defined more by what it cannot do than what it can do. It is well built physically, although it is definitely designed for small hands, and can be a bit uncomfortable to use if your hands aren't small. If all you want is to record medium quality voice, this will work fine. Don't expect it to record music or anything like that - you will be disappointed. Think of it as the audio version of a $20 digital camera. Cheap, quick, grabs the image, but no frills at all. Don't expect much and you won't be disappointed. I am usually very happy with Olympus gear, but this is definitely below their usual standard. Unless your needs are very spartan and smple, I would recommend looking at more capable devices B0001DHHI4:was_unable_to_use:jeffrey_smith B0001DHHI4 TRENDnet 54Mbps 802.11G Wireless PC Card: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 February 12, 2004 Jeffrey Smith Penfield, NY USA I was not able to get this card working with my Win2K laptop. I'm no novice, have configured the rest of my wireless network without any problem, and have had a friend's Netgear card working in the same system. I called tech support and after working with me they said the card was defective and to send it back, which I did. However, I had the same problem with the replacement card. So, I can't recommend this product B000092TSX:caveat_emptor:charles_anderson B000092TSX Timex T309T Alarm Clock Radio with Nature Sounds (Titanium): Electronics electronics 1 of 3 1.0 November 14, 2006 Charles Anderson While spending hours trying to figure out how to set the alarm, I sometimes wonder what hater of humanity actual designed this thing B000092TSX:poor_design_award_winner:kent_s._policky B000092TSX Timex T309T Alarm Clock Radio with Nature Sounds (Titanium): Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 November 2, 2006 Kent S. Policky 1. Buttons are too small, some of which are not spaced apart very well (very convenient for somebody waking up who can accidentally hit the wrong button). 2. Buttons are labeled, organized, and layed out confusingly. For example, why not have an "alarm interface" which would include all of the alarm modes and features, and maybe a "radio interface" which would include all of the radio functions/settings. You would really understand how confusing this is if you were to actually go through the process of operating this alarm clock. But really, don't do it, make the smart choice. 3. Too many features/modes. I understand some people prefer all of the different features, but I wanted a simple alarm clock with a buzzer/radio, and clock. Of course all of these special modes are set as the default, so it is a pain to try and configure all of the settings to a simple mode. So for those who want a simple alarm clock, definitely DO NOT GET THIS!! 4. The button handling event is flawed. For example, sometimes when I push a button, it does not handle the event (the device doesn't think that you pressed the button). So I would have to press the button again and check to see if the radio handled the button input correctly. 5. It is very slow when holding the button down and waiting for the alarm clock to increment up and down. 6. Radio reception is very poor. I have another radio right next to it that gets much better reception than this clock. 7. LED is not very bright and hard to read from 10 feet and farther out. I have nothing against TIMEX (they make great watches). This was written to protect anyone who who does not want to waste $30. B000092TSX:keep_looking:m._l._moore_"roller_mommy" B000092TSX Timex T309T Alarm Clock Radio with Nature Sounds (Titanium): Electronics electronics 3 of 4 1.0 June 4, 2006 M. L. Moore "Roller Mommy" Las Vegas, NV I had this 6 months (which is how long it takes to figure out how to use it!) and the backlight is no longer working. So I can't see the time, without a flashlight or lamp B00005T3RC:uncomfortable:n._collum B00005T3RC Sony MDR-E829V Fontopia Earbuds with In-line Volume Control: Electronics electronics 2 of 4 1.0 April 14, 2006 N. Collum i had these headphones for a few years then they got crushed in half in my bag. they hurt your ears after about ten minutes. they are durable though. i would recommend the kind that clip behind your ear B00005T3RC:for_small_size_buy_in_the_ear_canal_type_earphone:nirmal_"ketan_nirmal" B00005T3RC Sony MDR-E829V Fontopia Earbuds with In-line Volume Control: Electronics electronics 1 of 4 1.0 February 5, 2006 nirmal "ketan nirmal" baroda gujarat india my this earbud headphone is poor in bass response comapared to my sony mdr g-54lp(beware mdr-g54lp and mdr g54lp is two different models there is difference of - sign) actually in experts view this type small earbuds use to give poor sound this is true with any brand and model so never buy earbud type small headphone if you want small headphone buy IN THE EAR CANAL type headphone in experts view this type in ear earphone use to give good crystal clear sound example sony mdr ex 71 / 81, shure e2c etc. if bigger headphone is ok than buy mdr-g54lp B00009MVGK:don't_buy_this_product:craig B00009MVGK GE JasHO97936 10-in-1 Card Reader/Writer: Electronics electronics 1.0 April 13, 2004 craig nevada, USA While the price of the 8 in 1 card reader is reasonable, consider this. This card reader has a nasty habit of rendering smart media card useless. Evidently, if you cut and paste or delete data on the SM card using thee 8 in 1 card reader, the reader rewrites the signature file so that it cannot be read by the camera. So that $24 card has the potential to cost you over $80.00. In addition, customer service is slow and I have had problems with the drivers B00009MVGK:eight_what&gt;:roger_s._wall B00009MVGK GE JasHO97936 10-in-1 Card Reader/Writer: Electronics electronics 1.0 March 16, 2004 Roger S. Wall Wouldn't it be nice to know what eight types of media the device will handle B00028D778:beware!:erik_v_"design_engineer" B00028D778 Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar and Laser Detector (Red Display): Electronics electronics 27 of 29 1.0 August 3, 2006 Erik V "Design Engineer" Kinnelon, NJ I ordered the Passport X50 from Amazon to save the $18 shipping Escort Radar was charging. I was told by someone at Escort Radar that Amazon was an authorized reseller. After having my detector on for ten minutes (right out of the box), it did three "SELF CAL"s, then said "SERVICE REQUIRED". I called Escort Radar and was told "If you let the car power up the unit when you start the car, the voltage can be all over the place and the unit gets confused. You must first start the car, and then use the thumbwheel to turn on the detector." It makes some sense, but if this is really the case, why don't they put those instructions in their manual? After trying this many times, the unit was "still confused", so I returned it for a replacement. My second detector worked for maybe thirty minutes before the same thing happened. This time Escort Radar told me "if you leave it plugged into the cigarette lighter over night, this has been found to cause problems." Well my lighter power goes off when I turn off the ignition, so this doesn't apply. Escort Radar also told me that "excessive heat" has been causing them problems. Now we have had a few days of 100 heat, and I'm sure the car gets hotter parked in the sun, but the design engineers should have accounted for these conditions plus some margin when you design something that is supposed to work in a car. It gets a lot hotter in other parts of the country. There are no warnings in the manual about not using it above 90 or leaving it off in a hot car. You wouldn't design a ski that doesn't work below 35 , would you??? The most troubling part of my conversation with Escort Radar service department was they told me Amazon is not an authorized reseller, and they have no idea where they are getting the units from. Furthermore, they will not honor any warranty nor will they ever repair the unit, not even for money. B0000D8IYC:if_you_are_going_to_use_coaxial_cable_protection,_don't_buy_this_one:tony B0000D8IYC APC PF11VT3 11-outlet SurgeArrest with Tel2/Splitter and Coax Protection: Electronics electronics 5 of 5 1.0 August 1, 2006 Tony Blacksburg, VA I bought this one for its coaxial cable protection function, but the result is terrible. It greatly degrades the signal. When I use it with TV, the program on TV became unclear. When I use it with computer, the high-speed internet kept dropping. I intended to return it to Amazon, and I found Amazon's return policy is that only partial refund for opened products. How can I know it's dysfunctional before I destroyed the package and used it? In the future, I only buy stuff at online stores with local stores, such as bestbuy or circuit city, so that I can easily get refund. B00067LYFW:pretty_dissappointing:m._smith B00067LYFW iRiver AFT 100 Mobile FM Transmitter: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 November 18, 2006 M. Smith I bought the iriver mobile transmitter hoping that i would be able to listen to my mp3 player through my radio. I like the fact that it is easy to use and that you can choose your station, but i live in monroe and we get stations from toledo and detroit, which is a problem because most or all of the stations are occupied or have interference and the transmitter is not strong enough to block out the slight interference from far away stations. I didnt think to check to see how many stations i could use for this product, looking back, i should have. i would only recommend this transmitter if you live somewhere that there aren't many stations that you can listen to on the radi B00067LYFW:fm_transmitter:misty_graham B00067LYFW iRiver AFT 100 Mobile FM Transmitter: Electronics electronics 1 of 3 1.0 November 12, 2006 Misty Graham It broke after two uses. It has an auto shutoff if no detection after 30 seconds and I plugged it in to everything and it would shut off every 30 seconds. I was so mad I threw it out the window. What a waste of thirty bucks B0002DD944:worked_for_about_1_month,_then_nothing_but_trouble_since.:explaced B0002DD944 Beltronics Pro RX65 Radar detector: Electronics electronics 3 of 9 1.0 May 19, 2006 Explaced NC The Bel RX65 worked great, for about 1 month. After that, it started flashing "SelfCal" and "Service Requiered" on the screen. Sent it in to Bel for them to fix the problem. After about 10 days I got the product back, only to have it repeat exactly the same problems again within 2 days of having it. I feel like I've been ripped off, because they either didn't even look at it or they don't know how to test something for a problem. I spent $300 for a detector that doesn't work as well as a $40 one (and I know, I've had both)! I would say I recommend Escort, but I've since learned that they are owned by the same company as Bel. Valentine 1 is too costly, so I guess that doesn't really leave many good detectors on the market B0002DD944:way_to_expensive.:jimmy B0002DD944 Beltronics Pro RX65 Radar detector: Electronics electronics 1 of 18 1.0 February 25, 2006 Jimmy These things are not worth the money .. get a cheap one! Look at http://www.radarbusters.com/ or www.007radardetectors.com or www.consumersearch.com B00006JKWX:the_"grip"_behind_the_connector_is_too_fat:sendtoscott_"sendtoscott" B00006JKWX Monster Cable THX I100 FO-8 Standard THX-Certified Fiber Optic Digital Interconnect Cable (8 Feet): Electronics electronics 15 of 19 1.0 December 28, 2004 sendtoscott "sendtoscott" Houston, TX You can't plug two of these in side-by-side, the plastic surrounding the business ends are too fat B00006JKWX:do_the_research_yourself:brian_meyer B00006JKWX Monster Cable THX I100 FO-8 Standard THX-Certified Fiber Optic Digital Interconnect Cable (8 Feet): Electronics electronics 15 of 32 2.0 July 7, 2004 Brian Meyer Chicago, Il Don't listen to any of us.You already have an internet connection because you are here. Go to a browser and ask the question you asked here. You will find that any review that is NOT a store will tell you that ALL speaker wire is the same. They just look cool. If that's what you need, then buy it. Otherwise, stay away from monster. It's just like bose speakers. BUZZ word, that's all. These companies can't make any money selling you a 10 dollar cable. B0001ZY6Z4:broke_after_a_year.......:kimmiemann B0001ZY6Z4 Audiovox VBP700 7" DVD Player in a Bag: Electronics electronics 1.0 October 2, 2006 kimmiemann Pennsylvania At first it wasn't a bad unit. But it broke within a year. Now that I read the past reviews, I see I'm not alone.... B0001ZY6Z4:two_down...._one_to_go-_in_the_garbage!!!!!:mom_of_4_"vanessa" B0001ZY6Z4 Audiovox VBP700 7" DVD Player in a Bag: Electronics electronics 3 of 6 1.0 July 20, 2005 MOM OF 4 "VANESSA" FLORIDA GOT THIS UNIT ON MARCH 28TH 2005 AT CIRCUIT CITY HAD IT FOR EXACTLY 2 WEEKS AND THE DISK STOPPED SPINNING! TOOK IT BACK TO THE STORE AND THEY DIDNT HAVE ANOTHER ONE SO THEY TOLD ME I COULD PICK IT UP AT ANOTHER ONE OF THEIR STORE LOCATIONS AND IT WOULD BE "READY FOR ME" TO PICK UP! PICKED IT UP TOOK IT HOME AND COUPLE OF DAYS LATER WENT TO USE IT AND IT DIDNT SPIN!!! RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX!!! TOOK IT BACK TO CIRCUIT CITY AND THEY SAID THEY COULD ONLY FIND THE RECEIPT ON FILE FOR THE FIRST ONE(THAT GOT RETURNED) AND NOT FOR THIS ONE--- AFTER MUCH DEBATE NOTHING GOT DONE FOR ME AT CIRCUIT CITY BECAUSE THE RECEIPT THEY GAVE ME BACK WAS THE OLD ONE AND NOW I'M STUCK WITH THIS PEICE OF JUNK I PAID $369.00 FOR AND CIRCUIT CITY SUCKS TOO! CALLED AUDIOVOX TODAY 7/19/05 (WAITED A WHILE I WAS BUSY GIVING BIRTH AT THE END OF MAY)AND THEY TOLD ME THE 90 DAYS WERE UP (BY 10 DAYS!) AND COULD ONLY FIX IT FOR A FLAT RATE OF $93.00 PLUS SHIP!!! I AM PISSED OF B000A6LSVY:great,_but_tweaks_os:natasha_greer_"crimson_diva" B000A6LSVY Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 6000: Electronics electronics 2 of 5 2.0 July 11, 2006 Natasha Greer "crimson_diva" Sacramento, CA USA I love this mouse! It's compact and picks up the signal on just about EVERY surface. I gave it 2 stars because I figured out that it was preventing my laptop from going into idle mode (Windows XP, SP2). Sadly, I'm going to have to get another mouse because of that B0001F21IS:very_handy:g._j._zachotina_"georgez." B0001F21IS SanDisk SDCZ4-256-A10 256 MB Cruzer Micro with Skins (Retail Package): Electronics electronics 0 of 17 1.0 June 28, 2006 G. J. Zachotina "GeorgeZ." Antioch, IL Is very neet item especiatlly since it is usable with 1:1 speed as well as 2 B00006HCCS:the_slide_lock_key_is_too_weak:felix_tello_junco_"felix_tello" B00006HCCS Lexar Media 256 MB Secure Digital Card: Electronics electronics 3 of 7 1.0 May 15, 2004 Felix Tello Junco "Felix Tello" Miami ,FL USA I bought it last april and i didnt realize that slide lock key was too weak, and now I try to write data but a message is about the data is secure (locked) B000F2P300:do_not_buy:david_mier B000F2P300 Samsung HL-S6186W 61" DLP HDTV: Electronics electronics 0 of 5 1.0 October 19, 2006 David Mier AL United States Samsung is the WORST. We bought this TV in August and it was delivered in September to our new house. We opened it on a Sunday, plugged it in and watched it for a while, then on Monday it would not come on. They thought it was a lamp, but that didn't fix it so they came and got it to service it. We bought it for football season and football season is half over and we still have no TV. They decided to replace it since they couldn't fix it. That was three weeks ago. Now they are giving us the runaround blaming shipping/warehouse/etc for the delay in sending the new one. During a phone conversation with Samsung they basically said they were so far behind on shipping because they had so many to ship out (ie lots of them have problems and are being replaced is the way I took it. B000F76W78:buy_a_pocket_pc_smartphone_instead:lorenzo B000F76W78 Netgear SPH101 Skype Wi-Fi Phone: Electronics electronics 2 of 4 2.0 November 17, 2006 Lorenzo After waiting almost 6 months for this Skypephone, and its competitor from Belkin, to come to market through numerous postponements, I just gave up and bought an Asus P525 smartphone. For just over double the price of the Netgear I got a Windows CE PDA with GSM capability and full Skype compatibility. When browsing through your phone contacts your are given the choice to call through GSM or Skype. Because you have built-in Wi-Fi, you can make Skype calls and chats from any covered area, plus you can go on the internet using IE and check your e-mails with Outlook. I have also read that the Skype software that runs on dedicated phones like the Netgear and the Belkin is very crude due to the lack of processing power, whereas with a Windows CE-based device you have much faster processors that allow a Skype software closer to the one used on PCs. For those of you alergic to Windows, just wait for the Skype for Symbian release and buy a Nokia or SonyEricsson smartphone. Bottom line: Skype is too good an application to be wasted on poorly designed hardware B000F76W78:problems,_and_more_problems_with_this_telephone:andrew_revai B000F76W78 Netgear SPH101 Skype Wi-Fi Phone: Electronics electronics 4 of 5 1.0 November 5, 2006 Andrew Revai Thornhill, Ontario Canada This phone is a total piece of garbage. Freezing, rebooting, not being able to connect to hot spots, not logging you out of skype if you are logged on at your computer at the same time. Horrible tech support. Can I add any more negative feedback? Oh yeah the rediculous ring tones and speaker quality. Thanks for nothing netgear and for making me wait 6 months on pre order for a real piece of plastic junk B000AY5YI4:mouse?_what_mouse:robert_day B000AY5YI4 Logitech G5 Laser Mouse (931376-0403): Electronics electronics 1 of 6 1.0 November 9, 2006 Robert Day Alaska Amazon does not ship to Post Office Boxes. The mouse could ONLY be shipped to a post office box per Amazon shipping proticol. Therefore, after TWO attempts to purchace this product from Amazon I had to buy elsewhere. If you live where the United States Postal Service does not deliver the mail to your house, pass of this item if not Amazon. I have considerable expierance buying mail order and online and this is the first time I have found a company setting rules that actually prevent the buyer from recieving the product B000AZ0QC2:great_prints_-_poor_reliability:d._g._alcini_"electro-nerd" B000AZ0QC2 Canon PIXMA MP800 All In One Photo Printer: Electronics electronics 2 of 4 2.0 October 24, 2006 D. G. Alcini "electro-nerd" Shelby, Mi. I bought this printer about 4 months ago. The prints are beautiful, and the speed quite good as well. However, I felt compelled to write a review tonight because of the constant error messages that pop up saying that there are too many ink cartridges of "X" color installed. It happens now between every print job, forcing me to open the printer, pull out and re-install one to three of the tanks, and then print my document. There is something wrong with this thing, and I don't appear to be the first experiencing it. Figures... I wait eight years to replace my printer, and end up with one that malfunctions! I will attempt to return this item B000BK106C:strong_+'s_injured_by_not-infrequent_paper_jams:ronster B000BK106C Fujitsu SCANSNAP FI-5110EOXM-15PPM FOR MAC USB 2.0 ( PA03360-B035 ): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 September 26, 2006 ronster college station, tx I love the basic design, great hardware/software linkage, and software interface of this Mac-happy scanner. However, I value my time too much to babysit the feed mechanism of the unit I received last week. It inconsistently graps multiple pages as other reviewers have disclosed. So, if you're scanning a 10-page doc and it misses one somewhere along the way, have you really accomplished anything? No. You must either try the whole thing again (with likely the same result), or you must figure out what page(s) is missing, scan it separately, and go thru a simple yet not expedient Acrobat process to insert the omitted page. In the end, this machine made it +90% of the way to being a really great product, but the shortcoming fouls half the machine's overall utility. Swing a little bit harder next time Fujitsu B0006698SS:piece_of_junk:ga_computer_user_"ga_computer_user" B0006698SS D-Link DWL-G710 Wireless Range Extender, 802.11g, 54Mbps: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 11, 2006 GA computer user "GA computer user" alpharetta, GA USA I've gone thru multiple revisions of firmware, and multiple calls to D-Link support, and this piece of junk still does not work with the D-Link DWL-G700AP. D-Link support calls are worthless. As a computer professional, I find it appalling that D-Link would introduce and continue to sell this product, which clearly does not operate correctly. B000069LIL:don't_buy_this_machine_-_it's_a_dud:adriana B000069LIL Brother 4750e Intellifax Fax Machine: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 September 8, 2005 Adriana Austin, TX I bought this machine on August 3, 2005 and within one week of using it (as an outgoing fax only), there was a machine error. I called customer service and after being on hold for 23 minutes I was able to speak with a live representative. I was told that the machine would need to be replaced. They sent me a REFURBISHED unit (the warranty indicates that any replacement units will be refurbished units). They sent the base unit only, so I had to remove the drum unit, paper tray, and handset from the original fax machine to use with the replacement unit. So, after only a couple of hours of using the replacement unit, I was back on hold to report another machine error. 12 minutes and I finally get a rep. Apparently, the drum unit (which is less than one month old) is bad. So now I'm waiting for the replacement drum unit. DON'T EVER BUY A BROTHER MACHINE. THEY'RE HORRIBLE MACHINES AND TRYING TO GET THROUGH TO CUSTOMER SERVICE IS VERY, VERY TIME CONSUMING B00000J0D5:wireless_modem_jack:matthew_e._maloof B00000J0D5 RCA RC930 Caller-ID-Compatible Wireless Modem Jack: Electronics electronics 5 of 9 1.0 June 30, 2005 Matthew E. Maloof Wow this is a real piece of junk if you have any other wireless devices going on in the home. And who nowadays doesn't? There is so much noise you can't even hear yourself think. Oh well lesson learned. If I could have given this device a zero I would have. B00007KJR6:grainy_quality,_very_slow_drying_time._:m._buckley B00007KJR6 HP Premium Plus Photo Paper, Glossy (Q1978A, 4x6, 60 Sheets): Electronics electronics 3 of 9 2.0 May 4, 2005 M. Buckley I was terribly disappointed in this product which I bought for use in my Canon Pixma iP6000D printer. The image is grainy and, if you touch the photo within 5 minutes, you will leave marks. I laid anothe picture on top of one done 5 minutes earlier, and they stuck together. I have had very good luck with Canon paper B00006B8IP:smells_terrible!:allen B00006B8IP Fellowes Gel Flex Transparent Mini Wrist Rest (Blue Crystal): Electronics electronics 3 of 5 2.0 April 26, 2006 Allen FL USA This would be a GREAT product is the chemical smell was not so bad and last so long. It has a horrible smell that just will not go away. I saw others mention the same issue but thought I would give it a try. It smells. Other than that, the comfort is great. But I gave it 2 weeks to air out and the smell will not go away. I would suggest you don't buy this is you have a sensitive nose. It kinda smells like those squishy foam beds and slippers you see at Brookstone B000BMXJR8:warning!_not_for_ipod_mini!:parker_daniels_"munchiniwa" B000BMXJR8 Griffin Technology 4031-RDGC RoadTrip FM Transmitter & Auto Charger and Cradle for iPod (Charcoal): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 October 26, 2006 Parker Daniels "Munchiniwa" Orlando Yes, yes, I know. Griffin has iPod Mini compatability all over their RoadTrip web page. But the sad fact is, when you recieve it you will NOT find an adapter for the iPod Mini in the box although there are adapters for other iPods. When you read the instruction book you will find that you must purchase an adapter from Apple Computer to make it work. Calling Apple, I find that they no longer sell the adapter. When I called Griffin I was surprised to find that if you have any other iPod than Mini and the adapter is not in the box, they will send you one. They recommended that I return the RoadTrip, which is what I did. Save yourself the aggrevation -- if you have an iPod Mini stay away from Griffin Technology B00006B9HC:agree...__speed_stinks!:datajockeys_"robert_johnston" B00006B9HC Netgear FVS318NA VPN Firewall Router with 8-Port Switch: Electronics electronics 7 of 10 1.0 April 2, 2006 Datajockeys "Robert Johnston" Hillsboro, OR I had four of theese units in place and they all got replaced by the FVS338. The main reason is the speed. I have a lab and we tested the max Internet throughput of the FVS318's at 1.2Mbps! This is unacceptable. Oh yes, this is with the latest firmware. Several calls to customer service left me infuriated at the lack of comprehension of the problem. I contacted their legal deptartment the same day. Several promises were made on Netgears part wich resulted in them having another level 1 tech call me again to insist I reinstall my OS! I have successfully sued to get my money back. With all of my venting done, I would like to say that I am still a fan of the Prosafe line and will continue to use it. But Netgear be warned, I will be all over you until you get this product line properly supported B00006B9HC:but_the_big_flaw_is_low_throughput:david_jameson B00006B9HC Netgear FVS318NA VPN Firewall Router with 8-Port Switch: Electronics electronics 5 of 6 2.0 March 26, 2006 David Jameson Chappaqua, NY, USA Most reviews don't seem to mention a key spec - the throughput of a firewall. I just upgraded my cable connection to the new (up to) 30Mbs plan and bought an FSV318v3 firewall to use with it. Without the firewall in place, I measured about 25Mbs download speed. When I installed the firewall in between the modem and one computer, download speed went down to 6.5Mbs. I also discovered that if the "enable keyword blocking" checkbox is enabled, the throughput went down to 5Mbs, EVEN IF THERE WERE NO KEYWORDS! This firewall is useless if you have a high-speed connection B0000DC3S5:lousy_phone:ladyeve99 B0000DC3S5 Uniden WXI377 900 MHz Water-Resistant Cordless Phone with Caller ID: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 July 10, 2006 ladyeve99 Charles Town, WV United States Surprisingly poor quality for a Uniden phone. Volume is very low -- hard to hear caller. Don't waste your money. B0000DC3S5:such_a_disappointment:julie_"mominaz" B0000DC3S5 Uniden WXI377 900 MHz Water-Resistant Cordless Phone with Caller ID: Electronics electronics 3 of 4 1.0 October 13, 2005 Julie "MomInAZ" Scottsdale, AZ United States We had such high hopes for this product and sadly had to return it. Only 20 feet away from the base unit, the clarity was very, very poor. We've owned many regular cordless phones of varying quality and price-points, yet the least expensive of these were better than this... they just weren't waterproof. It's a great concept if they could just make them work well. Sure wish we could find a good waterproof phone!! B0006GR8CG:looks_cool_at_first,_but...:j._beck_"br4v3_s1r_r0b1n" B0006GR8CG Griffin iBeam Flashlight and Laser Pointer for iPod: Electronics electronics 5 of 8 2.0 July 31, 2005 J. Beck "br4v3_s1r_r0b1n" Seattle, WA USA Don't get me wrong, this is a pretty clever gadget. However, it's mising one thing in terms of usability: an on/off switch. This really limits the usability of both, since it's typical to want to turn the flashlight off for a moment, or the laser pointer on for a moment. I can't see me using this laser pointer in a real presentation, since it'd either be on all the time, or I'd be pulling the light in and out all the time (neither of which make me look cool). So if you're going to buy this, keep this limitation in mind B0006GR8CG:close_the_patent_office:r._smith B0006GR8CG Griffin iBeam Flashlight and Laser Pointer for iPod: Electronics electronics 12 of 25 1.0 May 17, 2005 R. Smith Kirkland, WA Finally. Next time I can't find my keys in the dark all I need to do is find this thingie and fumble it into my iPod's holes. What a lifesaver! And in the same box is the laser pointer so I don't have to stop listening to 50cent just because I'm doing some silly corporate presentation! While it is a little tough to dance and fry an airline pilot's eyes at the same time, it is the latest craze so I LOVE THIS PRODUCT! ;-) B00001MXVV:bothersome_@_times.:jose_nunez_"coolman" B00001MXVV Fellowes Easy Glide Wrist Rest and Mouse Pad: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 2.0 July 3, 2001 Jose Nunez "coolman" Naples, FL United States This mousepad may seem as a great product but at times the rest becomes a little bit tiresome, and I think it get's in the way of my hand and the mouse. It did take me a great deal of time to get used to this pad but anyone else who use's it has found it in the way and annoying. I have to agree with this, b/c it truly does get into the way of my hand and its a little bit confusing. Also it is much bigger than most mousepad's it takes up a great deal of space B00061IYJC:less_than_impressed:rc B00061IYJC Philips HN060/37 Noise-Canceling Earbuds: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 15, 2006 rc Fremont, CA The noise canceling is just barely discernible in comparison to when it is turned off and the music quality is not comparable to other earbuds in this price range ($60 list, $35 Amazon). The cloth wrapped cords seem like a nice feature for making them a bit more rugged, but I don't like the way the cords are arranged which create this loop that you put your head into (combined with the stronger cord, better not wear them around machinery since getting them caught will likely result in something a bit more painful than just having the earbuds yanked out of your ears) B00061IYJC:great_technology__terrible_customer_experience:jpc B00061IYJC Philips HN060/37 Noise-Canceling Earbuds: Electronics electronics 2.0 October 28, 2006 JPC Michigan, USA I had the same exact experience with the poor fit of these headphones and the rude customer service. Their 'surround-sound' HE-592 phones don't fit well either. On the phone Philips told me to buy a part at RadioShack to resolve my problem. They couldn't give me an RS part number because "it isn't their product" but they recommend that over selling me or sending me replacement ear pieces. According to them this problem was all my fault, I should have realized it sooner, saved my receipts & packaging an returned them within 30 days. From a technology standpoint the electronics are outstanding for the size and price. I like the performance of the phones on planes, trains, etc. They really work well but I am amazed that Phillips would risk losing customers over pennies worth of silicone. It is a shame Philips can't do better with the customer touchpoints like the ear piece design, their phone support and part replacement policies. Take a look at Shure's products. Shure sells replacement foam and triple flange sleeve ear pieces for their products. If you are in the same boat with me and like these except for the fit I think the triple flange sleeves may work as a replacement for the stock Phillips ear pieces B00061IYJC:noise_canceling_decent;_music_sound_bad:j.j._"4string" B00061IYJC Philips HN060/37 Noise-Canceling Earbuds: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 September 25, 2006 J.J. "4String" San Francisco, CA United States If you're not that picky about sound quality with music, then these may work for you. I think the frequency response range with these earbuds are pretty minimal. To me, the music is all mids. It's missing significant highs and lows for this price range. I gave these away to a friend who's not that picky at all, but she could tell a difference in sound quality right away. She normally uses the IPod earbuds which are uncomfortable to her. However, the noise canceling out weighs the sound quality so she prefers to use these earbuds over her Ipod buds riding a crowded train or bus. Hopefully I can find something affordable that has good frequency response. Or maybe I need to educate myself. Is it the frequency response, the impedence, or something else that covers the sound spectrum? I'm just looking for a good balance of lows, mids, and highs B00061IYJC:noise-cancelling_newbie...:k._wilcox B00061IYJC Philips HN060/37 Noise-Canceling Earbuds: Electronics electronics 0 of 3 2.0 August 25, 2006 K. Wilcox Los Angeles, CA ...So I was satisfied with the noise-cancelling qualities. The cloth cable is very nice and doesn't tangle as much as the usual plastic ones. I liked not having to spend so much time untangling thes in the morning. The headphones I purchased come with 3 sizes of rubber cap earbud covers and I found only one to be suitable for my ears. Of course, after less than a month one of those earbuds fell off and now I can't use these earphones until I find a replacement somewhere, which is proving to be troublesome. Super. I didn't buy these on clearance at Target so that hurts my pocketbooks and I am very ANNOYED right now. In the meantime, I've returned to some $10 non-earbud headphones and I really miss the noise-cancelling quality of these Philips earbuds. Life sucks and I want to die because now I can hear everything going on around me during the morning commute on public transportation. B000068IH6:poor_image_quality:mac_user B000068IH6 Monster A ITV PB -10 iTV Link for 15" and 17" PowerBook Computer, iPod Photo and Video iPod with Universal Dock (10 ft.): Electronics electronics 0 of 13 1.0 June 7, 2004 mac user MA, USA I agree with the person who says there are no instructions and poor image quality. I wonder if they gave us a mini jack like games systems use if it would work better on TVs that have the 3 jacks on the front. Games systems get good image quality so why is this so bad... No info on this from Monster. Looks like a very good product but I will return it unfortunately. I did discover though that I can use a stereo jack with R-L on one end and a mini jack on the ibook end to give me audio speakers on any TV or Stereo for my iTunes, and audio for a DVD that I am playing but I don't need to spend this much money to get that. If the image were good I would keep it. I would rather show my slide shows from the computer. The image was very bad.. B00005B60G:looks_good,_but_not_best_performance:inderjeet_singh B00005B60G Polycom Soundpoint Pro SE-225 2-Line Professional Conference Phone with Caller ID: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 2.0 February 5, 2006 Inderjeet Singh Santa Clara, CA, USA I have had this phone for about three years. I bought it primarily to use it as a good quality speaker-phone (with mute) for long conference calls. It was quite expensive (I paid $200 to get it) but here are what I have found to be its shortcomings: No caller-id display. This just baffles me. I get caller-Id on all other phones in the house except this one. I have tried every possible varient (resetted settings, disconnected other phones, etc.) but nothing works: I always get "NO ID MESSAGE" on the LCD. The second major shortcoming is that called-parties often complain about the feedback on the speakerphone. One way to reduce that is by lowering the volume significantly, but that sort-of defeats the purpose of having a good speakerphone. Another minor shortcoming is that the phone requires to be powered even though it is a corded-phone (hence will not work in case of emergencies). Finally, two connect two lines you have to use an ugly adapter. One good thing about the phone is that it looks quite good, has a professional appearance, and claims to have a duplex-speakerphone. B0009A2L9E:i_can't_hear_you!:texas_traveler_"jeff" B0009A2L9E Samsung DVD-L70 7" Portable DVD Player: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 June 27, 2006 Texas Traveler "Jeff" Beaumont, Texas United States Sound output is terrible, you can't hear it in a car or airplane(with high quality, noise cancelling earphones). When I called customer service they told me it was not intended for use in a car or airplane. Picture is very good, but I have heard better sound from much cheaper players. Don't waste your money B000ELDX2W:junk,_junk,_junk!:johns_junk B000ELDX2W DLO 009-9765 HomeDock Deluxe for iPod: Electronics electronics 5 of 6 1.0 July 23, 2006 johns junk Grand Rapids, MI I just purchased yesterday the Home Dock Deluxe for list price at a local retailer. I read all the reviews, (most of them bad but I got it anyway) the menu on TV part being my motivation. And so far, I am not feeling good about buying it... 1. The sound quality is very poor. Almost every song has some distortion and sounds "muffled" along with a good hiss. I thought I was listening to a 70's era cassette it was so bad! I have a high end Sony/Infinity system and the poor sound is very noticeable. In desperation (and checking to make sure my amp was working fine) I plugged in my Apple dock from my 4th Gen Photo 60gb and the standard Apple AV cable. The sound problem disappeared, and was crystal clear. 2. The menus to not work properly. My Nano 5gb seems to work OK, but my 60gb 4th Gen Photo does not. The menus are rather slow, and the artist, or album, or song titles disappear at random. Sometimes you can back up a level on the menu and you will see the data, but mostly it is just blank. The cursor will scroll down as though there is data there, but nothing shows on the screen. You can play the music from the blank screen, but it is pot luck as to what you will play as you cannot see any titles. I like the idea, but VERY, VERY frustrating. 3. There is NO support at all from the DLO website. It just lets me download a PDF of the manual or to buy more accessories. I did not even bother contacting them due to all the problems. I am not impressed. 4. There also all the other problems listed elsewhere, too light and build quality poor, annoying power LED on front, no artwork on TV menu etc... 5. So basically, it is WAY too expensive. Not worth it. Not even worth 10% of the price charged. I should have listened to all the comments above, and not believed some of the "official" reviews on the web. So it is back in the box and ready for a trip back to the store. I guess my lesson is that I should trust the reviews B00006B8IO:great_form_but_does_not_work_with_my_optical_mouse:kenneth_b._emmerling_"oceanguy2821" B00006B8IO Fellowes 91141 Gel Crystal Mousepad/Wrist Rest (Blue): Electronics electronics 1.0 August 12, 2006 Kenneth B. Emmerling "oceanguy2821" Baltimore, MD United States The mouse pad is a great idea with superb support for the wrist. Unlike some customers, I did not detect any odors or problems with the materials use in the gel pad. However, the mouse pad did not work with my Logitech optical mouse. Great idea but poorly implemented. B00024ENHK:the_strap_sucks,_and_the_bag_is_really_heavy:michael_a._behr_"mabehr" B00024ENHK Targus TCG200 17 CityGear Miami Messenger Notebook Case: Electronics electronics 1 of 4 1.0 September 28, 2006 Michael A. Behr "mabehr" New York, NY United States Wow, I can't believe how much I hate this bag. And it was expensive, compared to some of the stuff I passed up. I thought I couldn't go wrong with Targus...but I could and I did. First, the strap is horrible. It keeps getting twisted and I have marks on my shoulder from where it cuts in to it. 2nd, it's REALLY heavy. Lastly, there's all these compartments that don't do anything and mostly get in the way. Like the phone add-on. My phone doesn't fit in there, and even if it did, would I carry my phone on my bag? B000E5FOYS:kingston_2_gb_sd_memory_card:bernard_kliks_"printmaker" B000E5FOYS Kingston 2 GB Elite Pro Secure Digital Memory Card ( SD/2GB-S ): Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 November 9, 2006 Bernard Kliks "printmaker" Portland, OR USA This SD would not work in my Nikon Coolpix S6 camera (but the Fuji and Sandisk product did B000ANLCZO:beware!:brent_a._bowgren_"favrefan" B000ANLCZO TRENDnet 108Mbps 802.11G Wireless PCI Adapter: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 9, 2006 Brent A. Bowgren "FavreFan" Wisconsin This card crashed my system with the blue screen of death after installation. Please be really careful with this one B000BJBCFW:laptop_must_draw_current_before_other_device_charges:buyerlsd_"buyerlsd" B000BJBCFW Kensington Dual Charging Cable for Kensington Power Adapters 38013: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 2.0 November 9, 2006 BuyerLSD "buyerlsd" edinburgh Not so happy. Ordered one of these and plugged by PDA which did not charge. Turns out that it only charges when the larger item is drawing current. So it will only charge the phone/pda etc IF the laptop is drawing current. This is very annoying when the laptop is shut down with a full battery since it draws no current, thus the phone/pda do not charge B00008V6TI:i_hate_it:marilyn_fedel-harley_"some-thing" B00008V6TI Grundig Eton Ego 4000 Plus Portable CD / MP3 Player with Built-In Removable Speakers: Electronics electronics 8 of 8 1.0 March 11, 2005 Marilyn Fedel-Harley "Some-thing" Cleveland I hate this contraption and I stupidly let 30 days pass before I realized how much I hate it. Now I start every morning with a "boy I hate this thing." Why? well here are few reasons why: You cannot read the numbers unless you are within 18" and to get a backlight you must depress "any button"---not a bad idea but horribly executed. The backlight lasts four seconds--way too fast in the night and "any button" is a lie because you can't press "stop" nor the "on" for radio or cd without starting a whole other process which you then, in the dark, have to figure out how to terminate. The cd player spends more time "reading" your cd than it does playing it. The "tuner/band" button is very sensitive and lord knows what you will wake up to, the screech of a not tuned in AM station happens way too often. The worst of it all was I called Eton to tell them how much I hated it, just thought they might want to know. I had a friendly conversation with a very nice receptionist who assured me they wanted me to be happy and would do something, but first she wanted me to talk to the engineer/designer. So I waited a week for him to return my call and he was quite rude saying if there is nothing wrong with it (everything is wrong, but they don't count that) there is nothing they can do. He offered to trade mine for a different one just the same and I said "why bother." It was a classic story of "I made it so it is by definition without errors--now leave me alone,just buy it and be thrilled with my brilliant design B0006ZO2CG:worked_great_for_a_while:cheryl_from_boston B0006ZO2CG Altec Lansing inMotion iMmini Portable Audio System for iPod Mini: Electronics electronics 10 of 14 2.0 November 16, 2005 Cheryl from Boston I loved this speaker system when I got it last year. But in the last few months it developed a loud humming noise that makes it so you can not hear your music. Very disapointed B0007Y79B2:waste_of_money:p._guidry B0007Y79B2 Apple 4 GB iPod Nano Black: Electronics electronics 7 of 15 2.0 November 18, 2006 P. Guidry 1st the ipod is expensive. It should at least come with a protective cover. 2nd i rarely used it and only when im in the gym. Quite to often when i go to turn the ipod on it goes into something called "disk mode" which freezes the unit up and cant be played. Theres not hard reset button so i have to go without listening to music for the hour or so im in the gym then take it home plug it in the cpu to get it to unfreeze. Im so pissed at this thing because im all exicted to finnaly listen to some music and get amped in the gym and the dang thing freezes. For the money i spent on this thing it shouldnt happe B000F36ERA:can't_find_the_timer_for_the_radio:earthling B000F36ERA GPX CRCD-2806 Clock Radio and CD Player with AM/FM Radio and Alarm: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 October 26, 2006 Earthling Planet Earth I'd really like to know how I listen to the radio at night and have it shut off in an hour and then have the alarm go off when I need it. I thought that's what a radio was supposed to do B0006BKG98:do_not_buy!!!:james_"james" B0006BKG98 Contour Design iSee 20 Case for iPod: Electronics electronics 2 of 5 1.0 November 1, 2005 JAMES "JAMES" BREWER, ME DO NOT BELIEVE THE POSITIVE REVIEWS!!!!!!!Like most of the other reviews- THIS CASE SCRATCHED MY IPOD---BAD!!! Too bad I didn't read all of these reviews before I purchased the case. I wonder if Contour Designs is going to blow me off when I contact them TODAY(11-1-05)......... B000167V46:does_not_work_with_my_creative_zen:jrb B000167V46 Zip-Linq AC Wall Plug to 5V USB Adapter: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 2, 2006 JRB San Francisco, CA Does NOT work with my Creative ZEN. Can leave plugged in overnight and it does NOT charge at all B000167V46:does_not_work_with_creative_labs_zen_micro_photo:c._grindland B000167V46 Zip-Linq AC Wall Plug to 5V USB Adapter: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 July 26, 2006 C. Grindland NW Florida Do not waste your money, this was under recommendations, but I would NOT recommend this with your Creative Zen. My daughter purchased this after saving up for an MP3 player, this just does not seem to give enough power, we plug it in and 12 hours later it is still charging. Plug the MP3 into the computer USB and it is done in less than 2 hours. It may work fine for some other things but not the Creative Zen. It would cost more to return and they will only exchange it, so guess we are just eating the cost and S & H. I should have read the reviews before; would have seen that you get what you pay for, don't waste your money B000167V46:confirmation_-_it_does_not_charge_an_ipod_shuffle:don_"don" B000167V46 Zip-Linq AC Wall Plug to 5V USB Adapter: Electronics electronics 2 of 6 1.0 December 26, 2005 Don "Don" Glendale, AZ United States What a waste of money. I wish someone had posted before the Dec. 22 posting (which was excellent) pointing out that this device doesn't work on an iPod "shuffle". I spent more to ship this item than I did for the item itself, so I am also stuck with one. Rats!! B00004Y2Z1:buy_the_cheap_ones!:xsiman B00004Y2Z1 Monster Cable MV2CV-6M Monster Video 2 Component Video Cable 6 meter: Electronics electronics 20 of 24 2.0 January 26, 2004 XSIman Laguna Hills, Ca United States Using the component input on your TV can make a huge difference in picture quality, but the differentce between the lower priced monster cables and the most expensive monster cables in not noticeable. Save yourself $50 and buy the cheap ones B000AY8DEQ:do_your_research:t._helems B000AY8DEQ LaCie 300GB d2 External Hard Drive With Triple Interface (300791U): Electronics electronics 4 of 10 1.0 May 3, 2006 T. Helems Tulsa, OK I bought this drive with the advice from my father who has bought several LaCie's for his company. He's always had good luck with them. The first thing that I noticed when I opened the box was that there was a gap between the case and the faceplate. I called LaCie customer service and they sent me instructions on how to open the case and also noted my serial number so that I wouldn't void my warranty. The problem was that there were 2 screws that hold the faceplate onto the internal chassis who were not even tighted (as if they started the screws and didn't tighten them). By the way... the actual HD inside the case is a Maxtor. If I had know that prior to purchase, I would not have bought the LaCie. I fixed the problem with the case and turned it on.. only to be hit with a high pitched winning sound coming from the HD. This noise will drive me crazy and is not "Ultra Quiet" as noted in the description. I'm sending it back to Amazon for a refund B000AY8DEQ:lacie_drive_quit_working_:amy_h._sparks B000AY8DEQ LaCie 300GB d2 External Hard Drive With Triple Interface (300791U): Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 April 3, 2006 Amy H. Sparks Minneapolis, MN What a disappointment that what I thought was a reputable company makes such an unreliable product. After about a years time, my LaCie drive started clicking. And then, no data. It completely failed. I too made the mistake of trusting this drive and didn't back it up. I am sick about what I've lost. I've emailed LaCie about the failure and have not received a reply. Beware of LaCie external drives B0000ALFCI:poor,_poor,_poor:j._san B0000ALFCI Logitech Dual Action Game Pad USB: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 6, 2006 J. San Rochester, MN I had one of these a couple years ago. It worked very well for a few months. Then, all of a sudden, the left analog stick became non-responsive. It wouldn't work on any game I tried. After reading other reviews on the gamepad, I figured I just got one that was poorly made and that the analog stick problem I had was just one of those several ones that was bad. Since it was only $20, I just left it alone. Well...after going months without a gamepad, I decided to get another Logitech gamepad, the same one I had, and guess what. After literally ONE DAY, the right analog stick stuck and is completely unresponsive. So, as far as I'm concerned...they're all terrible controllers. PERIOD B0001F1XNC:file_error:d._petitto B0001F1XNC SanDisk SDMSV-1024-A10 1.0 GB Memory Stick Pro (Retail Package): Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 August 3, 2006 D. Petitto Peabody, Ma United States I own a Sony DSC-S40. I had lost my Sony Memory Stick so I thought I'd try this one. I purchased it the end of June and almost every time I take a video and try to veiw it, it will play and at any point durring a video it will stop and say file error. This also causes a problem while I download them onto my pc. Only once had it done this on a picture and I ended up having to delete the picture because it wouldn't download. Sometimes it just don't pay to save money. I will never purchase this kind of Memory Stick again. B00005QSRF:screwed_by_antonline:neil_w._kienzle B00005QSRF Magellan Meridian External Power Cable with Cigarette Lighter Adapter: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 9, 2006 Neil W. Kienzle ANTonline sent me the wrong item and then wanted nothing to do with me when I went to exchange it. They have no phone number, so they email everything. It takes them a day to get back to you and they always have an air about them as if you are bothering them for thier mistake. After days of persistance and me being as rude to them as they were to me, they agreed to take the product back, but I had to eat the first shipping charge, pay to ship it back to them and pay a 20% restocking fee (for thier error!!) The item was only like $10, so by the time I would have paid the shipping and restock fees, I would be in the whole, so I decided to just tell them to go F@#K themselves. I feel better now. B00007KDVI:not_worth_the_hassle.:brian B00007KDVI Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 17, 2006 Brian Bloomington, IN USA From day one, back in late August 2006, I've had problems with this router--which I bought only because my ISP wouldn't install an extra cable outlet in my apartment without written permission from my new landlord. Since I work from home, this wasn't an option at the time. I'm not a tech guy, I don't care much for gadgets, but I'm not stupid either, and I couldn't even get this thing set up without calling support due to lack of documentation and the assumption that everyone buying this router uses some version of Windows--I don't, I have an iMac. Once set up, the router worked fine for about a month, and then I started experiencing connectivity issues. I called support again and they figured out some issue with 'mac cloning' or some such, reset my static IP, and all was well for another week, when the same issue--losing connection with the router after 10-20 minutes online--arose again. So I called support AGAIN, got a guy after 7 minutes, but he directed me to their website to download a firmware update, and then basically hung up on me. Unacceptable. So I called back, sat on hold for 40+ minutes before being disconnected without ever speaking to anyone. Finally, after a third try, I got someone on the line and he got me to the firmware and helped me install it via their web interface, only for me to experience the same connectivity problem the very next day. My ISP is coming Tuesday to install another outlet. No documentation. The install CD is configured for Windows and wouldn't work in Mac OS X. Online help sucks. The 800 support line sucks. This product sucks. Do not buy it B00007KDVI:waste_of_money:a._buttolph B00007KDVI Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 16, 2006 A. Buttolph I purchased this router (not from Amazon) about 6 months ago when my 5-year-old, very reliable, router died. I purchased it locally and someone came out and installed it. I have had numerous problems with this router since then. It does not stay connected and there is actually no option for "always on." After having some other problems, I took it back and the vendor upgraded the firmware. After that, it lost the setup information twice and the info had to be re-entered. Then today, after being instructed to reset the router, it got stuck in a mode where it only wanted a firmware upgrade (there was no apparent way out of this). So, I obtained the upgrade and according to the router message, it was updated successfully. After that, I could not get the router to work at all. I gave up and ordered an entirely different router (the same brand that I has used before with tremendous success). My summary - save yourself time and aggravation and don't buy the Linksys WRT54G B0000CDEZB:not_as_represented:l_brown B0000CDEZB HP FA118A#ABA iPAQ Foldable Keyboard for H2200, H3800, H3900, H4100, H5000, H6300, RX3000, and HX4700 Series: Electronics electronics 7 of 14 1.0 October 27, 2004 L Brown Chardon, OH United States Ordered for my HP4705. This is not a bluetooth keyboard. they sent two of them both the same non-bluetooth item. Now I have to send back and hope I get credit B0000C9ZJY:hp5510_scan_button:whitetail B0000C9ZJY HP OfficeJet 5510 All-in-One Printer, Fax, Scanner, Copier: Electronics electronics 16 of 20 2.0 December 11, 2005 Whitetail I've had my HP5510 for 4 weeks. So far everything works to my expectations except--when I press the scan button an error comes up on the LED: Unable to scan documents from Printer to PC. No Scan Options. You need to install or run HP software for feature. Press OK to continue." My system is 4 weeks old. I had a local reputable company put my system together. We uninstalled and installed HP software several times. Went to HP website-could not find a patch. Couldn't repair error. My last resort is to call HP which I haven't yet. B0000C9ZJY:was_ok_for_6_months:kristi_g.,_mom_of_sage B0000C9ZJY HP OfficeJet 5510 All-in-One Printer, Fax, Scanner, Copier: Electronics electronics 28 of 30 2.0 November 26, 2005 Kristi G., mom of Sage Rome, GA This printer was fine until I changed cartridges and a contact was dirty. Now it won't quit printing alignment pages all the time. I have about a million now, and its cost me a fortune in ink. Every 3 or 4 print jobs and I get another one. I've spent hours with technical support, who keep leading me through the same old song and dance, disconnect the usb cable, hit some buttons, print another page I don't need, and scan. Voila it works! Case finished. NO IT IS NOT. The tech support people don't speak English and it shows in their grammar and inability to understand that my problem seems to be a variant on what they have in their knowlege base. HP would do better to hire native English speakers. I'll never buy another HP printer. Oh, they print fine, that is, if you want a million alignment pages B0002F4EO6:just_stops_working!:donna_m._shepherd B0002F4EO6 Griffin iTrip Mini FM Transmitter for iPod Mini: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 April 16, 2006 Donna M. Shepherd Carlsbad, CA United States Ok. This is the 2nd ipod mini transmitter I have purchased that has broken within a month. All of a sudden it just stops working, for no apparent reason. Don't waste your money. It's a piece of junk B0002F4EO6:disappointing.:caitfish B0002F4EO6 Griffin iTrip Mini FM Transmitter for iPod Mini: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 April 15, 2006 caitfish I bought this so I could listen to my iPod in my car in the city. The first couple of times, it worked great, but after that, something happened. It just wouldn't work. All I heard was static, no matter what frequency I tried this on. I have yet to take a road trip with it, so maybe that will work better, but right now, I am not happy with the product. Maybe the fact that I live in a city with radio stations on virtually every frequency has something to do with it, but it used to work on some frequencies, and now it just doesn't anymore. I am very disappointed B0001MR13G:has_it's_problems:s._howard B0001MR13G AT&T E5965C 5.8 GHz DSS Expandable Cordless Phone with Answering System: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 September 12, 2006 S. Howard Grand Terrace, CA United States This would be a great phone if it worked all the time. I had to return the phone within 1 day because the handset was defective. Amazon was very helpful and prompt with a response. However the handset would periodically quit working and required that the batteries be removed and reinserted to make it operational. After 2 months the handset died completely. AT&T will replace the handset under warranty, but it could take up to 3 weeks to get the replacement B000A1AQOO:what_a_pain_in_the_butt:gene_bopp B000A1AQOO Linksys WTR54GS Wireless G Travel Router with Speedbooster: Electronics electronics 0 of 3 1.0 October 23, 2006 Gene Bopp I bought this to use in hotels. This thing sucks. I barely got it to work in my house. Too slow to set up. Based on the size of this thing, just bring a longer eithernet cord. I am really disapointed. B000EEZ2R8:not_compatible_with_2nd_generation_nano's:ehnj B000EEZ2R8 Belkin F8Z063-BLK TuneBase FM for iPod Nano (Black): Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 October 17, 2006 ehnj Be aware, the Belkin F8Z063-BLK TuneBase FM for iPod Nano is not compatible with the 2nd generation Nano. I am returning mine to Amazon, and buy a compatible one from the Apple store B000EEZ2R8:non_compatable_:connor_r._fulkerson B000EEZ2R8 Belkin F8Z063-BLK TuneBase FM for iPod Nano (Black): Electronics electronics 5 of 5 1.0 October 16, 2006 Connor R. Fulkerson I have several friends that have had similar items in the last few years that have worked nicely. I'm sure this is a great product. Having said that... this product is NOT and I repeat IS NOT compatable with the new ipod nanos. The new Ipod Nanos are slightly wider than the original and will not connect to this product. I really hope amazon puts up a warning soon and I will do my best to try to get that done. Again this does not work with the 4GB and I assume the 8GB nano as well so do not buy it unless you have the older model Nano. B000EEZ2R8:not_a_good_transmitter_for_big_city:k._moon B000EEZ2R8 Belkin F8Z063-BLK TuneBase FM for iPod Nano (Black): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 August 21, 2006 K. Moon Atlanta, Georgia USA I live in the Atlanta area and was never able to get a good sound quality coming from the Belkin FM transmitter. It seemed like I was listening to a FM station that was not coming in good B0002ZH6XW:inferior_quality_product:matthew_p._cashdollar_"r00tbeer" B0002ZH6XW CreativeLabs SB LIVE 24BIT PCI SC ( 70SB041000000 ): Electronics electronics 1 of 5 1.0 January 27, 2006 Matthew P. Cashdollar "r00tbeer" USA I had this in my computer for a month, with a satellite radio on the audio-in and speakers on the line out. It started crackling and the audio was distorted after a few weeks. I took the SB out and went back to the motherboard onboard audio and it worked fine. Conclusion = Sound Blaster suck B0009RTGFY:sent_back_-_do_not_purchase_in_denver_area:randy_stanton_"randy_stanton" B0009RTGFY Coby CA-739 Wireless FM Transmitter: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 November 9, 2006 Randy Stanton "Randy Stanton" Denver Colorado I purchased the Coby CA-739 Wireless FM Transmitter and was horrified by how each of its pre-programmed frequencies were major Denver Area Radio Stations or had high amounts of static. The transmitter was noisy and weak. I sent it back and took a restocking fee hit plus I had to pay for the return postage. I purchased the I-River which allows you to program your own frequencies. Low noise. High quality. Much better.... B0002INUIY:need_a_bit_more_longevity:kevin_d._krotzer_"krotzerk" B0002INUIY Delphi SA10085 Roady2 XM Satellite Radio Receiver with Built-in Wireless FM Modulator: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 September 14, 2006 Kevin D. Krotzer "krotzerk" Sarajevo I originally purchased the unit during the winter because of a sale, but I didn't install it until the beginning of July for our cross country trip from Oregon to Wash. DC. During the trip, there was quite a bit of interuption from hillsides and tall trees in the Pacific Northwest. I kind of wondered how well the reception would work in the city. Once I got out of the NW, I had no problems picking up a signal unless I was in a long tunnel or deep valley. I did notice the unit did get hot during the trip and I think that is why it is acting the way it is now (two months later). It works fine when first turned on, but after 15 minutes, the signal flutuates and at times, no signal is received. The tech support said that I needed to check the wires, but since it is 'recently' installed and it doesn't happen when first turned on, I'm ruling it a receiver problem. The unit is placed just below the radio head and has been exposed to direct sunlight when parked. I'm sure it didn't help. I'm currently looking for a better unit and XM said they would transfer the remainder of the account to the new radio without inducing an activation charge. B000095SLZ:limited_reliability,_not_so_much_fun:inna B000095SLZ PalmOne P10914U Games Essentials Card: Electronics electronics 6 of 7 2.0 November 22, 2005 Inna Indiana I bought this card more then a year ago. Overall I'm not impressed, and wouldn't buy it again. First of all, in ~30% of cases it crashes my Tungsten E. Secondly, the games are not that much fun. SimCity is EXTREMELY limited and not enjoyable to play at all. Honestly, I have more fun playing games I've downloaded for free. Final annoyance - the card is slimmer then a regular SD so it slides off easily from the slots of the hardcase making it easy to lose B0000AQPTR:the_little_vacuum_that_can't:tongue_tied B0000AQPTR Metropolitan Vacuum(R) DataVac(R) 3-In-1 Cordless Computer Vacuum: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 August 6, 2006 Tongue Tied New York, NY USA I was hoping to buy a small handheld vacuum for my office and computer hardware (keyboads, air inlets, and what have you). However, the DataVac has so little power, even after a full charge, that it's next to useless. I can't recommend it. B0000AQPTR:metropolitan_vacuum(r)_datavac(r)_3-in-1_cordless_computer_vacuum:my_phuong_t._nguyen_"dr._duong_t._nguyen" B0000AQPTR Metropolitan Vacuum(R) DataVac(R) 3-In-1 Cordless Computer Vacuum: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 1.0 February 25, 2006 My Phuong T. Nguyen "Dr. Duong T. Nguyen" Jonesboro, GA The charger is very convenient. Power related to AD/DC is extremely useful. High-tech design and features. Sucking and blowing power does not measure up to the price. It has an extremely disappointing performance. It feels like a child toy rather than a useful tool for a personal computer or laptop. Will not recommend anyone to purchase this item due to the lack of performance B000089GN2:bad_headphones:james_gordon_"nascar_guy" B000089GN2 Sennheiser PXC 250 Noise Canceling Headphones (Silver): Electronics electronics 0 of 5 1.0 November 9, 2006 James Gordon "nascar guy" Pennsauken,NJ These headphones are terrible, the sound is not good,and they hiss. Not worth the money. I have real cheap ones that sound alot better B000A2BLEC:beware...things_are_usually_cheap_for_a_reason...:cassiopea B000A2BLEC iPod USB Travel Power Charger Adapter for Nano, Shuffle, 4G, Mini, Photo and U2- HHI Brand: Electronics electronics 7 of 7 1.0 August 18, 2006 Cassiopea San Diego Broken after 3 uses. Extremely flimsy. Spend a few more buck and buy something more substantial. B000815CF4:cord_is_so_short,_uncomfotable_to_try_and_use.:james_d._mccormack B000815CF4 Microphone, ME-15: Electronics electronics 0 of 2 1.0 November 2, 2006 James D. Mccormack I am not using this Microphone, the cord from the back of my computer barely reaches. Uncomfortable to lean so far forward B0000721Z3:poor_quality:ann_e._peterson_"ocean_floor" B0000721Z3 Canon Matte Photo Paper (8.5x11, 50 Sheets): Electronics electronics 1 of 8 1.0 October 1, 2005 Ann E. Peterson "ocean floor" The matte photo paper that I received was really poor quality. No matter what setting my printer was set to, the ink ran together and created a really low quality photo. I do not recomend this item. B0009K9FZW:broke_in_less_than_30_days!:jack_norton_"tennis_memiac" B0009K9FZW SB5120 Surfboard Cable Modem Docsis 1.1 and 2.0 Certified USB: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 November 10, 2006 Jack Norton "Tennis memiac" Arlington, VA USA When it works, it works very well. But one day it suddenly died on me. I had a Comcast technician come and test my modem and after using some complicated equipments to test it, he concluded that the modem is dead. After he gave me another modem, my network is up again. Very bad reliability. MOTOROLA SHOULD BE MORE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR QUALITY CONTROL! B000084FD5:insufficient_sensitivity:david_h._stokes B000084FD5 Coby CX-9 Mini Digital AM/FM Stereo Pocket Radio: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 August 8, 2006 David H. Stokes Grass Valley, CA United States This receiver doesn't work in rural areas. It doesn't work as well as a cheap battery powered fm radio B0001IXUDA:dont_waste_your_money:splitfish_"splitfish" B0001IXUDA Monster Cable HDMI 400 High Resolution A/V Cable - 1 Meter: Electronics electronics 42 of 44 1.0 July 26, 2006 Splitfish "Splitfish" Charlotte, NC United States A $10 cable does the same thing. Do not believe the hype. Monster is overpriced and people are starting to realize it. Its digital, 1s and 0s. Either it reads it or it doesnt. B0001IXUDA:great_product,_terrible_cost.:g._harper_"why_does_this_site_do_this?" B0001IXUDA Monster Cable HDMI 400 High Resolution A/V Cable - 1 Meter: Electronics electronics 56 of 57 2.0 July 5, 2006 G. Harper "why does this site do this?" College in KY, USA Have you ever heard the saying that something would cost you "an arm and a leg"? These cables cost that, your first son, and bidding rights to your estate. Don't get me wrong- Monster makes great cables. Let there be no confusion on this point. But they're just incredibly expensive, and this is made much worse with these cables. Several people have pointed out that the digital signal on HDMI cables must adhere to error-correction and certain standards (even a $10 cable cable must meet some specifications to even reach production)- and this is largely true. Unless BluRay implements new features that require new cables at some point in the future, there's really very little difference between HDMI cables. Yes, the gold-plated pins and other features will improve your connection a bit, but the improvement will be far less than you'd see between any other "cheap" versus "designer" cables on the market. But Monster cables really are made to a standard that makes some difference, and that's worth mentioning. This cable is built sturdy, so that none but the most harsh of treatment could ever damage it. And the shielding isn't just the usual electrical shielding- Monster cables are toughened to the point that I wouldn't doubt if they're certified against nuclear fallout. If you have the money to blow and you want the confidence of knowing that your entertainment center could fare well in an EMP strike, you're looking at the right cables. But for nearly all consumers, these cables cost 4x as much as alternatives, with no real plusses. At the very least, you can pick up a mid-grade cable (Sony, etc) at a mid-grade price ($40) to get the increased sturdiness and the gold-plated connections. And over these products, the Monster cables basically have nothing at all except their branding. Please do look up a cheaper alternative this time, and spend some of the extra money on an extra set of whatever tools you use to keep your screen clean. You'll get much better results with these tools than you will worrying about $100 HDMI cables B000C7DQ66:unimpressed:scott_vaughn B000C7DQ66 iHome iH5 Clock Radio for iPod Black: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 4, 2006 Scott Vaughn Tennessee Ok...it functions well as a clock radio. Just fine. Reliable. But that's not too much to expect. Yes, it will charge your iPod and it does have the nifty function of an alarm that gradually (though not gradual enough) gets louder. The adaptor for my Nano fit fine; and I didn't find the clock too bright (it has 3 settings). But the sound is really terrible. It sounds like its coming from a transistor radio. As well, it advertises that you will be able to go to sleep and wake up with your iPod. But as we know, you don't need a clock radio to do that--your iPod will do that on its own if you set it. I took this back after 5 days and hooked up some cheap computer speakers with a volume control. They really sound better--I swear. B00006JHV4:can't_figure_out_how_it_will_hold_the_ipaq.:rahul_agarwal_"turbunator" B00006JHV4 HP/Compaq CQP111 HP Leather Folio Case for the iPAQ Pocket PC - Black/Brown (Leather): Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 January 14, 2006 Rahul Agarwal "turbunator" tampa, fl, USA may be i got a defective one. there is nothing inside to hold the ipaq. its just a 3 fold cover. IPAQ comes with a much better case when you buy it new B0002ZAILY:horrible_software!:ivan_ivanov B0002ZAILY Apple 512 MB iPod Shuffle: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 October 29, 2006 Ivan Ivanov CA USA I had several problems with the iPod, mostly because of its horrible software iTunes. It messed up the firmware on the device several times, it would complain constantly that it is not up to date and then try to update it which resuted in several crashes. The most horrible thing however was that it would mess up your MP3 music collection in a way that can never be undone. I had orgaized my collection in the file system nicely by genre, author, album etc, and this thing messed up everything. I have another mp3 player - iRiver - which I reccommend as a lot better than the iPod anyway - and I wanted to be able to copy things on it from my library. Now i am not able to and have to go back and re-organize the mess manually!. I do not recommend the iPod and I do not recommend using their software either. B0009NZ6M0:a_disappointment:j._liu B0009NZ6M0 Verbatim DVD+R 4.7GB LightScribe 30pk Spindle: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 June 30, 2006 J. Liu CA I just purchased the HP DVD740e from costco, and burned the CDR disc came with drive. The lightscribe worked really well, it was the first experience, so I came here for reviews on DVDR, I was told that the Verbatim is of top quality and the lightscribe picture is even better than the HP's, so I purchased the Verbatim 30pk, received today. I was so excited, that I immediately burn two discs with the best setting, but both come out fuzzy and presented the "out of focus" dull feel, look terrible with no detail compared to the HP bonus disc. Is this a joke? This is my first Amazon review, can't help to vent my disappointment. Thanks for the super fast shipping anyway. B0001R041M:poor_performance,_no_warranty:m._ford_"topmug" B0001R041M LaCie 1 TB Bigger Disk Triple Interface FireWire and USB 2.0 Hard Drive (300875): Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 December 9, 2005 M. Ford "topmug" Camarillo, CA United States I have purchased 10 of these drives, all at once. What a mistake. They are very flakey and will 'disappear' while copying data to them by usb. You have to turn the drive off and back on for windows to find it again. I do not have this problem with any other usb drive only Lacie drives. You cannot use one as a backup for this very reason, copying large amounts of data will fail and you have to start over or copy in chunks. One drive failed after 8 months, only at the 10 month mark did I realize it was still under warranty. It had a 1 year warranty so 2 months left, I contacted lacie and after asking for a copy of the original invoice which clearly listed the purchase date they began ignoring my email and would not honor their warranty, no RMA after requesting one 5 times, no more email responses since they could not come up with a reason to refuse service. Do not buy one of these, there are many drives with longer warranties that are more reliable from better companies. B0001R041M:undependable,_noisy_drive,_poor_support:o_man B0001R041M LaCie 1 TB Bigger Disk Triple Interface FireWire and USB 2.0 Hard Drive (300875): Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 August 31, 2005 O_man This drive suffers from repeated Delayed Write File errors. Ultimately it means you WILL lose all the data on it. It is extremely noisy to the point of damaging your hearing. Lacie support is poor. AVOID B0001R041M:stay_away:ali_hasan_"filmmaker_-_teacher_-_political_commentator/writer" B0001R041M LaCie 1 TB Bigger Disk Triple Interface FireWire and USB 2.0 Hard Drive (300875): Electronics electronics 15 of 16 1.0 July 28, 2005 Ali Hasan "Filmmaker - Teacher - Political Commentator/Writer" Surf City, California & Eagle, Colorado As of right now, I am an Apple Student Developer Most of my work comes from Filmmaking, as I'm an Independent Filmmaker, and all of my post production work relies heavily upon my Apple G5 Tower, as well as a TON of external harddrive storage While some of my LaCie HD's have worked great, many of them have simply failed me here are the pro's - 1. great interface - both FireWire 400 and 800, and they are easy to daisychain 2. they are fast - 7200 RPM, and usually, if the drive is good, the performance will show CONS - 1. very weak body ---- forget if you drop this thing even one inch - it'll be dead 2. very tough to hookup to other drives -- when I say this, I mean it is impossible to stack this drive, or try and put it in a space where it'll stay put THE BIGGEST PROBLEM --- I don't know what accounts for this - whether its the bridge or the drive itself - but LaCie's drives fail way too much I've probably purchased around 14 LaCie drives in the past 4 years, for varioius film projects and associate ones ----- of the 14, I have had 5 completely fail on me This is simply unacceptable for any drive company when you consider it all, companies like MAXTOR offer drives with the same interface, same speeds, but at a lower price with that said, take a look at MAXTOR, whose drives are housed in a very indestructive body (...) On a sidenote, LaCie has honored the warranties on their drives, and when they're open, their customer service is very helpful --- but I've lost too much data, at this point, to recommend the B000062XQE:i_hate_it: B000062XQE Jabra EarPhone Hands-Free Headset with EarGels: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 July 9, 2004 I had a previous good experience with a Jabra headset. This one was recommended for my Panasonic cordless phone by Jabra. However, the sound quality is terrible. It lacks any kind of high frequency response, and so sounds very boomy and full of bass, making it almost impossible to use. It also needs a foam cover, since any kind of slight wind movement makes it extremely noisy. I contacted Jabra about this product, but received no response. Maybe it would work better with a different phone, but definitely NOT with my Panasonic B00019OWU4:dies_after_a_year:s._ruhl B00019OWU4 LaCie 250 GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive ( 300728U ): Electronics electronics 4 of 5 1.0 October 6, 2006 S. Ruhl Bainbridge Island, WA I was using it as a backup device and it failed after about 12 months. So I am ripping it apart and putting in a new UltraATA disk in. Just hope the box is not frying the disk. I noticed in another review they had a Western Digital. I had a Segate Baracuda 7200.8. Doubt that it makes any difference. I am sure it is just low bidder B000EPHP4U:would_be_great,_if_it_worked...:r._a._edington_"amazonaholic" B000EPHP4U Apple 8 GB iPod Nano Black (2nd Generation): Electronics electronics 6 of 11 1.0 November 12, 2006 R. A. Edington "Amazonaholic" Boise, ID, United States CONSUMER BEWARE!!!! This product does not work as advertised. If you put more than 1000 songs onto this device, On-The-Go playlists cease to function. This is very, very sad for a player with 8GB of memory. It's supposed to hold over 2000 songs, but stops working correctly after 1000 songs are loaded? Wow. Unbelievable. This is a well-documented bug on the Apple discussion forums, yet Apple has neither acknowledged nor fixed this bug yet. Will they ever? Who cares? Why should they, if consumers like you keep buying it and RAVING about it? I bought my 8GB Nano, but returned it two days later when I found out the problem was known, but not fixed and not fixable. Apple should not be shipping products with known bugs in them! Don't they test these things?!?!?! By the way, the same problem also occurs on the 4GB Nano if you manage to squeeze more than 1000 songs onto it, which isn't all that hard to do... If you don't care about having more than 1000 songs, or you don't care about On-The-Go playlists actually working as advertised, what are you doing shopping for an 8GB player? Better stick with your 2GB models.. B000085ZKV:this_item_is_prone_to_breaking...:ravingtennisfan B000085ZKV Linksys USB200M EtherFast USB 2.0 10/100 Network Adapter: Electronics electronics 1.0 September 5, 2006 RavingTennisFan New York, NY Do not buy this item, it is very liable to break within the first week of purchase. And I bought 2 of them, so statistically it's not jsut me. The first time the door broke, and without the door there's no way to hold the ethernet cable to the connection. The second time, the USB part broke off and got stuck in my computer and I could not put it back together. All in all, not the best product out there. Try instead the Belkin USB to Ethernet adaptor B0007Y7976:i've_finally_learned_a_very_expensive_lesson:jane_cox_"linksys_fan" B0007Y7976 Apple 2 GB iPod Nano White: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 November 15, 2006 Jane Cox "linksys fan" Boca Raton, FL DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT. There, simple advice I wish someone had given me before I bought two of these. With the first one the battery died 13 months after purchase. Since it was 30 days outside the warrantly, apple support told me "sorry, tough luck." I made the mistake of buying another one figuring I just got a bad one and there was no way I could have the same problem again. WRONG! Second ipod just died (same battery problem) - this one died within the warranty period but becuase it took me two weeks to get into the ipod store to see what was wrong and, of course, by the time I got in I was past the 12 month warranty period (who keeps track of the purchase date? I sure didn't). Other than the fact that your substnatial investment will be worthless in about a year - it is a fantastic product. I'm just sorry that it didn't last (twice!) cause otherwise I'd be a fan B00004SB92:not_worth_the_hassle_:m._boughter B00004SB92 Linksys BEFSR41 EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port 10/100 Switch: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 September 28, 2006 M. Boughter New Castle, PA United States Please search for the thread on the linksys support forum titled "BEFSR41 v4 intermittent drop of connection" which goes on for 4 pages with no reply from linksys support, I'd post a URL but that is against the review guidelines here at amazon. The only way to fix the problems that occur with this router is to buy a different model or better yet a different brand. It appears that Linksys doesn't really care about the issue. I returned this router after the second day of dealing with it's constant connection drops and bought a Belkin instead. B000246XZ0:works_well_in_a_single_room:aleksandar_totic B000246XZ0 Uniden EXI976 900 MHz Analog Cordless Phone with Caller ID (White): Electronics electronics 6 of 6 2.0 October 8, 2005 Aleksandar Totic San Francisco, CA USA I like the phone's simplicity and ergonomics. It's fatal flaw is the lack of range. My office is about 50ft away from the base, and I get unacceptable interference. Both plain old AT&T & GE 900 handle this distance without any problems B000246XZ0:stops_working_after_6_months:amazon_freak B000246XZ0 Uniden EXI976 900 MHz Analog Cordless Phone with Caller ID (White): Electronics electronics 5 of 5 1.0 September 26, 2005 Amazon Freak I've been 'trying' to use this phone for the past 8 months. Worked fine in the beginning, now I can't even answer my calls. I hit the TALK button, but the phone continues to ring. Spend a little more money but buy a better phone. This phone is a total waste of money B00021Y9OA:on_time_and_on_the_money!:r._montz_"the_dude" B00021Y9OA Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones: Electronics electronics 0 of 33 1.0 July 31, 2006 R. Montz "The Dude" NOLA, USA No tricks, just treats and delivered on time as promised. B0001YFW94:exchanged_them_for_motorola_sx700:brian_j_"brian" B0001YFW94 Motorola T6500R GMRS / FRS Rechargeable Two-Way Radios, Khaki (2 Pack): Electronics electronics 1.0 November 10, 2006 Brian J "Brian" Atlanta, GA I don't know if I just got a bad pair of radios, but they didn't work at all. If we were beyond shouting distance the radios did not receive any signal at all. Even at very close range there was too much static to understand anything. I'll post a review of the SX700s after we get a chance to try them out B0001YFW94:love_the_features,_hate_the_range_and_usage!:mr._jann_linder B0001YFW94 Motorola T6500R GMRS / FRS Rechargeable Two-Way Radios, Khaki (2 Pack): Electronics electronics 14 of 15 2.0 March 7, 2006 Mr. Jann Linder San Jose, CA USA From cellphone and also the pager era I began my love affair with Motorola. Don't need to read much farther into my review to get to the meat of it. Sometimes companies make a lousy product even though they have others that are great! Don't Buy These! They fall into the former category I needed them quickly (to give my in-laws time to practice using them before we went on a cruise) so when I went to their house for the weekend I bought them from the hated "Best Buy". I am returning all 4! (2 sets of 2 handsets). Here was my experience: I went in and saw the Midland and the Cobra along side the Motorola. Not knowing much of Midland, but recognizing Cobra from their history with low-end phones and electronics, I opted with the very stylish Motorola T6500R's. I know. Big Mistake! I am a computer programmer and very intelligent, but when confronted with products I do not undestand, I go for the brand name. Which is something that can be forgiven if, as now, you find out what the problem is and correct it. I took them home and recharged them. First things first: The feel in your hand. EXCELLENT. They feel as good as they look. I purchased these to go on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera and to maintain contact both on the boat and in the ports: Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo san Lucas. We wanted to make sure we did not "lose" my in-laws (really! I mean it! No, really ....) Anyway. Charged them up and turned them on. They come with a plastic-encased group of 3 AA rechargable batteries that fit nicely (and only one way--they are keyed) in the dual-purpose battery compartment. This is nice: if you are out and running around and your charge goes down, simply buy 3 AA alkaline batteries and go on your way. There is no problem if you forget you have the NORMAL NON-RECHARGABLE AA batteries in the case if you put it in the charging stand. Unlike other units, the physical metal conductors to charge the battery pack are actually built into the pack, not the handset. If you put it batteries, the charger makes no connection to the handset. If you put in the rechargable battery pack, 2 silver contacts from the battery pack contact the charging stand and VOILA the unit charges. Fitting the handset into the recharger is a nightmare, though! It must be generic and able to fit several different Motorola products (production outsourced to Giant Int'l Ltd--so if you thought this was a genuine Motorola built item, you are mistaken. The entire Talkabout line are outsourced for production) as the dual-compartment charger has 2 inserts in each compartment and no indication of which one to use for the T6500R's. I am a smart person though so I chose the one that looked like it best fit and inserted it. Then I attempted to insert the T6500R's. I say attempted because the bottom of the handset is rounded and thus does not seat well in any direction. After you get it to EXACTLY the right position (look on the charger to watch for the LED to light up) the the hard part (of charging, that is) is over. Next item: Bad red LCD backed screen. Hard to read in ANY light and impossible in the sunlight. Settings were easy enough. Channel, sub-channel, vibrate, NOAA broadcasts, etc. However, the advertised QT (ensures no one can talk through your handset unless they are using a compatible Motorola handset) does not work unless you hit the PTT (push to talk) button (or the CALL button), wait about 3 seconds and begin speaking. My in-laws are new to technology and are used to experiencing walkie-talkies when their kids were young. Therefore this is unusual. They automatically want to push the button and talk. So, the first part of what they say is immediately lost. I say "first part". I am assuming I actually caught a portion of what they said. This brings me to the second major flaw. This unit contains a HORRIBLE speaker. If the volume is too low then you can't hear it. Too high and it is garbled beyond your ability to understand it. We were really hard-pressed to find a happy medium. AND, in a noisy room, it would've been impossible to hear anything. Some merchants list these as 5 mile radios. The packaging says 10. The 1 watt GMRS suggests about 5-10. We got less than 1. Directly over a lake. In vehicles on the I-5, we drove less than 2 miles from their house (which is DIRECTLY ON the interstate) and got no signal. I got back to my house in San Jose (on top of Communications Hill...the largest "hill" in the area) and could not communicate to my spouse less than 1/2 mile away while he was coming up our road! Since the weekend, I have spent all my extra time on Amazon.com and Consumer Reports reviewing all the offerings. (the latter, Consumer Reports' reviews are from July in 2002!) So, I think I am going to return these and purchase the Midland 5 watt GXT500's from Amazon. Remember, doubling the wattage (in this case MORE than doubling) does not give double the signal. As another others have stated, increasing wattage increases only another portion of the distance--ie: 2 watts to 4 watts does NOT double the distance the signal can reach.) Hope this reveiw helps you B0001V2N62:worthless:mc_"it_manager" B0001V2N62 APC BIOPOD Biometric Password Manager (USB): Electronics electronics 8 of 8 1.0 April 3, 2006 MC "IT Manager" Oklahoma, USA I purchased a Biopod in March of 2006. Received brand new unit that included Omnipass software version 2.09. This software version released in 2004. Contacted company that produced the software and they refused to upgrade to their latest version (v4) that had been released a month earlier unless they charged me the upgrade fee. The version of software that comes with the Biopod (v2.09) pretty much only works with Internet Explorer and other Microsoft software. The new version (4) supposedly works with Firefox and several other non-Microsoft software programs. I recommend you avoid this product due to old software. I returned mine and am ordering the IBM Fingerprint Reader B00000J4GP:these_disks_really_do_stink!!!!!:daniel_a._"danielthechskid" B00000J4GP Memorex 3.5" PC-Formatted High-Density Floppy Disks with File Box (Colors, 40-Pack): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 August 28, 2003 Daniel A. "danielthechskid" Iowa USA I bought 1 40 pack of these disks so that I could create a set of Windows 95 setup disks. They worked to install windows once and then they all started dying. I went to run Windows setup and got halfway through and got a "cannot read from device" error. After that I ran scandisk on all of them and only 1 disk didnt have bad sectors. A few of the disks had bad sectors in the system area rendering them unformattable. I advise anybody who reads this to steer clear of these cute little disks unless you want to use them as christmas ornaments B0001RM7P8:pouch_case_for_magellan:always_lost B0001RM7P8 Magellan 980667 Protective Pouch Case: Electronics electronics 1.0 October 26, 2006 Always Lost Connecticut Be Creative!! Mostly what you're paying for is the embroidered 'Magellan' name. I like the Crown Royal idea of pouch or you can sew or obtain a fleece and make a square with pockets and tuck everything in there, works fine. Since the reviews are bad, I will not get this just to hide my GPS away in an eye-catching steal-me monogrammed bag. B0009WDM36:just_flat_doesn't_work!:michael_w._wukitsch B0009WDM36 Memorex 2 GB 2nd Generation USB 2.0 Travel Drive 32509070: Electronics electronics 1.0 October 6, 2006 Michael W. Wukitsch San Diego, CA I bought a second Traveldrive because the first one purchased worked just fine. The second drive does not work on my system (Windows Millenium). Calling the service line I found out that there are two versions and the second is not compatible with the first. After trying all the recommended solutions, the tech support suggested I request a warranty replacement/trade for the original version or simply get my money back. Requests for a resolution of the matter have fallen on deaf ears. I would not waste any more money on products from this company B000BQ535K:lasted_4_months:s._c._bhatti_"iotcusa_wholesale" B000BQ535K Brother HL-5250DN Network Ready Laser Printer with Duplex: Electronics electronics 2 of 4 1.0 November 1, 2006 S. C. Bhatti "iotcusa wholesale" Long Beach, CA We purchased this printer to replace old Brother HL-1440 for our small business printing needs. At first everything was great. After 4 months of use, still on first toner cartridge, the manual feed can no longer grab labels or envelopes. There is now a huge gap and the envelopes can slide all the way inside with no resistance. Huge problem for us and I hope we can return this piece of junk B000ATU8M6:like_a_porsche..._without_wheels!:nitropress_"tech_wrangler" B000ATU8M6 Cobra Nav One 4500 Mobile GPS Navigation System with Traffic: Electronics electronics 28 of 33 2.0 April 20, 2006 NitroPress "tech wrangler" California When realtime traffic monitoring came to my city, I immediately started looking at solutions to help my wife's daily business driving (2-500 miles weekly, crisscrossing a 50-mile area through major traffic routes). I quickly settled on an automotive GPS with realtime traffic monitoring. There are not yet many choices in this area, so the options boiled down to this unit and the Garmin 2720. (These use FM radio for the traffic info; the XM-radio units like the TomTom 700 and Garmin 2730 had unacceptably high monthly costs since I don't want XM radio.) I chose the Cobra for its large screen and positive reviews in areas that were important to me. Its flawed routing ability was not a major issue as it was to be used in a well-known region. Address lookup and traffic monitoring were the primary needs. In short, I don't know much about how the Cobra performs because I was only able to use it for a few short test trips. This is because the mounting hardware is one of the most deficient pieces of engineering I have ever encountered in higher-end electronics gear: - The only mounting option is via suction cup, which in tests would adhere reliably only to nearly flat glass. A stick-on disc for attaching the suction cup is also provided, but I did not attempt to use it and would not trust it to be able to hold this heavy (1.25 pound) unit over the long run. If your vehicle does not have a flat section of windshield in a convenient location, you will have very few options for mounting this unit. - California law prohibits attaching things to the windshield, meaning that California users either need to risk a minor ticket or find an acceptable alternate mounting point. (Good luck to you: I was unable to find one in three different vehicles!) Compounding the problem is that the mount has a very limited positioning range and easily runs out of adjustment room for most potential mounting alternatives. - Cobra does not offer any other mounts or mounting accessories at all - no beanbag or friction mount, no clamp, no fixed-base mount, nothing. If there is any aftermarket option (RAM Mount, etc.) I was unable to find it. You are stuck with Cobra's proprietary mount unless you are willing to modify the unit or its mounting pieces and fabricate an adapter for a Garmin or RAM Mount base. I was *almost* willing to go the extra mile to make this unit work in my vehicle, even though the best solution would have been very awkward to dismount and remount, making it a potential theft target. The final straw was when I found that the traffic receiver was faulty and I was unable to get a reply from the manufacturer in a timely manner (two days now and counting...) Enough's enough; something was telling me that this unit wasn't the right choice. So this unit is being returned and I've already ordered a Garmin 2720 with GTM11 traffic receiver in replacement. The prices for the units through Amazon are nearly the same (especially when factoring in the costs for 15 months of traffic monitoring - the Cobra comes with three months and gets $60 per year after that, while the Garmin comes with 15 months and has the same annual cost after that - so you have to add $60 to the Cobra to get a truly equivalent price). Garmin also has excellent mounts with a range of attachment options, some of the best map and routing tools, and a long track record with GPS units. It does have a smaller screen and some complaints about the user interface, but at least I can mount it properly and be able to tuck it away and remount it easily to prevent theft. This unit gets two stars only because my brief experience with its function appears to live up to all the positive reviews - but overall, it's like a high-performance sports car with no wheels! I 100% recommend against it for California users and suggest that others try to lay hands on a sample unit to see if it can be properly mounted in your vehicle before laying out $750 B0000AFX1G:died_after_a_few_weeks:j._ter_horst B0000AFX1G PNY 128 MB Attache USB 2.0 Portable Flash Memory Drive: Electronics electronics 1.0 August 9, 2006 J. ter Horst UK Worked fine for a couple of weeks and then just died. The problem was that it was not recognized by XP or Linux anymore. B0000AFX1G:bad.:mak_blast B0000AFX1G PNY 128 MB Attache USB 2.0 Portable Flash Memory Drive: Electronics electronics 5 of 12 1.0 March 23, 2005 Mak Blast This flash drive does not work with Windows 98SE. The back of the package clearly states you can download drivers for Windows 98SE at the maufacturer's web site. First I tried downloading the driver. Turns out the driver is a .zip file so I had to download WinZip so I could unzip the driver. After downloading the driver and WinZip the flash drive is still not recognized by my PC. The FAQ at the manufacturer's web site states if the device is not recognized the BIOS on my PC must be enabled. But the FAQ doesn't tell you how to enable the BIOS B0002IQ1FS:velocity_bait_and_switch:r._hsu_"coasters_form_velocity" B0002IQ1FS Verbatim 8x 4.7 GB DVD-R Spindle (100 Discs): Electronics electronics 1 of 18 1.0 March 27, 2006 R. HSU "coasters form Velocity" SF, CA It doesn't matter what DVD+ writer I used, Velocity worked! Not one disk became a coaster. I loved the Velocity DVD-R until I order 2 more spindles. I ordered it directly for the manufacture. When I received it, the outside plastic covering was cracked, half the Disks had the jitters and the other half was coasters. It seems to me that they trick you into ordering one with a great offer including free shipping. If you order any more, the person shipping it to you send you the rejects from quality assurance. I will never again order this product again period! B0002IQ1FS:three_in_a_row_made_as_data_dvd:digital_barista B0002IQ1FS Verbatim 8x 4.7 GB DVD-R Spindle (100 Discs): Electronics electronics 1 of 9 1.0 November 1, 2005 digital barista washington Well, so far so bad... I burned the DVDs on my Panasonic DVD recorder. They play in my newer DVD players, but I cannot make a copy of them with Sonic DVD, Nero, or One click DVD. UNacceptable! I have used many types of DVDs, never had this happen. I guess I know why some DVDs I have purchased are playable, but not copiable.. it is the media! I will stick with Maxell,or TDK B0001FV2YM:hunk_of_junk:wisconsin_dad B0001FV2YM Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 August 1, 2006 Wisconsin Dad Fond du Lac, Wisconsin United States Worked for 6 hours, then just stopped transmitting. What a waste of cash. Do not buy this B0001FV2YM:sound_was_really_bad:p._etue B0001FV2YM Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 July 11, 2006 P. Etue Michigan I had a terrible time getting a station to come in even close to FM quality. There was always a bunch of static and the stereo buzzed between songs because I had to keep the volume too high. The high band of frequencies seemed to work best, but then it led to crackling speakers everytime I turned something electrical on in the car. It also seemed to kill batteries at a surprising rate. On a positive note, I loved the fact that it would also function for my son's DVD but in the end, it had way too much static so I hunted for anothe B0001FV2YM:worthless:t._latta B0001FV2YM Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter: Electronics electronics 1.0 June 8, 2006 T. Latta Round Lake, IL United States This is a total waste of money and engineering. Plenty of free frequencies in my area and it would barely connect to anything. Sound quality horrible even when the device is right next to the antenna on a portable FM player. Wrapping it back up and sending it back B0001FV2YM:what_a_piece_of_poo!:jeremy_aker B0001FV2YM Belkin TuneCast II FM Transmitter: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 May 4, 2006 Jeremy Aker Raleigh, NC The transmission quality is very poor. I was unable to find a single frequency free of static. While operating the Belkin TuneCast II in my car I found that driving over or under bridges, under traffic lights, under power lines, or near large trucks increases the static to a level where the music can not be heard at all. The only way I could get audio clarity equal to that of a dirty and scratched record or a distant AM station was to hold the transmitter to the face of my radio. What a piece of poo! Can I give it zero stars? And don't even get me started on the excessive packaging that you'll need to use a diamond tipped jack-hammer to open B0002XGYJ6:false_advertising:abra_carroll_nardo B0002XGYJ6 Pretec SD GPS PPC 2002/ PPC 2003 or later, Palm OS 5.x or later: Electronics electronics 3 of 5 1.0 December 25, 2004 Abra Carroll Nardo Memphis, TN If you have a Palm, read this before buying this device: <<<Although our SD GPS card should work with Palm OS without a driver as its NMEA-0183 compliant, currently we are not aware of any 3rd-party software that supports our SD GPS card. Based on this I regrettably have to say that at this moment it does not work with Palm OS device. We are currently in the process of developing a Palm OS driver that will allow the device to be used independent of 3rd-party software support. When this becomes available it will be posted on our website.>>> I bought this for my father for Christmas. It cost a lot of money. We all got really excited about it. It doesn't work. : B00004WFZR:brother_ml-300_not_worth_considering:paul_f._cotter_"lovegrass" B00004WFZR Brother ML-300 Electronic Display Typewriter: Electronics electronics 7 of 7 1.0 February 8, 2006 Paul F. Cotter "lovegrass" lubbock, TX USA I have had two of these units. I would definitely not recommend anyone buying the ML-300. Save yourself some money and get something else. Both of the units lasted only 14 months. I did hardly any typing with them. Only multi-page forms and applications. The printwheel motor failed on both of them and so did the electronic board for the keys. Took in in to a repair center and was told it was not worth repairing. Contacted Brother International USA and was told that the warranty was only good for 12 months. Save yourself some money and buy a Big Chief table and a number 2 pencil. B0001AP8CE:not_the_right_fit:dutch_treat_"dt" B0001AP8CE Apple M9394G/B iPod Earbud Headphones: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 9, 2006 Dutch Treat "DT" Kauai, HI After reading some good and bad reviews I went ahead and bought them anyway. They will not stay in my ears, I tried the three different sized ear buds but non will do the job, very irritating. So, I do not recommend them at all, too bad because if they stay in when you sit really still the sound quality is really good. Aloh B0001AP8CE:this_apple_product_is_rotten_to_the_core!:p._duval_"pdv" B0001AP8CE Apple M9394G/B iPod Earbud Headphones: Electronics electronics 1.0 September 28, 2006 P. DuVal "PDV" Newbury Park, CA Bought these and used them once. Had to remove them when I found myself in dire need of some Excedrin Migraine. What do you get for your $39? Cheap, tinny, bass-less sound that's like being plugged into a busted Walkman. The buds themselves don't remain stable in the ear, so forget about using them while engaging in motion-involved activity (such as jogging, walking, head-bobbing, neck movement, etc). These are by far the worst earbuds on the market. How could Apple stoop so low? Don't be fooled! Do a Google search for these and you'll find that the vast majority out there considers this a horrible product. You've been warned. I used to use Koss Earbuds, which were pretty good. I sold these iPod duds in favor of the XtremeMac In-Ear Headphones, which are the best ones available and worth the extra money B0002V8KW2:won't_connect_over_wpa:james_pezzella B0002V8KW2 Linksys Wireless-G Internet Video Camera: Electronics electronics 13 of 18 2.0 June 20, 2006 James Pezzella Oceanside, NY I've had this camera replaced by Linksys 4 times. The first time, was due to the camera crashing on a weekly basis. The second replacement worked fine until I upgraded my router and switched from WEP to WPA. After the switch the camera would not connect to the router, switching back to WEP, of course worked. Linksys has replaced the camera 3 times for this issue, and with the last support call confirmed that there is a KNOWN problem with WPA encryption and this camera B0002V8KW2:stay_away_from_this!:marklin_man B0002V8KW2 Linksys Wireless-G Internet Video Camera: Electronics electronics 3 of 5 1.0 April 29, 2006 Marklin Man Landenberg, PA I have extensive experience with wireless system setup and operation. My whole system is all Linksys gear. After four hours on this camera, I give up. When you update the firmware, it erases everything you programmed into the camera so beware. I could get the camera to work in WiFi mode. Picture is decent, not great. The motion sensing function triggers quite well. The frustration comes from an inability to get the email function to work. Kept getting an error message with the system parameters setup so it should have worked. The FAQ section on Linksys website is almost non-existent. I did not bother to call because in my past experience that is of minimal help and very frustrating. Features sound great but could not get it to work right. I will find another unit. B0000AOWVP:keyboard_has_splotchy_finish_and_not_durable:william_e._fournier B0000AOWVP Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop Pro: Electronics electronics 3 of 4 2.0 February 9, 2006 William E. Fournier Steamboat Springs, Colorado This is my first Amazon review of any type. I was quite happy to finally get a wireless keyboard and mouse. When this was pulled from the box the finish was splotchy. It looks like someone painted the keys in a garage. I expected better. Now I have used it for a couple of weeks in an office environment, and already one of the plastic keyboard legs has broken. I am not hard on the equipment and don't know how it happened. Once in a while I press keys and nothing happens. I can live with that. On the other hand, the mouse works as expected. Before you purchase one, check the process for returning it! I would rather put up with the crappy keyboard..... I will continue to purchase many books from Amazon but my computer hardware will come from Dell. B0006ZM4XK:1_step_forward,_50_steps_back.__just_horrible.:james_g._magnano B0006ZM4XK Linksys WRT54GX Wireless-G Broadband Router with SRX: Electronics electronics 7 of 10 1.0 February 28, 2006 James G. Magnano Los Angeles, CA. USA This router had 1/4th the range of my standard linksys G-router which suddenly burned out after less then a year. The speed (when I could get a signal) was 1 to 11 Mbps, my old router held a steady 54Mbps. I did need a range expander for my old one to cover my whole house, but I couldn't use it with this router. The expander only works with the basic G-router, so no way to even boost the signal on this new one. Support was a joke, couldn't get any help or explaination as to why the "Expanded Range" was so much less range the the previous "unexpanded range" Bought another older version, and everything's great again. Don't waste your money or time on this B0006ZM4XK:very_disappointing!:j._christopher_jones B0006ZM4XK Linksys WRT54GX Wireless-G Broadband Router with SRX: Electronics electronics 7 of 12 2.0 January 11, 2006 J. Christopher Jones Despite the slick marketing effort (i.e. "With SRX"), this product falls short. The installation disk is useless. Customer support was good, when I could get through - which was not very often. I constantly lost the wireless connection. I constantly had to re-boot. Despite significant effort (utilizing the online help features) I could never obtain a secure, encrypted connection. No more Linksys for me! B000GP4G1I:disappointed_is_all_i_can_say...:mark_r._wuscher B000GP4G1I Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision ( 961471-0403 ): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 24, 2006 Mark R. Wuscher I am a huge Logitech fan and buy their products in the truck load, unfortunately, this webcam is a dog with fleas. The picture is blurry, the lighting is abmismal in low light and you can just get better performance from a less expensive web cam. I am still a Logitech fan, but you can get better performance from QuickZoom B000GP4G1I:logitech_quickcam_ultra_vision:snowmanbob_"bob" B000GP4G1I Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision ( 961471-0403 ): Electronics electronics 1 of 11 1.0 November 10, 2006 snowmanbob "Bob" Minnesota I ordered this web cam because I wanted one of the better web cams on the market. I was NOT able to get it working. I returned it. Very dissapointed B000068IH5:monster_cable_rcas_for_ipod:timothy_j._travelbee_"trvlb" B000068IH5 Monster Cable 126130 iCable for iPod: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 6, 2006 Timothy J. Travelbee "trvlb" chicago Paid $34 at Best Buy for a cable that DOESN'T EVEN WORK. Have always been skeptical of Monster Cable price points, don't buy them, took a chance. As a matter of principle, this product sucks. (For $34, I'm waiving the "bad apple in every bunch..." rebuttal B0007LC4DS:iriver:j._de_cou B0007LC4DS iRiver H10 5 GB Digital MP3 Player Trace Red: Electronics electronics 0 of 2 1.0 November 10, 2006 J. De Cou Alpine, WY Don't waste your money. What iRiver doesn't tell their customers is that once the battery goes dead, the system is useless. I will never buy one of their products again and I'm doing my best to inform everyone out there that they'll be tossing their money in the trash by purchasing any iRiver products. My system cost me $[...] and it is now as useless as the customer service department at iRive B0007N55LO:excellent_sound,_painful_electric_shocks:matt_stewart_"mdsandco_at_gmail_dot_com" B0007N55LO Sony MDR-EX81LP Bud-Style Stereo Earphones (Black): Electronics electronics 0 of 1 2.0 November 6, 2006 Matt Stewart "mdsandco at gmail dot com" Palo Alto, CA These earphones provide excellent sound for the money. Rich bass, sharp treble and tight sound isolation with the comfortable and adjustable rubber earpieces. However I experienced painful electric shocks in both ears if I put pressure on my eardrums, such as getting up from a chair. And that was before I stood in the puddle of water. Just kididng. Shocks occured in first and Sony-provided replacement pair. They eventually replaced with an on-the-ear model. I have no problems with other Sony headphones or earphones, I think the speaker membrane was positioned too close to my eardrums. Since there are on other comments about this issue, I'll assume its isolated, but beware of shocks on perhaps a smaller scale. B00006JI6Y:this_does_not_fit_the_ipaq_hx2755:susan_cannon B00006JI6Y HP/Compaq CQP121 HP Nylon Folio Case - Black (High Density Nylon): Electronics electronics 2 of 4 1.0 August 8, 2005 Susan Cannon Houston TX USA This does not fit the iPAQ hx2755. Do not try! There are plenty of other cases out there that will work. I ended up with a 94 cent digital camera case from Wal-Mart that works better than this thing. B000BDH2Y8:do_not_buy_this_product:d._neufeld_"programmer" B000BDH2Y8 Logitech V270 Cordless Optical Bluetooth Mouse- Charcoal: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 25, 2006 D. Neufeld "Programmer" San Diego, CA This product is terrible and I'm going to return mine or throw it away. It constantly wanders to places I don't want it to be or trails where I think it should be based on my usage of other mice. At this point I consider it unusable. I've tried it on several surfaces to see if it was a tracking problem, but noticed no real change in behavior. I think what's happening is it keeps trying to go to sleep while I'm moving it, because the tracking is OK as long as I'm moving it very quickly, but when I'm trying to precision target something like an icon or a piece of text it starts jumping erratically. I keep it about 6 inches from my laptop at all times, and the laptop isn't complaining about connection problems B0002ZAYZ4:not_as_advertised:carol_burnett_"cb" B0002ZAYZ4 AT&T 984 Small Business System Speakerphone with Digital Answering System and Caller ID/Call Waiting: Electronics electronics 10 of 10 2.0 June 2, 2005 Carol Burnett "CB" Tokyo, Japan This is a nice 4 line phone, but the digital answering system does not work. We have 2 984's and several other brand 4-line phones. I could not find any way to make either 984 work as a four line answering system. Auto-Attendent is useless in our situation. These phones are certainly not worth the money. Unfortunately there aren't many 4-line phones on the market and apparently no 4-line digital answering systems B000246U1C:the_first_one_came_broken:kage B000246U1C Acoustic Research AW-811 Indoor/Outdoor Wireless Speaker (single): Electronics electronics 1.0 November 4, 2006 Kage Truckee, CA The first speaker came broken, I first called the manufacture but they wanted me to ship it at my cost for repair, that was not acceptable. I then called Amazon and you took the item back promptly. When I tried to have replacement shipped I was informed the price had increased and I would have to pay the difference, since this is the speaker my wife wanted I was forced to pay the increased price. I am not happy with this tansaction. B000246U1C:not_as_advertised:d._brady B000246U1C Acoustic Research AW-811 Indoor/Outdoor Wireless Speaker (single): Electronics electronics 1.0 November 3, 2006 D. Brady I can't get good reception at any range from source. Intermittent when two rooms away from source. Have to move the speaker unit around to find an acceptable location. Doesn't automatically retune when being turned back on. Not at all what I expected from this piece of equipment. B0001YXWNM:terrible_purchase:g._gotimer B0001YXWNM Macally PodTape iPod Cassette Tape Car Adapter: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 October 26, 2006 G. Gotimer I assumed all tape adapters were comparable. This one worked fine for 1 week. Then it sporadically ejected itself from the tap deck. A few days later it broke completely and is now jammed in my tape deck. The tape deck on my car stereo is now broken as is the Macally Podtape. I would buy another a different brand of adapter, but I no longer have a tape deck that works in my car. My worst purchase on Amazon to date. B0000649EZ:buyer_beware:_do_not_buy_this_one:c._huang B0000649EZ Recoton DVD901 Audio Digital Optical Cable (6 Feet): Electronics electronics 11 of 12 1.0 November 29, 2004 C. Huang Have this optical cable for about a year before it was broken. According to the package, it has lifetime warranty. Sent back to the company and got a rejected mail saying, "COMPANY OUT OF BUSINESS, RETURN TO SENDER". The company address on the label is: Recoton Accessories, Inc. 2950 Lake Emma Road Lake Mary, FL 32746. Made in Chin B00008W9PW:ambicom_wl1100c-cf_compactflash_11mbps_adapter:sikh_lord_"mgabasooa" B00008W9PW AmbiCom WL1100C-CF Compactflash 11MBPS Adapter: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 July 26, 2006 Sikh Lord "mgabasooa" Houston, Texas I tried to use it in my Dell X50 and it hardly worked, was too slow, too short range, you have to unplug and plug it bacl again and again. I other words, do not buy this if you have a Dell X50, you will just waste your money and time trying to make it work B000B9RXP0:looks_good......._but:greg_rees_"greg" B000B9RXP0 Apple MA185G/A Armband Green for iPod Nano 1st Generation: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 2.0 August 20, 2006 Greg Rees "Greg" Midwest I purchased this armband to hold my Nano during workouts. The band barely fits my arm and tends to slide down the arm while running or cross training. Looking for a replacement right now B000CO77SC:warranty:j._perez_"xavper7" B000CO77SC 2-Year Service Plan for Televisions $200 to $999.99: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 11, 2006 J. Perez "xavper7" phoenix, az I purchased the 2 yrs warranty for my Samsung LCD tv but I never received any information on it. B000196ENM:magellan_externa_antenna_-_bad:wayne_mcfarland B000196ENM Magellan 980637 External Antenna: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 4, 2006 Wayne Mcfarland The plug on the external antenna does bot fit the jack on the Magellan unit - avoid this until Magellan figures this out. Seems like they would use a standard plug/jack pair for all products B000196ENM:at-65_substitution:brian_e._monahan B000196ENM Magellan 980637 External Antenna: Electronics electronics 1.0 October 26, 2006 Brian E. Monahan San Diego Got this antenna from my wife for my birthday; to go with my Roadmate 760 I just purchased.. The antenna we received was the AT-65 antenna. Instead of the large round antenna in the picture it was a small rectangular antenna (1 inch x 1 1/2 inch) with no indication that it was an actual Magellan antenna, on the unit itself. The package had a Magellan cardboard insert but this was definitely not the antenna pictured B000196ENM:another_at-65_substitution:s_saunders_"s_saunders" B000196ENM Magellan 980637 External Antenna: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 August 23, 2006 S Saunders "S Saunders" NJ Unfortunately, I too received a switched item (at-65)in a sealed Magellan box today. Jennifer in Customer service assured me that they will refund the purchase and that they will investigate the stock they have. She was very apologetic and helpful. I will see what happens but am thankful that she was there to help B000F9NXW8:midland_gtx600vp4_radios_bogus_-_midland_bogus:frank_r._cutaia_"fc" B000F9NXW8 Midland GXT600VP4 5-Watt 22-Channel GMRS with NOAA All-Hazard Weather Alert: Electronics electronics 5 of 8 1.0 August 19, 2006 Frank R. Cutaia "FC" New York Using this product to communicate between motorcycles as promoted by the very fact that there are motorcycle headsets for your helmut available for these radios is clearly unsafe. The distractions created by the radios having no range after about 100 feet can prove fatal for a motorcycle ryder due to a momentary lapse in concentration, just as it would be between a bike and a car. I purchased these radios as the better of the Midland lot - with an 18 mile range. An outright lie. I bought them to communicate between two motorcycles- either myself and my brother (after also purchasing 2 of the motorcycle helmut headstets), or between me on the bike and my girlfriend driving my jeep following me on a long distance ride. We don't even get 100 feet out of them when the radios begin to breakup and are usless. The range increases as long as you are not moving. I haven't tested them while one user is moving on the road or on the highway and one user sitting stationary. I intend to contact Midland about a full refund, but if they don't work when you are moving then what good are they?. How could they fabricate these claims of 18 miles? Even if they couldn't do 18 miles, how about a half mile? How about 1/4 mile or 1/8 mile? Not even that. This is a discrace. I'm just another customer handed a bogus deal. Do not buy any GMRS stuff from Midland B00005BC0F:you_get_what_you_pay_for: B00005BC0F Cyber Acoustics CA-4100 4.1 Flat Panel Computer Speakers (5-Speaker, White): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 July 31, 2003 subwoofer should not be called that: it's tiny, and distorts if the slightest bass is put through it. Not good for music, not good for gaming. Steer clear B000EIBVKG:eton__red_cross_emergency_radio:bruce_c._payne B000EIBVKG American Red Cross FR400 Emergency Radio: Electronics electronics 11 of 11 1.0 September 13, 2006 Bruce C. Payne Ft. Lauderdale Florida This radio is poorly built. When you set it down the little door in back opens and the batteries fall out. You put them back in, carefully set it down, then when you pick it back up the little battery door falls open and the batteries fall out again...Now, I put rubber bands around the whole radio to keep the battery door in place....stay away from this particular model unless you have lots of rubber bands...good luck and thanks for the opportunity to write the review... Bruce Payn B000EIBVKG:poor_design_for_an_emergency_necessity:cheryl_l._soehl B000EIBVKG American Red Cross FR400 Emergency Radio: Electronics electronics 18 of 18 1.0 August 31, 2006 Cheryl L. Soehl Columbia, SC I will not be sending this item to my frail 85-year old mother in law to help her survive in hurricane alley on the west coast of Florida. It is virtually impossible to open the battery case cover to assemble the rechargeable battery connection for this radio. Most folks would buy this and store it until needed and so would not know in advance that they cannot access the battery compartment. This is unacceptable design failure for something the Red Cross is touting as a household essential. When the company was contacted for assistance, they suggested inserting a butter knife in the hinge and forcing the cover open!! Folks have already reported being injured in trying to force the cover open. I will be returning this one as soon as I can B0002QWU3W:returned_two:felicia_burford B0002QWU3W Coby TF-DVD7100 Portable DVD Player: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 October 1, 2006 Felicia Burford Flagstaff, AZ I had to return two faulty DVD players. One would freeze frame the picture and the audio would keep on playing. The replacement DVD player kept saying "Wrong Disc" and was very very loud when it would actually play a disc. I ended up having to search and find a different DVD player all together because they wouldn't replace the 2nd faulty product. (Which was packaged inappropriately and possibly damaged in shipment) B0000AN4EG:bad_quality:koko_"kokojie.blogspot.com" B0000AN4EG Garmin StreetPilot 2610 In-Car GPS Receiver with 128 MB CompactFlash Card: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 November 12, 2006 KoKo "kokojie.blogspot.com" USA The cigarette lighter adapter (with speaker) is really bad quality, the original one worn out within 1 year, I purchased a new adapter and worn out within 6 month. Garmin need to do better B00009V2WP:don't_bother_:inkypinky B00009V2WP GE Slimline Phone with Call-Waiting Caller ID: Electronics electronics 7 of 7 2.0 August 26, 2006 InkyPinky SHORT cord cannot be replaced, so don't bother with this phone unless you can sit RIGHT by it to chat. B000AY7A4K:beware-_shipping_charges_sky_high:rj B000AY7A4K HP 57/58 Series with 100 Sheet: Electronics electronics 8 of 17 1.0 December 16, 2005 RJ MA This seller COMPUTER BRAIN is charging $20.18 to ship these ink cartridges...I knew the price was too good to be true... Beware B0002ZSCJY:beware!:erik_v_"design_engineer" B0002ZSCJY Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar and Laser Detector (Blue Display): Electronics electronics 27 of 29 1.0 August 3, 2006 Erik V "Design Engineer" Kinnelon, NJ I ordered the Passport X50 from Amazon to save the $18 shipping Escort Radar was charging. I was told by someone at Escort Radar that Amazon was an authorized reseller. After having my detector on for ten minutes (right out of the box), it did three "SELF CAL"s, then said "SERVICE REQUIRED". I called Escort Radar and was told "If you let the car power up the unit when you start the car, the voltage can be all over the place and the unit gets confused. You must first start the car, and then use the thumbwheel to turn on the detector." It makes some sense, but if this is really the case, why don't they put those instructions in their manual? After trying this many times, the unit was "still confused", so I returned it for a replacement. My second detector worked for maybe thirty minutes before the same thing happened. This time Escort Radar told me "if you leave it plugged into the cigarette lighter over night, this has been found to cause problems." Well my lighter power goes off when I turn off the ignition, so this doesn't apply. Escort Radar also told me that "excessive heat" has been causing them problems. Now we have had a few days of 100 heat, and I'm sure the car gets hotter parked in the sun, but the design engineers should have accounted for these conditions plus some margin when you design something that is supposed to work in a car. It gets a lot hotter in other parts of the country. There are no warnings in the manual about not using it above 90 or leaving it off in a hot car. You wouldn't design a ski that doesn't work below 35 , would you??? The most troubling part of my conversation with Escort Radar service department was they told me Amazon is not an authorized reseller, and they have no idea where they are getting the units from. Furthermore, they will not honor any warranty nor will they ever repair the unit, not even for money. B000HZ9CCA:hope_you_went_to_college:scott_styles B000HZ9CCA SanDisk Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black): Electronics electronics 2 of 28 2.0 November 15, 2006 Scott Styles Bolingbrook, IL United States I've got an engineering degree in computer science. I've been supporting multi-million dollar web applications for years. It took me 4 hours to get this device to sync properly with the Rhapsody music subscription service that it is promoted for. There is no way a normal person is going to be able to get it to function in any capacity except as a straight mp3 player. It's not ipod caliber quality, the only reason you'd get it is for the Rhapsody service. If you are not highly technical and patient, move on! Player itself works fine B000HZ9CCA:impossibly_difficult_to_use:al_f._havemann_"afh" B000HZ9CCA SanDisk Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black): Electronics electronics 5 of 16 1.0 November 13, 2006 Al F. Havemann "AFH" USA I ordered this unit with high expectations, lots of memory, expandable, multiple modes, from a well known company and an excellent price; how could I go wrong?. Easily enough, as it turns out. I was unable to load it and control the play lists. Trying to use it in MTP mode always crashed the host (BSOD) so I reverted to MSD (Mass Storage Device) mode using drag and drop. Dragging a folder to the device was pointless. Most of the time the files didn't even show up, and when they did they were scattered all over the place. I copied 82 files from the Lord of the Rings set into a single folder, only 52 could be found even during play back, but they could be seen from "My Computer" on the host system. After fooling around with it for a couple of hours I gave up and called SanDisk technical support certain they would be able to help me sort it out. I have to admit that I was pleased with their support even though in the end they were unable to resolve any of the problems other than by suggesting that the only way to use drag and drop was to dump everything into the MUSIC folder where it would play in whatever order the device wanted; a totally useless method. This was totally unsatisfactory since there was no control over the play list and no way to even find all of the files that would fit into 8+gb. Imagine listening to the first movement of Swan Lake followed immediately by something from 9 Inch Nails, then maybe a Bach Cantata!. Using Media Player to sync did no better. Creating a playlist (m3u) of 82 files and then syncing did exactly the same as drag and drop. A hopeless mess, no play order, missing files and so on. After spending 3 hours with SanDisk tech support we were both more than ready to quit. The tech had no more idea that I did about how to solve the problems that plagued the player and we both gave it up as a bad job. This is little machine has plenty going for it in the specification, but it's hopelessly flawed in the implementation, and this is without complaining about the stiff control wheel or the overly small buttons. Throughly frustrated, it was in the mail being returned less than 8 hours after I received it. I just cannot recommend this player, it needs a through overhaul of the interface and firmware; and fixing the control wheel and buttons would be a plus as well. As it stands, it's without merit as a player. B000HZ9CCA:nice,_but_no_control:confederate B000HZ9CCA SanDisk Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black): Electronics electronics 6 of 18 2.0 November 6, 2006 Confederate Bethesda, MD I had high expectations for this product, having bought some of Sandisk's other products. The problem with the e280 is that Sandisk doesn't give users the control or the versatility over file management. For example, using it in the (mass storage) MSC USB mode, one is forced to create playlists in Windows Media Player. This works, but one of the drawbacks is that playlist creations can be plagued with files that have errors or are skipped. It would be far better if one could just drag folders and music mp3 files to the right folder and play them, with multiple folder levels. This would allow catogorizing music the way the user wishes; instead, Sandisk adopts an almost Microsoft mentality in its approach. "It's our way or the highway." Once one masters creating playlists, they have to settle for dumping them all into one directory. It's too bad because reading the manual and reading the reviews, one can easily get the idea that the e200 series can be set up like just another USB storage device (including other, previous Sandisk products). Well, you can, but it won't make much difference if the device won't play. B000BREQN4:worthless:j._gerstein_"jason_in_dc" B000BREQN4 Griffin Technology 9500-TRIPDA iTrip LCD/FM Transmitter with Dock Connector for iPod: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 24, 2006 J. Gerstein "Jason in DC" DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM. IT IS TERRIBLE. The itrip has awful reception. It isnt worth the money. Wait for something better B000BREQN4:junk!:a._tobias_"tobiasfam" B000BREQN4 Griffin Technology 9500-TRIPDA iTrip LCD/FM Transmitter with Dock Connector for iPod: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 October 30, 2006 A. Tobias "Tobiasfam" M rfelden-Walldorf, Germay Believe the opinions of most of the people who have made the mistake - like me - of buying this thing: It is pure junk! It has to be one of the worst hoaxes ever put over on consumers. It does not work, and you can forget getting any real help or service out of Griffin Technology B000BREQN4:don't_waste_your_precious_money:aloha_tahiti_"ia_orana" B000BREQN4 Griffin Technology 9500-TRIPDA iTrip LCD/FM Transmitter with Dock Connector for iPod: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 1.0 September 8, 2006 Aloha Tahiti "Ia Orana" Brazil It's better if you spend your money in something else. It has a ridiculous transmitting power. So bad that even radio transmitters from miles away interferes with this device 1 ft from the radio receiver. The audio quality is so bad that totally destroys the pleasure of listening to your music. In fact this device should be forbidden to be sold or should be tagged as phony advertise B000BREQN4:one_star_too_many!_horrible!!!!:lisa_chatterton B000BREQN4 Griffin Technology 9500-TRIPDA iTrip LCD/FM Transmitter with Dock Connector for iPod: Electronics electronics 5 of 5 1.0 August 8, 2006 Lisa Chatterton Texas This is about the worse thing i've ever bought for an ipod accessory. It does NOT work. All I heard was static, and very little music. If you do want to hear music, you literally have to hold your ipod right next to the radio and stay perfectly still or all you'll get is static. I bought this online and received it and was so excited to use it. I was hesitant to buy it, seeing almost every review has said it doesn't work but I bought it anyway, don't buy it! Every review I've seen has negative feedback for this item, and I agree with everyone. I figured since Griffin made a new itrip, it would be better and work great. However, it is the total opposite from that. I do NOT recommend this product at all. Don't waste your time or money B00000JZKB:no_service_really:daniel_g._ramirez B00000JZKB Texas Instruments BA II Plus Business Analyst Calculator: Electronics electronics 2 of 7 1.0 March 5, 2006 Daniel G. Ramirez Phoenix, Arizona never received the item. Have to go thru the process of filing a claim with UPS for lost/not delivered item. No way to complain to Amazon.com. B00021XIJW:what_a_pain!:mark B00021XIJW Linksys Wireless-G Range Expander WRE54G: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 November 9, 2006 Mark Ann Arbor, MI USA I purchased this item after carefully reading all the other reviews. I, like others, cound not get it to work with wireless security turned on. I even tired using the "tricks" described in another review. To be fair, the product worked fine without wireless security, but I see little point in helping my neighbors tap my internet connection. I am very disappointed in the product B000BQQL24:perhaps_you_might_be_using_home:atilla_kucuk_"cavamaster" B000BQQL24 Apple MA045G/B iPod Universal Dock: Electronics electronics 18 of 37 1.0 June 29, 2006 Atilla Kucuk "Cavamaster" Orlando I won't recommend to any body. You have the same way of charging thru your computer. I think is waste B00003006R:can't_install_out_of_box:r._stark B00003006R Linksys LNE100TX EtherFast 10/100 LAN Card: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 October 8, 2005 R. Stark Put the card in my W2000 PC, followed instructions. Got to the part about loading the driver, the book says to go to the \drivers\WIN2000 driver on the CD included in the box- guess what, it's not on the disk included in the box. Since I use a connection that needs this stupid card to work, now I have to find another PC and down load the driver B00067TTZY:not_happy:l._dagenais B00067TTZY Creative Zen Micro 5 GB MP3 Player Black: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 24, 2006 L. Dagenais Hard to figure out and organize music... battery life not what is promised and needs to be changed often... don't recommend it. Very "Not happy B00067TTZY:disappointed:someone007_"someone007" B00067TTZY Creative Zen Micro 5 GB MP3 Player Black: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 September 3, 2006 someone007 "someone007" Boston, MA USA A year later and I wish I had the money for an ipod. I have been having the audiojack issue for a long time and don't even take my player with me anywhere anymore. What's the point of having an mp3 player you can't walk around with? Ridiculous B00067TTZY:don't_buy_anything_from_creative!!!:rio_rita_"rio_rita" B00067TTZY Creative Zen Micro 5 GB MP3 Player Black: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 1.0 August 7, 2006 Rio Rita "Rio Rita" Oakland , CA We bought three Creative players. My husband and I have the Zen micro and my daughter the Zen 20GB. All three of ours just froze up and stopped working with one year. I didn't even use mine but maybe two hours per week. Good thing my daughter's was within her one year period by a couple of days. She still had to pay $25.00 Now my husband and I have to just junk ours and buy something else. Customer service is awful!! They won't talk to you unless you show your receipt at least three times. What a piece of garbage!! B0007L29LK:iriver:j._de_cou B0007L29LK iRiver 5 GB H10 MP3 Player Lounge Grey: Electronics electronics 0 of 2 1.0 November 10, 2006 J. De Cou Alpine, WY Don't waste your money. What iRiver doesn't tell their customers is that once the battery goes dead, the system is useless. I will never buy one of their products again and I'm doing my best to inform everyone out there that they'll be tossing their money in the trash by purchasing any iRiver products. My system cost me $[...] and it is now as useless as the customer service department at iRive B0007L29LK:the_disappearing_mp3_player:jean_winkelman_"jmwinke" B0007L29LK iRiver 5 GB H10 MP3 Player Lounge Grey: Electronics electronics 1 of 2 2.0 July 2, 2006 Jean Winkelman "jmwinke" Pasadena, Texas USA I have a 5gb but a lot of the H10's are having the same problem. I can play all of the songs that I owned myself but everything through the subscription service has run out and can't be reinstalled. I've done a little research about the disappearing MP3 player and it appears to be a problem that is affecting a lot of the H10's and 1 other model I can't remember right now and iRiver can't figure it out; although I've been told they are trying desperately to find the bug....So buy with caution.... B0007L29LK:not_worth_the_headache:mike B0007L29LK iRiver 5 GB H10 MP3 Player Lounge Grey: Electronics electronics 3 of 3 2.0 June 22, 2006 Mike USA I've had this MP3 player since it came out and, if anyone is still considering getting it, I must advise otherwise. The MP3 player itself looks and feels great, and the navigational features are very easy to use. The problem is that the player itself is extremely unreliable. I have used 3 versions of this player (expecting each time that the player was simply faulty), and all of them glitch up terribly. I constantly have to take my battery out to reset the player as it will freeze during normal play. It also freezes half of the time that I try to sync with WMP. In addition, sometimes it simply refuses to take deleted songs off of my H10's list of tracks (even though they no longer exist on the player). Finally, iRiver has terrible customer service and they do not even back their own products! As a owner of two iRivers (H10 and the 120), I have seen for a while how they function: they will offer updates for their faulty firmware for about a month, and then they leave that product to produce a new one. It seems like they have a new Mp3 player being introduced every few months. Their customer service is extremely hard to get a hold of, and if you do, they will simply say you need to send it to the factory (occasionally you will get a rep that will actually send you a brand new one for free, though). Be smart, stick to a Creative, the new Toshiba Gigabeat S, or (clench your fists) an iPod B0006G0II2:disappointing_producet:r._oshiro_"raymondo" B0006G0II2 Eton FR300 Emergency Crank Radio Metallic Silver: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 3, 2006 R. Oshiro "Raymondo" Hawaii Does not live up to expectations. Sound is tinny. Hard to find stations, very narrow band of reception...plan to purchase a grundig B000F5IBCO:you_get_what_you_pay_for:b._gravel_"bgrav" B000F5IBCO Mustang MT-ARM1 Cantilever/Arm Mount 13-24": Electronics electronics 4 of 5 2.0 August 8, 2006 B. GRAVEL "bgrav" Cambridge, MA USA I ordered this mount for a Sharp 20 inch LCD and it's not that great. It was very easy to install, however, the arm when fully outstretched does not sit level. Thus when the TV is pulled away from the wall, the set is not level and very annoying to look at. I don't believe this is a fault in the actual part, but the design of the arm. This was relatively inexpensive for a wall mount - and you get what you pay for B00004Z6ON:poorly_made,_instructions_unclear,_may_have_damaged_my_laptop:michael_c._berch B00004Z6ON Kensington 64032 Master Lock Universal Notebook Security Cable (Black): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 August 19, 2006 Michael C. Berch San Francisco Area I'd recommend selecting a different security cable product, especially if you have a PowerBook or MacBook. This one is poorly made, even more poorly documented, and may have permanently damaged my PowerBook G4. (Yes, the product web site claims this model is compatible with the PB G4.) It's unclear from the cryptic instruction diagram on the back of the packaging which direction is locked and which is unlocked. (Hey, would it be so bad to actually use *words* to explain things? Even in 4 or 5 languages if you like. The diagrams make no sense.) In the process of trying to get this to work, it appears that the locking teeth chewed up the security slot of my PowerBook. It may have permanently damaged the slot. Needless to say, I will attempt to return the product for a refund. There are plenty of similar products on the market, including others avaiable through Amazon. I'd suggest trying one of those. B00005UPF6:this_is_a_bad_product,_waste_your_money_on_something_else.:adam_dluzniewski B00005UPF6 Koss EQ50 3-Band Stereo Equalizer: Electronics electronics 2 of 4 1.0 January 3, 2006 Adam Dluzniewski Total garbage. No only this thing is huge, bigger than most mp3 players and it doesn't have a belt clip or anything, it sounds awful, absolutely horrible. The hiss others complained about is very loud, it also picks up all sorts of interference resulting in beeping, buzzing and all kinds of high pitched noises. Besides the hiss and the interference the sound is horrible, low dynamics and distorts easily. This is a bad product that should be taken off the market. It's not even worth the price here. Heck, even $1.99 would be a waste of money. Avoid B0009N5MDI:wireless_headphones:m._garib B0009N5MDI Logitech 980397-0403 Wireless Headphones for iPod, Gray: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 18, 2006 M. Garib Newark, New Jersey USA It is a great idea, with a few qualifiers. I have found that the forward and reverse buttons don't function for my video ipod or for my niece's nano (maybe it would for a non-apple mp3 player?). I have to pair the device to the Ipod every time I turn it on. The bluetooth transponder will drain the ipod's battery even though it has it's own battery. Sound quality is decent. B0009N5MDI:a_certainty_for_breaking_into_pieces!:francis_yap B0009N5MDI Logitech 980397-0403 Wireless Headphones for iPod, Gray: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 2.0 October 3, 2006 Francis Yap It was great at first until the connector to iPod break by itself. The bluetooth signal wasn't the best, it loses signal constantly. I had to re-sync and paired it up several times over a month period. The high price iMuffs MB210 from WI-GEAR gives a better promise with the ability to stop your iPod music and take a cellphone call with noise canceling microphone. Its Bluetooth adapter fits cleaning on iPods with dock connectors, likely will not break as easily. I sure hope Logiteh will follow suit in this trend B000068BUI:bad_connectors:q._zuber_"q" B000068BUI Labtec AC10REGN 20-foot Headphone Extension Cord with Miniplug and 3.5mm Jack: Electronics electronics 14 of 17 2.0 December 17, 2005 Q. Zuber "Q" Colorado The sound crackles if the cord bends a bit at the connector. All around poor quality and construction. I'm thinking about returning it.. B00077IGZ2:how_can_this_not_have_a_built_in_microphone:m.d. B00077IGZ2 Logitech QuickCam Chat Web Camera (White): Electronics electronics 3 of 4 1.0 August 10, 2006 M.D. San Francisco, CA It's Logitech...it should have a built in Microphone. instead there's a small head set. don't buy this. spend a little more for a built in microphone B000F2PHDI:good_tv_but_..:m._turner B000F2PHDI Samsung HL-S6187W 61" 1080p DLP HDTV: Electronics electronics 7 of 10 1.0 November 22, 2006 M. Turner ohio I have had this TV for less than 90 days and bulb has burned out, I called Samsung support and the bulb is covered by warranty. They said they would send my phone number to service center and they would contact me in no more than 72 hours. 72 hours later still no call, I again called Samsung and they said they would contact the service center again and I would be called in 24 hours, still no call. This was repeated 5 times and each time I asked to be referred to another center but was told none existed in my area. Fianlly after 6 calls, Samsung referred me to another center. I then called them and they sent up an appointment 3 days later. Day of appointment technician called and told me from the problem I described when I made the appointment I needed a new bulb (duh) and he had ordered one this morning and would call to make another appointment once they received the bulb. I specifically asked if they had the bulb in stock when I made the appointment. Why they didn't order the bulb when they first set up the appointment, I don't know. I called Samsung again and was told bulbs are usually shipped within a week of the order. Neither the words usually or week improved my impression of their support. My fear is that when the technician comes out to change the bulb he will find another part he has to order and I am back on the Samsung support merry-go-round again. Now I realize that even though the set does (did) have a good picture etc, if you can't see it, it doesn't matter. I now have a very expensive paperweight. For me Samsung support has been a black hole and I have yet to see any results after two weeks and no hope in sight for the near future. What happens after the warranty is over and I have to pay for a new bulb every three months? If this sounds like I am not very happy with the situation that is the truth. I am tired of Samsung and the service centers being sorry for the problems and delays but then telling me there is nothing they can do at this point. I agree, you solve the problem by doing the right thing the first time or the second time or third time etc I am hoping maybe the eighth time is the charm with my Samsung experience. B0007VMROE:bad_product__/_bad_company:j._hill B0007VMROE Palm Tungsten E2 Handheld: Electronics electronics 11 of 12 1.0 October 3, 2006 J. Hill This is the third Palm PDA I have owned. I bought the E2 directly from Palm after my previous palm died. It simply quit shortly after the warranty expired. Telephone support is poor and expensive. After research this is a common problem. My employer pays for PDA's for executives and since I approve of all of these products, I will hereafter not allow any purchase of any Palm product based on falty products, poor customer support and extremely poor customer support. B0001BXVA4:never_got_past_installation_setup-customer_service_bad:h._beachum B0001BXVA4 Netgear USB Mini Print Server (PS121): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 1, 2006 H. Beachum Atlanta, GA I am somewhat computer savvy - I understand the the IP address assigned in installation needs to match what my own router assigned for an ip address. They don't match and I can't figure out how to change it. I called Netgear 4 days ago for help and they said their "senior tech" would have to call me back. Still waiting for that call. Back to Staples it goes. The installation appeared successful, but whenever I try to print, it says "error - printer is busy" The so-called instruction manual for this is laughable. IF you're not an advance level IT person, don't try it B0001BXVA4:easy_installation,_but_stop_working_after_4_months:lansing-omaha_"ht" B0001BXVA4 Netgear USB Mini Print Server (PS121): Electronics electronics 3 of 3 2.0 June 21, 2006 Lansing-Omaha "ht" I bought this print server back in December 2005. I used it with my All-in-One Brother printer MFC-4800. The installation was easy. It worked great......for 4 months. Then...then... it just stoped working after 4 months. I tried to disconnect and reconnect the power, Ethernet cable etc...nothing helped. May be I just got a bad product B000BOK3AM:don't_buy_-_take_your_cash_elsewhere:s._shulman B000BOK3AM Shower Radio/Alarm Clock (WY521): Electronics electronics 7 of 7 1.0 July 18, 2006 S. SHULMAN I had the same problems as already stated. I am currently having the volume issue as well, and yes my batteries are weak (the light is on). The first unit I bought lasted two weaks and then there was no sound at all. I called Sharper Image and they agreed to send a replacement. I waited two weeks and nothing. I called again and they had no record of my previous phone call. They did send a replacement and told me it would be sent overnight if "deemed appropriate by management." It was not shipped overnight. Bottom line - this product is awful. Do not buy - I regret it! It is worth it to spend more money on a different product. This only has a 90 day warranty and it doesn't last quite that long. B00004WFZP:beware_of_used_typewriters:donna_purvis B00004WFZP Brother ML-100 Daisy Wheel Electronic Typewriter: Electronics electronics 10 of 20 1.0 August 29, 2003 Donna Purvis Bonita Springs, FL United States I waited 10 days for this to arrive. The first time I plugged it in it ran for 2 minutes. I typed Dear and the machine typed wcm" When I tried to erase wcm" the erase mechanism did not work. I turned the machine off and when I switched it back on the carriage went to the far left and will not move, ie I cannot type or use the machine in any way. When the machine came two of the keys were knocked loose and I had to stick them back on. Now when I look at the machine I can see it is assymetrical...there is a 1/4 gap in the base, so it must have been dropped or damaged somewhere. This is not acceptable but I have no way to contact whoever Mstasad is. I have a huge project to do over the labor day weekend but I don't have a typewriter that works. I feel cheated and am very upset.. B0002F3G7M:didn't_work_for_me:jiwon_youm_"sauron82" B0002F3G7M Linksys High Gain Antenna Kit for TNC Connectors HGA7T: Electronics electronics 0 of 2 2.0 September 27, 2006 Jiwon Youm "sauron82" Philadelphia, PA I got 0~1 bars on my wifi detector and hoped that this would help. But it didn't get any better. You'll have to get some decent signal beforehand in order to get this antenna to make things better for you, I suppose. B00005T3EJ:usefull_information:thomas_rushing_"sunshine1012" B00005T3EJ Monster Cable MB AA 1850-4 Ultra-High Capacity Rechargeable Monster PowerCells: Electronics electronics 4 of 5 1.0 March 5, 2004 Thomas Rushing "sunshine1012" Washington, D.C. I bought these batteries on what was writen on their packaging. It was not true to what was said. These batteries died after only 25 minutes in my digital camera. And a set of Duracell Ultras, that are not rechargeable, lasted longer. Do not always believe what you read. Make sure you have the ability to return items. And is with this case, they went back. I went with a set of energizers. And they last much longer, with the power being the smae as these 1800mah monster brand B0009F4ORQ:worked_for_a_while,_but_not_that_great:harpoon_"harpoon" B0009F4ORQ Creative Zen Nano Plus 1 GB MP3 Player Red: Electronics electronics 3 of 4 2.0 August 6, 2006 Harpoon "Harpoon" Mukilteo, WA USA I purchased the Zen Nano four months ago. It was working then total system failure. At first I thought the battery was dead, but a new battery didn't help. The screen would flash on and then off. It will not boot up. Plugging it into the computer did no good, it could not be reconized or accessed. It goes in the trash. In addition when it was working the shuffle mode would only play some of the songs stored. Also, the output volumn was to low. I would use it while riding my bike and it needs to be loud enough to hear it over the road noise, it wasn't up to the task. Now it is landfill B0001GU8MI:worked_for_1_year,_but_i_am_trying_a_logitech_now:gilberto_misawa B0001GU8MI Targus PAWM001U Wireless Optical Mouse/Pointer/Presenter: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 2.0 August 17, 2006 Gilberto Misawa S o Paulo, Brazil I had to buy a new one, and I chose another brand (Logitech) this time. There is no On/Off button, so the batteries run out if you don't take them out (I think the buttons are pressed during transportation). Now the battery contacts are not functioning properly. And I had the same problem described in a recent review: "I'll click three or four times and nothing happens. Then, I'll click and the slides go in fast forward until the end. It's quite embarrassing to be giving a professional presentation and have this happen." B0001GU8MI:awful:e._patterson B0001GU8MI Targus PAWM001U Wireless Optical Mouse/Pointer/Presenter: Electronics electronics 5 of 7 1.0 February 6, 2006 E. Patterson Do not buy. This may be the worst product I've ever bought. It has never worked properly. I've kept fresh batteries in it, but it's still no good. Within 10 feet of the laptop, I'll click three or four times and nothing happens. Then, I'll click and the slides go in fast forward until the end. It's quite embarrassing to be giving a professional presentation and have this happen. Awful product. Believe the bad reviews. It's worse than they describe. The only positive thing I can say about the product is that it doubles nicely as a cat toy. My cat loves the laser pointer B0001GU8MI:quite_possibly_the_worst_mouse_in_the_history_of_all_mice!!!!!:daniel_park B0001GU8MI Targus PAWM001U Wireless Optical Mouse/Pointer/Presenter: Electronics electronics 4 of 6 1.0 February 1, 2006 Daniel Park DO NOT BUY THIS MOUSE! This mouse has given me nothing but frustration. 1. The front of the mouse where the buttons are located is extremely low, causing a muscle strain in your hand if you use it for long periods of time. 2. Battery life is horrible. Like 2 weeks... 3. When your mouse is idle for 8 minutes, it goes into an automatic sleep mode. The manual says to touch the metal lines on the side to "revive" it but when I do it simply freeze the cursor on the screen. So I have to reboot my computer. Absolutely the worst!! B0001GU8MI:worked_for_only_3_months:ross_m._rolirad B0001GU8MI Targus PAWM001U Wireless Optical Mouse/Pointer/Presenter: Electronics electronics 0 of 2 1.0 December 9, 2005 Ross M. Rolirad Kapolei, HI USA I bought one of these. It worked OK about three months and then just quit. I do not recommend for anyone else B000BBGCJQ:was_not_able_to_record_longer_songs:guenter_weissenseel B000BBGCJQ Gemini iKey Portable USB Recording Device: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 November 10, 2006 Guenter Weissenseel I tried it with 3 differnt usb sticks and I could sometiems successfully record a 3 minute songs, but most of the time it failed. I tried to record with an ipod - no success and also with 2 different external usb harddrives. I'm very glad that amazon took this unit back. I would not recommend this unit. B0007WCA4K:took_it_back:david_c._martin B0007WCA4K Toshiba 27AF45 27" Flat Screen TV (Silver): Electronics electronics 4 of 6 2.0 July 20, 2006 David C. Martin East Tennessee Got it home and it had poor focus. The center was ok but the sides were definitely out of focus. the next morning the focus problem was gone. Go figure. The big problem for me was the time it took to change channels. A full 3 seconds. Went back to the store and found this is a common problem with tube tvs. Well I took it back and went to Walmart and got a Sanyo HT27546 for $270. Good set with quick channel change. It also has an optical digital outputwhich the Toshiba did not. The Sanyo also has a full one year warrenty. Sound on both TVs is fine. A small point. The Toshiba can not be set up to go to closed caption when you hit Mute B00009EFRB:have_an_ibook?_don't_buy_this_lock!:karl_rahder B00009EFRB Targus PA492U DEFCON VPCL - Video Port Combination Lock: Electronics electronics 1.0 October 18, 2006 Karl Rahder Baku, Tbilisi, Chicago I posted a review two weeks ago, but it hasn't appeared, so I'm trying again...I bought this lock two years ago. It has always been difficult to remove. (Note: despite what some other reviewers seem to think, it does NOT have a motion detector - that's a different lock.) Recently, the lock decided to remain firmly inside my iBook, despite my efforts to remove it. After a fruitless call to Targus's customer support, I finally got it out. That took over 30 minutes of struggle. My next step was going to be purchasing a hack saw. Apparently, the Targus lock is not a good fit for iBooks. I'm going to send mine back and demand compensation. If you own an iBook, I strongly suggest you buy a lock made by someone other than Targus B000BBAKSA:piece_of_junk:loren_woirhaye_"malibumentor.com" B000BBAKSA Logitech QuickCam Orbit MP Webcam ( 961422-0403 ): Electronics electronics 1.0 November 1, 2006 Loren Woirhaye "MalibuMentor.com" Topanga, CA United States Mine didn't work out of the box. Just my experience. I am taking this thing back to the store tomorrow. I returned another crappy webcam today to buy this, so you can imagine how irritated I am with the lame quality of these things B0001WW398:good_idea_not_so_good_product:d._l._shaughnessy B0001WW398 Griffin Technology 4020-TALK iTalk Voice Recorder for iPod: Electronics electronics 2 of 4 2.0 March 17, 2006 D. L. Shaughnessy Oklahoma as far as using the ipod as a recorder I think an actual digital recorder would get better sound. The italk picks up all ambient sound. I have even used it with an external mic and still not wowed with the clarity B00079V9XG:not_suitable_for_use_in_a_moving_vehicle:cosmic_renardo B00079V9XG Garmin iQue M5 Integrated Pocket PC and GPS: Electronics electronics 2 of 5 2.0 August 19, 2006 Cosmic Renardo Zurich, Switzerland It's partly my fault, of course. I bought this to use on my motorcycle. I thought the small size, especially the flat body, would fit nicely into the top of a tank bag. I also bought a special handlebar mount for it. Unfortunately, I've had nothing but trouble with it. It's slow to acquire satellites and to recalculate routes. Whether you're driving a car or a motorcycle, it's not up to the task of keeping pace with changes in your route. Maybe it was intended for pedestrians only. The user interface for the GPS is not intuitive (at least, not for me), Worse still, it freezes often when trying to download maps and when deleting stored routes. The Garmin helpline in the UK could only tell me to reset the machine each time. Not very helpful. My guess is that the combination of palm PC and GPS was too much for Garmin to handle. They should probably just stick to GPS. B00008SB1D:hate_it...:paper_pieces B00008SB1D Belkin TuneCast Mobile FM Transmitter: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 November 12, 2006 Paper Pieces I use it for my Zen MicroPhoto and it does not work at all. It has the lowest battery life, used it for twenty mintues and it started to get worse and worse. There is no possible way of getting rid of the static unless you are the MP3 player below the transmitter, which is obviously dangerous while driving. You can only tune it to four stations which are 88.1, 88.3, 88.5 and 88.7 which is absolutely pointless approach to an FM transmitter. I seriously regret every buying this transmitter B00008SB1D:it'll_do_in_a_pinch:bsxx B00008SB1D Belkin TuneCast Mobile FM Transmitter: Electronics electronics 2.0 September 20, 2006 BSXX It'll do in a pinch....but I hope there are better options. At times the sound is clear, however, most of the time the static is either 1) just annoying or 2) the static is so loud and piercing that you have to turn it off. I hope there are units that broadcast a stronger signal, or have another way to connect, in order to provide a constant tolerable sound quality. I would recommend spending some more money to get a reliable device. B0006A7X36:out_of_the_box_and_didnt_connect_to_the_internet:s._gale B0006A7X36 Belkin F5D8230-4 Wireless 802.11x Pre-N Router: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 10, 2006 S. Gale Germany I've spent over two hours tweaking this, and over an hour on the phone with customer support. The thing still wont connect to the internet. Don't get me wrong, the lights light up and my laptop can connect to the ROUTER, but the router wont connect to the internet. Belkin tech support told me to send it back. I will and I think I will try the Dlink Pre N. B000EXS1BS:disappointed:tim_tapio B000EXS1BS Garmin Nuvi 360 Pocket Vehicle GPS Navigator and Personal Travel Assistant: Electronics electronics 15 of 21 2.0 November 15, 2006 Tim Tapio Raeford, North Carolina United States Thinks my street is 50 feet before it actually is, therefore recalculates before the turn. If I go a different route, it continually tries to get me to make a "U" turn. Instead of shortest or fastest route, it may pick one that is very roundabout (you should see how it wants me to drive home from work). Maps need to be updated more often. Street Atlas or Streets and Maps do a better job of being updated...I'd use them except I don't want to tie up a PC just to drive across town. It might work well for cross country, for me, it's an expensive toy that I have yet to develop trust in. B0006A2SNG:second_one_just_quit_working:keith_white_"visit_http://www.keithwhite.us" B0006A2SNG First Alert MotionSense PIR720R Light Control: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 August 31, 2006 Keith White "Visit http://www.keithwhite.us" Lincoln, Ne This thing works well until a bulb blows out. When I replace the bulb, it will not turn off after 4 minutes and I end up having to replace it B0002CZPPG:dont_buy_this_here_!!!!!!!!:e._apostolo_"ed" B0002CZPPG iTunes $15 Prepaid Card: Electronics electronics 16 of 17 1.0 May 20, 2006 E. Apostolo "Ed" Miami, Florida United States I knew I had to pay shipping for this cards ($5) so I decided to buy 4 at once, what was my surprise that at checkout they wanted to charge me five dollars shipping for each card eventhough they were going to be ship together I decided not to buy them anymore. They lie telling you that you are saving a huge 1% but at the end you pay almost 20 dollars for each card that is more or less 35% more than anywhere else. Its a shame that they try to rip you off that way. BUY THEM AT THE APPLE STORE ON LINE, NO SHIPPING FEE !!!!!!!! YOU PAY ONLY FACE VALUE NOT A CENT MOR B0002CZPPG:why_oh_why???:robert_evans B0002CZPPG iTunes $15 Prepaid Card: Electronics electronics 5 of 17 1.0 December 20, 2005 Robert Evans Santa Monica, CA USA Why does a 15.00 gift card cost 24.00? I was going to get one but first someone explain this to me? Is the card itself made out of gold? Whaz up wit dat B00069ECVI:wonderful_drive,_if_it_only_lasted:gradstudent_"john" B00069ECVI Seagate 5.0 GB Pocket External Hard Drive ST650211U-RK: Electronics electronics 5 of 6 2.0 April 2, 2006 GradStudent "John" Ohio I loved my little Seagate 5.0GB drive, even after the first one crashed and burned. But the second time, I cannot forgive. I carried it everywhere in my pocket, and maybe that was part of the problem, but if it can't handle that then it is no good to me. Solid state memory, here I come B000ETTFRG:this_product_stinks:chris B000ETTFRG SanDisk SDMX4-6144 Sansa e270 6 GB MP3 Player with SD Expansion Slot: Electronics electronics 11 of 30 1.0 November 21, 2006 Chris I dislike ipods so i figure I try something else and hope for the best..Unfortunately I was wrong Itunes and Ipods are definitely much better.. Basically this device is a cheap piece of crap and it seems like Sandisk's approach is WYSIWYG..disappointing PROS: - long battery life - email tech support is quick and good but website support sucks bad CONS: - it's easy to setup but instruction manual is useless - buttons are rigid and miniature and difficult to press with a skin on - wheel is very stiff and offers very little functionality - software is buggy and terrible - freezes occasionally - navigating through menus stutters and lags - boot time is 10 seconds - video mode has no options - needs serious firmware updates - time is listed only in settings menu = useless - tons of issues with playlists getting erased or not working properly - every firmware update erases all your settings, including radio presets and the list of issues goes on and on... anyone who has reviewed this product positively obviously didnt do a thorough job because these issues exist and its definitely irritating I am extremely disappointed and will never buy a sandisk player ever again My suggestion is to try it out thorougly before buying..so you dont make the same mistake I did and trust other people's lopsided reviews.. B0007YG8JQ:rma_issued:bryan_"pyle112" B0007YG8JQ Anycom Bluetooth Mouse & USB Adapter Bundle: Electronics electronics 2.0 March 23, 2006 Bryan "pyle112" New York, NY United States The mouse worked well with my chipset, but beaware that earlier bluetooth chipsets do not have the power to work with this mouse, although the dongle that is bundled with this is excellent. The mouse was very difficult to use and unresponsive at times, requiring multiple clicks to choose items. It was sluggish across the screen and very insensitive, even after maxing out all the mouse settings in either direction. Looking through the forums at Anycom informed me that many people had a similar problem and RMA's were being issued. Considering that these problems arose earlier last year, I was upset that I was sold a defective product. I just send my mouse back to Newport, California for a replacement. The features are solid, the size is acceptable but prone to cramping at first. For a travel mouse it is exceptional, being rechargeable via USB. Usuage with the USB cable attatched is OK but somewhat awkward as the cable comes from the "head" of the mouse, not the "tail." Would I buy again? only if I didn't find another product that was rechargeable, bluetooth and optical. B00005B60E:disappointing:elg476 B00005B60E Polycom Soundpoint Pro SE-220 2-Line Conference Phone with Caller ID: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 August 23, 2005 elg476 Raleigh, NC, USA I bought this phone for a work-at-home situation. I then discovered that the maximum number of characters I could enter into a speed dial entry (the number itself, not the name) is 24 characters. A telephone calling card number is 25 characters long, 26 if you program a pause (a space, for this phone) between the phone number and the card id/pin. When I called Polycom about it, I was told that not everyone uses calling cards. Funny. I've been issued a calling card at every company for which I've worked (going back 25 years). This is the only phone I've ever owned (well, since the 80's) into which I could not program my calling cards. Pretty basic stuff for product marketing and development people to miss. On top of that, when I try and enter the calling card number and card id by hand, it never "takes" on the first try: the network doesn't recognize the card id and pin the first time I enter them. I have to do it twice (I've tried this a number of times, and it's consistent). For that matter, the sound quality, especially through the headset (also purchased from polycom) is not that good. Of course, that could be because the headset jack is "loose." You can easily move the jack from side to side, which makes the sound quality even worse. I regret having made this purchase. I'm going to scrap it and look for a new one from a different manufacturer. The only reason I gave it one star is because the site interface here won't let me give it no stars B0000AAAPF:wow,_i_should've_done_research.:j._malone B0000AAAPF Griffin White iTrip FM Transmitter for iPod: Electronics electronics 1.0 October 18, 2006 J. malone Arcata, CA This thing sucks. I wasted my money. No more Griffin products for me B0000AAAPF:fm_transmitter:crystal_k._tran_"crystal_k_tran" B0000AAAPF Griffin White iTrip FM Transmitter for iPod: Electronics electronics 1 of 3 1.0 July 24, 2006 Crystal K. Tran "Crystal K Tran" San Diego, CA USA The transmitter doesn't work. I tried everything I could think of to try and make it work but it doesnt B0000AAAPF:misleading_product_description:kimberly B0000AAAPF Griffin White iTrip FM Transmitter for iPod: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 July 19, 2006 Kimberly Salt Lake City, UT USA This item said that it is compatible with all ipods but it is not. It is only compatible with the "old" ipods. Evidently there is a difference in some of the more recent ipods and this itrip doesn't work with them. We had to return the product B0009B0JWE:simply_unacceptable!:the_office_guy B0009B0JWE Altec Lansing 2-PIECE Music & Gaming Speakers Black Stero Satellite Speakers: Electronics electronics 0 of 1 1.0 June 11, 2005 The Office Guy Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA I just got these at a local store and they just really blow!!! I was swayed by the brand name and the great price (although higher than Amazon). It's true when they say you get what you pay for... rock-bottom price = rock-bottom performance. Terrible to say the least. Mine are going back right now. B0001LQG9C:warning_check_battery_and_bad_customer_service:4girls B0001LQG9C VTech ip5850 5.8 GHz DSS Cordless Phone with Dual Handsets and Digital Answering System: Electronics electronics 6 of 6 2.0 April 20, 2006 4girls MD Mine worked great for the first few months, then I started getting the "warning, check battery". If you take the batteries out and reinsert, it works for a few hours but then the same warning message comes up. It happened on both headsets. I called customer service and they told me this is the first time they've ever heard that (uh huh - doesn't sound like it from the reviews here). A little too expensive to replace yearly.. B0007T27D2:nice_feel,_but_terrible_tracking--huge_lag_time:frequent_amazon_shopper B0007T27D2 Kensington 72414 PilotMouse Bluetooth Mini Mouse (PC/Mac): Electronics electronics 2.0 October 28, 2006 Frequent Amazon Shopper New Hampshire I've had this mouse for about a month...use it with my Mac G4 at home...and I'm exhausted. It feels very nice in the hand and I really like the scrolling ball feature (hence the 2 stars), but it's just not predictable. Sometimes it glides along smoothly, most other times it tracks across the monitor like you're mousing over pebbles. I've tried a number of different surfaces: desktop (light woodgrain); smooth, medium gray fabric mouse pad; mouse pad made specifically for optical mice (better than the other two) and I have even tried picking the thing up and shaking it to knock it into submission--to no avail. It still lags and I have a hard time honing in on an object to select it (or to check a box or pick up a puzzle piece in a jigsaw puzzle...) I use Photoshop and other mousing intensive apps all day at work and at home and I need a mouse that is precise (for silhouetting, etc.). This just isn't it. You shouldn't have to think about mousing when you're doing it, it should just happen--immediately and smoothly, corded or cordless. And a "newer" technology should work better that a gummed up "old" tracking ball mouse! Maybe it doesn't like my older Mac. Maybe it's the bluetooth adapter. Whatever it is, it's not working... I'll be trying the Logitech MX1000 next. It has a recharging base and is Laser (instead of optical). I'm hoping the higher price will translate into better performance B0007T27D2:the_mouse_with_parkinson's_disease:r._t._gillfillan B0007T27D2 Kensington 72414 PilotMouse Bluetooth Mini Mouse (PC/Mac): Electronics electronics 1.0 September 19, 2006 R. T. Gillfillan san francisco ca For my PowerBook - my first bluetooth mouse (a macally bt) worked for about nine months and then a bad battery caused major leakage all over my desk. So for the replacement I read the reviews and went with the Kensington bluetooth mini - primarily for the on/off functionality. I like the size and shape, the on/off switch and the scroll works just keen. However, tracking is a nightmare - especially when CPU usage is high (applications like Photoshop, Acrobat or using a VPN to access my work files). I tried troubleshooting, adjusting the track rate, but nope. The cursor continues to stutter across the screen with this mouse. I think I'm going to throw in the towel and go back to wired B0007T27D2:just_ok:robert_ford B0007T27D2 Kensington 72414 PilotMouse Bluetooth Mini Mouse (PC/Mac): Electronics electronics 3 of 3 2.0 May 1, 2006 Robert Ford Capitola, CA One of the reasons I chose this mouse, was because Apple recommended it as one that would offer true smooth scrolling. It turns out that this mouse has the same click scroll as many others. It jerks one line at a time ... the clicking is quite loud I might add. Also, I have to set the tracking speed very low because the cursor jerks all over the screen if I don't. Sometimes just clicking on System Preferences corrects the problem, but if I had it to do over, I'd buy something else B00065ANYW:mine_died_too....:robin_d._cook B00065ANYW SanDisk ULTRA II HIGH PERFORMANCE 4GB (SDCFH-4096-901, Retail Package): Electronics electronics 7 of 8 1.0 July 18, 2006 Robin D. Cook Arlington, VA USA I bought this in April for my new Canon 30D and it worked great until several months ago. When I would go back to scroll through the recently taken pictures on my camera it would start saying "Data Corrupted". It started out slowly then it would lose every third picture. I tried to reformat the card and got an error message. Now my camera does not recognize it nor does the camera software on my computer. It was a wonderful card while it lasted but I too am hesitate to get another one. Hopefully mine was a lemon too.....but then again B00065ANYW:died_after_4_months:k._bauman B00065ANYW SanDisk ULTRA II HIGH PERFORMANCE 4GB (SDCFH-4096-901, Retail Package): Electronics electronics 7 of 7 1.0 July 11, 2006 K. Bauman Michigan, USA This seemed like a great card at a great price. Unfortunately after 4 months, during the middle of a paid shoot, all of the images instantly dissappeared. I stopped using the card, put it aside until I got home. I tried to use software to recover the images. Only a few could be recovered, the rest were gone. I've not been able to re-format the card in either a canon eos 5d, digital rebel, or using software on my computer. The card is now completely un-usable. All of my older cards continue to work just fine. Hopefully this is just a lemon, although I need to replace it, and am obviously apprehensive about purchasing another one from Sandisk B0000Y7WBQ:poor_setup,_terrible_support,_good_range:j._macfarlane B0000Y7WBQ Netgear WG302 ProSafe 802.11g Wireless Access Point: Electronics electronics 11 of 11 1.0 February 19, 2005 J. Macfarlane California I purchased 3 of these APs with the expectation to replace 3 Cisco "b" APs and drop in. The setup used Radius for authentication which is claimed to be supported in both the online info and docs. After config (the web UI constantly has problems with cookies and forced you to re-login) the system would work. One quark was the IP address field for the radius server wouldn't accept more than one character in the forms. Up and running. However, upon reboot, the WG302 loses it Radius info and then cannot authenticate a client again. SHOWSTOPPER. After logging this with Netgear support - their response is this is an unsupported config and requires premium support. While this would be fine if it was a config issue, it's not ok given they claim support for these features and this was a required feature for purchase. They give no further support now. I would HIGHLY recommend against the extra cost of this unit given it's buggy and has poor support. Config is difficult (I had to learn how to use the command line config), the upgrades are not well documented (they imply you have to import some obscure file with tftp - you don't but...), however the unit does have good range and works (No RADIUS of course) in a basic config. B0001V3IB6:disappointing:hester_d'souza B0001V3IB6 Plantronics TELEPHONE HEADSET SYSTEM ( S11 ): Electronics electronics 5 of 5 2.0 January 26, 2006 Hester D'Souza Vancouver, BC, Canada First - a disclaimer: I know very little about telephone headsets, but decided to buy one because I had a series of long telephone meetings coming up. I walked to my local Staples store, expecting to find a variety of prices and products - and thinking that I'd pay perhaps $30 to $50 at the low end of the market. At the store, I found that only the computer-based headsets were that cheap - and the only model that worked on a real, old-fashioned land line was the Plantronics S11 on display (it was priced at $130 Canadian). Since work was paying for it, I didn't mind spending the extra money, but expected that, at that price, the quality and ease of use would be quite high. When I brough it back to the office and installed it, I found that: - The regular handset and the headset cannot be plugged in at the same time. That means that every time I want to use the headset, I need to fumble around at the back of the unit to switch wires. - The volume of both ingoing and outgoing conversation is very low - even when I turn up the volume controls to max. The people I spoke with complained enough that I switched back to my regular handset. - The microphone, although it's somewhat adjustable, is short and inflexible enough that I can't get it very close enough to my mouth. When I try to move it closer, the earpiece turns and slips off my ear. - The headset itself - that is, the plastic, adjustable arch and rubber pad opposite the speaker - is very awkward and prone to slipping off my head. It might have been better to design it like a regular two-sided earphone unit - so that it would be more balanced and stay secure. I don't know whether these comments apply only to the S11 or to most headsets for traditional phones in general. Overall, however, if I'd been buying the S11 with my own money, I would likely have returned it and just gone back to using the regular phone handset B000A6X9H0:frustration_doesn't_cover_it!:marilyn_patten B000A6X9H0 HP Scanjet 4850 Photo Scanner (L1950A#B1H): Electronics electronics 4 of 5 1.0 September 15, 2006 Marilyn Patten Nashua, NH United States Since I first wrote this review I discovered that the fault was not with the scanner but with my computer. After formatting my computer I was able to install the scanner and software without any problems. I am still learning to use it but so far I have decided not to return it. It works well and I like it very much. I apologize if my review has negatively effected anyone's choice B000A6X9H0:multiple_failures:michael_j._dietz B000A6X9H0 HP Scanjet 4850 Photo Scanner (L1950A#B1H): Electronics electronics 14 of 15 2.0 March 15, 2006 Michael J. Dietz Torreon, NM United States I have approximately 10,000 slides to scan. I purchased the 4850 and after about 3,000 slides began to get three to four dark blue lines across the image. After reporting it to HP they sent me a replacement TMA. The new TMA worked fine for the first 450 slides and then BINGO, I now am getting two dark blue lines again. I think the machine is not engineered to handle the work load I have. B00002MZ8M:poor_quality!:russ_baehr B00002MZ8M First Act Discovery FG130 Student Acoustic Guitar: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 March 14, 2006 Russ Baehr Seattle, WA USA My daughter really didn't use it that much but within about 5 weeks it started to fall apart. The wood veneer on the base pulled up and splintered from tightening the strings to tune it. A low price for a guitar but I don't think it's even worth this price. B0008JFJRM:bad_static,_poor_reception!!:faithful_shopper_"jzk" B0008JFJRM Motorola MD7091 5.8GHz Digital 2-line Phone: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 12, 2006 Faithful Shopper "JZK" Ct These phones had so much static, you could not hear!!! We ended up having to return the phones and find something that we could actually use! B0008JFJRM:fatal_design_flaw:tideguy B0008JFJRM Motorola MD7091 5.8GHz Digital 2-line Phone: Electronics electronics 4 of 5 1.0 August 9, 2006 tideguy I bought this because it seemed like it would satisfy my need for a 2-line phone with answering capability. Turns out, I cannot keep it, due to one boneheaded design flaw that makes it unusable for me. The good: it's nice looking, compact, has good sound, and has a selection of cute little ringtones. The bad: This machine WILL NOT RECORD INCOMING MESSAGES SILENTLY. It broadcasts both the OGM and the ICM being left by the caller through the speaker. There is no way I know of to defeat this. You can turn the volume down from loud to medium loud, but you cannot set the machine to record messages silently, in the background. Do you think you might ever not want other people in the room to hear the messages being left on your recorder? Would you ever want to sleep without being disturbed by the sound of incoming messages? Then this one isn't for you. Mine is for sale. B0008JFJRM:motorola_lost_a_loyal_customer:sven B0008JFJRM Motorola MD7091 5.8GHz Digital 2-line Phone: Electronics electronics 8 of 10 1.0 May 4, 2006 Sven USA My very first cell phone was Motorola, and it served me great, so I became attached to the brand based on that experience ,and for that reason alone bought Motorola SD4591 Digital Corded/Cordless System. As we've put the wireless network in house the cordless phone started playing tricks. The battery life got very short very soon too. I was told I need to get different batteries NiH instead of NiCD. Naturally the microwave was playing the tricks on cordless too. As we have two lines in house and was told by several people to move to 5.8Hz 2 line phone I decided to get Motorola MD7091 5.8GHz Digital 2-line Phone and remained loyal to Motorola. And boy was I wrong again. What others are saying about caller ID not showing as soon as I have another phone on the same line besides Motorola MD 7091 is true in my case too. I don't get it does Motorola expect us to switch phones to their system now around the house if we want to used one of their phones??? This is really cheap trick Naturally, I could blame all this on poor quality of NiCD batteries, Wireless Network, Microwaves and phone company, and other brands' phones connected to my line. But what is the common thread through the entire ordeal: MOTOROLA. I will give other brands a try now, not yet sure which ones B0008JFJRM:don't_get_the_cordless_sets!!:d._clarke B0008JFJRM Motorola MD7091 5.8GHz Digital 2-line Phone: Electronics electronics 11 of 13 1.0 March 30, 2006 D. Clarke Now, imagine my astonishment. After receiving this beautifully designed futuristic looking set from my favorite communication device manufacturers, I set it up only to realize that the cordless phone only works when there is a direct line of site to the base! Unbelievable!! I live in a compact apartment ok, and believe me when I say it isn't 20 feet between the base and my bed room, and last night after setting up, I retreated to my room took up the cordless handset to make a call only to realize that there was no connection to the base. This phone in a nutshell, looks good, but it sucks!! B0000ACKR5:good_looking,_clumsy_to_use:k._hackmann B0000ACKR5 Belkin Leather Flip Case For iPaq PDAs: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 2.0 May 5, 2005 K. Hackmann Missouri, USA I had high hopes for this case when I bought it, but it just hasn't worked out. The leather has a nice feel, and my iPAQ fit snugly in it's slot. However the stylus on my iPAQ h2215 was impossible to get to without partially removing the iPAQ from it's case. This became so frustrating that I eventually discontinued using this case. It does have three slots for credit cards, and a larger slot that you could tuck a few folded dollar bills or business cards in. Maybe a different model of iPAQ would work better, but it hasn't been a good fit for me B00006L4XU:useless_-_does_not_retract:james_murphy B00006L4XU Targus PA215U Retractable Flat FireWire Cable: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 April 6, 2004 James Murphy Pelham, MA USA I agree with the previous review. This phone cord worked twice. Now, it only retracts about half way, and keeps getting worse. I'm returning it for a refund. Don't waste your time with this B00006L4XU:do_not_wast_your_time_with_this_product...period:alan B00006L4XU Targus PA215U Retractable Flat FireWire Cable: Electronics electronics 4 of 5 1.0 August 8, 2003 Alan Carol Stream, IL USA I am on my second one and I will be returning this one also. Both of them worked once and then would not retract fully after that. I was so mad I almost threw it against the wall. I thought the first one was a defect, but then when I got the second one I realized it was a design flaw... If you buy the Targus one keep your receipt because I guarantee you will be returning it. What I don't get is how Targus has the guts to release this product and also put on it: Satisfaction Guaranteed. What a joke.. B000A3WS16:stupidity_at_its_best:n._caraccio B000A3WS16 Apple 30 GB iPod video White (5th Generation): Electronics electronics 1 of 5 1.0 November 24, 2006 N. Caraccio Rutherford, NJ ipods are the leading sellers of portable players and everybody knows that but guess what ipod does not support the leading and best quality video format divx and avi hmm thats kinda retarded no? if any of you out there use file sharing programs such as limewire or any torrent programs if u download any of those videos the best ones and the majority are divx and avi too bad for you unless ur willing to sit around for an hour or two and convert your video to mpeg4. Also the video you convert may have a few complications, the audio and video may not be sychronized...at all and for those of you who have already purchased this piece of garbage im sorry and i have great sympathy for you so if ud like a program that will convert ur video for free and results in pretty good quality go to download.com and search for jodix video converter. This is not from speculations I have experienced this all myself with my own purchase of the video ipod and was a decision i regreted. Suggestion check out the creative zen vision M sure it may be thicker but the price is amazing for its features and conveniences of transfering files into it B000A3WS16:love_it.._hate_it:a._pereyra B000A3WS16 Apple 30 GB iPod video White (5th Generation): Electronics electronics 2 of 6 1.0 November 13, 2006 A. Pereyra Miami, FL United States I bought with lots of ilussion this this Ipod, i put all my music in it and use it!! after a 5 months it stop working, it didn't charge the battery. I took it to best buy where I bought it and they told me that it has "external damage" and didn' repair it. I send it to Apple service and return it without services because the same reason. My Ipod didn't have that damage, it has only a few scratches on the screen. After lots of calls and fight they told me that to fix it I would have to pay US$250.00 that is almost what it cost new. TERRIBLE SERVICE FROM APPLE.. SHORT LIVE.. DON'T RECOMMENDED. Now I'm looking for another option for MP3 player to buy. If you know one please let me know it. B0001F22PA:avoid_if_you_live_in_or_near_a_major_city:pats_fan_bob B0001F22PA Belkin F8V3080 TuneCast II Mobile FM Transmitter: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 21, 2006 Pats Fan Bob Boston, MA Like other fm transmitters I have tried, this one leaves much to be desired. Living in a major urban area, I was unable to find any fm channel that did not produce significant static and generally poor sound quality. Product is easy to use, but I consider the sound quality unacceptable. B0007TIYCU:great_until_it_broke,_no_response_from_uniden:e._smith B0007TIYCU Uniden CLX465 5.8 GHz DSS Expandable Cordless Phone with Color LCD Handset and Dual Keypads (Silver): Electronics electronics 4 of 5 1.0 January 29, 2006 E. Smith Bermuda The phone worked for a month or two, and then the handset stopped seeing the base. When I followed the instructions in the manual to fix this (re-register the handset to the base), neither could see each other. The base still gets the land-line signal and works with speakerphone, but that is useless to me since I need the handset. When I contacted Uniden through their email support, I got no response. I will be buying another phone that is not a Uniden B000BI2180:the_vendor_delivered_a_defective_unit.:w._h._frohlich_"musical" B000BI2180 Palm Z22 Handheld: Electronics electronics 0 of 2 1.0 November 22, 2006 W. H. Frohlich "Musical" Oakland, CA I'm pissed. I feel I've been ripped off. The 3rd party vendor delivered a defective unit. I want to return it. I have been unable to determine how to return this unit for a refund. I may never buy through Amazon again B000BMXJTG:did_not_work_in_sony_psp:gadget_dad B000BMXJTG Lexar 1 GB Memory Stick Duo Pro ( MSDP1GB331 ): Electronics electronics 3 of 8 1.0 January 7, 2006 Gadget Dad California This product did not reliabley work in a new Sony PSP running the current Sony software. Don't know if the design is flawed or the unit I received was defective B0000TNWU6:be_careful:r._perry B0000TNWU6 Belkin F8E462 Voice Recorder for iPod: Electronics electronics 4 of 9 1.0 January 19, 2005 R. Perry Asia Got it and plugged it into my IPod and there was a major incompatibility. The screen showed up that their was a voice recorder in the IPod but when I went to record I received an error message that the IPod could not locate a microphone. Perhaps an IPod problem? The Ipod is a 4th Generation 40 gig that is fully updated. I think Belkin needs to engineer the recorders to work with all the new IPods, with the exception of the minis. Have not been able to resolve the issue. I am sure IPod will state that it is a Belkin problem and that Belkin will throw the ball back to IPod???? B0007WTHLO:lack_of_bass,_too_much_treble.:will B0007WTHLO Etymotic Research ER6iC Isolator Earphones (White): Electronics electronics 1 of 1 2.0 November 1, 2006 Will Texas, USA I just received my pair today, and I have to say, I'm extremely dissapointed. Yes, they are comfortable, but the bass is almost absent, no matter how far you jam them into your ears, the bass isn't nearly what it were hyped to be, it definently isn't enough for the amount of mid & hi's they produce. Unless you like your bass to a minimum and treble to a max, I'd recommend another pair of earphones. If you're just looking for comfort and you don't like hardly any bass, these are your headphones. But, as others said, you can find much better earphones for a much lower price B000B9TV8W:fleecing_loyal_apple_buyers:nicholas_r._thompson_"beernose" B000B9TV8W Apple MA183G/A Armband Blue for iPod Nano 1st Generation: Electronics electronics 2 of 3 2.0 October 7, 2006 Nicholas R. Thompson "Beernose" Chicago, IL The first thing I did when opening this item was check to make sure it actually WAS an Apple product. Its REALLY cheap looking. Looks like something you'd find for [...] at a flea market or in the "stocking stuffers" section of the dollar store at Christmas time. The Nano is small so almost anything will hold it, including a rubber band and an envelope which is about as good as this unit. This looks more like the freebie armband that should come free with the unit. Certainly not a [...] accessory. It just cheapens the Apple image. If OEM Apple products are your thing, then go ahead and try this. But if you're looking for something as sweet as your nano that stays put while you workout, look for something else. I'm returning mine this weekend to spend my money elsewhere. B000BQQW9G:don't_consider_this_product:a._charity B000BQQW9G Apple MA125G/A iPod Universal Dock Adapter 3-Pack for 30 GB iPod with Video: Electronics electronics 1 of 4 1.0 August 17, 2006 A. Charity Northwest, WA USA 3 more of the useless flimsy holders you get in the IPod box! B000AY5ZIS:extremely_poor_software_package_that_makes_it_very_disappointing:sami_ben_grine B000AY5ZIS Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5000 Laser (967558-0403): Electronics electronics 5 of 5 1.0 October 22, 2006 Sami Ben Grine Walnut Creek, CA USA I had a very poor experience with the Microsoft Media Center infrared keyboard and I wanted to replace it with a bluetooth solution that would - I thought - get rid of all connection problems. I was wrong. The hardware is very nice but the software keeps on dropping connections. AS usual, I was very careful: I always read manuals and properly install the software before using any product - I don't want to fail the installation for a very simple reason: the package doesn't come cheap... I am a software developer - I have half a dozen computers at home - and I did everything as instructed. I found the software to be very average in terms of usability (why do they try to do all these fancy effects??), but that's not very important when it works fine. Unfortunately, after just a couple of days, the keyboard stopped working. I finally managed to get it back by removing the batteries and rebooting the computer (both step were required - the on/off switch didn't work - same thing for the connect button which is totally ineffective). Now, the mouse keeps on dropping connections. After a couple of hours of inactivity, the mouse simply stops responding. This is simply unacceptable. Logitech knows that this product doesn't work and keeps on charging customers for something that is simply not usable because it wasn't tested properly. It is a very frustrating experience because the hardware is great. Don't buy this product, you could be very disappointed. Note that I have seen another installation done by professional Windows system administrators that had the exact same problems. Now don't get me wrong: the hardware is very nice. I would highly recommend the Logitech VX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks which is great and had none of the issues I have mentioned there B000AY5ZIS:severe_connection_issues:daniel_laughland B000AY5ZIS Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5000 Laser (967558-0403): Electronics electronics 4 of 4 2.0 October 19, 2006 Daniel Laughland Waukesha, WI This hardware is well-made and I have heard very good things about the non-bluetooth version of the mouse. When it's connected and working, it does its job very well. Unfortuntately the MX5000 set suffers from some very poorly made software that makes it very difficult to use effectively. At seemingly random intervals, the mouse will start lagging or stop altogether. If this happens during gameplay, you're in a bad way. The keyboard also suffers from a truly annoying bug. When it comes off of its sleep state, it will double the first key you press. I have also had the keyboard just reset out of the blue. Add in that the SetPoint software for the LCD screen only fully works with two pieces of software (MusicMatch and Windows Messenger), and you have a very disappointing desktop package. The MX1000 is a great mouse on its own, but stay away from this Bluetooth combo. It is unstable and very frustrating to use B00064L17Q:hardware_is_fine_-_software_is_worst_i_have_ever_dealt_with:duce B00064L17Q Belkin F8T003 Bluetooth USB Adapter - 10 Meters: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 17, 2006 Duce The unit works fine as a Bluetooth Radio. The software and drivers!!!! do not install properly at all!!! I am a network administrator & pretty savvy about PCs - i could not come up with any scenario to get the software to work!!! Save your money and just buy the unit - forget the software B00064L17Q:waste_of_time_waste_of_money:donald_l._mader B00064L17Q Belkin F8T003 Bluetooth USB Adapter - 10 Meters: Electronics electronics 0 of 5 1.0 June 12, 2006 Donald L. Mader Los Angeles, Ca United States DOES NOT WORK AT ALL DONT THROW AWAY YOUR MONEY SHOULD READ 0 STAR B00007MHMN:vonage_is_a_sinking_ship:ben_franklin B00007MHMN Vonage DigitalVoice Service: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 October 3, 2006 Ben Franklin Minneapolis I had Vonage since April, 2006. I finally switched back to Qwest after unending problems and hours and hours on the phone (my cell phone, as my Vonage line didn't work) with tech support. Here is my experience: 1) It took about 2 months and about 2 hours on the phone for them to switch my existing phone # over to Vonage. Don't be too excited about getting the first month free- if your moving an existing number it will take about that long to get it switched over. 2) After my number was finally switched over, outgoing calls were constantly being dropped after about 20-30 seconds. Incoming calls would also be dropped occasionally after about a minute. This resulted in having to call the person back, saying "sorry the call was dropped- we switched to this cheaper phone service and have been having problems...." This is with the highest speed cable internet service available (8mbps download, 600kbps upload) and a wireless 'g' system which has provided top notch internet service consistently while I had Vonage problems. I spent no less than 4 - 5 calls and over 5 hours on the phone with tech support trying to fix the problem. After talking with tech support, sometimes the problem would be fixed temporarily- while I was on the phone with them- but return shortly thereafter. 3) As a result of the problems I had, I asked to be credited for the months in which my phone service was not working. Be warned, they are very hard-nosed about providing any credits for poor or no service. I spoke to a tech support person about getting a credit for a month of no service, and he told me to wait until the problem had been fixed so they could determine how much credit should be given. After the problem had been fixed (temporarily), I called back and they told me they could only provide credit for the current month, not previous months of no or poor service. THEY ARE NOT CUSTOMER FRIENDLY ABOUT PROVIDING REFUNDS FOR POOR OR NO SERVICE. 4) Finally, in September, still with dropped calls from Vonage, I switched back to Qwest to get reliable phone service. I found customer service there has improved and is much better than Vonage. And they gave me 3 months free promotion for coming back. In the end, I am happy to pay the extra $10/month (after the first 3 months free) to get phone service that works. I notice that $5 of the extra cost is for fees, etc. that the phone company has to charge but Vonage does not, which is unfortunate. In any case, I guess you get what you pay for. One last thing: Vonage has never made a profit and many business analysts say with their current business plan, they never will. This means eventually they will either go out of business, or have to raise rates. Save yourself the problems I had- pay the extra $ to get phone service that works B00007MHMN:stay_away_from_vonage:crispy B00007MHMN Vonage DigitalVoice Service: Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 July 17, 2006 Crispy I bought vonage service thinking that finally there is a company which will let me control everything from their web portal, and provide features that traditional phone companies do not. Good thing I kept my number with traditional phone company and got a second line with Vonage. Its voice quality was really bad, and cancelling it was a pain to say the least. It took me 4 months to cancell it. Waiting forever on hold. Please read internet forums/blogs before you decide to "save" money B00007MHMN:stay_away_from_vonage!:j._w. B00007MHMN Vonage DigitalVoice Service: Electronics electronics 1 of 1 1.0 June 14, 2006 J. W. Chandler, AZ United States Stay away from Vonage! After more than 1 month, still don't have phone number transferred. Can't get thru to customer service...very long wait. Paying 2 phone bills...so much for saving cost and so-called service. Called to cancel service, and customer service rep promised to put account/billing on hold until phone number transfer is done...finally something positive from customer service department B000HZBR64:don't_buy:kai_flache B000HZBR64 Bose Companion 3 Series II multimedia speaker system  Graphite/Silver: Electronics electronics 2 of 9 1.0 October 22, 2006 Kai Flache Very disappointing speakers! Rip off. I returned them. 1. Satellites produce static noise even with the computer turned off. You have to press the mute button to get rid of it. 2. Extremely rumble base; not crisp. Even turned all the way down it is too prominent. Maybe good for war games. 3. Missing mid tone. Satellites sound like they are coming out off a tin can. 4. Volume is a bit underpowered. Will not knock your socks off B000066HO4:headphone_jack_becomes_loose:d._crook B000066HO4 Sony SRF-M80V S2 Sports Walkman Arm Band Radio with FM/AM, TV and Weather Channels: Electronics electronics 4 of 4 1.0 March 26, 2005 D. Crook California I too bought one and had the headphone jack become loose. I bought another thinking I had a faulty one, but now I'm having the same issue with this one. The loose jack causes the reception to go in and out...and finally just out completely. I agreed with the previous opinions on this fatal flaw B000F49ZHU:decent_features,_bad_sound:d._cohen B000F49ZHU Panasonic KX-TG5623B Black 5.8 GHz FHSS GigaRange Digital Cordless Telephone with Three Handsets: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 21, 2006 D. Cohen 1. There was a consistent buzzing on the phone even when I tried multiple jacks for the base. 2. Phone features worked as advertised. but the Voice Enhancer is useless and actually makes it sound worse. 3. It was kind of a pain to sync the phone books which are separate on each handset. I returned it mainly because of the buzzing B00009ZUDD:this_is_a_substandard_product.__pass_on_it.:sadak B00009ZUDD Magnavox CD Alarm/Clock Radio (MCR23017) (MCR230): Electronics electronics 1.0 September 28, 2006 Sadak Missouri, USA I bought this and found that if you like to burn your own CD's to play in it, it has a problem reading the tracks. It sometimes spins up and doesn't play, and it always has a very audible noise on spin up and track find. I usually wake to that sound before the music starts. I AM NOT A LIGHT SLEEPER. This is my second one, and I've basically been using it for the radio wake function for the last few months. Do yourself a favor and find a different product B00009ZUDD:not_as_advertised:juliebw_"woods682" B00009ZUDD Magnavox CD Alarm/Clock Radio (MCR23017) (MCR230): Electronics electronics 2 of 2 1.0 February 15, 2005 JulieBW "woods682" Geneseo, NY USA This product DOES NOT have the skip feature included in the product descriptio B00006HYWR:here's_what_your_buying!:chris_hooker_"c-dawg" B00006HYWR Creative Labs NOMAD MuVo 64 MB MP3 Player: Electronics electronics 0 of 3 1.0 June 4, 2005 Chris Hooker "C-Dawg" Livonia, NY USA YOUR BUYING 128 MB WORTH OF FRUSTRATION AND $10 WORTH OF GAS FROM BACK AND FORTH TO WAL-MART. I bought my Creative MuVo and had it for a month or so. LOVED IT. had everything i needed, great mp3 worked great. One day, plugged it in to put a song on it and all of the sudden it starts smoking. Big hole in it from all the smoke. So, i return it at walmart for a new one. TWO DAYS LATER i plug it in my usb to put a song on it - smokes again!!!!!!! i returned it and got my money back... got an ipod shuffle, buy that much better mp3 player wont start on fire... B0002MRN4W:no_insert_or_escape_keys!!!:vitas_the_fetus B0002MRN4W Logitech Cordless Desktop LX 300: Electronics electronics 1.0 November 2, 2006 Vitas the Fetus The keyboard and mouse work fine, except for some completely absurd reason, Logitech decided to remove the INSERT and ESCAPE keys from the regular keyboard and make them little buttons on the top of the keyboard instead. Look at the picture and you will see what I mean -- the DELETE key is double-size and takes up the space where the insert key would be; INSERT is moved above the home key and is a little recessed round button. ESCAPE is in the usual place, but it too is a little button instead of a legitimate key. Very annoying. Definately returning it B000HCGAFK:corrupted:michael_haynes B000HCGAFK SanDisk - Flash memory card - 2 GB - microSD: Electronics electronics 5 of 16 1.0 August 28, 2006 Michael Haynes Ordered it, took about 5 days to get to me, and it's corrupted and cannot format itself and cannot put files on it B00005TQ08:mouse_works_great_..._except_for_the_middle_"wheel"_button.:j._kim B00005TQ08 Microsoft Intellimouse Optical Mouse: Electronics electronics 2.0 November 23, 2006 J. Kim Philadelphia, PA United States I was really happy with the mouse for all of 10 minutes. The scroll wheel is really "push happy" such that when I roll the wheel, the middle button registers a "click" very often. In order to prevent the inadvertant click, I have to roll the wheel with the lightest of light touches. It's significantly more senstive than my older logitech wheel, and was really really annoying to have the browser repeatedly register the middle button (which is unix is the default "paste" so I'd have pages and pages of text that I "selected" be pasted on to the browser or editor while what I really wanted was just to scroll the buffer!!! Too bad, the mouse was really high quality overall. B0000C3GWV:don't_buy!!:robert_lezenby_"orgelgrinder" B0000C3GWV JBL Duet PC Speakers (2-Speaker, Silver): Electronics electronics 1 of 8 1.0 March 21, 2006 Robert Lezenby "Orgelgrinder" Ohio USA The JBL Speakers worked fine for 3 weeks and all of a sudden, they quit. In the future, I will buy this type of merchandise locally so that I have some recourse B0000C3GWV:blah_sound_overall:j._e._mildren_"coffee_drinker_extraordinaire" B0000C3GWV JBL Duet PC Speakers (2-Speaker, Silver): Electronics electronics 1 of 4 1.0 March 17, 2006 J. E. Mildren "Coffee drinker extraordinaire" Lawrence, Kan. I was really excited for these affordable speakers after reading the rave reviews, however, I have been extremely disappointed in them. I may have had too high of expectations, but these things put out NO bass whatsoever (it just sounds muffled and cruddy), and the overall sound is extremely poor. I'm really surprised as I've owned JBL speakers in my car that I was extremely pleased with, so I'm amazed at the lacking quality in these. I would recommend either finding another similarly priced set with good reviews or paying a little extra and getting something with a sub included B0000C3GWV:where's_the_headphone_jack,_jack?:d._g._springs B0000C3GWV JBL Duet PC Speakers (2-Speaker, Silver): Electronics electronics 0 of 4 2.0 March 16, 2006 D. G. Springs These speakers sound great - but sometimes you want to crank it up and in the office that's a no-no. So you reach for your phones and... no place to plug them in! How lame is that? Also whoever designed the Volume/On/Off knob is an idiot. The thing is so streamlined and slippery that when you try to turn it, the whole speaker just slips away from you. They're so light that they don't have enough resistance to stay put. So you have to hold it in place with one hand while you turn the knob with the other (unless you velcro them to your desk or something). Too bad because - like I said - they sound great B0000BVUZ2:does_not_retract:r._abramson B0000BVUZ2 Targus PA206U Mini Retractable RJ-11 Cord (Plastic Casing): Electronics electronics 1 of 2 1.0 October 11, 2005 R. Abramson Agree with the prior reviewers. I can not get it to retract any longer and that was only after 3 uses! B00032Q1IK:don't_buy_the_generic_one:feliciano B00032Q1IK Lexar Media Single-Slot USB 2.0 Multi-Card Reader (Model RW023-001): Electronics electronics 2.0 September 5, 2006 Feliciano Venezuela I have bought several of these. Some came in a fancy blister, and others in a coushing bag. Stay away from those. Be sure you're buying the sealed one because the physical design is a lot different. I give the generic two stars just because it works. I give four stars to the original because as others reviewers have said it's a little difficult to remove the card B00032Q1IK:i_don't_know_what_i_can_do_with_this:y._kim_"flyshoe" B00032Q1IK Lexar Media Single-Slot USB 2.0 Multi-Card Reader (Model RW023-001): Electronics electronics 5 of 6 2.0 April 6, 2006 Y. Kim "flyshoe" USA I bought this for easy transfer of pictures from my digital camera with SD memory card anywhere not home and sometimes from other peoples memory card (xD and memory stick).. First of all I was disappointed with the flimsy, plastic design and the size of it. But it would have been ok if it worked!..IT DOESNT READ my SD card. And as menetioned in other people's review hard to insert and take out the cards! I'm scared if the cards get scratch and ruined whenever i do it. I wish I have bought this after reading amazon reviews...it's useless now. I'm lost how I can get sd card work on this and if I do, scared of frequent use for the flimsy design B0002D31QU:doesn't_keep_my_yappy_cairn_from_barking...:d._overton B0002D31QU Premier Gentle Spray Anti-Bark Dog Collar: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 9, 2006 D. Overton CA He just looks away from where the spray emits--and barks again! It also doesn't work 100% of the time...and we're not sure why. When we fill it, it seems to work fairly well right after but it either does not have as many sprays as it is supposed to, or it isn't working very long. It does work well for my other small dog who is not such a persistent barker. Terriers are just too stubborn to care if they're getting sprayed, I guess. B0002D31QU:buyer_beware:cmkb396 B0002D31QU Premier Gentle Spray Anti-Bark Dog Collar: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 November 2, 2006 cmkb396 Having read the other reviews of this product on this site, I decided to go ahead and give these collars a shot despite some of the problems other reviewers had encountered. I ordered three of these products from this site, and when they arrived, not a single one of them worked - at all. They were completely useless and despite trying everything other reviewers and the manufacturer suggested, these products are completely useless. Although I have contacted the manufacturer of this product about the defects, I would still like the buyer to be aware that if purchasing this product from this website, that if the product does not work, it can not be returned for a refund or even exchanged. Thus, your credit card will still be billed, your dogs will still be barking, and you may get stuck with products that are worthless. B0002D31QU:only_sprays_intermittently_with_my_cocker_spaniel_(15_lb.):thomas_baker B0002D31QU Premier Gentle Spray Anti-Bark Dog Collar: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 September 22, 2006 Thomas Baker Princeton Junction, NJ USA Sometimes it sprays when she barks, most of the time it doesn't. So I would say its effectiveness has been rather low. It's not the battery or the fill level - maybe it just depends on the dog. I can bark into it myself and it sprays just fine. (My children found this amusing. B0006N2O0U:save_your_money:robert_p._manwaring_"w rzburg_wolf" B0006N2O0U Zelco Real Wall Clock: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 3, 2006 Robert P. Manwaring "W rzburg Wolf" Anchorage, AK United States This item is cheaply made and I sent it back. The picture looks cool but it's deceiving. The minute hand was so loose that when it was on the right side, it flopped down to the right and then when it was on the left, it plopped down to the left. It couldn't keep the right time B000634GCO:i_am_returning_this_product:an_alaskan B000634GCO Stationary Bark Control by Petsafe: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 September 24, 2006 An Alaskan Initially, my dogs found the sound interesting and slowed down on barking, but after a couple of days they acted like they didn't even hear the sound. Now, they are back to "bark all you want" B000634GCO:don't_waste_your_money:ka B000634GCO Stationary Bark Control by Petsafe: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 July 16, 2006 KA I bought this product hoping it would solve my problem with my barking terrier. He didn't even notice it was there. I put it near his crate and it still didn't stop him from barking. I pushed the manual button and still nothing. It promises to stop annoying barking, but it didn't stop my dog for one minute. It was a complete waste of my money B000634GCO:don't_waste_your_time_or_money.:chris_stewart_"cairn_wrangler" B000634GCO Stationary Bark Control by Petsafe: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 18 of 19 1.0 February 2, 2005 Chris Stewart "Cairn Wrangler" Phoenix, AZ Our dogs didn't even notice it. We have three small terriers and I thought this would be a suitable device for a few house slippers. I was wrong - the kept on barking.. B000BW4AL2:don't_bother_with_this_model:valerie B000BW4AL2 Bark Smart Deluxe Ultrasonic Dog Bark Deterent - Stop Dog Barking: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 22 of 22 1.0 May 1, 2006 Valerie southern New Jersey Read the description carefully. It states the speaker range is 50' not the microphone. My dog stood 10' away from it and even with the sensitivity on high and her barking right at the thing it wouldn't trigger. Matter of fact I never could get it to trigger with barking. The only time it did go off was when I put the batteries in for the first time and my husband was mowing the lawn on his big riding mower and he knocked into a chicken wire fence which made me run out to get it with the unit in my hand. Even then it didn't go off till I was about 4 feet from the mower. I also couldn't get it to just make the ultrasonic sound. Even when switched from audible to ultrasonic you still hear a noise. Not just me but my husband too so it's not a case of super human hearing on my part :-) Yes the timer option is very nice. This was actually why I purchased this one over the others as we only wanted to stop the night barking. But what good is the timer function if the microphone can't pick up the barking? So read these descriptions carefully when looking at these control units. Unless your dog always barks in the same spot and you can place this unit under 4 feet from them then pick something else. B0002Q89O6:lentek_does_not_support_their_product:e._helmgren B0002Q89O6 Lentek Super Bark Free: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 July 31, 2006 E. Helmgren Alameda, Ca Island on the SF Bay I have had my Super Bark Free for 3 years. Never really worked the way I hoped but I spent so much on it I keep trying. Well now it doesn't work. Can't turn it off and it doesn't cycle when the dog barks. I called Lentek and the pleasant young man on the phone told me if it was within the warranty period "1 year" they would just replace it. I told him I was willing to pay to have it repaired. He said, "We are just the distributor and don't support repairs of our product. That is the key, "THEY DO NOT SUPPORT THEIR PRODUCT" B0002Q89O6:didn't_work..._my_nextdoor_neighbor's_dog_merely_ignored_it:w._jones B0002Q89O6 Lentek Super Bark Free: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 June 30, 2006 W. Jones Super Bark Free didn't work in the least to stop my nextdoor neighbor's dog's extremely irritating ear-piercing loud barking - he merely ignored it (though fortunately my neighbor was good about trying to keep the dog quiet). I'm mad that I wasted a lot of money on a totally ineffective product. If you decide to purchase Super Bark Free, be sure it's returnable for a full refund if it doesn't live up to its claims. And in the meantime, shop around for a more effective product B0002IG4U0:this_thing_doesn't_suck!_:regina_k._dedominicis_"sweet_light" B0002IG4U0 Bissell 5200 Flip-It Bare Floor Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 17, 2006 Regina K. Dedominicis "sweet light" Mundelein, IL USA The one item in your house that you really wish would suck and it certainly doesn't! This thing blows more air than it sucks dirt. What a useless thing. I'm looking for one that will actually pick up the dirt from the recessed areas of my prefinished floor. This thing certainly doesn't do it! If you're looking to buy this thing, look again -- there MUST be something better if not just your regular broom B0006N2O2I:don't_use_with_batteries!:tom_talbott B0006N2O2I Zelco Adapter for LED Booklight: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 12, 2006 Tom Talbott Seattle, WA The design for using the DC adapter with LED Booklight is extremely poor. It is possible that I missed the warning that tells you to remove the batteries before using the DC adapter. But, it must not have been very big. I combined the two and ended up with batteries that leaked all over inside the battery case. These were brand new batteries. There does not seem to be anything protecting the batteries from the DC adapter and so the power goes right into them. This is bad. Modern devices are expected to work with either battery or adapter without having to remove the batteries. I had assumed that I could leave the batteries in so that when I was at home I could use the adapter, but traveling I would use the batteries. Don't make this mistake B00009K3V1:hate_it:l._soto B00009K3V1 Waring DF200 Professional Deep Fryer, Brushed Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 7 1.0 July 2, 2006 L. soto ny i got this fryer only yesterday i fryed some chicken wings and french fries the fries came out with so much oil and cooked for 10 min for a small batch i have been frying for about 10 years and know how to cook very well and i have to say this is just as bad as frying on the stove. i put the oil to the max fill line and with cooking the two things the oil went down to the min line do not buy. B0009MYQJ0:my_continuing_crusade_against_gizmos:::>)- B0009MYQJ0 6 Second Abs - Ab Crunch Machine - DVD Version: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 November 6, 2006 :>)- Chicago, IL USA There are a lot of theoretically good ideas that fail when executed. This is one of them. 1/QUALITY:It's made cheaply, and even before it breaks, it's flimsiness does not inspire confidence. 2/RESISTANCE:The levels of resistance have nothing to do with real progression , as anyone who 'seriously' uses this will be too strong for the machine in a few weeks,(many will be unchallenged right from the beginning). The standard: If the set is longer than a minute and you still have strength to continue, you need more resistance. 3/COMPARED TO CRUNCHES: There's a reason why crunches are done lying down: The weight of the torso supplies a fairly heavy resistance, whereas when you crunch in an uptight position the weight of the torso actually helps the effort, as you are dropping your weight down instead of lifting it up. Much of what makes the Ab Crunch Machine 'work' is your weight dropping on it, not your muscles working. This little piece of plastic doesn't have springs strong enough to resist your bodyweight and strengthen your muscles besides. (You may achieve an isometric contraction that has some effect, but you can get -exactly- this effect, or -better-, without any equipment at all! Just tense up in seated crunch position for minute or so.)... Of course, by the time a product is appealing to the public by claiming how supposedly -huge- a hassle lying down (??) to do crunches is, we've reached the real problem: This thing is designed to AVOID EFFORT. It seems as though no one goes broke helping people avoid effort. Unfortunately, exercise IS effort, and the more you avoid effort, the less exercise you get B0000TRRY8:cost??:r._schultz B0000TRRY8 Sleeper Sofa Helper- 48" x 48"-White- - (White) Sleeper Helper - Large: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 September 26, 2006 R. Schultz United States I have seen this online on other sites and in catalogs for $20 (not on sale either - regular price). Same siz B0002ISJEY:don't_buy_it_from_dynadirect:ea_hendriksen B0002ISJEY CorningWare 15-Ounce Grab-It Dish with Cover, French White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 9 1.0 January 23, 2006 Ea Hendriksen The Corningware dish is great, my 1 star is not for the item, it is for Dynadirect. They are HORRIBLE! Item was backordered, but they never told me and charged my credit card. When I called they finally told me it was backordered and I ask that they cancel the order and refund my money. Bad, Bad Servic B00006JHRG:my_pups_just_didn't_get_how_to_use_this_product:k._hansen B00006JHRG Lentek PP05G Pet Paw, Additional Paw for Pet Chime: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 July 20, 2006 K. Hansen California I was really hopeful about this product working. I have four dogs, ages 2 through 8. I tried and tried to teach them how to use this product, but they just never could make the connection of the bark to pushing the button. They just ignored the paw and wouldn't ever put their paw on it to even touch it B00006JHRG:read_carefully!!!:m._barkley B00006JHRG Lentek PP05G Pet Paw, Additional Paw for Pet Chime: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 March 10, 2006 M. Barkley This is very misleading. this item is only half of the package. after its delivered you will find that you must also order more parts to make it work. very disappointed in amazon for allowing this B00004S1C6:what_are_the_colors_made_of?:private B00004S1C6 Ateco 12-Color Food Coloring Kit: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 3 1.0 August 18, 2006 Private As this is a consumable food product, I'd like to know what each color is made of. ??????????? B000261PP6:very_poor_quality:e._hawk_"falcon" B000261PP6 1 Doz Red Roses: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 35 of 38 1.0 January 27, 2006 E. Hawk "Falcon" CA I am very disappointed. These flowers are worse than what you see at a grocery store. I ended up paying more from another vendor and getting flowers that she liked. I buy roses alot, and I know what a fair cost is for good quality. If you're paying less than $30, beware B00005R8TK:too_flimsy!___light_also_not_that_bright.:bevdel B00005R8TK Zelco "itty bitty" Original Book Light: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 2.0 February 15, 2006 Bevdel Massapequa, NY USA Being somewhat of an insomniac I read well into the hours of the night and a book light is essential to me. I therefore purchased the itty bitty booklight. If you do use this light it is essential to purchase the power supply for two reasons. Firstly, there is no auto shut-off so if you fall asleep reading your batteries wear down very quickly. Secondly, when using batteries, they start dimming rather quickly making it hard on the eyes and difficult to read resulting in the constant need for new batteries. This light is also extremely fragile. Over a couple of years I went through 7 of these! I would not recommend this light - for the amount you spend on the never-ending purchasing of batteries or the expensive power supply, and the constant new purchases after it breaks, you might as well splurge and buy a decent book light. I now have the Tri Lite by Capstone Enterprises (available at Barnes & Nobel - come on and get it in stock Amazon!) It is terrific! It has a clock with an alarm and a timer. You can set it to stay on for any period of time and once it reaches that time the light flashes. At that time you can extend the minutes. If you don't do so, for example you're sleeping, it will automatically shut off. It also produces much more light and is much brighter than the Itty Bitty Book Light B00005R8TK:poor_quality:tim_brody_"sardaukar" B00005R8TK Zelco "itty bitty" Original Book Light: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 January 9, 2006 Tim Brody "sardaukar" Cambridge, MA Why does this light cost 30$? For this price and supposedly a bunch of "design awards", I find this light to be of extremely poor quality. The connection between the chord and the a/c adapter is loose and tends to fall out with the slightest notion of tension. The chord is also very sensitive and needs to be jiggled to get the light to stay on. I am still looking for a better alternative, but for the price, this light isn't worth the investment. B000FMQF16:great_idea,_too_bad_it_doesn't_work:c._gray_"in_the_doghouse_now" B000FMQF16 ONE TOUCH CAN OPENER: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 November 9, 2006 C. Gray "in the doghouse now" I bought this for my mother-in-law at her request. She has arthritis and saw it on TV. She also wanted the free gripper that came with it. I scoured the listings at Amazon looking for one that included the gripper, even paid a little more for it. She used the can opener once and it broke. The "free" gripper required sending away for it and an inflated S&H fee B000FMQF16:save_your_money:ryanwb B000FMQF16 ONE TOUCH CAN OPENER: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 2, 2006 Ryanwb The can has to be 100% dent free for this to work. If you have even a tiny imperfection in the shape of the can, this thing won't open your product. A great idea, but this needed a little more refinement. Paper weight in my min B00023XCWS:water_smells_like_plastic:g._huang B00023XCWS Proctor Silex K2070 1-Quart Automatic Electric Kettle, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 November 22, 2006 G. Huang Los Angeles, CA United States I bought this electric kettle and while it did heat water very quickly, once I opened the lid the whole pot of water reeked of plastic. Needless to say, the water was not drinkable. I don't know if I was stuck with a bad unit but I would not recommend this electric kettle. Buyer beware B0001CKSIG:very_thin_for_a_name_brand_towel__:-(:david_s B0001CKSIG Martex Egyptian Bath Towel, Burgundy: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 12 of 21 2.0 March 29, 2006 David S New York I bought these towels to wash my car, so I wanted a thick soft 100% cotton nap. What I received was on par with the thin towels you'd find at cheap hotel - not thick or soft. On the plus side, the sewed in tag did say 100% cotton and it was made in the USA B00004RDCT:don't_waste_your_money:kimberly_smith B00004RDCT Progressive International 4-Cup Gravy Separator: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 13 1.0 December 23, 2002 Kimberly Smith Wahiawa, HI United States This product does separate the fat BUT small bits of meat or vegetables will stop up the spout and the plastic is not heat resistant. Mine cracked the first time I used it and after the second use it had to go in the trash can B00004RDCT:old_technology_fat_separator:erek B00004RDCT Progressive International 4-Cup Gravy Separator: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 16 of 31 1.0 May 2, 2000 erek Boston area, Massachusetts Once upon a time, not too long ago, they made and sold fat separators that permitted the juice to flow out from the bottom of the separator. This meant that the cook could harvest all of the juice, plus the tasty bits, instead of, as with this product, having to strain the sauce first (for the bits) and then sacrifice some of the sauce (a small amount to be sure), lest the fat start to flow through the spout as well. This product is really just a step away from spoon and ice cube, and not a big step, considering that it's not a complete solution. If the cooks's purpose were to collect the fat--e.g., chicken schmalz--free from juices, it would present the same problems B0009ONZ8G:not_to_impressed:lynn_"lynn" B0009ONZ8G Hoover U5140-900 Tempo Widepath Bagged Upright Vacuum: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 November 11, 2006 Lynn "Lynn" Idaho Works well on carpets not to well anywhere else. The hose attachment is horrible, the hose is about 4 ft long and stiff and is not permanently attached to the vacuum, and when you try to clean furniture the movement losens it and it comes off. I have 2 dogs and 3 cats and I need to be able to clean the furniture. Also when you could use the hose on something all the dirt piled up on the floor where the vacuum stood, it was not pulled into the bag. Very disappointed with it and would not recommend to anyone with pets. B00023C6KW:know_what_you're_buying:e._swope B00023C6KW Henckels International Eversharp 8-Piece Steak Knife Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 2.0 July 20, 2006 E. Swope Kaneohe, HI USA The International Eversharp line is Henckels low-end, stamped stainless line. It is not carbon steel. It is not hand-forged. It does not compare to the other Henckels lines which are. You get what you pay for. These are cheap knives. This is the first time I have seen a set of Henckels knives which could go in the dishwasher....but, that's because on this line, you do not get Henckels lifetime warranty (which is voided by dishwasher use) B00008WFDO:the_bad_reviews_are_right_--_don't_buy_it!!!:s. B00008WFDO Original Space Bag Combo, 1 Extra Large, 2 Large, and 1 Jumbo: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 11 1.0 January 25, 2006 S. Boston, MA USA I decided to give this product a shot. Some reviewers said the bags would work properly if you don't overstuff them -- still not true! A Large bag re-inflated when I put 2 standard pillows in it. So I took out 1 pillow and tried again, and the bag was nowhere near being full. It seemed to work all right, but the next morning the pillow had re-inflated! And if you buy the bags with the zippers, the zippers come off easily, they make sealing more difficult, and one even tore a hole in the bag. I purchased straight from AsSeenOnTV.com, but their return policy looks a little weird. I'm not sure if I'll get a refund. Also be careful if you order straight from AsSeenOnTV.com -- I upgraded to express shipping and got my package 12 days later! I guess the product was just too good to be true. B00004OCLU:shrinks_and_sheds_when_things_get_hot:j._sutherland_"picky_shopper_extraordinaire" B00004OCLU OXO Good Grips 38581 Basting Brush: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 February 4, 2006 J. Sutherland "picky shopper extraordinaire" Provo, UT USA This is the worst basting brush I have ever encountered. At first countless bristles fell out in my food and every time I washed it. (Although it's dishwasher safe, it failed to come clean in there, even after a big squirt of dawn and much hand washing it isn't spotless, but I think I pulled most of the loose bristles out in the process.) It also doesn't stand up to any heat, I use it to lightly grease my griddle for pancakes and things (at about 375 degrees) becuase I don't like the residue left by Pam, and it shrinks and flakes bristle bits every time. I also don't like the Good Grips in general (these were a gift) the handles are too bulky and take up too much space in my utensil crock and limited apartment kitchen drawers B0000CAQBL:beautiful_but_dangerous:_buy_for_display_use_only:river B0000CAQBL Fiestaware Shamrock 453 10-1/4-Ounce Handled Mug: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 8 1.0 March 1, 2005 River Midwest The Fiestaware Scarlet mugs are beautiful but dangerous. The handle is much too small for this size mug. If you can get your finger through the small hole, your finger will soon be as scarlet as the Fiestaware. The first and only time my family used these mugs, two of us burned ourselves. Fiestaware really screwed up on this one, a shame given the beauty of the Scarlet Fiestaware B0000E19MW:barely_gets_one_star:lesley_a._strohm B0000E19MW Old Stone 16-Inch Round Oven Pizza Stone: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 23 1.0 February 4, 2005 Lesley A. Strohm Dublin, OH Last year, I bought a Pizza Stone from Pampered Chef. It was a rousing success with my family. For the 5 of us, however, one stone was not enough and I wanted a companion that would help provide two delicious pizzas at one time. Sadly, the product did not come through. My pizza stuck to the stone and had to be scraped off. I tried going against the directions and didn't preheat the stone the second time. It stuck even worse! The pizza didn't get fully done in the middle, while the Pampered Chef pizza was perfect both times. I will be throwing the stone away and ordering the higher priced alternative from Pampered Chef. You get what you pay for!! B0000E19MW:disappointed:p._l._harrell_"harrellontrack" B0000E19MW Old Stone 16-Inch Round Oven Pizza Stone: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 12 of 33 1.0 August 26, 2004 P. L. Harrell "harrellontrack" atlanta, georgia I thought I was getting a true cooking stone - but it is only a bread stone. Cannot cook other foods on it. I thought I was getting something similar to pampered chef cooking stone where I could cook meat, cookies, etc. and it seasoned the stone as it was used. If all you want is pizza or bread this may be the item - but it is VERY limited in use for the amount of space it takes up in the cabinet. B0000A1ZMR:keeps_coffe_hot--that's_its_only_advantage--poor_performance_and_quality.:d._dib B0000A1ZMR Cuisinart DCC-450 4-Cup Coffeemaker with Stainless Steel Carafe, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 October 17, 2006 D. Dib Metro New York, USA Purchased the unit about 6 months ago and have never been happy with it. The heating plate under the pot started to rust; the pot leaks every time it's poured; it's almost impossible to pour water into the water chamber without spilling it; the handle of the coffee basket broke within a few months; and two days ago the entire top of the unit snapped off when we opened it to pour in the water. We purchased this unit because of the Cuisinart brand and the stainless steel carafe. We will not purchase another B00004SGFB:be_warned!__they_do_not_fit_securely_over_all_5qt_bowls!: B00004SGFB KitchenAid KBC5N Mixer Bowl Covers for 5-Quart Stand Mixer Bowls, Set of 2: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 1.0 March 1, 2004 I have a Kitchenaid model K5SSWH Heavy Duty Mixer and they do not fit over my 5 qt bowl. I regrettably only read the editorial review and bought these covers thinking I can snap them on. I use them to loosely cover my attachments now, but I could have used anything for that B00004SGFB:warning!:laura_b._monteros B00004SGFB KitchenAid KBC5N Mixer Bowl Covers for 5-Quart Stand Mixer Bowls, Set of 2: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 70 of 74 1.0 April 3, 2002 Laura B. Monteros As Shannon says, Kitchenaid mixer bowl covers are terrific for storing food and attachments. But be warned: these particular covers may not fit your mixer bowl! I purchased a new Artisan mixer & ordered these to go along with it, but they are too small. They do not fit the Artisan or KSM90 mixer bowls. Models they fit are KBC5N, K5SS, & KSM5 only B0001MXU68:what_a_pos...:s._l._meredith_"gunner" B0001MXU68 Melitta MES2B OneOne Single Serve Coffeemaker, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 1.0 September 3, 2006 S. L. Meredith "Gunner" Tampa, FL United States Started having problems with hot water spraying out and burning those who stand in front. Contacted Melitta and they said they are aware of the issue and I have to "purchase" a pod holder adapter due to the pods are too thick. I questioned charging people for something they manufactured and were notified was defective, the dummy on the phone didn't have an answer. I do not recommend this product. Maybe a class action is due B0000CFTDC:bad_advertising_by_amazon: B0000CFTDC Corelle 6003905 Winter Frost White 18-Ounce Bowl: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 17 1.0 December 16, 2003 I ordered this after reading that it "includes 6 18 ounce bowls". This is bad advertising. I ordered 2 sets and only received 2 bowls. After I wrote to customer service and asked for the additional 10 bowls per the offer. Amazon refused to send them and thanked me for "pointing out an error". In 2 days Amazon has not even corrected the ad. Beware of this product and offer and know that Amazon has not made good on its offer. I have ordered many products from this site, but will be more skeptical in the future, and will only order an item if it is an individual item with a name brand that I can track B00007B8R6:average_results_-_burned_flavor:rfordh_"rfordh" B00007B8R6 Capresso 302.01 Mini-S 4-Cup Safety Espresso/Cappuccino Machine: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 September 11, 2006 rfordh "rfordh" Santa Cruz, CA I am a big fan of espresso and espresso drinks but needed to save money so I bought this to make it at home. Making espresso is easy enough if you follow the instructions (I didn't watch the video). The frother even works well. The problem I had was with the flavor. The manual suggests making two or four shots of espresso at a time, but when making four shots the espresso was badly burned by the time it was finished brewing. I had best results making just over one shot at a time, but the flavor was still burned and flat. In the end, I used the machine for a couple months but eventually put it away and went back to my regular drip coffee maker B0002V3ZX6:does_non-stick_refer_to_the_packaging?:jenny_steeves B0002V3ZX6 KitchenAid Cooks Series 15-Inch and 17-Inch Slider Twin Pack: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 9 1.0 March 24, 2005 Jenny Steeves NY, NY Everything sticks to these pans! I cannot get OFF the potato residue and I'm probably just going to throw them away. They are awkwardly heavy. They do not warp, but they do pop out of shape (this happens when the pans are in the oven and you'll hear a very loud, scary pop). Just awful. B00008PC48:calphalon:l._jackson B00008PC48 Simply Calphalon Nonstick Aluminum 12-Inch Omelet Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 13 1.0 August 14, 2005 L. Jackson seminole, ok I have not received this item yet. I tracked this item and it seems that it was delivered Aug 12 to Phoenix, Az. I live in Oklahoma and that was the address on the shipment. What can be done about this? Thank yo. Please let me hear from you soon. L. Jackson B000050FZZ:leaks,_leaks,_leaks!!:shegeek B000050FZZ Rowenta DM-273 Powerglide 2 Iron with Auto-Off Feature: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 1.0 February 6, 2006 SheGeek Lexington, KY I can't believe this is a Rowenta product! If you decide to disregard the reviews, here are some things from the owners manual (which I read before using the iron - and followed to the letter) to give you an idea how temperamental/high-maintenance this item is: *Do NOT use distilled water. You can use tap water - if it's not too hard (less than 12 grains - who actually knows this?). Softened water can also cause problems. Basically, if you use anything except bottled water, expect problems! *Empty the water from the iron after EVERY use. Failure to do so will result in leaking or spitting *Other than the Rowenta Soleplate cleaning kits (which run about $12), the only instructions/recommendations for cleaning the soleplate are what NOT to use. I had a very inexpensive Panasonic iron for years - given Panasonic is not really "known" for this type of item, my expectations were not high. It lasted 7 years with no problems and was low and/or no maintenance. Don't count on the Rowenta name to equate to higher quality on this one B00012CNYI:tea_of_cowage!_omg!:mark_e._sartor B00012CNYI Pfaltzgraff Pistoulet Tea of Courage Canister: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 August 29, 2006 Mark E. Sartor Lansing, MI United States I just got one of these nifty looking Canisters, but mine seems to spell out "Tea of Cowage" ! LOL.. It seems the script of the u merged with the r and thus made a 'w'.. There is no space between the lower case u and r. Too funny! Thanks Pfaltzgraff! Good production Quality Control! If I could post a picture of it here in this review I Would! Edit: I did get a second one of these shipped from Amazon, and that one also had the misspelling. Will someone who has purchased one of these recently Please post a review and mention if this product Still says "Tea Of Cowage"? THANKS B0000YTYGM:nice_idea,_but...:kathleen_a._goldy_"kat" B0000YTYGM Cuisinart DTC-975BKN Programable Auto Brew 12-Cup Coffeemaker, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 2.0 November 9, 2006 Kathleen A. Goldy "kat" NJ the cofee carafe keeps brew hot for hours! I have had 4 spillages and alot of mess to clean up because the filter must be aligned properly or else! I also cannot figure out how to program... one of the most important features for me buying... I really wish I could send this back B00006RJT3:consistent_rust_stains:one_real_picky_consumer_"mobius1357" B00006RJT3 Calphalon Traditional Cutlery 4-Piece Forged Steak Knife Set with Wooden Storage Tray: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 15, 2006 One Real Picky Consumer "mobius1357" Texas Despite my by-the-book care of these knives, I still get rust stains that are nearly impossible to get off. I do not have that problem with other knives in my collection, but these clean up like cheap steel. Not very attractive, and you don't want to eat with them B000FOCHI4:remanufactured?__no_thanks.:keen_on_clean_"catharine_with_an_a" B000FOCHI4 Remanufactured iRobot Roomba 4230 Remote Scheduler Robotic Vacuum: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 1.0 November 9, 2006 keen on clean "Catharine with an A" Sarasota, FL USA Love those Irobot products and everything they're capable of doing. In fact, this was my third purchase, but my first remanufactured product. What a headache! The product worked correctly just three times, then died. Both technical support and customer service from Irobot were helpful and prompt, but still took weeks to resolve the issues. I tried a different way of recharging, which didn't work. Then they replaced the battery, but that still didn't solve the problem. Ultimately I had to send the product back, then waited more than a month for a replacement, which was on backorder. Finally, they substituted a different model, and which works just as advertised. I'd never buy another remanufactured model. But I still believe in Irobot. B0007D81D8:arrived_broken:diana_g._miller B0007D81D8 Fiesta Scarlet 821 Sugar and Creamer with Tray: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 3 1.0 August 22, 2005 Diana G. Miller Meridian, ID Fiesta Scarlet is a beautiful color and the Sugar and Creamer with Tray is really great. Mine arrived broken and I had difficulty returning it so I remain disappointed and unwilling to try again. B00004RFNU:almost_useless:matthew_hunter_"technology_geek" B00004RFNU Henckels International Eversharp Pro 8-Inch Stainless Steel Bread Knife: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 12 of 12 1.0 October 10, 2005 Matthew Hunter "Technology Geek" Blacksburg, VA United States Please note that I have several Henckel knives that I really like, so this is definitely not a anti-Henckel biased review. There is really only one problem with this knife - the blade is way too thick. If there's only one problem - then why do I give it only one star? Well, this one problem completely ruins this knife. The 'eversharp' name I'm sure refers to the fact that the serrations are not the standard "wave pattern" you'd see on most bread knives. Instead, each serration has several smaller serrations and spikes built in. I know that this is supposed to ensure that the knife will never end up dull - but in the process it makes it horrible at doing any kind of delicate cutting. Plus, the blade is not flexible in any way due to the extreme thickness. Unless you are cutting the sturdiest bread out there, you'll crush it while trying to slice with this blade. Forget about cutting any kind of soft bread or pastry. I've found that some of our cheap steak knives work far better than this knife. I've come to the conclusion that this knife is horrible after comparing it to two other bread knives I now own. The first was a Paderno (small Canadian company) that we got for our wedding, and the second was a Global bought from Amazon. Both are considerably more expensive than this knife, but there are other, more economical options out there that are still far better. You want to find a nice, thin blade with even and sharp serrations. If you're looking to stay in this price range, you won't find anything forged - these will all be stamped or laser cut - but that's fine - the bread knife doesn't need to be strong like your chef's knife. Pros: -Cheap Cons: -Mashes your bread while it cuts -Hard to get started through crusts due to blade thickness -The 'spiky' serrations are dangerous to your fingers (think many tiny needles along the blade) - they tend to nick you easily - but they are useless for their intended purpose of cutting bread. Suggestion: Steer clear. If you can afford it, get a Global (or even a better Henckel). Otherwise, look for a the thin stamped blade B00004X12T:dreadful:amazon_shopper B00004X12T Hamilton Beach 74250 Carve 'N Set Electric Knife: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 1.0 September 20, 2006 amazon shopper La Jolla, CA Terrible ergonomics! It was SO difficult and uncomfortable to keep the trigger engaged and carve at the same time. My hand was ACHING by the time I'd carved the brisket. I've never used a more awkward or uncomfortable appliance B0002KINSY:a_slight_disappointment:a._pompei B0002KINSY George Foreman GRP99 Next Generation Grill with Removable Plates, Silver Metallic Finish: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 3 2.0 November 3, 2006 A. Pompei SLC, USA This grill is better in theory than practice. I'm not sure it heats to the temp it shows on the display and it really isn't practical for steaks except very thin ones. It's pretty handy for hamburgers and also makes good panini sandwiches. I haven't tried some of the other recipes so I can't really comment on anything else. It is easy to clean, so that's a plus B00005OTY9:1_star_because_you_can't_go_lower_than_that!:john_w._bailey B00005OTY9 Juiceman Jr. Automatic Juice Extractor: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 1.0 May 12, 2005 John W. Bailey The only thing this juicer is good for is to find out if you will really be into juicing. This juicer lasted for 3 months while juicing 3 to 5 times a week (for two people). At 3 months the tray that holds the blade warped and started spitting plastic into the drink. I considered getting another one to have spare parts....then I scraped that idea and got a real juicer. Besides being cheaply made...it should also be priced cheaper. Also the blade takes a while to clean B00004S8F0:the_cannister_is_too_small:carolyn_a._morningstar B00004S8F0 Waring PBB201 Professional Bar Blender, Quite White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 29 1.0 October 11, 2005 Carolyn A. Morningstar and when i requested a return amazon said they would send me a return label, but didn't. nor did they respond to my email advising i never received the return label. this is my last order from amazon B00007AOB6:disappointment:nilda_esteban B00007AOB6 Nordic Ware 3-Piece Toaster Oven Grill and Bake Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 8 1.0 March 14, 2006 Nilda Esteban Rancho Palos Verdes, CA United States I felt disapointed with the quality of this bake set. The grill cover started to desapair, and the last time I cooked a stek using this set, the paint sticked to the meat, leaving black spots. It started to show deteriorazion and everytime I washed I have to dried it up immediately otherwise mark of rust starts to show soon. The deep pan it is ok, perhaps because I did not used that piece with the same frequency. I never used metal utensills or harsh detergents durig the cleaning, I always leave it in hot water first and later do the cleaning, to avoid scratches. Thank you for your attention Nilda B00007AOB6:not_worth_the_shipping,_even_if_its_free:new_iron_chef_america_"love_to_cook!" B00007AOB6 Nordic Ware 3-Piece Toaster Oven Grill and Bake Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 17 of 17 1.0 April 6, 2005 New Iron Chef America "Love to cook!" New York, NY Purchased this set and on the first use the non-stick finish, started peeling off. Not worth buying B00004XSCA:life_span:fred_hapgood B00004XSCA Taylor Oven Guide Thermometer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 10 2.0 December 18, 2005 Fred Hapgood Boston, MA The temperature markings on this thermometer are not protected! Over time the markings get occluded by grease and if you try to wash the grease off the markings come with it. This means the thermometer has a short life span for people who rely on the markings for anything (which granted is not everyone). Last time I buy an oven thermometer in which the markings don't sit behind a glass face! B000I5Q1IC:a_bummer_for_a_dyson_lover:bb_"barbx" B000I5Q1IC Dyson Root 6: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 12 of 13 2.0 November 16, 2006 BB "barbx" South Riding, VA I couldn't wait to get the Dyson Root 6 - I've had my Dyson DC 07 for 4 years and I LOVE it, so I figured the mini-version would be fantastic. I have 3 Dustbusters (one on each floor) and I was looking forward to the Dyson version, which I was convinced would be top notch. I'm so sorry to be wrong. First off, having to press the button continuously to make it work is a pain. And speaking of pain, the Root is so heavy and unbalanced - all the weight is in the back which puts a lot of strain on your wrist. I haven't noticed any difference in suction to a Dustbuster, but then again, I don't suck up bowling balls. A Dustbuster picks up lint and cat litter just as well. Save your money - this Dyson ain't worth it B00004RC3D:not_as_described:sheri_jaffa B00004RC3D Kaiser Bakeware La Forme 9-Inch Nonstick Springform Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 15 1.0 January 23, 2003 sheri jaffa Park City, UT United States I was looking for a springform pan for a particular recipe that called for 3" sides. I was delighted when I saw that you had one so I ordered it. The item was misrepresented as the sides are like any other springform with 2" sides. I am sure it is a good pan , but it didnot meet my expectations B0001851AK:loud!:bsnteacher B0001851AK Honeywell Enviracare EFY041 Remote Control Oscillating Tower Fan with Air Filtration System: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 July 16, 2006 bsnteacher IL United States I just bought this fan and it is too loud! Even on its lowest setting, the noise is a bit much. It does put out a stiff breeze, but I'm not sure it's worth it. My Black and Decker tower fan is better B00004S9BY:lock_problem:nanfran B00004S9BY Cuisinart Blade and Disc Holder: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 September 8, 2006 Nanfran CA United States Had to return the first one because of a lock malfunction (it locked but would not unlock). Amazon was great about responding immediately and replacing it promptly. However, the lock on the second one does not work properly, either (it doesn't lock), though I will keep it, since keeping little hands safe is not an issue in my home. This item is a good way of storing blades and disks, but unless Cuisinart comes up with a more reliable locking mechanism, don't count on it to protect small hands from getting into it. B00006NW9L:multiple_probes_failed_quickly;_bad_batch?_or_just_plain_bad?:jo_gusto B00006NW9L Replacement Probe for Polder Cooking Thermometer, Wireless Cooking Thermometer, and Smart Fork: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 1.0 April 17, 2006 Jo Gusto Santa Cruz, CA USA I've heard of others complaining that these probes will end up failing under "normal" use... something goes wrong at some point, and they just don't read right anymore. I love my Taylor digital thermometer, and these probes seem to work with the Taylor, but I went through 3 probes very quickly. I use them in my Weber barbeque when doing indirect heat cooking. In spite of the fact that I took care to not route the cable over a burner, or anything of that sort, each probe lasted only 5 or 6 uses. I had ordered three at one time, and all of them failed in a similar way. THERE ARE OTHER PROBES AVAILABLE that are better! There is one available on the Internet that is sold as a Taylor probe replacement. These probes look the same (with the 90-degree elbow bend and the right-angle mini-plug), but they have a smooth grey silicone-rubber sheathed cable, instead of a metal braid sheath. I bought several of these (reasonably priced, around $12 or so), and so far, they have worked like champs with no failures and accurate readings from freezing to boiling. I would not recommend these probes based on my experience with very high failure rates. B000F0BE6O:worst_toaster_ever:james_johnson_"kitchen_warlock" B000F0BE6O Cuisinart TAN-4 Tandem 4-Slice Toaster: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 October 17, 2006 James Johnson "kitchen warlock" Iowa, USA When our wonderful Cuisanart four-slice toaster finally died, we replaced it with this horrible piece of junk, because it seemed most similar to the old one. What a mistake! - Even on the lowest setting, this toaster burns the crust at the bottom. - It is not easy to tell if you have it set for two slices or four. With the old toaster, it was very easy to see. - The push-down slider does not move freely and sometimes has to be pushed down two or three times before it engages. - The old toaster let you select "defrost" and "bagel" at the same time. The new toaster lets you select one or the other. All in all, a big waste of money and a major disappointment. B000F0BE6O:this_is_one_lousy_toaster!:w._gregory B000F0BE6O Cuisinart TAN-4 Tandem 4-Slice Toaster: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 October 10, 2006 W. Gregory Santa Clarita, CA United States The toast was black on setting 4, black and dark tan on setting 3, and dark tan and untoasted on setting 2. This is appalling performance for such an expensive toaster, and not worthy of Cuisinart B000A790X6:do_not_buy_this_brand!:andee_f. B000A790X6 Breville SK500XL Ikon Stainless-Steel Electric Tea Kettle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 17 1.0 April 22, 2006 Andee F. Oakland,CA USA I purchased one like this last December.On the 13th month I owned it it began to leak from the spout.I emailed Breville 2-3 times and they never even responded!Their web site states they always respond within 3 days.Don't believe them and don't buy a product from this company B000F3V3J4:thin_sheets_that_curl_and_buckle_in_the_oven_-_yuk!:robert_brian_lamm_"robeezee" B000F3V3J4 Calpahlon Classic Bakeware 14-by-17-Inch Cookie Sheets, 2-Pack: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 October 15, 2006 Robert Brian Lamm "robeezee" Englishtown, NJ USA I ordered 3 (2x) sets of these so that I would have a full complement of 6 cookie sheets. When they arrived, I noted that they were a bit lighter than the commercial quality cookie sheets that I had used previously, but my thinking was that if they baked well, that was all that counted. I always bake with an Exopat silicone mat on my sheets. Upon the first use, when they were placed in the oven, the edges of the cookie sheets turned up about a quarter of an inch - an ominous sign that the sheets are too thin. The next thing I heard was the tap tap tap of sheets buckling in the oven. Lack of dimensional stability at 350 degrees F translates to poor heat conduction, and burned cookie bottoms. This symphony of metal buckling, courtesy of my new $15 cookie sheets. Even with the Exopat silicone sheets on them, the cookies were barely done when I decided to pull them from the oven to save the bottoms from getting burned - typical of cheap, thin cookie sheets that one knows one needs to "double pan" to prevent burning. What a wonderful situation Amazon has presented me with - $90 and a garbage can full of cookie sheets. Yes, into the garbage all six sheets went - no matter how costly, its even more so to live with poor quality baking implements and invent work-arounds to augment their performance. These are no better than inexpensive supermarket cookie sheets - actually they're worse - with the price-point of supermarket wares, one can infer the quality that one is getting. I used to believe brands like Calphalon stood for quality, and this translated into some assurance that products bearing premium names would be of, at least, mezzanine quality. When I buy on the web and cannot better scrutinize the items I'm choosing, I tend to favor trusted brands. As it turns out, these sheets did not have the Calphalon name on them anywhere - Calphalon apparently made the decision to buy up a bunch of cheap -Made in China- cookie sheets and sell them at a premium price by leveraging the Calphalon brand. With the holiday baking season upon us, what do I plan to replace them with? The Vollrath cookie sheets (not non-stick, but I use silicone mats, so do I care?) recommended in Cooks Illustrated magazine. They're in stock at Chef Resource - their price everywhere is $19 but most vendors are out of them. They're due to arrive via UPS day after tomorrow - Tuesday, 10/17. Holiday baking is much too sacred a tradition to be left in the hands of Calphalon, apparently. If I could give them no stars or provide an icon of 6 sheets going into the trash, I would so rate them. B000FNRRO4:junk,_do_not_waste_your_money:j._martin B000FNRRO4 Pike Street Flannel Twin Sheet Set, Hats and Mittens: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 1.0 November 22, 2006 J. Martin Ann Arbor, MI United States You truly get what you pay for in this case. We bought the red ones and they have left fuzzies all over the house. In the dryer, you need to check the lint trap frequently, as they shed like mad. They are not smooth and cozy, they have a very high coefficient of friction and it's sorta hard to scootch around on them. I would not recommend. B000FNRRO4:horrible_product:gopalakris_juttu B000FNRRO4 Pike Street Flannel Twin Sheet Set, Hats and Mittens: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 3 1.0 November 19, 2006 Gopalakris Juttu Houston, TX Product not even worth a penny. Impossible to use after the first wash..Wont recommend to anyon B000B649X2:arrived_prefilled_with_dirt_and_hair:richardf_"richardf" B000B649X2 Factory-Reconditioned iRobot Roomba 4299 Discovery Floorvac Robotic Vacuum: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 17 of 17 1.0 September 20, 2006 RichardF "RichardF" Chicago, IL I thought it was a good deal to order a "Factory-Reconditioned" Roomba 4210 Discovery to save some money, however... It arrived! I excitedly opened the box. First impression... The unit was dirty, very heavily scatched and scuffed. Not exactly a good first impression. I then lifted the Roomba out of the box and I was immediately covered with dirt and dust. The bottom of the box was also filled with dirt and dust and hair. I flipped it over and discovered the brushes covered with dirt, dust and someones (or somethings!) hair. I was grossed out, but even worse, the other person in the room (who suffers from allergies) started to sneeze violently. I spent the next 20 minutes thoroughly vacuuming the entire room and all other horizontal surfaces I could reach. I think it is very obvious that NOBODY did anything with this Roomba since the previous owner returned it besides transfer the polystyrene packing box to a new cardboard box that says "Remanufactured" on it! In summary - BE VERY CAREFUL!!! If you ordered a "Factory-Reconditioned", be aware that it might be pre-filled with someone elses dust, dirt, hair and who knows what else. I think I might have to bite the bullet and pay full price. I like the idea of this product, but not the pre-filled one I received B00006F2MJ:doesn't_last:cathy_w B00006F2MJ Cuisinart CBT-500 Brushed Stainless Power Blender: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 November 18, 2006 Cathy W A Twin Cities, MN, burbclave When it works, this blender does a fine job, and looks great. However, our first one quit turning the blades in less than a year. We sent it in, after MANY calls to customer service, and they kept the darned thing for 3 months before deciding to send us a replacement. The replacement lasted only 2 years before the blades broke. During that 2 years, we figured out that our extra set of blades didn't fit in bottom ring properly, and allowed fluid to pour through the motor. Great. I should have save up to buy a vitamix instead B000AO1HSA:defective_and_horrible_customer_service:t._lewis B000AO1HSA iRobot Roomba 4230 Remote Scheduler Robotic Vacuum: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 4 1.0 November 9, 2006 T. Lewis On 8/15/06, I purchased and Irobot Roomba Scheduler. Within one month of purchase, it failed completely and would not work at all. On the Irobot website, it claims that their customer service department is open 24/7, and they guarantee a reply to an email within 24 hours. I sent an email, and I never heard anything back from them at all. After a week, I called their technical support line, and I waited on hold for 38 minutes before being able to speak to a technician, who swiftly determined that my unit was defective and needed to be replaced. I was told to mail in my defective unit and that another one would be shipped to me. It is now 11/9/2006 and I have received nothing and heard nothing from Irobot. DO NOT PURCHASE ONE OF THESE UNITS UNLESS THIS KIND OF PRODUCT UNRELIABILITY AND ABYSMAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT IS APPEALING TO YOU. B0000DZCY9:bits_of_metal_is_not_what_i_want_with_my_cheese:a._goya B0000DZCY9 MIU France 4-Piece Stainless Steel Rotary Cheese Grater: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 14 of 15 1.0 January 11, 2005 A. Goya San Diego, CA At first I was pretty happy with the grater, but after a few days of use I started to notice that I was getting small shavings of metal as well as shredded cheese. I am no longer using it and would not recomend it to anyone B0000DZCY9:it_is_functional...:t._taphorn B0000DZCY9 MIU France 4-Piece Stainless Steel Rotary Cheese Grater: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 2.0 December 15, 2004 T. Taphorn OHIO Well, I'm not terribly impressed with this metal rotary grater. Yes, it will grate cheese, but the gap between the drum and compartment that holds the cheese is a little over 1/4 of an inch. This allows for the cheese to get 'gummed' up and eventually that large wad just falls through. Also, for harder cheeses this means you're constanty picking out chunks of cheese that should have been grated. I've yet to find a rotary grater I'm happy with. I've broken several plastic models within 2 days of owning them. While I've yet to break this metal model, it just doesn't perfrom very well. I'm still using my stand-up grater B0000DZCY9:save_your_money:james_g._bennett_jr._"jgbennett2" B0000DZCY9 MIU France 4-Piece Stainless Steel Rotary Cheese Grater: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 11 1.0 December 8, 2004 James G. Bennett Jr. "jgbennett2" Clearwater, Florida USA I bought this to replace my old Mouli grater which finally bit the dust. Big mistake. It is sturdy and reasonably well designed, but the grating surfaces barely work at all, or at least mine didn't. To get it to grate cheese takes a long time and a lot of muscle, so much so that you are likely to start wondering how badly you really want the grated cheese. I tried the grater drum on reasonably fresh Parmesan and later tried the shredder drum on Jarlsberg. Neither drum worked satisfactorily. That may be because it is made in China where hard western-style cheese is nearly unknown. Yeah I know it says MIU France but the box clearly says "Made in China". I finally got so mad I threw it out in frustration B00014WAK8:this_is_too_bulky_for_my_mixer:melissa_c._hooper B00014WAK8 KitchenAid Cloth Cover, Black with Black Piping: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 May 23, 2006 Melissa C. Hooper I HAVE THE ARTISAN KITCHENAID MIXER AND THIS COVER IS TOO BULKY FOR IT. IT IS TOO LONG AT THE BOTTOM AND JUST UNPLEASING TO THE EYE. WOULD RECOMMEND JUST LEAVING YOUR MIXER UNCOVERED. HOPE THIS WAS HELPFUL B00004S8FE:smokin',_stinkin',_pretty_little_blender:miranda_huddleston B00004S8FE Waring WPB04 Professional Kitchen Blender, Chili Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 1.0 March 6, 2005 Miranda Huddleston La Crosse, WI Well, I just got my blender, real excited to use it, filled it up with the ingredients, flipped on the switch , and within 5 seconds it started smoking, badly, and then died. I turned it off and tried to turn it on again, and all it did was make a grumbly noise. So I am sending it back and sticking with my old Hamilton that I have had for 9 years. Why did I quit using it in the first place. $20 blender and it made a perfect smoothie. $79 for this Waring and it crashed and burned on me. My advice is it looks nice, but it isn't worth the money, especially since it died right away on me. Oh well... B000095RBW:completely_ineffective_candy_thermometer:rainydaysandmondays B000095RBW CDN TCG400 Professional Candy & Deep Fry Thermometer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 14 1.0 December 21, 2003 rainydaysandmondays When I bought this item I attempted to test it in hot water. My only comparison was another grocery store thermometer which wasn't accurate. It appeared to register better than the grocery store model. However, when using it to make chocolate fudge, by the time it registered 225 degree's, the fudge was thickening in the pan, not a pretty sight. I used it correctly and it has been stored according to manufacturers direction. It has a 5 year Limited Warranty for replacement. I don't feel it's worth the trouble to send back as I don't want another of this brands products, ever. It's going in the garbage as I attempt to find an accurate, well calibrated candy thermometer B000EQ2BNO:zero_stars:iluvamazon B000EQ2BNO Magnum Salt Mill- 6-Inch: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 9 1.0 September 1, 2006 Iluvamazon Neptune City, NJ United States Got this product by mistake from Chef's tools. Grinding mechanism is made of plastic and it does not grind pepper. Have the Black Magnum and is the best peppermill ever, (thats why we wanted a second one for the kitchen). Our black peppermill did not come from Chef's tools B00004S9H3:another_casualty:samuel_chell B00004S9H3 Braun MX2050 PowerMax Jug Blender: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 November 18, 2006 Samuel Chell Kenosha,, WI United States Discount any review of a blender that reflects only several months of use. As a smoothie addict, shoveling a dozen or more ice cubes into the jar daily, I'm still looking for a machine that can go the distance (is a full year's use asking too much?). The Braun burned out in the first 90 days, faster than my Black and Decker, Oster, even Hamilton Beach (though it lasted longer than Back to the Basics). The best thing I can say for the Braun is that it doesn't have the impossible-to-clean push buttons (always look for a single switch, a knob, or a touch-pad). Otherwise, their shavers have served me better, mowing down whiskers more dependably than ice cubes. I'm going back to the beginning and giving the classic single-switch Oster another try, though I'm beginning to feel guilty about cluttering the landfills with more broken machinery and useless glass jars B00004S9H3:unbiased_review:g.i._joe_chicago_"joe_chicago" B00004S9H3 Braun MX2050 PowerMax Jug Blender: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 November 17, 2006 G.I. Joe Chicago "Joe Chicago" Chicago, USA I use a blender to do two things: 1) make smoothies; and 2) stir batter for crepes. This device apprently cannot handle frozen fruit. The white, plastic "teeth" on the bottom of the blades, that mesh / connect to the motor's "teeth," immediately started breaking. Three smoothies later only one plastic tooth remains and it is starting to fracture. (My smoothies were made of yogurt, O.J., some frozen mango... nothing extreme.) As far as the crepes go, even with only one "tooth" remaining, this baby still can stir eggs, milk, and a little flour (thank you for small miracles). But... the glass jug is a dribbler. When you pour batter or smoothies or whatever, some of the liquid will always (I mean always) dribble off the glass jug's lip, down the front of the jug, down the front of the control panel, and also into the recessed area where those "teeth" meet each other. So... you have to clean ALL the blender each time you use it (i.e., the jug, the control panel, the recessed area in which the jug sets) not just clean the jug. What a pain in the neck. Once the last tooth breaks, this baby is going in the garbage. B0001I9RAK:a_very_good_external_design,_but_it_does_not_last_very_long:severino_santamaria B0001I9RAK Krups FSD311 Premium Citrus Juicer with Fountain: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 19 of 20 1.0 April 26, 2005 Severino Santamaria Ramsey, NJ USA This citrus juicer has a very good external design. The problem is that 30W is not enough power for doing the job well: normal orange presure stops de motor! The transmission of the power is done by cheap plasic parts, so they broke easily. These parts broke after a dozen of uses in my case, so I do not recommend this machine. B00004SZ8M:question.please_answer: B00004SZ8M Oggi 1-Liter "Dial-A-Drink" Cocktail Shaker, Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 8 2.0 January 13, 2002 Ok...so this isnt a review,but a question I have on this product. Where is the instruction manual to this thing? What do the lines above the alcohol names mean. There are two, three, even four lines above some of the alcohol names. Does it mean the amount of alcohol that is supposed to be put into that particular drink. Please answer...for it has left many of us flustered. thank you very muc B00004YNX5:cuisinart_htm-5_smartpower_5-speed_electronic_hand_mixer: B00004YNX5 Cuisinart HTM-5 SmartPower 5-Speed Electronic Hand Mixer, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 1.0 September 28, 2002 This mixer runs too fast, even in it's lowest setting. The beaters tend to throw food out of the mixing bowl. Uncontrolable. Would not suggest purchasing B00061N0PU:awful:george_gamblin B00061N0PU Norpro Wood Cutting Board (19-by-15-Inch): Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 November 5, 2006 George Gamblin Reno Warped badly upon receipt. Too much of a pain to return it. It is already in the tras B00005LJD2:fiestaware_1_qt_pasta_bowls....i_got_what_i_paid_for!:m._chang_"mimi's_mommy" B00005LJD2 Fiesta Cobalt 471 1-Quart Pasta Bowl: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 18 2.0 January 13, 2005 M. Chang "Mimi's Mommy" Where the paradise is While seeing this pasta bowl on sale for $4.99 here at Amazon.com, I didn't think twice to purchase several of them will all kind of color availalbe 2 weeks ago. What a great price! I was so excited and waiting on the door on the schedule delivery day. The packing is nice and secure. The color was so vivid at the first sight, but.... after I took a hard look, almost half of the bowls are defective!! Un-colored white spot, un-glazed bubble holes, black dots/stain inside of the bowl. Even defective spots are tiny, but they are so obvious. They just don't look good with those flaws on them! I was so....disappointed and frustrated as I went through all the 21 bowls I ordered. By the way, the BLACK bowl have no name or mark of the manufacturer on the bottom of the bowl. I will say those are probably the factory-secondary products. It turned out I have to return almost half of the bowls and keep those bowls with bearable defectiveness, such as vague stamp of the manufacturer on the bottom of the bowls. Of course, all the black ones are returned since they are no-name with the bad quality. No one will even believe they are Fiestaware!! B000EVNZCU:looks_great,__but...:d._isakson B000EVNZCU Cuisinart CRC-400 4 Cup Rice Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 1.0 March 14, 2006 D. Isakson Paradise on Earth Tired of exploring every possible way to ruin a pot of rice, I was looking forward to something that would do the job well and consistently. No such luck with this one! First, it uses a different measuring system for the rice ("rice cooker cup")than it does for the water ("regular measuring cup"), so if you need more or less than the few amounts they list it's back to guesswork again! Worse though, is that the amount of water they call for is hugely more than is actually needed, so it boils very fast while pumping out all the excess water as steam. For those who might like to take a steam bath while they cook this would be great. One might figure out how to adjust the measuring, but there seems no way to slow the boiling down to lessen the steam output. Since water boils at the same temperature, fast or slow, it makes no sense. Yet another gripe is that it automatically goes into "warm" mode when it is finished. May be handy to have the warm option, but if you don't realize it's done and its left on "warm" for ten minutes the rice turns into a solid slab. It seems very well made, and handsome Bau-Haus design, but unfotrtunately I can't use it because of the above problems. Others' experience may vary. Keep in mind I'm very good at ruining rice. I just don't need help doing it! David B000HWVBAO:waste_of_money:mom_in_ct B000HWVBAO Senseo HD7820 Deluxe Single-Serve Gourmet Coffeemaker, Black and Silver Grey: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 1.0 November 8, 2006 Mom in CT Connecticut I hardly ever write reviews but I felt the need to on this item. I bought the senseo deluxe last night, I wanted the deluxe model so that I could also make tea. The setup was quick and easy and the price was great compared to the competition. Here's the problem, I brewed a cup of coffee and this was the weakest coffee EVER and I'm not even a big coffee drinker. To make matters worse each pod only makes 4oz of coffee. Who drinks only 4 ounces of anything. You would need to use 2 pods just to make 8 oz and then the coffee is still weak. Which is wear the waste of money comes in. The senseo pods are the same price as the home cafe pods but you will go through them twice as fast. I personally ended up returning this machine and getting a tassimo this morning. I originally bought the Senseo because I didnt want to spend Tassimo money but in the end you pay for what you get. Now the tassimo is great. I've made hot chocolate for my daughter and tea for my son. Everyone likes it. Good luck everyone. B0006IVZ8W:good_then_poor:thomas_a._loeppke B0006IVZ8W MIU France 90757 Composite Mandoline Food Slicer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 August 30, 2006 Thomas A. Loeppke This was an excellent item...for about 3 uses...then the mandoline would not hold to one thickness...it keeps opening up to maximum cut depth. MIU France says this is not their problem..."just buy a new one". With an attitude like that...and product failure so quickly.....yes, I will buy a different brand...and avoid MIU France product B000063XHF:too_bad_...:jolly_roger B000063XHF Black & Decker IC200 Arctic Twister Ice Cream Mixer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 3 2.0 July 29, 2006 Jolly Roger El Cerrito, CA USA It's too bad ... I really wanted this to work, since I love soft serve. But after using it twice I donated to Goodwill. It would be great if somebody brought out a home version of the "drill" thing they use in some frozen yogurt places. Until then the best bet is to let the ice cream or frozen yogurt thaw in the fridge for a few hours, then stir it up with a spoon until it's the preferred level of softness B000063XHF:horrible:such_a_lady B000063XHF Black & Decker IC200 Arctic Twister Ice Cream Mixer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 1.0 February 8, 2006 such a lady three places : 92392, 98422 or 92284 The Black & Decker IC200 Arctic Twister Ice Cream Mixer is a product that you must not purchase. It is a total waste of money. It's designed to make soft-serve ice cream at home. The are not enpough pro's and way too many cons. the only Pro: It makes soft-serve ice cream when ever you want. CONS 1. It's LOUD and Noisy 2. The ice cream you use in it must be as frozen as it is the second it comes out of the freezer which makes it very hard to scoop out. 3. If not used correctly, it make a huge mess. 4. It wastes ice cream. When you use this product, half of the ice cream gets stuck inside the machine. 5. by the time its finished, ice cream is pratically melted. 6. You ongly get about 1/3 of what you put in the machine. The rest gets stuck inside the machine. 7. You have to hold onto the on switch while operating the machine. 8. You have to hand pump the ice cream into soft-serve yourself. This Black & Decker IC200 Arctic Twister Ice Cream Mixer is such a waste of money. I So reccomend not buying this. Just going to Dairy Queen or Baskin Robins is a much easier and cleaner solutio B00006IJM9:they_don't_make_them_like_they_used_to:ak47 B00006IJM9 Black & Decker FP1500 Power Pro II food processor: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 September 8, 2006 AK47 I had a Black and Decker processor that I got as a wedding present over twenty years ago, and it never let me down once. When it was time to get a new one, I got this 1500 thinking that it's a B&D and I can't go wrong. Well as as soon as I tried to grate some cheese the plastic ring on the shredder/grater blade snapped off. The next time I used it a metal pin in the pastic cover that holds the blade securely broke the plastic groove it was in. Too bad B&D went down the drain through the years B00006IJM9:doa:d._fuller B00006IJM9 Black & Decker FP1500 Power Pro II food processor: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 1.0 January 11, 2006 D. Fuller I received my food processor for Christmas. I had noticed the same processor at a different store that came with a bonus blade for fine shredding. I decided to see if I could buy accessories for mine online. I could not find any accessories or replacement parts for the Power Pro II. I was concerned about the number of unfavorable reviews I came across during my search. Despite the numerous negative comments concerning the motor going out, I decided to keep it. I used it for the first time tonight to make a sauce and was only halfway finished when it stopped working! I strongly recommend NOT purchasing this food processor B00006IJM9:returning_it_tomorrow:nineteen B00006IJM9 Black & Decker FP1500 Power Pro II food processor: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 January 1, 2006 nineteen Out West I read the reviews after I purchased it. We made grated cheese (turned out so so) and *tried* to make hummus but it wouldn't even turn the blade and was very, very noisy. I'm returning it to Target tomorrow. If it can't stand up to crushing a few cooked beans then it's no good to me. Until I find a better one I'm using my 10 speed Osterizer blender I've had for 10 years. It made hummus easily B00006IJM9:not_worth_the_money:cindy B00006IJM9 Black & Decker FP1500 Power Pro II food processor: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 1.0 January 25, 2005 Cindy York, PA I purchased this Black & Decker Food Processor on 12/30/04 at Target. I used it the first time to grate cheese and loved it. However, I used it tonight for only the 2nd time to chop some onion and celery and it started smelling hot. Smoke started pouring out the back. I will be returning to Target tomorrow and NOT purchasing another Black & Decker kitchen appliance B00004S7U4:disappointed!:martha_minica B00004S7U4 : Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 6 2.0 October 19, 2001 Martha Minica Pharr, TX United States I LOVE THE COLORS AND THE HEAT RESISTANCE BUT FOUND THE WOODEN HANDLE ON ONE SPATULA ROUGH AND SPLINTERY. ALSO THE SPATULA IS SHOWING NICKS ON THE EDGES OF THE SILICON....DON'T UNDERSTAND BECAUSE I DON'T USE IT ON ROUGH EDGED BOWLS OR PANS B00063RVDU:i_bought_the_z845_a_few_months_ago_and_i_think_it's_junk.:m._hughes B00063RVDU FoodSaver V845 Vacuum-Packaging System, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 17 of 25 1.0 August 21, 2005 M. Hughes If I could give this thing a negative number, I would. I just threw away 2 large bags of brown sugar because, after I had thrown away the bags the sugar came in, I could not get the Z845 to work. What a mess! I had brown sugar all over that part of my kitchen. On a couple of occasions the sealer has worked without creating a vacuum. This time it appeared to be trying unsuccessfully to pull all the air out of the bag, but the bag never sealed. I have watched the video several times and have read and re-read the instructions. At first I thought I was not operating it correctly, but now I believe the Foodsaver is the problem. The first time I used it, to seal a quantity of chicken for the freezer, it worked beautifully. It hasn't worked right since then. Another problem is that it wastes an amazing amount of plastic material. Is it possible this thing was invented for the purpose of selling refills, rather than to work as a sealer B00005OTWU:not_that_great:carolyn_"shopperextrodinaire" B00005OTWU CorningWare 10-pc. Bakeware Set - French White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 11 2.0 January 4, 2005 carolyn "shopperextrodinaire" Canal Winchester, OH These dishes, first of all, are just beautiful. The white looks so wonderful on the table and the presentation is just fabulous. That said, be prepared to buy and buy and buy these if you like the looks of them. They break horribly easily and the cleanup, well, we just won't go there. I've had mine for 10 years and now I'm down to just two of the serving pieces. They break very easily in the oven, in the cabinet, you name it, it's gone. If you're looking for a better one, go for the Le Creuset La Poterie line, or just grab a Longaberger one. They're definitely worth it because you'll just have to keep buying these to keep them looking good and in one piece. I hate trying to clean these after using them so I just don't use them anymore for anything but to mix items. That way, nothing gets baked on them and I am not breaking nails scouring off the mess. I definitely recommend getting something else B00005OTWU:broken: B00005OTWU CorningWare 10-pc. Bakeware Set - French White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 1.0 July 19, 2004 We registered for this as a wedding gift and were disappointed to find the large dish shattered in both the first AND second box we picked up. It's a very attractive set; too bad it can't actually contain food due to broken corners, can't be washed in a dishwasher, can't be used on the stove, and can't be used to broil! You can't use the ramikin dishes for creme brulee, which is why I wanted them. Additionally, Target doesn't allow you to open the box in the store to check the merchandise. I realize most of the other reviews complain about the shattering too, but I just thought I'd point out that the Corningware doesn't have to be shipped to you to arrive broken B00004S9CI:do_not_buy_this:rascal B00004S9CI Cuisinart BFP-703 SmartPower Duet Blender/Food Processor, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 1.0 June 15, 2006 Rascal Seattle, WA The blender part that holds the blade broke the second time I used it to crush ice. The food processor part works ok, but the major problem is it's extremely loud. It's beyond the pain level. It's so loud, I have to use hearing protection or my ears are ringing for 15 minutes afterwards. It's louder than my circular saw B0000U6PTK:hard_to_clean:nicholas_barbosa_iii B0000U6PTK Bodum The de Chine Personal Glass Tea Infuser & Cup: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 August 23, 2005 Nicholas Barbosa III I picked this up recently and tried several varieties of loose tea in it. The bottom line is that tea does get stuck in the one that I own. I have tried a couple of methods to get the tea out to no avail. It might be hard to see from the picture, but the "holes" for the water are actually slits in the bottom around the bottom rim of the infuser. The slits are actually sickle shaped and the tea gets caught in the narrow areas. I imaging that differences in the cuts would either make or break this product. In my case they make me want to break it B00005OU62:do_not_waste_your_money:j._delson B00005OU62 LitterMaid LM700 Self-Cleaning Automatic Litter Box, Sage and Cream: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 November 15, 2006 J. Delson Saugerties, NY USA I had the unit for about 4 weeks before it broke completely. The rake would continually get clogged from the clumping litter, even with daily cleaning. Sometimes the unit would cycle on and off all night, very noisily, until I put a timer on it to turn off at night. It was very diffult to clean, even with daily inspection. Go the old fashioned way, with a tray and a liner B00005OU62:horrible:books_&_fresh_air B00005OU62 LitterMaid LM700 Self-Cleaning Automatic Litter Box, Sage and Cream: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 9, 2006 Books & Fresh Air CA Great idea, horrible execution. Disgusting to clean, rake gets clogged. There are much better options. Litter Robot is well worth the extra cost B00005OU62:do_not_buy_-_broke_in_about_two_weeks:albert_wiersch_"tidal_wave_one" B00005OU62 LitterMaid LM700 Self-Cleaning Automatic Litter Box, Sage and Cream: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 9, 2006 Albert Wiersch "tidal_wave_one" Irving, TX USA At first it looked like it was going to work great (when the litter was clean). After a day or so, it wasn't cleaning very well. I got better litter and it started working better, but still not great. Litter gets in the crevices and gets stuck to the rake. After about two weeks of use, the rake stopped moving backwards. I tried to fix it, but it just won't go in reverse. Overall, this was a big waste of time and money. I'm not even going to try to get another one. A good old fashioned litter box with good clumping litter is less work than trying to get this thing to work properly while keeping it clean. It's too bad as it had a promising beginning. DO NOT BUY B00009PLIO:broke:kimberly_mcfarland_"farleybuh" B00009PLIO Toastmaster TBR15 1-1/2-Pound Breadmaker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 3 2.0 April 3, 2006 Kimberly Mcfarland "farleybuh" I loved this bread machine, but it broke after owning it for about three years. My husband took it apart to try to fix it, but could not repair it. It was making bread and just turned off. We could not get it to turn back on and the manual was not helpful in trying to fix such a problem. We now have to replace it. It worked great until it just stopped working. I think a breadmaker should last longer then three years. Also, I did need to make sure the ingredients in the corners of the pan got mixed into the dough, so I couldn't just program it and leave the house B00009PLIO:warped_top:john_c._bennett B00009PLIO Toastmaster TBR15 1-1/2-Pound Breadmaker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 3 1.0 March 16, 2006 John C. Bennett LOU. KY. U.S.A. I FOLLOWED BREAKIN INSTRUCTIONS AS WRITTEN ON PG 3.THE CLEAR SEE-THRU TOP WARPED.UNIT WORKS,BUT IS UGLY. I CONTACTED SALTON AND WAS TOLD MY UNIT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY,TOO OLD! I MAILED COPIES OF MY INVOICE. NO RESPONSE.I GAVE UP.I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH YOUR SERVICE,BUT WONDER IF DRIVING TO WALMART MIGHT HAVE BEEN BETTER. SINCERELY, JOHN C BENNET B000062UH4:20'hose_does_not_fit_hepa_hoovers!!!:kerstin_earnest B000062UH4 Hoover 40200024 WindTunnel 20-Foot Deluxe Stretch Hose: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 16 1.0 February 21, 2003 Kerstin Earnest Chicago, IL United States The information on the pages that pertain to this hose needs to be changed to reflect the fact that the hose DOES NOT fit Hoovers with a HEPA system. It only fits Hoovers with product #'s beginning U53.., U54.., U64.. I ordered it along with a new Windtunnel that has a Hepa system, since the product information stated that these 2 items were bought together by other people. Unfortunately, it does not state that these people (now including me) have to return the hose because it does not fit all Windtunnels. So be sure to check and doublecheck before you buy. .. B000062UH4:insufficient_information_in_product_information:the_desert_recluse B000062UH4 Hoover 40200024 WindTunnel 20-Foot Deluxe Stretch Hose: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 20 of 25 1.0 November 12, 2002 The desert recluse Mojave Desert Upon opening the box I found that the information given in the buying information for this product did not reflect the actural product. For one thing it only fits unright WindTunnel models that use bags. This hose is for models beginning with U53, U54 and U64 only B000064168:grater_broke:a._bartley_"wannabeanurse" B000064168 KitchenAid 6-Piece Gadget Set, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 2.0 December 15, 2005 A. Bartley "Wannabeanurse" Bakersfield, CA I bought this set and was very pleased until the grater just snapped at the handle. This implies that there is a support problem with the manufacturers design B0001XAG8W:disapointing_for_cuisinart:d._ermer_"atoz_junkie" B0001XAG8W Cuisinart CRC-400 4-Cup Rice Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 November 9, 2006 D. ERMER "AtoZ Junkie" Morristown, NJ USA I use this rice cooker mostly for brown rice and it is a fiasco. You need to put in 1/2 the water that you are supposed to, wait until that is cooked in and then add the other half. Adding all the water up front causes the cooker to boil over - a real mess with rice. It looks OK, but it just isn't the quality item you would expect with the name Cuisinart. The price is also reasonable, so its not the end of the world - it might be better for things that don't require as much water or cook time (like white rice) B0001XAG8W:burns_rice_even_w/_more_h20:eclectic1 B0001XAG8W Cuisinart CRC-400 4-Cup Rice Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 November 6, 2006 Eclectic1 Sunny Cali Bought one recently from a Mervyns sale. Rice burned especially at the bottom (black & crunchy). So I returned and got another one in case the 1st one was defective. Nope, did the same thing. So next go around, I added more water, but still the rice tasted funny- a burned taste- although the rice didn't burn as much this time. For the cost and design, I was hoping this would be a great rice cooker. Design element is cool especially wiith the retractable cord, however, this cooker can't even perfom its main purpose- just plainly cook rice without burning it. Yes, I did add enough water and followed instructions and used the measuring cup. Hopefully they'll improve it. Better yet, maybe Krups can design a better abd sleek-looking yet working rice cooker B0001XAG8W:looks_great_but_doesn't_perform_well:yolik B0001XAG8W Cuisinart CRC-400 4-Cup Rice Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 2.0 September 11, 2006 yolik Scotts Valley, ca I bought this in October, 2004 because I wanted something small for my kitchen. You cannot cook over 2 cups of rice without it spurting out all over the cooker. Now, it shuts off mid-way and I have to wait for it to cool down and try to reset it. Hopefully the "powers that be" will read these comments and make improvements B0001XAG8W:doesn't_work_for_brown_rice:christine_p._fontanin B0001XAG8W Cuisinart CRC-400 4-Cup Rice Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 1.0 August 4, 2006 Christine P. Fontanin I ended up returning this because every time I tried it with brown rice it burned the rice. I even tried doubling the recommended water amt. for brown rice and it still burned. B0000DC2ZH:dangerous_to_your_health:j._daniel B0000DC2ZH Ionic Pro Ionic Air Purifier: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 11 1.0 June 26, 2006 J. Daniel Air Purifiers were recently reveiwed by Consumer Reports Magazine. They are quite ineffective and can be dangerous to your health. For further info, read article in Consumer Reports B00004SPDW:i_would_not_recommend_this_product:dedicated_mom_"loyzoo" B00004SPDW VillaWare V5500 10-Square Ravioli Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 July 10, 2006 Dedicated Mom "loyzoo" New York I had a hard time with this product. The item does not cut the dough well and the ravioli kept opening as a result of this. In my opinion, I like the size of a 12 count ravioli maker better. This 10 count makes ravioli thats too large B0002V3ZZY:not_your_mother's_cookie_press:ravendas B0002V3ZZY KitchenAid Cookie Press with 16 Discs, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 19, 2006 Ravendas Knoxville, TN I have many fond childhood memories of making and decorating sprtiz cookies with my mother. She had an old copper and stainless steel cookie press and it turned out perfect cookies almost everytime. When I found the Kitchenaid cookie press on clearance for a mere $4.97 at my local Sears, I snatched it up with high hopes of recreating those fond childhood memories in the kitchen. It's not a bad cookie press, but it's definitely not the best out there, I'm sure...and it doesn't stack up at all to my mother's old-fashioned one. As stated in another review, many discs don't seem to work at all well with this press. I tried the tree, candy cane, and star discs and every single one just squirted out an uneven messy blob. Somehow the press pushed out the dough unevenly out of the press, so that one side of the shape was a blob while the other side was barely out of the press. The rosette, swirl, and ribbon shapes did fairly well, though they turned out much larger shapes than the older model I'm used to...hence extending the baking time of the cookies. I'm used to nice, thin, crispy ribbons, but this press turned out very thick ones. I was also not very fond of the ratcheting style of the press. It felt as though I had less control over it than the squeeze-gun type. If I'd paid full price for this press, I would have been a bit upset at the quality, but having paid only $5 for it, I'm just disappointed because I had thought Kitchenaid to be a better quality brand than what I've seen in this cookie pres B00004SBJ0:not_up_to_"le_creuset"_standard...:f._michaud_"***" B00004SBJ0 Le Creuset 1-4/5-Quart Whistling Teakettle, Flame: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 1.0 March 6, 2006 F. Michaud "***" Mountain View, CA I am a major fan of "Le Creuset" pots and have a number of them but I must say that their kettle is not up to par. Like the other lady said, it does spit out water (substantially at that) when it boils on the stove. I am finally throwing mine out to the garbage since I have had it for a while and the coating at the inside bottom of the kettle is coming apart and I have been boiling "contaminated" water since a while...I just noticed one day that there was this stuff floating on top of the water....I wonder what kind of chemicals I have been putting in my body??? B00004SBJ0:they_rust!__big_disappointment...:m._seddon_"green_thumb" B00004SBJ0 Le Creuset 1-4/5-Quart Whistling Teakettle, Flame: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 1.0 July 27, 2004 M. SEDDON "green thumb" North Carolina I have probably seen hundreds of tea kettles by now and still love the look of this one the best. Only problem is that they RUST!!! I had mine a few weeks when I noticed the rust spots on the interior. I don't imagine the enamel could have been chipped on the inside of the pot, so it must have happened simply because I leave water in my tea kettle at all times. The directions that come with this kettle say not to do so, but any serious tea drinker like me knows that's unrealistic. I threw mine out and am very disapointed that something that cost so much money didn't last long at all. I thought Le Creuset was supposed to be really high quality but I'm officially disillusioned thanks to this tea pot B0001GUCA6:don't_bother:b._tanner B0001GUCA6 Pfaltzgraff Flower Garden Trivet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 July 8, 2006 B. Tanner States i have to echo what was said, cheap not up to what you would expec B000BTSTOE:not_a_quality_item!:joyce_s._rettstadt B000BTSTOE Royal Heritage Collection 100% Cotton Jersey Knit Sheet Set - Sky Blue Full: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 8 1.0 August 18, 2006 Joyce S. Rettstadt Princetonm, MA These sheets are not quality. They are no way equal to the value that the seller has assigned to them. The jersey material is very thin and the construction technique is inferior. They are NOT a bargain B000BTSTOE:pretty_mint_colour_......:zina B000BTSTOE Royal Heritage Collection 100% Cotton Jersey Knit Sheet Set - Sky Blue Full: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 2.0 August 6, 2006 zina usa The colour is pretty but the sheets shrink quite a lot after washing (in cold water). I bought a queen set for a full bed and they still don't fit properly after careful washing . I would recommend buying a KING set for a full bed. This was my first experience with cotton jersey sheets so I didn't know what to expect but I wouldn't buy them again B0000E2FKR:deception:the_truth B0000E2FKR Simply Hard Anodized Nonstick Roaster with Flat Rack: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 19 1.0 November 2, 2005 The Truth This is NOT Caphlon!!! You can buy this at Bed Bath and Beyond for $10 !! B0000BYECX:do_not_buy_this_product_!!:w._corey_cain B0000BYECX Bissell 14005 Little Green Compact Carpet Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 1.0 August 8, 2005 W. Corey Cain In theory, this is a good machine. It did, in fact, work as advertised for a brief time - then it started to smell. All of the urine, drinks, vomit, whatever nasty stuff you just vaccumed up from your carpet, starts to pool under the holding tank. As it festers there, the exhaust fan takes that wonderful aroma and blows it all over your house. This, to an extent, is simply a nuisance - bad smell and extra clean-up of the machine itself - until it starts leaking all of that crap back into your carpet, making more mess than you started with. The first time this happened, Bissell customer service sent a replacement unit. We started having the same problems with it shortly after we received it. Bissell only wants to send us another (no doubt defective) unit - so unless you want to be stuck with a stinky, urine-leaking, mess-maker, don't buy this product ! B00004WKIB:looks_nice,_but_gears_break_easily:petem B00004WKIB Cuisinart SPB-7BC SmartPower 7-Speed Electronic Blender: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 1.0 June 26, 2005 PeteM We purchased the Cuisinart SmartPower blender for smoothies and light duty blending duties. It's a nicely designed unit , very stable on the countertop, but very poor quality gear drive. After a couple dozen uses, the motor gear wheel broke, apparently a common problem on these Cuisinarts, as noted by other reviewers. Cuisinart customer service is worthless - it costs more to ship and repair the unit than to replace it. Replaced the worthless Cuisinart with a Kitchenaid. Would recommend avoiding Cuisinart blenders due to this gear design flaw B000063SKW:worst_brand_of_bakeware:cece B000063SKW AirBake 2-pc. Bakeware Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 2 1.0 March 22, 2005 cece PA AirBake products are horrible! I have used the cookie sheets multiple times and I have had nothing but problems. There products over-brown everything you cook and the food sticks no matter how well you grease the pans. I have better luck using my old cheap non-stick bakeware than AirBake. Buyer beware! If you do choose to buy this brand of products grease the pans generously and cut the bake time and oven temperature B00091SDA4:disappointed:h._tobman B00091SDA4 Chicago Cutlery Landmark 9-Piece Steak Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 9, 2006 H. Tobman New York City Awkward handles and lightweight feel. Bought as a gift and had to be returned. Chicago Cutlery has better lines. B00086IFGC:worked_well_until_it_broke:bt123123 B00086IFGC Wilton Cookie Pro Cookie Press: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 January 1, 2006 bt123123 Arlington, VA I used this press about 4-5 times during the 5 years I owned it. The cookie shapes came out well, but after a few uses, the plastic ring around the barrel cracked. This year that same plastic part broke entirely, making the press unusable-- a critical engineering materials defect. Like the other reviewer (Dec 2005), I too am now in the market for an all metal press B0002T48DY:chips,_cracks_and_breaks!:jenner B0002T48DY Pfaltzgraff Napoli 16-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 1.0 October 30, 2006 Jenner Colorado I have had these dishes for only 1 year and they have ALL chipped and cracked and the glaze is cracked as well. I have re-ordered a set of bowls and several plates and had the same results. They say they are "microwave safe" but after the first few uses, the dish heats up to the point of burning your hand (or worse yet the unsuspecting hand of your child or guest!) and the food/liquid inside stays cold. I am SO disappointed and am now shopping for a new set of dishes B0002T48DY:nice_design,_cheap_product:s._ruppert B0002T48DY Pfaltzgraff Napoli 16-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 October 7, 2006 S. Ruppert Baltimore The unique design of this dinnerware line is lost in the low quality earthenware body. This low fired clay body breaks easily, is bulky to handle and is just plain disappointing. Before you buy, beware. What is the dinnerware made of? If the dinnerware is not high fire stoneware, porcelain or a china clay body, forget it. If you plan to use it then you are wasting your money. Someone should be ashamed B000063K7H:cute,_but_useless:gerald_h._wagner B000063K7H Metrokane Ice-O-Mat Ice Crusher, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 July 10, 2006 Gerald H. Wagner This item is metal and looks like an old fashioned ice crusher, but it is so small that it is useless. Its only 9 inches tall, so if you are expecting a nice big heavy duty machine, forget it. I bought it because I missed the ice in the door of my old fridge, but after trying it several times, I sent it back. It is so small that you rap your knuckles on the counter. I dont think there is a glass made that is small enough to fit in it, so you have to use the little tin cup that comes with it. I takes about three loads of ice to fill the cup, and about 2 cups to fill a glass. You need 4 hands to operate it: 1 to hold the lid, 1to turn the crank,1to keep it from bouncing all over the place, and 1 to hold the little tin cup in place (it slides out and then the ice lands on the base). Then when you finally get a cup fulll of ice, you have to try to get it out of the tin cup and into your glass. I broke the glass the first time i tried it. It hass little rubber feet that fall out and disapear, making it even more wobbly. But as I said in the begging, it IS cute B00005OU2X:poor_shipping,_damaged_pieces:hannah_march B00005OU2X Dolce Dark Walnut 4-Shelf Bookcase: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 May 31, 2006 hannah march new york, new york the furniture itself is fine. or rather, it would be if it was shipped properly. before ordering anything from target, think long and hard about how willing you are to deal with damaged goods and their return. if you receive something damaged (and you will), be prepared for an extensive return process. chances are, the item they send you as a replacement will be damaged as well. this happened to me twice. if you're lucky, you will be able to piece something decent together from the multiple shipments. this, however, will take time. additionally, even if the piece is not cracked, you will need to make a trip to the hardware store to purchase stain to fix the discolorations in the wood. i bought the desk, the hutch and the bookcase - all of which had to be returned to replace cracked pieces and all of which had to be touched up with stain. also be advised that target does not make it clear that certain pieces will not be delivered at all if you do not make arrangements with the outside carrier. after waiting and waiting, and calling target on several occasions, someone will eventually relay the information that you need to call the carrier and make a delivery appointment - even though other pieces arrived without such complications. quite honestly, this has been far more inconvenient than it was worth. by the time you pay for the shipping and the tax, this is not so much a "deal" but a waste of time and money. B00004SGDK:a_blender_i_wish_i_could_like:e.h. B00004SGDK KitchenAid KSB5CR 5-Speed Blender, Black/Chrome: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 2.0 July 18, 2006 E.H. Portland, OR USA This blender is frustrating. It offers good points, but in the end, the flaws outweigh the benefits. First the good: The heavy glass base is stable and easy to clean. The powerful motor hacks through most foods with ease. When the blender is started, the motor begins at a low speed for a second or two before turning on fully. The problems I found led me to toss the blender. If you plan on making blended soups, beware of the explosive force with which this beast turns on. Without a heavy hand on the lid, both the lid and your soup will hit the ceiling. Moderately thick, viscous liquids (a lemon cream was the latest such one I experienced) tend to get caught in the scalloped swoops in the jar. This leads to only the center portion of the liquid being actively blended, while the outer edges stagnate and remain clumpy. Deft work with a spatula is required to coax everything into the blending area. The above problems were annoying, caused occasional swearing, but were tolerable. What finally got me shopping for a replacement was worse. After several years of moderate use, the KitchenAid stopped working. The blades and motor are connected via a set of rubber teeth. These reduce operating noise, but over time, weaken. The problem first arose when making smoothies with chunky frozen fruit such as strawberries. A burning rubber smell came from the blender coupled with a strange noise and no action in the container. The rubber drive teeth slipped, and friction quickly heated them up. The result was hot, floppy rubber teeth that bent flat instead of turning the blades. When this happens, it takes 20 minutes or more before the teeth are capable of another round of use. Before long the blender could not even swirl water for more than a few seconds before the teeth slipped B0007NJ268:this_oven_stinks!:adam_horovitz_"adam" B0007NJ268 Circulon Infinite 5-1/2-Quart Dutch Oven: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 31 1.0 June 5, 2006 Adam Horovitz "Adam" New York I thought it was me but every time that I lift the cover on this oven, there is this strange rotting smell. It doesn't seem to matter what has been in there, either. No matter what food...same rotting smell. In fact, whenever I lift the cover, my wife goes running from the room holding her nose, screaming about how disgusting it is. B0007NJ268:this_dutch_oven_really_stinks:jay_montesio B0007NJ268 Circulon Infinite 5-1/2-Quart Dutch Oven: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 20 1.0 June 5, 2006 Jay Montesio I've had my share of dutch ovens in my time, and I have to say that this is the foulest one yet. I thought I smelled a good deal when I got it, but boy was I mistaken B0002V3YJQ:would_never_buy_anymore_of_this:donna B0002V3YJQ KitchenAid 3-Piece Silicone Baking Set, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 29 1.0 November 3, 2005 Donna Colorado Springs I just baked a loaf of banana bread in my loaf baker and the entire bottom stuck to the pan when I turned it over. I am throwing it out and will never buy another piece of it B0000CFBVF:broken_bowls_again!:april_d._kampney B0000CFBVF Sango Nova Blue Onion Soup Bowls, Set of 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 February 13, 2006 April D. Kampney Cortland, New York United States Received the bowls yesterday, and once again very upset to find 3 of the 4 broken. This has got to be costing a ton of money in refunds and shipping. I will not try again for a replacement, I didn't do well with the Sango mixing bowls either. Can't understand why these are shipped with such little packing material B00004RC4N:a_cup_of_cold_water_more_precise...:rosie_wolf_"rosie" B00004RC4N Pyrex Candy Thermometer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 1.0 September 1, 2005 Rosie Wolf "Rosie" Hartford, TN I purchased the Robinson Pyrex Candy Thermometer as a replacement for my old, cheap tube thermometer that was giving off readings. My experience was that the probe failed to register temperatures above 100 degrees celcius. It would get there and just freeze. Additionally, the design of the thermometer makes it difficult to read exactly where your temperature is. This makes it unsuitable for most candy-making where the difference of a degree or so could be critical. The physical design of the thermometer feels very sturdy and is a nice stainless. It is rather deceptive since you think you may be purchasing a higher quality tool than you are actually buying. All said and done, after you replace the sugar, flavorings, creams and other ingredients from your spoiled batches of candy...and pay for the gas to run these errands ...the cost of using Robinson's Pyrex Candy Thermometer goes way up. Use a cup of ice water. Or a more reliable brand of candy thermometer. It's much better to shell out the extra dollars and get beautiful consistent results B00004RC4N:bad_candy_thermometer:candylady B00004RC4N Pyrex Candy Thermometer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 9 1.0 October 1, 2004 candylady The only positive thing I can say about this candy thermometer is that the design allows it to stay on the sauce pan relatively well. Other than that, it is difficult to discern temperatures between the 0 - 50 marks. Also, it tends to read low so that the candy is much warmer than the read out indicates. Since using this thermometer, I have ruined more batches of fudge than I care to think about. If you want a good candy thermometer, don't buy this one. B00091PNL6:much_bigger_than_12":katya B00091PNL6 Baker's Secret Precisionware Nonstick 12-Inch Pizza Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 2.0 December 28, 2005 Katya CO The pan itself is fine, but it measures closer to 16" in diameter. The cooking surface is 12", but the pan has such a wide lip around it that it doesn't come close to fitting in my convection toaster oven B0000CFSJS:not_what_they_used_to_be!:michele B0000CFSJS CorningWare French White 2-1/2-Quart Oval Dish: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 1.0 February 15, 2006 Michele New York I bought a set of these years ago, and used them almost daily...freezer to oven to table, on the range..never a problem, and wanted to replace the same sized casserole. As the previous reviewer stated,the rough and unfinished bottom of the dish was coarse and gritty, and scratched my table and counter. What a disappointment! I don't believe the older set I have was made in China, but here in the USA. Save your money B0007KQZTI:poor_handles:p._lam_"po_po" B0007KQZTI Farberware Select 10-Piece Cookware Set, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 1.0 December 8, 2005 P. Lam "Po Po" NY The cooking set looks great. However, once you heat the pot/ pan, the steel material handles become super hot. I have to return the huge box B00008DHPS:this_is_not_kitchenaid_quality:rob_england B00008DHPS KitchenAid KG301 Rotary Grater, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 11 2.0 December 20, 2004 Rob England Don't be fooled by this apparently well-designed grater. The hinge is weak and will break. The grater looks and feels great, but don't expect it to last B00004WYJS:sticky_sticky:brillat-savarin_"david" B00004WYJS Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 9-Inch, 2-Quart Chef's Skillet with Lid: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 6 2.0 December 15, 2005 Brillat-Savarin "david" houston, texas to begin with.. this pan heats up even and fast. i have a hard anodized circulon non-stick pot, a copper bottom skillet, and this calphalon pan. the heat distribution is excellent, and unlike the copper bottom pan, the calphalon is light and easy to use. BUT, the good stops here. the stick problem is bad, and my stainless steel copper bottom pan sticks less than this calphalon skillet. since it's not a non-stick pan, some sticking is expected, but clean up is just pain. regular soaking over nite will NOT help sometimes. if u cook vegitable and small amount of meat, this pan is good. but never fry egg or cook steak in this pan. avoid anything that will carmalize or contain high sugar. i once cooked some balsamic vinegar mushroom with brown sugar in this pan, and it took me forever to get it clean again since the sugar carmalization litterally stuck to the bottom. B0000DZDFN:scrap_heap_material:t._mckay B0000DZDFN MIU France Stainless Steel Tomato/Vegetable Mill: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 2 1.0 November 3, 2006 T. McKay San Francisco,Ca USA Absolute rubbish.Cheap, inferior product, don't waste your money. It doesn't hold in place while you mill anything. This product is guarenteed to make you lose your temper B00005AL5D:overpriced,_hate_this_pan!:joivie B00005AL5D All-Clad Stainless 10-Inch Fry Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 17 1.0 December 17, 2005 joivie I can't believe someone uses this pan to cook eggs! I have tried several cooking oils and butter, and everything sticks to this pan, making it very difficult to clean. My husband won't even use it. I have reverted to my tried and true cast iron pan that never lets me down. Even the cheapo stainless pans I got at Ross are better than this. TERRIBLE B0000DI5G7:poor_packaging:jim_bo B0000DI5G7 CorningWare French White 12-Piece Gift Bake and Serve Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 15 1.0 July 23, 2005 Jim Bo Collierville, TN I placed two separate orders for this product and each order was received with one broken dish. The set s not packaged correctly by the manufacture. Ended by buying a different produce else where B00015N60A:not_non-stick!:c._wolle B00015N60A Calphalon One Infused Anodized 9-Inch Chef's Skillet with Lid: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 October 5, 2006 C. Wolle Batesville, MS USA I have used this pan 3 times, twice to cook meat. It does not brown; the meat stick to the pan. I made stuffed artichokes last night and even though I used olive oil and water to begin the steaming process, the pan was a mess to clean. I have never had any problems with Myers anodized pans, 18/10 pans or,of couse, teflon. I'm not sure what this pan will be useful for but I believe I will only use it for vegetables or rice B0009VEOB6:sticker_glue_never_able_to_re-moved:nancy_boy B0009VEOB6 MIU France Bamboo Serving Board, Large: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 May 19, 2006 nancy boy this is a great cutting board if one able to removed all the sticker glue that stays on the cutting board forever. I tried to used what ever i can. the GLUE just keep staying on the board and it turns black B00081560K:impossible_to_remove_the_lids:leah_f._monahan B00081560K Pyrex Storage Deluxe 8-Piece Set with Lids, Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 10 2.0 November 20, 2005 Leah F. Monahan Los Gatos, CA USA I have always used Rubbermaid or Tupperware plastic storage, but I replaced all of them with Pyrex glass storage containers in May of 2005. I was worried that the plastic storage was seeping toxins into my food when I washed it in the dishwasher. Also, I liked the idea that glass does not stain and it gives a clear presentation of stored food in the refrigerator--making leftovers more likely to be eaten before they go bad. Unfortunately, I have not been happy with this product. The Pyrex lids must be pried off with a great deal of strength and diligence. This is not a task for a child, or even a standard adult. I have had to ask my husband on more than one occasion to take a lid off for me. I have even spilled food in attempts to take lids off. As an aside, I have also found that the Pyrex glass is heavy, which makes it less desirable to carry leftovers to work AND the containers do not "nest," so they take up more space than they need to in the cabinet. I recommend Bormioli glass storage containers instead. They are lighter in weight, they nest, and the lids come off with the strength of a normal person. B000E3LP16:no_way_these_are_320_tc!_do_not_buy_them!_:rose B000E3LP16 Touch of Paradise Alba Rose 320-Thread-Count 100% Cotton Jacquard Queen Sheet Set, Vanilla: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 August 6, 2006 Rose I'm actually having trouble sleeping on these sheets they are so uncomfortable and rough. They may be technically 320 TC, but they do not feel like more than 150! Strongly recommend against buying them. Mine are going to have a nice life as paint drop cloths. B0000CFPY4:more_than_$20._for_one_plate?:missknowitall_"bronxgal" B0000CFPY4 Corelle 6003893 Winter Frost White 10-Inch Plate: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 November 27, 2005 MissKnowItAll "bronxgal" Brooklyn, NY USA The rating I give this item relates to the lack of value. In a few more clicks, you can buy a service-for-eight of white corelle for less than what three of these dinner plates will cost you. That said, I have owned my Corelle (two services-for-four) for more than twenty-five years, using it regularly. All dishes are intact, they are light and stack nicely, and maybe I'm just not enough of a snob but I don't know why anyone would need any other dishes B000162M8Q:suggested_retail_price:r._krogmeier B000162M8Q Calphalon One Infused Anodized 14-Inch Everyday Pan with Lid: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 4 1.0 March 21, 2006 R. Krogmeier After checking the Calphalon web site the Suggested Retail price for model R1384 14" Everyday Pan is $160.00. I am dissapointed that this is not a true discounted price. B000684DW2:some_breakage_may_occur_during_shipment.:michael_j._kolb B000684DW2 Joyce Chen Sushi Set, Matte Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 May 2, 2006 Michael J. Kolb Philadelphia, PA USA This sushi set is really nice. Unfortunately Amazon doesn't know how to ship ceramic properly. In my original order, they sent it in a medium-sized box, with air cushions only on one side. Of course several of the pieces were shattered. So I requested a replacement via the returns website. The second order was dispatched immediately and sent via next-day. That was impressive. What was not impressive was that this time it was sent in an even *smaller* box, packed so tightly that the air cushions had burst. Naturally this set was also shattered. Fortunately, I hadn't yet returned the first order, so I was able to cannibalize some good pieces from the first set to complete the second. I'm sure their returns department won't like hearing that, but as I see it I've saved them the cost of a refund. Needless to say I won't be ordering ceramic flatware from Amazon again. Once again, I like the style of the set itself, and think it's a great deal for the price. I just recommend that you buy it somewhere else. B00008PC4O:i_do_not_like_being_lied_to!:"mukilteomadness" B00008PC4O Simply Calphalon Stainless 8-Inch Omelet Pan with Nonstick Interior: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 19 1.0 May 24, 2004 "mukilteomadness" Seattle, WA United States I purchased this product in a retail store. The packaging clearly states it is dishwasher safe. Then after you unpack it, and read that if you put it in the dishwasher you void the ten year warranty! Do not make the same mistake I did, avoid this product B00004SZ7M:now_i_understand!__my_dish_shattered_too!:der_lizzard B00004SZ7M Pyrex 3-Quart Oblong Glass Baking/Serving Dish: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 8, 2006 der Lizzard Chicago I have used Pyrex bakeware for over 20 years, and I was shocked when my fairly new 9x13 pan shattered. I figured I just got unlucky and got a bad one. I was going to buy a new one - thank goodness I read the reviews first! And yes, I did follow instructions - I baked my lasagne at 350 degrees, did not use an open flame or broiler, etc etc. I can't believe this safety hazard is still allowed to be sold! I am so mad! I am switching to Corningware now B00004SZ7M:another_victim_of_exploding_pyrex:seanalyn B00004SZ7M Pyrex 3-Quart Oblong Glass Baking/Serving Dish: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 1.0 February 2, 2006 SeanaLyn Santa Cruz, CA Well Im the newest victim of exploding pyrex. Last night I was cooking some salmon in my 3-quart pyrex that I've had for 3 years and used many times before. It was in my oven at 400 for only 25 minutes. I pulled it out and set it on the counter. Well I leaned in to check the salmon and as I pulled away the glass exploded! Not just broke but a full on explosion of glass flying everywhere. Thankfully I pulled away when I did because if I had pulled away 2 seconds later I would have had a face full of Pyrex shrapnel. I came away with only a few small cuts on my stomach...and from what I've heard I was lucky. Even though my boyfriend and I swept and vacumed our kitchen last night there was so much glass that in the morning light I could still see little pieces of glass all over the kitchen. Im not taking any chances, Im throwing out my other Pyrex dishes and switching to all aluminum trays. Please DO NOT USE PYREX! It is not worth the risk! You may have a few years of good use, but is it worth risking your safety or that of your children? Edit- I would just like to comment that I was using the dish within the guidelines. The oven was 400 and the dish was only in there for 25 minutes. The kitchen was rather warm and the surface I set it on was not hot but definately not cool...so there was no drastic temperature change. There were no scratches or cuts any where on the tray so I do not feel that the explosion was in anyway my fault. This explosion was purely the result of a poorly manufactured item B00004SZ7M:exploding_pyrex:chef_sawyer_"chef_sawyer" B00004SZ7M Pyrex 3-Quart Oblong Glass Baking/Serving Dish: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 1.0 November 8, 2005 Chef Sawyer "Chef Sawyer" West Texas I have been a chef now for seven years and have not ever had a problem with pyrex. Until now. Last night while roasting some potatoes in a 400F oven, my pyrex dish exploded. It rained glass all over the inside of my oven. It was a disaster. I am just thankful that nothing happened to me or my two year old who was in the room at that time. This sounds like a REAL PROBLEM! B00004R937:great_coffee_but_too_easy_to_break:g._mcgee B00004R937 Melitta MEMB1W Mill & Brew Coffeemaker, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 6, 2006 G. McGee Fort Worth, TX United States I was given this coffee maker for a birthday gift a couple of years ago and after I figured out how to make it work, loved it. After a while the latch on the top broke off and I had to hold the top down while it was grinding the coffee. That made the timer on it useless unless you propped something against it to hold the top down. It was a little inconvenient but I got use to it. Then the metal filter broke and I decided to get a new one. Luckily I put the old one in the garage for "spare parts" because not long after I started using the new one the side tab broke off and I had to grab a replacement off the old one. I will probably not purchase this brand again B00005B8KD:very_bad_brakes_:jennifer_sirois B00005B8KD Pyrex Bakeware 5-Piece Set, Cobalt: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 7 1.0 February 4, 2006 Jennifer Sirois if you want to buy this color buy anchor bakeware it is so good B00024L6YS:very_disappointing:marnie B00024L6YS Rival 33511LD-C stainless steel 5 Qt Crock-Pot Slow Cooker with Bonus: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 2.0 May 15, 2006 Marnie washington, dc I owned a Rival crockpot for 20 years and was very happy with it. When it stopped working I therefore bought another (this one) from Rival. I've used it twice. The top doesn't seem to keep the liquid in, even on low, and it burned the food both times. I don't trust it now and am not sure whether I'll try it again. B00024L6YS:faulty_lid_on_rival_33511_5_quart_crockpot_slow_cooker_:laura_mark_"firefly" B00024L6YS Rival 33511LD-C stainless steel 5 Qt Crock-Pot Slow Cooker with Bonus: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 1.0 March 17, 2006 Laura Mark "Firefly" Chicago I bought this because it was well priced, good sized and looked better than many other slow cookers. I assumed it would work as well as my 10 year old slow cooker that I gave away. The first time I used it (as soon as it got up to tempurature) the lid started to rumble and slip around the top. Then came the spitting hot water and steam that went in my toaster down the side of the cooker and on the counter. The lid is the worst! At first I thought maybe I was missing a rubber seal or something on my lid. Now I realize this is the way it was designed! I made a pork roast in it which usually works great but in this slow cooker it seemed to cook quicker with no liquid left because it evaporated through the faulty lid. The only way to correct the spitting water and the rumbly,tumbly,bouncy lid is to put a paper towel under part of the lid but even this eventually fails because the towel gets soaked and then starts to drip on the counter. Not to mention its probably a fire hazard. I don't think my paper towel idea is what Rival had in mind when they designed this! I wish I could return this but I threw away the receipt. B00024L6YS:lid_on_crock_pot.:t._colvin B00024L6YS Rival 33511LD-C stainless steel 5 Qt Crock-Pot Slow Cooker with Bonus: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 February 26, 2006 T. Colvin marietta,ga. The lid does not fit and is not heavy enough to keep it firmly on the pot.It allows liquids to escape.I think this could be a problem B00004RHNM:dont_waste_your_money:"mahayogi" B00004RHNM Hoffritz 2-Piece Stainless-Steel Peeler and Parer Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 1.0 June 23, 2003 "mahayogi" MALDEN, MA United States I have had this for 2years now and what a waste of money it has been. I have used this a few of times before I decided to toss them. This set was a disaster. The parer is dull period and the peeler peels off much more than just the skin, you lose almost 20%(no exaggeration) of the fruit or the vegetable B00008URRH:wouldn't_buy_again:tara_l._smith B00008URRH Bissell 7950 Proheat Self-Propelled Upright Deep Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 1.0 March 18, 2006 Tara L. Smith We have had this machine for about a year and it might have work right the first time we used it. We now have to borrow a friends Hoover Steamvac when we need to clean the carpet. We are getting ready to buy a different machine bcause this one would never work right. It never has any suction power and it constantly sprays soap everywhere even if you have it only on the water selection. I wouldn't buy B00008OT8C:fondue_failure:roger_p._cantley_"book/dvd_fanatic" B00008OT8C West Bend 88503 Entertainer 3-Quart Electric Fondue Pot with 8 Forks: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 24 1.0 May 1, 2004 Roger P. Cantley "Book/DVD Fanatic" Altus, OK USA I really thought I would like this product when I got it out of the box. It's looks well made and looked easy to use. I followed instructions and cleaned it throughly and put my recipe misture and miniture sausages in it to slowly heat and to use as an appetizer. I put the the heat setting on warm as I was not in a hurry and I left the room for about 5 minutes. When I came back there was mixture all over my cabinets, counters, etc. and what was left was boiling and sputtering like mad. I later found out that no matter what heat setting I used it would over heat. I cannot recommend this product to anyone I'm sorry to say B00009R66C:do_not_buy!__i'll_sell_you_mine_for_$5.:m._delia B00009R66C Hoover U6439-900 Self-Propelled WindTunnel Ultra Upright Vacuum Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 November 23, 2006 M. DELIA Plainview, NY United States I've had to bring this back to Hoover 5 times in less than a year. The belt for the self-propelled motor comes off ever other time I use the vacuum. The on/off button has been fixed 3 times. It works when it wants to. Even the guy at the Hoover store admitted that this piece of garbage is known for problems with the belt coming off. I have nothing good to say about this. I'm a huge Consumer Reports fan but they missed the boat on this one. They need to update their testing over the long-term. I'm still pissed I blew $250 on this ridiculous excuse for a vacuum B00009R66C:consumer_reports_got_this_one_wrong!:tito B00009R66C Hoover U6439-900 Self-Propelled WindTunnel Ultra Upright Vacuum Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 October 2, 2006 Tito New York City Like many others, I bought this because it came highly recommended by Consumer Reports. It worked great for a while, but after about a year the brush stopped spinning. I replaced the belt (twice!) but it still won't work. If I didn't read about so many others having similar problems, I would have guessed that I just got a bad vacuum - but after reading other reviews here at Amazon, I see that this is not a model that anyone should buy, despite the high rating from Consumer Reports B00005LM0Z:ok_for_a_crowd:sophos_"philosopher" B00005LM0Z Bodum Assam 4-Cup Tea Press: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 January 15, 2006 Sophos "philosopher" The tea press works fine if you are planning on serving a crowd. For one or two people, it simply doesn't work. You must add an enormous amount of tea for the press to work properly. I once had a smaller tea press, and I thought that was what I was purchasing here. B00004OCO9:disappointed:deb_"local_spca_volunteer" B00004OCO9 OXO Good Grips 76381 Measuring Cups, Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 December 2, 2005 Deb "Local SPCA Volunteer" Western New York I have other Oxo items that I like very much, but these Stainless Steel Measuring Cups are a big disappointment. I also experienced the handle bending easily when packing in brown sugar. They will be in my next yard sale B00004OCO9:oxo_let_me_down_w/_flimsy_handles:g._hanna_"cartvader" B00004OCO9 OXO Good Grips 76381 Measuring Cups, Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 2.0 December 6, 2004 G. Hanna "cartvader" San Antonio, TX United States I really like OXO products. I have a number of their utensils in my kitchen and I enjoy that they have nice big handles. Since I started getting gadgets for my kitchen I always wanted these measuring cups. Well I finally got them. I was very excited to use them for the first time. Well I went to scoop some brown sugar and the handle started bending. I was very disappointed in how flimsy the handles are. I think I'll stick to my plastic ones from OXO, I had better luck with them B00004OCO9:cute_but_cute_doesn't_cut_it_in_a_busy_kitchen:mark_sullivan B00004OCO9 OXO Good Grips 76381 Measuring Cups, Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 22 of 23 2.0 March 10, 2003 Mark Sullivan Eastern Shore, Maryland Usually OXO produces well designed items that have you thinking "They *really* thought about how this thing was going to be used (and abused)!" Unfortunately the other reviewers are spot on -- very bendy handles. It's a shame, but you should pass on these B00004RDF0:not_the_best_at_all:cooking_fool B00004RDF0 Musso 4080 Lussino Dessert Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 11 1.0 July 23, 2006 Cooking Fool San Antonio, Texas United States I have been making ice cream in a Cuisinart machine for years but I wanted to regain my freezer space from the 2 canisters I had to keep ready.. I also wanted to make good gelato since I can't go to Italy all the time. I had first bought the Lussino 4080 by Musso. It was terrible. Too soft right out of the machine and full of ice crystals when put in the freezer for any amount of time. It didn't get firm, it became a rock. I returned it and got the Lello Gelato Pro instead. It is quieter, has a washable bowl, costs about half the money, weighs much less and makes 2 quarts rather than 1&1/2 quarts. There is no contest. The Lello is the superior machine B00004X12X:go_with_a_better_model:melissa_n._miller B00004X12X Hamilton Beach 70550RL PrepStar Food Processor with Bonus Chill Lid: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 1.0 November 9, 2006 Melissa N. Miller NJ USA I bought this "piece of junk" at Wal*Mart. I was actually surprised to see a food processor so cheap, so I decided to buy it. After going home and washing the product, I decided to try it out. I plugged it in and NOTHING. It didn't even budge! Anyway, I am going to have to drive ALL THE WAY back to Wal*Mart and return this... Save your money and go with a more expensive model that will last you.. B00004OCN6:weak_whistle....:bryan_david_weber_"bryan" B00004OCN6 OXO Good Grips 71183 Uplift Teakettle, Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 November 4, 2006 Bryan David Weber "Bryan" Hanover NH The old OXO tea kettles had a train whistle sound. This new one has a single high pitch whistle that is so weak you couldn't hear it in the next room. Save your money and buy something cheaper. It will work as well if not better. I returned mine and got another brand and it works just fine and it was cheaper too. B00005KIEL:cork_screw_failure:pat_noble_"pat" B00005KIEL KitchenAid Wing Corkscrew, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 May 20, 2006 Pat Noble "Pat" New Jersey Unlike the other reviewers, my Kitchenaid cork screw worked fine for almost two years. It never quite pulled the cork far enough out of the bottle to suit me -- it didn't make cork pulling labor-free -- but I found it much easier than any previous such tool I ever owned. Alas, as in many of the other reviews, the screw finally broke off in a cork and the device seems irreparable. A cheap plastic cork screw had to be called into service. I just visited the Kitchenaid web page and they don't offer a cork screw for sale anymore. I presume that I will soon toss mine as well. Planning to buy one of these for $30? Clint would ask you: Do you feel lucky B00005KIEL:irrepairable:amc_by_the_sea B00005KIEL KitchenAid Wing Corkscrew, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 April 14, 2006 amc by the sea Mass, USA Like 7 of the 8 other reviews, this product broke with no way to repair it. For the price and apparent sturdiness, it is just one big failure and is to be avoided. B0007XOTUC:do_not_buy_any_self_pro[pelled_hoover_vacuums:lori_lynn_rejzek_"nomorhoovers" B0007XOTUC Hoover U6436-900 TurboPower 7600 Self Propelled Windtunnel Bagged Upright Vacuum: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 16 1.0 April 7, 2006 Lori Lynn Rejzek "NOMORHOOVERS" Mohave Valley, AZ USA HOOVER HAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE BELTS STRETCHING OUT ON ALL THE SELF PROPELLED VACUUMS, BUT WILL DO NOTHING FOR CUSTOMERS STUCK WITH THEM! WE MUST REPLACE THE DRIVE AND PROPEL BELTS EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS. REDICULOUS POOR CUSTOMER SERVIC B0000CFATM:so,_you_want_to_throw_away_$30?:b._roundy_"roundy!" B0000CFATM BonJour Creme Brulee Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 31 of 40 1.0 October 8, 2003 B. Roundy "Roundy!" Arlington, VA United States This torch just does not work. I won't stay lit for more than a couple of seconds. When it does stay lit, the flame is horrible. Please, for the love of God, do not waste your money on this B00005NCWV:no_egg_on_your_face,_there_is_no_chance_of_that..:janice_m._hansen_"hansenfam1@earthlink.net" B00005NCWV Farberware Nonstick 4-Cup Egg Poacher: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 1.0 February 9, 2006 Janice M. Hansen "hansenfam1@earthlink.net" California United States I, too, bought this terrible piece of equipment. My complaint, aside from the odd taste, consistency and smell, was that you could not tell when the egg was done. It was still raw at 10 minutes. By the time it was cooked you could have used it for a nerf ball. What a waste of money. As far as thinking up other purposes for it, I suppose it could be a sacrificial camping outdoor firepit cook pan for something. You'll have to think of something, just don't put eggs in it B00004SGFQ:engineering_missed_again:k._johnson_"picky_cook" B00004SGFQ KitchenAid SSA Sausage Stuffer Kit Attachment for Food Grinder: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 13 2.0 August 3, 2004 K. Johnson "picky cook" Fairbanks, Alaska its just a simple plastic tube that fits on the end of the grinder attachment so you can stuff sausage. So how did they manage to mess this one up? The flare at the wide end of the horn does not sit flat against the head of the grinder, so when you go to tighten the ring down to hold it into place, the collar can not screw on all the way. The result? A build up of meat in the front part of the collar. This eventually begins to drip down making a bloody mess of whatever is under the grinder attachment. How hard would it have been for Kitchenaid to design the horn so it fitted flat in place and the collar would have screwed on tight? B00004RHRZ:size_matters:"mbrbsn" B00004RHRZ Hoffritz Stainless-Steel Ice Bucket with Tongs: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 8 1.0 March 18, 2002 "mbrbsn" Mequon, WI US Disappointed with the size of product, have not used it yet B00005KIDQ:lop_sided:karen_stegemann B00005KIDQ KitchenAid Can Opener, Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 February 26, 2006 Karen Stegemann Citrus Heights, CA United States I have ordered and returned twice and my third one they sent has the same result. After a few uses it seems to twist off stroke and stays that way. B00005KIDQ:initially_satisfied;_downhill_from_there:m._taylor_"mtpaperworks" B00005KIDQ KitchenAid Can Opener, Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 May 21, 2005 M. Taylor "mtpaperworks" Rochester, NY I purchased this handsome can opener in June 2004. Feels & looks substantial and promising. It worked ok for a couple of months, and now it's useless. I'll return to using my zyliss opener, and throw this in the trash B0000644GL:read_all_reviews_before_you_buy:c._chi_"realshopper" B0000644GL Dolce Dark Walnut Telephone Table: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 September 25, 2006 C. Chi "realshopper" California To be fair, the design is great looking, size is ideal, and very functional. However, beware of quality and packaging. Whoever packaged this in Thailand did not take care, it has nicks and scratches everywhere..not to mention the dings in corners. Paint in all the panels is inconsistent..therefore, you can see different colorations throughout different panels. It is somewhat redish in stain tone, could be darker to be a true dark walnut. Manufacturing flaws such as missing drill holes, which makes it tough when assembling...got screws, just missing screw holes. I only recommend to those with a nack of wood handyman, not for the average person. Recommend you need the following tools: Drill with phillips screw heads and drill bits(just in case), small bottle of dark wood stain(to touch up painting the scratches), and some patience. To continue, beware when placing this table on a true flat surface, it may have uneven stance...ok on carpeting. And beware if displaying in bright lit areas...people may see the different paint tones, and difference between the two table. Lasting, it is not 100% solid wood, some panels have veneer over particle board. Heck, what do you expect for $69bucks.. B0000DIJYX:what_a_mess:wildthing_"expressoholic" B0000DIJYX DeLonghi Caffe Sorrento Bar4 4-Cup Espresso/Cappuccino Machine, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 November 29, 2004 Wildthing "Expressoholic" Forest Lake MN I was so excited to receive my DeLonghi Caffe Sorrento Bar4 4-Cup Espresso/Cappuccino Machine. Being an experienced expresso drinker I started to brew my expresso, needless to say the frother works so so good you do not even have to turn it on. Water and steam everywhere, also the frother does not turn off, I tried so hard that the knob came off. I was very dissapointed B00000DMBO:broke_after_limited_use:small_corgi_"smcorgi" B00000DMBO Screwpull Lever Model Wine Opener Gift Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 13, 2006 small corgi "smcorgi" Wayne, PA United States My Screwpull Lever model broke after opening roughly 40 bottles over 1+year. Locked up and when I pulled a little harder it stripped a gear (the notches into which the gear meshes are only plastic.) I suspect the lockup during the twist-cork-in -then-lift-up cycle was due to worn part within the screw housing. In any event, it's unacceptable for something this expensive to fail with such limited use. At the very least, the gear mechanism should be stainless steel vice metal-plastic to provide better wear. Plus, we just talking about a stupid corkscrew. How hard /costly would it be to build something decent vice a piece of overpriced yuppy crap?? B0000CBI4B:just_a_regular_mattress_pad:jk B0000CBI4B Wamsutta Even Temperature Full Mattress Pad: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 7 2.0 February 5, 2005 JK NYC My husband sweats a lot at night and I thought this would stop the problem. It didn't at all. It doesn't seems like it does anything for me either. It just feels like a normal mattress pad. Not exactly worth the price for a normal mattress pad B00018RRRK:better_than_a_hammer?:jeffrey_custer B00018RRRK Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 7 2.0 September 30, 2006 Jeffrey Custer Regardless of the setting you use, you will get half coffee powder and half coarse grounds. In addition, the feature that is intended to allow you to control the amount of grounds you make with a switch on the top ... does not work. Be prepared to grind more than you need, and then measure the grounds (somehow avoiding the powder) yourself. B00018RRRK:it's_not_even_terrible:tlon_"tlon" B00018RRRK Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 5 1.0 September 17, 2006 Tlon "Tlon" ca, usa In my case I can't even say it's noisy because the grinder didn't work at all! Manufacturing defect deprived me the chance to listen how it works B00018RRRK:don't_buy:aileen_k._gaynor_"sometimes_wise_shopper" B00018RRRK Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 7 1.0 July 30, 2006 Aileen K. Gaynor "sometimes wise shopper" I bought this thinking I would be able to regulate the size, (I have had my other coffee grinder for 10 yr. still works), to say it is loud is an understatement, & 1st thing in the AM. I had it about 2 weeks, when I noticed it was hot to the touch, and it no longer worked, mind you I had not used it in 2 days, and had moved it to clean. I have not contacted them at this point, but do not want a replacement, and a part of me is glad it broke, so I don't have to listen to the noise anymore B0002E4VY0:if_i_could_actually_get_one_that_worked,_maybe_i'd_like_it.:m._e._terrell B0002E4VY0 Bunn MCP My Cafe Professional-Grade Single-Serve Coffee/Tea Machine: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 November 9, 2006 M. E. Terrell I ordered the My Cafe from Amazon in early October and received it a few days later. On initial set-up, the unit failed to prime. I talked to Bunn's Service Dept. and was coached to try several steps, which did not work. I was given a return authorization number and told that I would be sent a brand new machine once they received the defective one. I have Fed Ex verification that the My Cafe was received by Bunn on October 18. I called Bunn on November 6 and was told that they would check on my replacement and call me back in a couple on minutes. No return call came. I called again on November 9th and was told that the My Cafe has been on back order and that I am in line with an unknown other number of customers awaiting shipment. They could not, or would not, give me any meaningful information on when I might expect to see if the replacement works any better than the original. My Cafe may be a great machine but Bunn's service is atrocious B0002E4VY0:a_dud!:cooking_enthusiast_&_avid_reader_"judy" B0002E4VY0 Bunn MCP My Cafe Professional-Grade Single-Serve Coffee/Tea Machine: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 1.0 November 4, 2006 cooking enthusiast & avid reader "judy" Las Vegas, NV I got the machine yesterday and was so excited. I got it all ready to prime by following the directions, and it didn't work. After several attempts I called Bunn customer service thinking that I must be doing something wrong. When I talked to the customer service rep. he told me that the machine wasn't pumping hot water into the reservoir and that this was a common problem with the machine. I'm thinking for $200.00 this isn't right, and why hasn't the company fixed it? He was very nonchalant about it as if it didn't matter; just get a new one. This just isn't acceptable to me. There are many positive reviews so I'm sure if you get a working one than you'll probably be happy with it. As for me, I refuse to use something that has a known problem that the company isn't even trying to remedy. Therefore, I'm sending it back to Amazon for a full refund and buying the Simple Human coffee maker which has gotten great reviews B000063XHJ:great_frother_-_espresso_consistently_inconsistent:w._shimet B000063XHJ Capresso 112.05 EspressoPro ThermoBlock Pump Espresso Machine with FrothXpress: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 October 4, 2006 W. Shimet FL The frother is great! Easy to use etc. The espresso temperature is 140 degrees F when measuring the stream of coffee coming from the machine after the machine has warmed up for 6 minutes. At that LOW temperature you can't extract the flavors and aroma required for a great cup of espresso. Other reviews stating it can take 5 minutes to brew a cup of espresso are accurate. This occurs when the grind is too fine. I've had this machine for over a year and it is NOT recommended. I use it mainly for the frother and make the espresso in another machine. To add insult to injury, the chrome like decal on the machine has an air bubble under it so it looks cheap. I thought it was chrome undil the decal started to get this bubble. Previously I had a Gaggia which is superior in every manner, and cheaper also. The only reason I rated it 2 stars is because of the frother. B000063XHJ:finicky_machine_has_a_real_design_problem:b._powell_"powell789" B000063XHJ Capresso 112.05 EspressoPro ThermoBlock Pump Espresso Machine with FrothXpress: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 March 3, 2006 B. Powell "powell789" Tiburon, CA United States I bought the Capresso 114 last December (the difference being, the model 112 has chrome trim and a very questionable milk reservoir). This machine is unbelievably finicky; you must use an extremely coarse grind (according to the manual), and almost zero tamping pressure (again, according to the manual), otherwise you get unbelievably slow coffee flow (several minutes for a shot of espresso). Even when you get everything according to instructions (which includes, according to Capresso tech support, disassembling the machine every few days), it takes at least 5 minutes to pour a shot of espresso, which comes out weak, bitter, and with no crema. After two months of discussing this with Capresso tech support and getting nowhere, I returned the machine to Amazon. After that I bought a Krups XP 4000 -- bliss! The machine makes great espresso in about 25 seconds, even with a fine grind and firm tamp. B000063XHJ:poor_quality_coffee:ca_or_bust B000063XHJ Capresso 112.05 EspressoPro ThermoBlock Pump Espresso Machine with FrothXpress: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 1.0 February 25, 2005 CA or Bust Los Angeles, CA United States This machine is sure to disappoint a seasoned European-style coffee drinker (coffee as in beverage made from coffee bean, not a tall cup of Sanka as the term is used in the US). Admittedly, I'm really picky about my coffee, but $250 for this machine is ridiculous. I've had coffee from a $40 Krups machine that is better than that made by the EspressoPro. I use high-quality pods with this machine (Molinari, Lucaffe, and Miscela d'Oro) which guarantees consistency in other machines, but doesn't help with this machine. Here are my issues with the machine. 1. The thermoblock isn't effective. I HAVE to put water in my espresso cup and pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds before making an espresso or else my coffee will be lukewarm. Disgusting, even with high quality beans. Granted, unless your machine has a cup warmer, this is probably a good idea regardless of your machine, but with this machine, it is a REQUIREMENT, not an option, if you want hot coffee. Second, steamed milk is lukewarm on a good day. The same heating problem occurs with steaming milk. I called Capresso, and they said to check all the fittings. In fact, after much frustration (I'm not an idiot), I finally just sealed the connections with shrink tube, which leaves only two points where the connection could be weak. Still, I can't get HOT steam. What I do get is either lukewarm liquid milk, or cool, overly thick foam. In fact the foam is so unrefined and thick that it gives the impression that you could chew it. Nasty. 2. The frothing mechanism is gimmicky and not effective. A standard "frothing wand" is much better. The mechanism on this machine is ineffective, lacks true control, and requires an extra step over a standard wand to clean. As explained above, the heat is not sufficient, and the quality of foam is irregular and bad. I'm embarrassed to serve coffee from this machine to guests, let alone drink it myself. I just can't get over the heat issue. Nothing kills a good coffee than lack of heat. This point is so important, if you take a gander at the Francis! Francis! X1 (and professional machines), there's a thermometer right on the front of the machine (and no, it's not purely an esthetic design issue since you can put several types of gauges/switches on an espresso machine--like a pressure gauge). The low heat generated results in really thick, solid foam. When I have guests, I just heat milk on the stovetop and use a handfrother instead of using the EspressoPro's lame mechanism. Second, the way you adjust the foamed milk to steamed milk ratio is not effective. A little gate is regulated by the user through a twisting tab. It's just not good design. Since the milk actually passes through the machine and is heated internally by the machine, you can't really "work" the milk. A wand offers direct control and offers immediate visual response to whether you're getting foam or hot milk. You know dried milk that collects on your steaming wand? Well, that's now inside your EspressoPro. With a traditional wand, you just wipe the wand with a wet rag. With this machine, you need to run hot water through the frothing mechanism (BEFORE you do this you need to wait for the block to heat up again). Plus, there's so many little pieces that need to be kept clean, it's a pain. What a bad design! 3. 18 Bar? Yeah, right. This machine also doesn't generate enough pressure to develop nice crema. Granted, I use pods, but still, a certain amount of crema is expected. This machine produces a thin, insufficient amount of crema. The lack of sufficient pressure probably has to do with the poor thermoblock. I really can't recommend this machine. For $250, just go get a Krups or Braun. Better yet, spend $50 more and get an entry level Gaggia or Saeco. With this machine you're paying for looks and a gimmicky, ineffective frothing mechanism. This hunk o' junk is now buried deep in the back of my kitchen cabinet, as I truly would not feel right pawning this machine off on someone else. It is now appropriately "retired" from service, and I now enjoy perfect coffee every day from my Saeco Vienna Superautomatica. Now that's a machine, baby B0006PQPBW:cleaning_trays_cracked:allyson_christoffersen B0006PQPBW La Sonic Supreme Jewelry Cleaner - (White): Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 1.0 November 18, 2005 Allyson Christoffersen Inside this unit there are 2 cleaning trays, one for the cleaning solution and the other for water to rinse. Each tray has a cup coming out the bottom which is used to lock the tray into the device. After only 3 uses the base of the one cup cracked. After about 6 more uses the other bottom cracked. I would not recommend this product to anyone. B0000AR6Y0:got_5_minutes_out_of_it:madrile a B0000AR6Y0 Home Touch PS-200 Perfect Steam Commercial Garment Steamer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 September 27, 2006 madrile a Madrid, Spain This worked great...for 5 minutes. I tried everything to make it work again over three days. I finally contacted customer service and they said there is nothing else to do - send it to them and they will replace it. I'm glad they were responsive, but now I have to pay to ship the darn thing to Michingan B0000AR6Y0:water_reservoir_poorly_designed:mrs._jacqueline_r._rakers_"ibsmilin2" B0000AR6Y0 Home Touch PS-200 Perfect Steam Commercial Garment Steamer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 13 1.0 October 3, 2005 Mrs. Jacqueline R. Rakers "ibsmilin2" Illinois I too have experienced the water tank caving in and not working properly if you forget to take the water tank out of the steamer unit, and mind you, you must also remove the cap from the water reservoir even after you remove it from the steamer. I have tried putting hot water in the tank in an attempt to regain its original shape to no avail. I would not recommend buying this steamer for this reason B00004SPEL:leaks_coffee_while_brewing_8_out_of_10_times:c._kruger B00004SPEL Krups 466-42 Crystal Aroma Plus Coffeemaker, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 January 14, 2006 C. Kruger Montgomery, AL United States As another reviewer experienced, our Krups also leaks coffee all over the counter and subsequently the floor quite often, which is apparently related to having to have the carafe situated in just exactly the right place within a half a millimeter, and which place I have not yet discovered except occasionally by chance. Carafe positioning appears to be the problem, because it doesn't leak every time. Maybe my unit is defective, because other reviewers don't mention this, and believe me, you would notice this if it were occurring with yours. The opening to pour in water is relatively small, but I don't have a huge problem with it. Be aware there is no automatic shut off. It makes a fine cup of coffee for this non-coffee-gourmet, and I don't have a problem with spilling when I pour from the carafe into a cup. But the leaking is forcing me to find another machine. I wish I could find a reasonably-priced, non-leaking 12-cup machine with removable water reservoir, no-drip carafe, programmable, auto shut-off, easy-to-find replacement carafe and removable filter basket but alas, even on amazon.com, that machine does not appear to exist. My sister has such a machine (Mr. Coffee URX23), but that model has been discontinued. B00004SPEL:you_could_do_a_lot_better_than_this:t._bruce_"coffee_snob" B00004SPEL Krups 466-42 Crystal Aroma Plus Coffeemaker, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 2.0 December 13, 2004 T. Bruce "coffee snob" Ohio I had slightly older edition of the Krups Crystal Aroma for several years, until I lost one carafe too many - if you're careless, when empty they tend to roll like a bowling ball right off the countertop. But that's my fault. The Crystal Aroma carafe looks cool and the filter would probably help if you have unpleasant tap water, but overall, the quality of the coffee it produces is merely OK. The reason not to buy this coffeemaker is that Krups now makes a much better one. "Aroma control" is a poor description for the recent line of Krups coffeemakers by that name actually do. The Aroma Control machines have a simple, but ingenious mechanism for retaining the coffee in the brewing chamber for an extra minute before letting it drip through into the carafe. More than filters or an exotic shape that supposedly retains aromas, that extra minute of brewing makes all the difference in the world. Unless you're just in love with that round carafe, skip the "Crystal Aroma" and move on to the "Aroma Control" line. B0001HLTRU:received_wrong_one_three_times:maria B0001HLTRU KitchenAid KV25GOXBU Professional 5 Plus 5-Quart Bowl Lift Stand Mixer, Cobalt Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 24 1.0 March 13, 2006 Maria Stockton, CA United States I ordered the Pro 5 Plus three times and recieved the wrong one 3 times. They kept sending the "Commercial 5 mixer." In the meantime I have accumulated 2 shoping bags full of baking goods. I have ordered many "cookie" art books, along with many supplies as well as the Set of 3 Pasta Maker attachment for this mixer. This has been going on since the beginning of December. But no mixer! Calls end up in whatever country. All they do is placate you with polite rhetoric and pat answers. Which is their job. But this does not address the major problem. The problem is never kicked up to a higher level, researched, investigated and thus ending in a resolution. Now I see this model or its equivalent, in Costo. Very cheap but with the steel attachments (whip, dough hook etc) like the Commerical one. It looks like a combination of the Pro 5 Plus and the Commercial one. And the model no. is not listed in KitchenAde's website. There seems to be something amiss with this Pro 5 Plus model. This has been a frustrating experience. I now plan to order the Pro 6 instead, which Cook's Illustrated listed as number one. And it won't be from Amazon. Receiving the wrong one three times is a bit much. Dissapointed in the service. B00005OUCI:broken_glass:s._levine B00005OUCI Flare 12-pc. Glassware Set - Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 August 5, 2005 S. Levine Los Angeles, Ca USA I ordered these glasses 3 times and everytime they came in a million pieces. I would not waste your time purchasing these B000056VU3:barely_functional_but_not_reliable:sway B000056VU3 Factory-Reconditioned Cuisinart CPT-65FR Custom Control Total Touch 4-Slice Electronic Toaster, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 10 2.0 April 7, 2005 Sway Bowling Green, Ohio United States My first Cuisinart 4-slice toaster developed a dangerous problem after the 3-month warantee period: it started heating when not turned on, and made strange clicking sounds. It never had toasted very well, and only toasted lightly on the darkest setting. To their great credit, Cuisinart replaced the toaster for the shipping cost alone (although it took 3 months). The replacement toaster also toasts very lightly, very slowly, but at least it's not an immediate fire hazard B000056VU3:cuisinart_is_not_testing_these_toasters...:dorothy_higgins B000056VU3 Factory-Reconditioned Cuisinart CPT-65FR Custom Control Total Touch 4-Slice Electronic Toaster, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 8 1.0 January 4, 2005 Dorothy Higgins I saw many good reviews for this toaster and a few bad ones too. I took my chances and ordered one anyway. Cuisinart is not testing these toasters. It took 10 seconds for me to see that the inner elements are not heating up. They are cleaning them, possibly changing the elements, and shipping them. My guess is that it is just cheaper not to test them. Big mistake. It's harder to win back customers than to keep them. B00004RBTA:poor_quality_for_the_companies_reputation:kent_carter_"kmaster26" B00004RBTA Amco 3-Cup Stainless Steel Sifter: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 March 1, 2003 Kent Carter "kmaster26" ON, Canada This sifter broke a month after I got it. It seems sturdy but it actually requires carefull handling. The sifting is somewhat slow but good (excercise!!!) B00004RBTA:too_much_work,_didn't_last_long:rhiannon_rowland B00004RBTA Amco 3-Cup Stainless Steel Sifter: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 10 1.0 October 23, 2001 Rhiannon Rowland Mason, Ohio United States The Amco sifter broke during the second time I was using it and the first time I used it it took a long time and the handle kept sticking. Also my hand, wrist and arm were hurting so bad from all the work it took just to get four cups sifted. It also leaks flour where the handle is at the bottom B000A76VCO:breville_grill_&_bbq.....forget_it!!!:mrs._diane_langdon_"snow_white" B000A76VCO Breville 800GRXL Die-Cast Indoor Barbeque and Grill, Brushed Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 5 1.0 August 16, 2006 Mrs. Diane Langdon "snow white" california, usa this item is too big and very difficult to operate. it is the worst breville product purchased. the panni press does the same thing without the difficult cleaning. i would NOT recommend this item...too much money...definately NOT worth the cost B00005AM7T:an_investment?_that's_funny.:j._p._ess_"esser21" B00005AM7T Chicago Cutlery Walnut Tradition 10-Piece Block Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 33 1.0 November 3, 2004 J. P. ESS "ESSER21" Minneapolis, MN USA Brass rivets expand and contract. Wood expands and contracts. Together these elements are a bad concept from the word "go", because they will ultimately separate because someone will at one time or another put them in the dishwasher. The metal is only tempered 4 times leaving the metal soft, meaning there is a lot of sharpeing to do. Henckel, cutco, trident are expensive and chefs all over the world use them because the are used everyday and they retain their sharpness because they are tempered 7 times (the maximum amount before metal becomes so hard that it becomes brittle) Wood is pourus and is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. You don't just wipe off knives and put them in a wood butcher block? What moran came up with that great concept? Utensils need to be sterilzed through a dish washer and very hot water with good cleaning agents. Why woould you buy a knife that you can't put in the dish washer? Why would you ever purchase a knife that requires maintenance. There's no moving parts Wood handle and stainless steel spells disaster. Learning to sharpen your own knives is not easy, chefs don't even do it. Reading direction from a pamphlet and attempting to sharpen your knives for the first time spells disaster. Your knives will never be the same if you attempt this. Companies sell sharpening tools to inexperienced knife sharpeners (like yourself) so they wreck their own knives and buy new. You buy clothes that require dry cleaning, correct? bring your knives in and have them professionally sharpened and protect your investment. You should only buy one pair of knives in your lifetime and they can be handed down from generation to generation. A dull knife is a dangerous knife. A dull knife will require more pressure which will lead to a person cutting themselves. Take it from me. I was a CEO with a company who marketed these knives to people like you and we made alot of money too. These knives were never designed to be passed on from generation to generation B00009PGO8:terrible:fauxtao_"kristen" B00009PGO8 Pacific Coast Feather Full Down Blanket, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 3 1.0 July 5, 2006 fauxtao "Kristen" NY I purchased this blanket because I loved the color. That is the only thing it has going for it. There were feathers all over the place and I keep finding random ones in rooms on different floors! It is now stored in an airtight bag because I can't toss it- I paid good money for it B00023DRT6:this_plate_is_not_bonechina,_that_is_why_is_so_cheap!!:e._torres_"e._torres" B00023DRT6 Royal Albert Old Country Roses Cake Plate with Server: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 2.0 January 29, 2006 E. Torres "E. Torres" San Antonio Be aware, if you are looking for bonechina stay away from this piece. It is made in China and very low qualit B0007918TQ:high_hopes_but_doesn't_work_for_kitty_litter:j._lewis B0007918TQ Bissell 33014 GoVac Deluxe Cordless Sweeper, Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 October 1, 2006 J. Lewis AUSTIN, TX USA I had bought this vacuum because of the good reviews. I wanted a cordless vac to take care of the quick jobs -- not heavy cleaning -- but the primary job was to do to take care of daily kitty litter cleanup (rescued mother cat and 4 kittens). It does a good job for lint and hair but doesn't work on kitty litter. It spits it around or keeps in roller section. I thought I was using it wrong and tried it every way -- but it only picks up a small percentage of the kitty litter and rest is just blown around or drops out when it's turned off. I'm going to have to buy another cordless vaccum B00008J4C9:don't_buy_it!:j._long_"jimtechsd" B00008J4C9 Shark SV745 Cordless 14.4V Wet/Dry Hand Vac: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 October 2, 2005 J. Long "jimtechsd" San Diego, CA United States I received the 14.4 volt vacuum for Christmas 2004. After a full charge, it lasts less than a minute. It would be great if the battery lasted, but it doesn't. Go with another product and save your money on this piece of junk B00008J4C9:worked_great_then_the_decline: B00008J4C9 Shark SV745 Cordless 14.4V Wet/Dry Hand Vac: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 2.0 September 6, 2004 I bought this product about a year ago and for a while it worked great. Then I noticed that the unit was starting to shut off faster and faster until today when I finally decieded to toss her. Overall in the beginning yes there is alot of power but what is the good of it when the battery's life is only about a year before she goes. I wouldnt recommend one especially since Dirt Devil came out with a cyclone one which I will try with hopefully longer lasting results. B00005B6YJ:not_great:mudit_gandhi_"mudit_gandhi" B00005B6YJ Toastmaster T2010CTW Cool Touch 2-Slice Toaster, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 5 1.0 August 9, 2005 Mudit Gandhi "Mudit Gandhi" Kirkland First of All I was abt to buy this product... but cancled my purchase as I found the same kind toaster with less price in the market.. But same time I bought one kitchen utensils set.. and I am sorry to say it is just usable not good one like I they shown.. I saw many utensils set with same number of item atleast 500% times better than what I got, Second thing, I wanted to cancle the order immidiately but I tried to find out the customer care no on the amazon site.. but I could not find one :o(( any way thats why I have decided not to buy from this site anymore... as now I can't rely on the pics only.. B00005B6YJ:not_enough_words_for_this_near_criminal_activity:chuck B00005B6YJ Toastmaster T2010CTW Cool Touch 2-Slice Toaster, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 January 22, 2005 chuck Las Cruces, NM Easily the worst toaster ever. Brendaa the 5 star above must have gotten the single toaster in the whole production series that actually worked. There are just not enough words in the English Language to describe this utterly useless peice of junk that will not hold toast down etc. etc.. Well, maybe not useless, if you are looking for something to bring about a cathartic welling of emotions that has you standing in the yard with a maul and and a toaster at your feet. I'd give it a minus 5 stars, but they do not even have a 0 star vote B00004S9GN:works_great!__fails_quickly.:robert_l._nattenberg B00004S9GN La Pavoni PA-Burr Coffee Grinder, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 1.0 November 18, 2004 Robert L. Nattenberg This grinder grinds well but failed after just 2 months of operation. Don't buy it unless you want to waste your money B0000635XC:this_product_deserves_no_stars:truman_"angry_every_breakfast" B0000635XC KitchenAid KTT570WH 4-Slice Digital Toaster with Bagel, Warm, and Frozen Functions, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 8 1.0 April 23, 2005 Truman "Angry Every Breakfast" Silver Spring, MD This pricey toaster is not worth its weight in bread. For the first few weeks it seemed to evenly brown the bread but since then it has become the worst toaster I have ever owned. It is impossible to get evenly browned bread instead you get burnt crust and blotches of brown randomly scattered over the bread. SAVE YOUR MONEY. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT B00004SGFN:waste_of_money:laura_l._hoffer_"gypsiedream" B00004SGFN KitchenAid SNFGA Pasta Maker Attachment for Stand Mixers: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 8 1.0 January 15, 2006 Laura L. Hoffer "gypsiedream" Rockledge, FL United States Stop Be For You Buy!!!! Should have saved my money. Making pasta with this machine is disappointing. The recipe given with the instructions is way to sticky to run through the extruder. I redid the dough 3 times before I was able to extrude it, and still it stuck together. I should have listened to the rest of the reviews, but having owned a pasta maker/extruder before I thought it would be a piece of cake. If I were you I would invest in the roller pasta maker for you mixer. On the bright side though...The food grinder is wonderful B00004SGFN:must_agree_with_negative_reviews:kitchen_novice_"hvm" B00004SGFN KitchenAid SNFGA Pasta Maker Attachment for Stand Mixers: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 12 of 12 1.0 January 22, 2005 Kitchen Novice "HVM" Dallas I have not tried this pasta attachment a second time - I'm afraid of harming the motor. The mixer became VERY hot and oil even leaked out. I going to get the mixer checked/serviced and not risk damage again. One thing missing from these reviews is the mixer models used. Perhaps those with the heavier motors work better? I have the smaller motor (250 W) K45SS mixer. Surely KitcheAid must read these reviews. I would expect some additional user information for this product on their website, but see nothing. Very disappointing product and consumer support. Come on KitchenAid - give more info and/or offer to give $$ credit for return of this questionable product B0000CCY1U:good_for_two_things...:l._harn B0000CCY1U OXO Good Grips 1052349 Seal & Store Rotary Grater, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 2.0 June 26, 2006 L. Harn Olympia, WA The only 2 foods it grates well are parmesan and chocolate, as long as the chocolate is cold, not worth the money, I think I'd rather use my small hand held gater. It was a good try, but I won't buy another one B0000CCY1U:nice_design...but_it's_broken_too:t._taphorn B0000CCY1U OXO Good Grips 1052349 Seal & Store Rotary Grater, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 11 2.0 December 15, 2004 T. Taphorn OHIO I've purchased several different rotary graters and this one had the same result as many of it's other plastic siblings. It too broke within 2 days of use. These plastic graters just aren't built with much strength and should not be used with harder cheeses, or by someone who has a strong grip. The common defect I'm finding in plastic graters is how the rotating arm is attached to the drum. The tiny amount of plastic there isn't desined to withstand shearing forces which is what rotates the drum. When I find a good rotary cheese grater, I'll write a review on it B00005OU2W:less_than_impressed:amanda_d_green B00005OU2W Dolce Dark Walnut Coffee Table: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 2.0 April 30, 2005 Amanda D Green The first Dolce item I purchased was the wine tower and I have been very happy with that piece. However, the coffee table and end tables all arrived with cracks. The coffee table was not glued together properly and was misaligned. Not pleased at all and way too costly to ship back B00005OU2W:delivered_broken:cherolyn_johnson B00005OU2W Dolce Dark Walnut Coffee Table: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 3 1.0 December 27, 2004 Cherolyn Johnson Houston, TX I purchased this as a Christmas gift for my mother. I was very excited when it arrived much sooner than I had anticipated. I opened it up, so that I could give it to my mom assembled. Unfortunately, an entire corner was broken off and the other corner was cracking and splintering. The packing materials are insufficient to say the least. I immediately called target's customer service, and the operator very graciously assisted me in returning my table. Despite my dissapointment about the broken table I was glad that Target did the best they could to resolve my issue without any hassle. <br /> <br /> B00006OALW:useful_but_a_hazard_to_the_user:anthony_vanacore_"tonyjvan" B00006OALW Petstep 222 PetSTEP II Multi-Purpose Dog/Pet Safety Ramp: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 14 of 21 2.0 December 25, 2003 Anthony Vanacore "tonyjvan" Northford CT It looked like a great Idea, just what I needed to get my older golden in and out of my jeep. Problem is, there is a serious crush hazard because of the weight and design. There is a finger "crush area" near the hinges where a user would most likely grasp the ramp to fold it. I have mashed fingers several times and sustained a moderately serious crushed finger the last time I used it. If I can't make it safe with a saw, then out it goes. It's too dangerous for anyone in my family to use B00004SY6T:not_good_for_smooth_surface_cooktops: B00004SY6T Calphalon Commercial Nonstick 5-Quart Saut Pan with Lid: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 15 of 17 2.0 January 22, 2003 I splurged on this pan because I was tired of the "wobble" my cheaper pans developed on my smooth glass cooktop. This pan warped severely after only 4 months, not any better than pans a fraction of the cost. I plan on returning it for replacement, and will use the new one for low temperature sauces only B00005MF9U:don't...:m._bowen B00005MF9U LitterMaid LM900 Self-Cleaning Litter Box: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 November 24, 2006 M. Bowen I had a littermaid a couple of years ago that lasted me for a year and did great. I am not sure what is wrong with this type we had it for a whole week then it stopped working. Do yourself a favor and do NOT get this B00005MF9U:neither_of_mine_worked_for_long!:tiffany_taylor B00005MF9U LitterMaid LM900 Self-Cleaning Litter Box: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 2.0 November 17, 2006 Tiffany Taylor Southern Indiana, USA When I bought my first LitterMaid box, I thought it was a miracle -- no more scooping! Hooray! It worked so well for my four cats that a few months later, I bought a second one. Unfortunately, the second box quit working after just a couple of weeks (and I'd thrown the receipt away, so I couldn't get my money back). Soon after that, the original box quit working, too. So, within about 6 months, I spent close to $200 on electric boxes that no longer functioned. After researching better and more reliable options, I've settled on the Omega Paw box that you roll to clean. I now have three of them -- no electric parts to break, and, actually, less mess than the LitterMaid B00005MF9U:high_price_but_cheap_parts:steven_d._heffner_"joe_consumer" B00005MF9U LitterMaid LM900 Self-Cleaning Litter Box: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 1.0 November 5, 2006 Steven D. Heffner "Joe Consumer" Reading, Pennsylvania The Littermaid Mega is absolutely one of the worst purchases I have ever made. In less than two months time, the unsubstantial motor has burned out completely. Litter Maid claims that the boxes should need to be emptied every five days for one cat. Well, I have two cats and had to empty the box two times daily. The Litter Maid is good for controlling odors when it works, but it constantly jammed and then shut down (and I used a recommended brand of premium cat litter). After a few weeks of this load, the tiny (and very loud) motor simply gave up. I'm waiting to hear from Litter Maid regarding warranty repair/replacement, but I suspect I'll end up returning to a traditional $5.00 litter tray. The overall concept of the Litter Maid is good, but without sturdier components, it ends up being trash in no time B0002IXXPE:good,_but_not_quiet_there_yet!:sherry_"swb" B0002IXXPE Enviracaire 60001 Grade Air Purifier with IFD Filter: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 2.0 July 17, 2005 Sherry "SWB" Misissippi I VERY MUCH ENJOYED THIS UNIT WHEN IT WAS NEW IT DID EVERYTHING THAT WAS STATED ON THE BOX.However, I now need to replace the IFD filter due to the accumulation of nicotene on it and can not find one anywhere. I purchased two units at once for around $450.00.If I had used them in a "dust" atmosphere they would still be great! Honeywell should have tested on Nicotene and smoke odors before touting the phrase permanent in reference to smoke and nicotene. I am sadly disappointed in a company, who over the years, I have purchased many of their products B00005LVWR:good_coffee_but_bad_workmanship:ammania B00005LVWR Saeco Vienna Deluxe SuperAutomatic Espresso Coffee and Cappuccino Machine: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 October 11, 2006 Ammania San Francisco, CA The machine is easy to use and makes great espresso ... when it's working!Mine broke down within the first year. I spent $80 dollars to fix it the first time, but it broke down again after another two months of use (water wouldn't heat up). It would cost me another $200 to fix it. I'm now looking for a more reliable machine. B00005K8PD:chintzy,_not_worthy_of_henckels_brand_name:k._barnouin-jha B00005K8PD Henckels International Eversharp Pro 9-Piece Steak Knife Block Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 5 1.0 July 3, 2006 K. Barnouin-Jha We have nothing but Henckels in our kitchen, as we love to cook, and everyone who cooks knows the value of good knives. I bought these without a second thought as I am used to Henckels quality. What a surprise we got! Made somewhere in Asia at bargain basement prices, I'm sure... While these probably do cut steak as well as any cheap serrated knife would, if you are buying them because they are Henckels and you expect a certain quality - don't. We returned these promptly B00004RFNS:what_you_pay_for:jdm B00004RFNS Henckels International Eversharp Pro 8-Inch Stainless Steel Chef Knife: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 10, 2006 JDM Massachusetts A little less than so-so. You think it is a bargain because of the name. It's not. Get some good steak knives at your grocer's B00097FGRG:still_waiting:eric_a._schultz B00097FGRG Carnivorous Creations: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 27 of 27 1.0 July 8, 2006 Eric A. Schultz I have had this kit for 3 1/2 months and still no seeds have sprouted. The package does say it may take a few months though. You might consider getting a starter kit/set instead with potted plants B000063K7G:it's_too_cheap!:jonathan_kennell B000063K7G Metrokane Rabbit Wine Opener Gift Set, Silver: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 9 2.0 December 30, 2005 Jonathan Kennell Cambridge, MA USA I bought both this and the similar version from Brookstone this year. I was expecting a lot from the metrokane, but it turns out the Brookstone is much better. It's $60, but the Brookstone version will last you MUCH longer than the $45 metrokane. Among the differences: The metrokane is made of plastic, the Brookstone is metal. The Brookstone model comes with two bottle sealers, and it's case is made of very high quality leather-like material instead of cheap plastic. Finally, my metrokane is brand new, and I've already managed to scratch the finish, since it's so cheap. If you're looking to get a new wine opener, do yourself a favor and BUY ANOTHER BRAND B0000YWUWM:broken_in_less_than_1_year:rez B0000YWUWM Salter 1001 11-Pound Square Glass Kitchen Scale, Silver: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 2.0 June 13, 2006 Rez Orange, CA United States My Salter 1001 scale started having problems within 3 months and broke within 10 months. I am sending the scale back to Saltier for replacement. A good scale while it worked, but what pain this has become B000BO84HG:disappointed:eileen_m._keating_"happy_shopper" B000BO84HG 500-Thread-Count 100-Percent Cotton Queen Sheet Set, Ecru: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 7, 2006 Eileen M. Keating "happy shopper" Peabody, MA the thread count & softness of the sheets met my expectations, however the top sheet was the wrong size, it did not even fit across my queen size bed. I had to return them. The holidays are coming up and I am very reluctant to shop Amazon.com. I was previously a happy customer B00005MF96:what_a_dissapointment!:jp B00005MF96 Black & Decker MFP200 MiniPro Plus Food Processor: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 June 19, 2006 JP Cave Creek, AZ I've owned Black and Decker's predecessor to this unit - the ShortCut - for about 25 years. It was a well designed Mini food processor. So I had high hopes for the Black & Decker MFP200 MiniPro Plus Food Processor. What a disappointment! The problem is slicing. The slicing disk *MUST* be used in conjunction with a "redirection disk" that redirects whatever your slicing out the "ejection chute". Well this chute ejects alrighty - all over the kitchen. It goes back to Target tomorrow. And to the design folks over at B & D: you should really test out your designs before going to production with them. Do yourself a *HUGE* favor and pass on this unit. I have to go now; I have mushroom slices all over my kitchen. B00005MF96:crap:jessica B00005MF96 Black & Decker MFP200 MiniPro Plus Food Processor: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 12 of 13 1.0 November 15, 2004 Jessica CA, USA I bought one of these to make Bagna Cauda, and upon loading the necessary ingredients and depressing the "high" button, it sparked and died. Well, ok, I guess it only *half* died, as the "pulse" button would still work, if I leaned on it with my entire weight, but both the "high" and "low" switch settings did nothing. So I'm thinking next time I'll spend a little more; meanwhile, this little guy goes back B00004OCKU:tossed_mine:c._leibbrand B00004OCKU OXO Good Grips 32780 Multi Grater: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 May 26, 2006 C. Leibbrand Ringgold, GA USA I only used mine once, then tossed it. Wish I would have read these reviews first! Thought it looked good at Kohls. I liked that the grates can be seperated to wash... they do, but it takes a lot of force. Feels like you're going to break them. I should have returned it but I was mad at it and trashed it.. at least it was marked 15% off (still higher than here though). I've been trying to find one like we have. A simple one with a handle. No plastic. I feel they work the best. I think it's an Ecko, but I can't find it anywhere. Target and walmart don't have it B00004RHNF:not_quite_as_good:r._adams_"grandma" B00004RHNF Hoffritz Stainless-Steel Mandoline Slicer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 2.0 August 31, 2006 R. Adams "Grandma" Utah, USA Really nice bowl with cover. It mushed up the tomatoes and the safety handle you hold on to broke on the second use. It does however make very thin slices B00004RC4O:broken_after_5_months:andrew_7459_"andrew7459" B00004RC4O Pyrex Oven Thermometer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 11 1.0 May 17, 2003 Andrew 7459 "andrew7459" Wayne, PA Great while it worked, though a little large. But, it broke after 4.5 month B00004RC4O:not_too_acurate.:lee B00004RC4O Pyrex Oven Thermometer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 10 2.0 December 27, 2002 lee SAN FRANCISCO, CA United States too slow to give reading almost never changes B0000VOP1O:no_longer_made_in_england:china_lover B0000VOP1O Churchill Thanksgiving Turkey Multi Colours Dinner/Buffet Plates, Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 November 17, 2006 China Lover I have purchased these plates from Amazon in the past and the earlier plates were made in England. So, I ordered more to go along with my current set to find that now they are made in India and were not of the same quality as those made in England. I sent them back. I will say that had I not already had the more detailed & colorful items, I might have appreciated these of lesser quality more than I did. B00005QX2F:broken_item:mary_channell B00005QX2F Fiesta Plum 831 4-Piece Dinnerware Place Setting, Service for 1: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 12 1.0 March 8, 2006 Mary Channell I was dissapointed that this item arrived broken and I needed to send it back for a refund B0009VELTQ:i_moved_to_panasonic:cooking_hanna B0009VELTQ Cuisinart CBK-200 2-Pound Convection Automatic Bread Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 5 2.0 October 10, 2006 Cooking Hanna CT USA cThis is my second bread maker. I bought Cuisinart's one last year and had used it for about a year. I had no idea how different each bread maker was at that point. Cuisinart's one has obviously some problems: 1. Bread tends to be darker so quickly and becomes hard. 2. It is very noisy during kneading cycle as I can not hear the music from the audio. 3. Paddle is caught in the bread and hard to remove it if you do not remove it before baking cycle starts. 4. Some basic cycle have no "Pre-heat" cycle. It means I need to prepare exactly appropriate temperature water to make yeast work nicely. But it is very hard and sometimes I fail. 5. The design of the case is not great. Some unmixed ingredients are left on the corners and baked as it is if I do not mix it using a spatula. One of my friends owns Panasonic bread maker and showed it to me. I was so surprised at it as the thickness of the case is very different. She has never had such a problem which I have had. Then I decided to get Panasonic one although my first one is still working. The bread maker was delivered in 2 days. I tried same recipe which I often used for Cuisinart's. The bread came out amazingly nice and much nicer than the one from Cuisinart. Bread is nicely blown, crispy outside and soft, fluffy inside. It is just perfect. I guess these difference come from mainly these things: 1. The case is very thick so that bread can not be brown so quickly and keep the inside of bread soft and flavorful. 2. "Pre heat" cycle adjust the temperature of water well. I do not have to make appropriate temperature's water any more. 3. This machine has the special room for yeast. It works very well to keep yeast away from the water particularly using the timer. I think I never back to Cuisinart although I miss some points (Sophisticated design or the window on the rid which I can see inside of the case through) of Cuisinart a little bit. I highly recommend this bread maker. B0009VELTQ:what_a_disappointment._did_i_get_a_lemon?:s._mitchell_"samintx" B0009VELTQ Cuisinart CBK-200 2-Pound Convection Automatic Bread Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 1.0 August 13, 2006 S. Mitchell "samintx" Tyler, TX United States I was so looking forward to this machine. I am a long time machine bread maker and have had two other brands with not a problem. First, Yes it burns the crust on MED; Second, I made 4, count them, four batches of their recipe bread and my recipe bread and they were ALL awful. Could not believe it. Each time I followed the reciped and instructions to the letter. I'm giving up the ghost and going back to my el cheapo bread machines that work every time. Love the style and the loaf shape of the Cuisinart but don't like wasting my time and ingredients. Maybe I got a lemon B00091PN8E:not_as_good_as_it_seems:wwbabe B00091PN8E Baker's Secret 14-by-20-Inch Chrome Cooling Rack: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 8 2.0 May 10, 2006 wwbabe Santa Monica, CA I bought this rack thinking that I can now bake cakes with bigger size, or cool a bunch of cookies on the same rack; well...I am very disappointed. But let's start witht he good things first. PROS: 1. It's big, I like the size a lot 2. It's gridded, so I don't need to worry about cookies falling off the rack. They are steady right there. CONS: The biggest problem is the material, it is not strong at all! When the rack arrived, the middle of it was already bent (or sagging a bit). I was able to bent it backwards easily, yet that "perfect" posture didn't hold for long, it's back to its bad sagging position again very soon. Then it got way worse, when I try to cool cakes on it. Cookies aren't that bad, since they are light. When I have the moist and right out of the oven cake sitting on that rack, the middle of the rack is barely touching my kitchen counter top already. Of course, as soon as I lift my cake up, it goes back to the normal sagging position. I think unless you are planning on baking cookies only...this is not a rack for you. Pick something else, something stronger B0007OES7K:star_wars_bedding:n_ganza_"nanners" B0007OES7K Star Wars The Dark Side Twin Comforter and Sheet Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 9, 2006 N Ganza "Nanners" Des Plaines, IL United States I had to wash the comforter 3 times before it softened up enough for me to put it on my son's bed. The sheet is still "crunchy". I was a little disappointed with the quality of the sheets. They are very thin. The comforter is however snuggly warm B0001YH11G:poorly_designed_lid:island_palm_"arubaflower" B0001YH11G OXO SteeL 1058009 Ice Bucket and Ice Tongs with Tong Holder: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 November 13, 2006 Island Palm "arubaflower" Alexandria, Virginia United States This is a gorgeous ice bucket. It is large and stylish. However, I cannot recommend it because of the lid. The lid is attached to the bucket and does not come completely off. Instead, it pivots and swings up. The problem with this is that you cannot fill the bucket all the way up with ice because you have to leave a good amount of room at the top for the lid to swing. And, because the lid is not removable, it gets in the way especially if you want to use this bucket as a champagne/wine cooler. Poor design flaw. I want an ice bucket that I can remove the lid and put it aside if I don't need to use it rather than having it sticking up and in the way. You'll notice in OXO's main picture of this bucket on this site it is shown without the lid sticking up. Why? Because it makes for a cleaner look not having the lid in the way. Hey OXO, that's the same look I wanted this bucket to have sitting on my bar! Would it have killed OXO to put a knob/handle on the lid and let the customer decide if they want the lid on or off? I swear sometimes I think manufacturers never bother actually testing out the things they design. If they had, surely they would have noticed how bad their lid idea was. Or they could have looked at every other ice bucket on the market to see that theirs is the only one in which the lid doesn't come off. That should have been a clue to them that there are obvious merits to having a removable lid. This bucket has a clear plastic lid. I don't understand why it's plastic at all. First of all, it's an ice bucket! I think everyone knows ice is inside without needing to peek through the lid. Secondly, a metal lid will keep the temperature inside colder longer than than a plastic lid. That is why the bucket is made of metal, not plastic. Metal is a better conductor of heat and cold. I wish I had noticed the lid before I purchased it. I didn't pay close enough attention. I suppose I assumed it was a normal lid that came off like all the others. Thankfully I got the bucket from my local Bed Bath & Beyond making its return very easy. I am sorry I have to return it because this really is a nice looking bucket. However, I don't intend to spend $40 on an ice bucket just to sit there, look pretty and receive compliments--that's my job as hostess :-). I want an ice bucket that is functional too. Oh, well...my search for the perfect ice bucket continues. B00006IUYF:unhappy_dad: B00006IUYF Rival 1-Quart Gel Canister Ice Cream Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 June 25, 2004 I picked one of these up for my husband for Father's Day. It looked like a great idea, avoiding the mess of ice and rock salt. We followed the directions exactly and were very disappointed when chocolate soup emerged from the maker. We put it in a container in the freezer and ended up with a chocolate brick! Needless to say, we are not at all happy with this product B00004SGFO:if_you_love_your_kitchenaid_stand_mixer...this_is_a_no,no!:absolutely_love_cooking B00004SGFO KitchenAid SNPA Pasta Maker Plates for Food Grinder Attachment for Stand Mixers: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 14 of 15 1.0 January 30, 2005 Absolutely love cooking AZ, USA I have a Profesional 6 model, and I did everything the recipe said for 1 batch of regular spaghetti pasta. It didn't kill the mixer, but the motor became very hot! I will never use it again. I also have the roto slicer/shredder, fruit/veggie strainer, food grinder & sausage stuffer attachments...none of these have even made my stand mixer very warm. --That tells me the pasta maker attachment is a bad product. I am thankful that my model is 525 watts...I could only imagine what would have happened if I had a classic 300 watt model! My best advice is to pick up an inexpensive pasta machine or an Emperia hand crank pasta machine. They run between $20-40 without a motor or $80-120 with a motor (that you can also buy separately for $50-80). --A very small price to pay, if you want to keep your KitchenAid Stand Mixer! B00004SGFO:disappointment:linda B00004SGFO KitchenAid SNPA Pasta Maker Plates for Food Grinder Attachment for Stand Mixers: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 13 1.0 March 23, 2004 Linda Iowa Have been wanting to get the pasta roller attachment and ran accross this plastic pasta maker at the store. Was really excited since it was in my price range. Took it home and tried to use it. My KitchenAid mixer starting smoking and so I let it rest for the hour. Upon removing the attachment I found oil and black rubber or grease was all over the inside of the attachment. (on the coil thing that pushes the dough through) Next time I wanted to use my mixer to beat egg whites it had no power. I sure hope this inexpensive attachment didn't ruin my wonderful mixer. Highly disappointed with KitchenAid on this attachment B0000CCY1X:yes,_it's_crap.:jsu_"jay" B0000CCY1X OXO Good Grips 1051393 Instant Read Meat Thermometer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 19, 2006 JSU "Jay" OR USA If you buy this this thing, be prepared to cut off about an inch off the tip, 'cause apparently the tip is just there for aesthetics. Plunging this thermometer into boiling water, it won't read accurately (15-20deg under) until at least an inch of the tip is immersed B00004SPCX:no_filters!: B00004SPCX Krups Charcoal Filters, Set of 2: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 1.0 November 13, 2002 Very annoying that you can't get the filters for this coffee maker anywhere B00091POLU:too_small_and_too_slippery:l._e._dulany B00091POLU Ekco 00113 Cake/Pastry Decorating Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 June 11, 2006 L. E. Dulany Long Island The bag is narrow and difficult to fill. You invariably end up with a mess which gets even more messy because the bag is made from a very slippery plastic. I had no luck using this bag, even though I gave it two chances B00004S9EJ:another_dissapointed_cuisinart_customer!:caveat_emptor B00004S9EJ Cuisinart DLC-8S 11-Cup Pro Custom 11 Food Processor, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 12 of 21 1.0 December 26, 2005 Caveat Emptor New York, NY I purchased a 14-cup Cuisinart some years ago. I have had nothing but trouble. First the handle stuck while I was kneading dough and I barely was able to pry it off. Then I had problems with the stem. When I tried to get a new one from customer service they told me that they were no longer servicing my older model and suggested I buy a new Cuisinart! Stay away from Cuisinart! I'm looking into Kitchen Aid for my new processor B00028J2DQ:beware,_outer_shell,_may_melt!!!!:t._hansen B00028J2DQ Select Brands SC-60 Corningware 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 32 of 32 1.0 March 22, 2006 T. Hansen Omaha, NE I recently purchased this product. The first time I used it, I thought it worked great. I made a pot of chili and let it cook until we were ready to eat it that night. The second time I used it, things were not as good. The outer shell where the controls are were literally melting. I had programmed this to cook for 10 hours while I went to work. I came home that night and the hours had not changed. I realized I didn't click the on/off button to start heating the cooker. This may have saved a house fire. I went ahead and changed the time from 10 to 4 hours. This set the unit to high instead of the original low setting. Not 15 minutes after turning on, the outer covering was melting. I immediately shut it off. I see the 4 quart units were recalled back in 2004 for similar issues. Whatever their problem, it has not been fixed. Be aware of this serious problem when using your slow cooker. I am returning mine and will exchange for a different brand B00005JRIE:don't_use_for_hot_food!:r._goltsch B00005JRIE Farberware 9-Piece Kitchen-in-a-Crock Set, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 1.0 April 24, 2005 R. Goltsch West Caldwell, NJ USA Bought this for the kitchen and the only piece that truly does what it is supposed to do is the vase they give to hold all the pieces. The spoons both melted in pots of boiling water stirring spaghetti. The spatula bent and distorted while trying to lift something off a hot cookie sheet. If there was a choice to give a half star, that is all I would give.....you have to give them some credit, since the vase looks nice on the counter <Grin B000066PGC:stained_steel: B000066PGC Swirl Sand 45-pc. Flatware Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 29, 2003 Stainless my foot! I received these from my wedding registry and only just used them for Thanksgiving this weekend. After one run through the dishwasher, several pieces are rusted, the finish has worn off, and they are even pock-marked in places! I too threw away the box when I first took them out, and cannot find *any* information on warranty or how to contact Cambridge Silversmiths. I've bought cheap individual pieces of stainless for *camping* that stood up better than this. I wish I'd put Oneida on my registry instead of this crap B0009U5NN0:scratchy_sheets:d._sullivan_"dan" B0009U5NN0 1,200-Thread-Count 100% Cotton Sateen Queen Sheet Set, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 June 26, 2006 D. Sullivan "Dan" Texas These sheets are like 200 cotton count not 1200 cotton count. Do not order you will be sorry!! B0000D8H2Q:a_good_idea,_disappointing_in_use: B0000D8H2Q HotSpot Silicone Pot Holder, Medium Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 15 1.0 December 7, 2003 These silicone pot holders are indeed brightly colored, easy to wash in the dishwasher, and protective even when wet. They are also clumsily stiff at the same time as they are slippery, the net result being a miserable failure in the kitchen. They are useful for protecting a counter from a hot pot, but not for picking the hot pot up B00004SZ7G:such_a_beautiful_but_defective_glasses!:m._chang_"mimi's_mommy" B00004SZ7G Riedel Vinum Bordeaux Wine Glasses, Set of 6: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 2.0 June 1, 2004 M. Chang "Mimi's Mommy" Where the paradise is I just received my set. The glasses are so... beautiful! Yet, 5 out of 6 are defective!! What a big disappointment! I have been looking forward to receiving my first Riedel....Amazon.com provides great deal which I got $80 for 6 glasses, but they were obviously factory seconds! So disappointed! However, the design of the glass are beautiful!! I am still returning them! So sad!...... : B0000645SQ:never_turns_up_on_time: B0000645SQ Emile Henry Couleurs Covered Sugar Bowl, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 7 2.0 November 3, 2003 Great sugar dish, fantastic colour, but Amazon's shipping time of 1-2 weeks is way off. I ordered this twice and had it take well over a month to arrive B00004SU1C:good_product...terrible_vendor!__buy_elsewhere.:t._ladrach B00004SU1C Cuisipro Stainless Steel Food Mill: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 12 of 55 1.0 May 18, 2005 T. Ladrach Amazon seems to experience a disproportionate number of "pricing errors". Whenever you attempt to purchase anything at Amazon that represents a 50% or higher discount, don't expect to receive it. Poor business practices B00005B6Z2:george_forman_gr36cb:michael_s._schutz_"house_husband" B00005B6Z2 George Foreman GR36CB Jumbo Size Plus Grill with Cookbook: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 8 1.0 September 6, 2005 Michael S. Schutz "house husband" Woodbury, MN This is our second George F grill. The first one burned out after about 5 years. We liked but could not get the same size so we got this one. It was bigger than we wanted but we had no other choices. WHAT A MISTAKE!!!! After less than one year and not heavy use the connector to the thermostat (spade conn.) just fell apart. Being the handy man that I am, I fixed it. Today (9/6/2005) it burned out again. This grill is a fire hazard and should be recalled. It is a piece of junk. We will replace it with a different brand. Thanks for nothing George B000GYTH8Q:warning!:jessica_l._mundt B000GYTH8Q 3pc Cappuccino Finish Wood Coffee & 2 Occasional End Tables Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 4, 2006 Jessica L. Mundt I wouldn't purchase anything from vision decour! I ordered this 3 piece set the same say I ordered pieces from three other companies. It took vision decour longer to just e-mail me than it did the other companies to ship and deliver the other three pieces I ordered. Apparently the set I ordered was out of stock, but vision decour neglected to update their web site. After they contacted me about this issue I checked their site and they still had the set listed as availabel and in stock. So now I have been waiting for weeks and have half of a living room with no prospect of getting the table set I needed to match everything else B000FRUDYQ:broken_dishes:lisa_howard_"lahoward" B000FRUDYQ Pfaltzgraff Winterberry Set Of Four 24 Ounce Deep Soup/Cereal Bowls: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 October 27, 2006 Lisa Howard "LAHoward" These bowls are wonderful - a great addition to my Winterberry collection, however they came packaged in the same packaging as they would in store, so during shipment they were broken. Amazon was great to send replacements, but some of those were broken too. I have finally received all dishes I ordered, but beware of receiving broken dishes B00006NWAD:if_i_could_give_it_no_stars_i_would_have.__buy_something_else:w._montgomery B00006NWAD Polder Dual Sensor Thermometer and Timer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 1.0 September 15, 2005 W. Montgomery Bluegrass Country My first and only use was to cook a roast in the oven at 275 degrees and within the first 30 minutes it started to give me the wrong readings. I have had it a while but have not used it as it is only good for the oven. The statement on the inside instructions "WHEN COOKING IN A BARBECUE OR SMOKER, DO NOT USE AS A CONTINUOUS READ THERMOMETER, USE ONLY AS AN INSTANT READ THERMOMETER.", "5. DO NOT USE THIS UNIT TO MEASURE COOKING TEMPERATURES OVER 392◦F." as well as "WARRANTY EXCLUDES THERMOMETER PROBES." should be on the outside, letting people know this is only for the oven for continuous use and that the probes are junk. If you have to keep checking the meat in a smoker over many hours, a cheap $6.00 meat thermometer will work just fine other than letting out the heat. Why does the outside packaging say the reading range is 86◦ to 572◦ if you can only use to 392◦. I would say this is only a typo and they likely did a cut and paste on their lower temperature unit's instructions, but 275◦ in the oven killed mine so maybe not? Cut to the chase, look for a better unit and let me know when you find it B00006NWAD:polder_should_give_up_on_the_thermometer_business:jill_m._cafferty_"jillmo16" B00006NWAD Polder Dual Sensor Thermometer and Timer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 1.0 September 11, 2005 Jill M. Cafferty "jillmo16" Fullerton, CA USA I've had 2 Polder Thermometers and both of them have had a VERY short life span. Don't waste your money B000F94GPQ:looks_don't_always_count:kenneth_sherber B000F94GPQ Cuisinart Ice-45 Mix It In Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 11 2.0 November 9, 2006 Kenneth Sherber This unit looks like it would be fun for the kids, but in fact, it barely works. Even when the insert is pre-frozen in a zero degree freezer, the maching has problems getting the mix even into a "soft" state, and even when it gets close to that, the ice cream does not dispense in a manner that allows for the classic soft-serve look in the cone. An email to cuisinart regarding the problem went unanswered. We used it twice, and gave up. One hint that's not in the instructions: you have to keep the machine running while dispensing -- or trying to dispense -- the ice cream. Another hint that's not in the instructions: don't buy this item B000F94GPQ:it's_less_trouble_driving_to_carvels:frances_c._lee B000F94GPQ Cuisinart Ice-45 Mix It In Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 12 1.0 September 11, 2006 Frances C. Lee Valley Stream, United States The machine leaked after we poured in the liquid ingredients.The mix in dispenser did not operate properly, all we put in were sprinkles. The ice cream did not harden enough until about 25 minutes;kids cannot wait that long.We could of driven to the local ice cream store and back by this time. Save your money,buy a old fashion ice cream maker instead at least your kids will get a workout and be occupied at the same time B000F94GPQ:verry_disappointed_with_cuisinart:michael_c._tubbs B000F94GPQ Cuisinart Ice-45 Mix It In Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 14 of 15 1.0 August 21, 2006 Michael C. Tubbs Agawam, Ma. USA Your freezer needs to at least zero degrees F in order to have the bowl freeze to a point the ice cream comes out a consistency thicker than a very thin milk shake. I needed a seperate chest freezer in order to achieve these temps. The ice cream maker is made of cheap plastic which caused it to break after two weeks of mild use. We attempted to correct the problem with Cuisinart via e-mail and phone calls and the issue still is not resolved and therefore we are returning the ice cream maker. Negative points aside, the ice cream maker did make great ice cream. (Thanks mostly to the Ben and Jerry's recipe book we ordered at the same time.) We'll look into getting a better quality ice cream maker in the near future. It won't be made by Cuisinart B00005B6Z4:waste_of_money!:david_h._dallas B00005B6Z4 Salton RA3 3-Cup Rice Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 14, 2006 David H. Dallas Titusville, PA United States This cooker made great rice...for a grand total of 3 uses before it broke! It also has a very thin and easily dented aluminum bowl that is NOT non-stick. There are better cookers out there for comparable prices. Don't waste your money B00005B6Z4:fooled_me_once,_shame_on_you._fooled_me_twice,_shame_on_me:elmo_is_queer B00005B6Z4 Salton RA3 3-Cup Rice Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 1.0 August 18, 2006 Elmo Is Queer New York, NY United States That's right. I got taken twice. I bought this cooker for under $20 a few years ago, and it died after the second use. Considering it was so inexpensive, I just bought another one. It died again after only one use. I wish I would have read the reviews beforehand because it seems to be a common problem. I guess Salton just recycle their returns so they can afford to pay George Foreman the $90 million they owe him for endorsements B00006IUWY:rusty_beaters?:s._gold B00006IUWY Proctor Silex 62515 5-Speed Easy Mix Hand Mixer, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 September 19, 2006 S. Gold I received this a shower gift a few years ago. Standard mixer, can't do anything too drastic with it, but I noticed the last time I took the beaters out of the dishwasher they had rusted. These are not stainless beaters and they will rust. I'm in the market for a new mixer B00006IUWY:spend_a_little_more_for_a_better_mixer:glenn_junker B00006IUWY Proctor Silex 62515 5-Speed Easy Mix Hand Mixer, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 1.0 December 9, 2005 Glenn Junker Collegeville, PA this is clearly a case of "you get what you pay for". for easy jobs this mixer works fine, but give it a thick batch of brownie mix or cookie dough and the motor will just di B0000635XE:good_for_4_years:meredith_rogers B0000635XE KitchenAid KTT570BU 4-Slice Digital Toaster with Bagel, Warm, and Frozen Functions, Cobalt Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 16 of 17 2.0 October 7, 2005 Meredith Rogers Hudson, NH United States I've had this toaster for four years now. It just started going down hill recently. -It started toasting too darkly on the settings I had consistently used for years. -The digital setting knob no longer works, it is stuck on 4. -It only shuts off when manually popped up. I have to agree with other reviews that said it doesn't toast very even. I've noticed this in my four years of use. So if your willing to pay the price for it to last 4 years get it. If not, try another with better reviews B0009U5MZO:not_worth_the_money:eileen_digmann B0009U5MZO Kitchenaid Gourmet Essentials Hard Base 12-Piece Cookware Set, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 October 16, 2006 Eileen Digmann Buffalo Grove, IL United States Don't bother buying the pots. After only 2 months use, the inside edges are cracking off (I hand wash all the pots). I have a fry pan of another brand that I have used for over 3 years and this never happened. In addition, in spite of purchasing the 12 piece set and three additional pans, they refused to give me a $20.00 promised rebate. I'm ready to junk the set B0000A4XQD:don't_buy_-_they_rust_-_not_18/10:tikitime_"the_weather_is_here..." B0000A4XQD Oneida Stanhope 53-Piece Stainless Steel Flatware Set, Service for 8: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 July 30, 2006 TikiTime "The Weather is Here..." Sarasota, FL USA While these are pretty & feel good in your hand, they rust. I had them for 3 days when several of the forks began forming rust inside the swirly patterns. They are not 18/10 as advertised - they are only 18/0...which is why they are rusting. I returned them promptly. B0000TEWBE:def._not_a_good_tank: B0000TEWBE Frame A Fish Aquarium - Fish tank: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 12 of 19 1.0 March 23, 2006 You look at them in a picture frame.....the fish are crammed in there B0000TEWBE:stupid_stupid_stupid:robert_smith B0000TEWBE Frame A Fish Aquarium - Fish tank: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 11 1.0 February 14, 2006 robert smith ok this is the stupidest thing i read all the reviews and all the nagitvive ones i agree with i wouldnt put a guggy just one guppy in the i have african cichlids mbunas to be exact and i have a 29gallon i over stocked mine but i dont carei have 15 if you count the two plecos ok i have a 60 gallon filter .does this thing have a filter???and if its only 6.34 gallons or 2.16 gallons idk its not worght it.if you want a small fish tank get a desktop or if you want a wall fish tank GET A CUSTOM THEY ONLY COST 1,000 DOLLARS spend it its worth it byebye and thank B000B1LU16:rusted_after_two_weeks:ronald_tran B000B1LU16 Calphalon Traditional 2-Piece Knife Set with 8-Inch Chef's Knife and 5-Inch Santoku Knife: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 9 1.0 March 6, 2006 Ronald Tran Honolulu, HI USA I was excited when I got the set, however after a few cuts/uses the knives are dull and the santoku has rust on the sharp end of the blade. For a warranty claim I have to pre pay postage to get a replacement. Not recommended at all! I'm surprised at the low quality with this brand B0000DBIKI:quite_disappointed_for_henckels.:adam_m._fitzpatrick_"fitz" B0000DBIKI Henckels Twin Signature 7-Piece Block Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 10, 2006 Adam M. Fitzpatrick "Fitz" Arizona We own a set of 2-Man Pro series and this set did not even compare. Returned them the same day they arrived to my house B0000DBIKI:you're_kidding...:j._skilton B0000DBIKI Henckels Twin Signature 7-Piece Block Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 35 of 38 1.0 December 11, 2005 J. Skilton Portland, OR USA I have a set of mid-range Henckels that I bought some years ago, and they are -much- better than this. I bought this set for my daughter because they were a good compromise between quality and price, and she won't ruin then in the dishwasher. I would have thought that Henckels wouldn't make any actual crap, but this set comes awfully close. The good thing is, boy are they sharp. But there's bad things too. Only the 8" chef's knife and the shears have any feel of quality at all, the rest are -very- thin and flimsy. 'Laser-cut' edges are overrated - make them another millimeter thick please, so they can make a precise cut without the blade bending and taking off in an unintended direction. A good knife is an extension of the cook's intention - it does what you want, and does NOT require thought and pre-conception and compensation in every cut. (...)is waaay too much for one adequate chef's knife and some toys. Very disappointed in Henckels, and in Amazon too, I don't feel I got what I ordered. B00009RXMO:cheaply_made:glenn_junker B00009RXMO DeLonghi DC55TCB Coffeemaker with Timer, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 September 13, 2006 Glenn Junker Collegeville, PA we got this as a wedding gift and it worked ok for about 2 years, but there are 2 plastic parts that have broken in the last month making it unusable. would not recommend this machine or this brand to anyon B00009RXMO:my_husband_almost_burned_the_house_down...:j._ebright B00009RXMO DeLonghi DC55TCB Coffeemaker with Timer, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 7 2.0 January 20, 2006 J. Ebright I myself am not a coffee drinker but after watching the lengths that my husband has gone through to get keep his coffee hot, I will agree with other reviewers, this Delonghi is Dewrongi. My husband has to boil the water in a kettle to pre-heat the carafe before brewing. If he doesn't get a chance to drink it right away, he puts the carafe (filled with coffee) onto the stovetop on low. Well a couple mornings ago, we were both rushing around to get the kids off to school and off to work. Without thinking, he put the carafe on the burner but must have accidentally cranked it to high heat. Next thing I know I'm screaming from the kitchen because the carafe is on fire with 2 foot flames quickly spreading. He dumped a pot of cold water on it and hallelujah, no damage was done. (We are so lucky as we are selling our home in a few months. So after reading the other reviews, I'm no longer pursuing a replacement carafe but instead will buy him a whole new machine...and it won't be a Delonghi B00009RXMO:don't_give_this_to_anyone_you_like_for_christmas:k._kelly_"kek@spamex.com" B00009RXMO DeLonghi DC55TCB Coffeemaker with Timer, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 December 3, 2005 K. Kelly "kek@spamex.com" Lake Tahoe USA I went to Amazon after having several problems with this coffee maker only to find lots of others with the same problems. Yes, deLonghi makes a great product. No, this is not one of them. I have read the directions so often I have them memorized, and I can tell from the number of reviews that there is a serious quality control problem with this unit. I bought mine from Costco, and sometimes the manufacturers do something different for Costco product runs. I hope that is not the problem, but that is all I can think of that would be causing such a disparity of reviews. So...who else bought this unit from Costco? Because if that is the problem I'll bet Costco will be all over deLonghi to fix it. Until then, this is definitely not the coffee maker you will look forward to first thing in the morning, every day B0001XQQMW:don't_waste_your_money:chirag_d._badami B0001XQQMW Farberware Tristar 15-Piece Cutlery Set in Pine Block: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 September 10, 2006 Chirag D. Badami These knives barely cut.... and the title is misleading. This set has nothing to do with Faberware. Also, I have had this set for only a few weeks and already rust has appearred on them. Buy them if you intend it for one time use B0001XQQMW:what_a_piece_of_junk!:starfishin B0001XQQMW Farberware Tristar 15-Piece Cutlery Set in Pine Block: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 25 of 26 1.0 January 17, 2005 Starfishin Right Here These are not Farberware, but Hoan -- which makes cut-rate kitchen implements like knives, measuring cups etc. I sent these as a gift, and was hugely embarrassed when I showed up for dinner and found out I'd sent this junk.This is deceptive advertising at its worst -- shame on you, Amazon! B00008QUIE:i_would_not_buy_these_again_-_in_fact,_i_wish_i_returned_them!:kd_"mom_of_toddlers" B00008QUIE Oneida Peninsula 53-Piece Flatware Set, Service for 8: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 2.0 June 17, 2006 KD "mom of toddlers" PHilly, PA My Mom bought me this set for my anniversary two years ago. We use it regularly and run it through the dishwasher and it is just horrible looking. It spots and marks pitifully. I can't get most of the spots off no matter what I do. I wrote the company to complain and they said they would replace it if I mailed it in, but with the weight of the set (because it really is a heavy-duty set of flatware) it would have cost me a fortune to ship it to them and then all I would have gotten in return was another set of flatware that would probably look the same way in a short period of time. So, I am just putting my experience out there to help others make an informed decision B000690WNU:limited_use:meetings_manager_"mam" B000690WNU Proctor-Silex Fifth Burner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 9 2.0 March 8, 2006 Meetings Manager "MAM" NJ Used this burner during a kitchen renovation. Doesn't heat very evenly for use with a skillet, but product is sufficient for boiling water for pasta and vegetables. Wish the base was heavier for stability B0001I9RA0:krups:_quality_control_issues?:a._hug_"toast" B0001I9RA0 Krups FEM2B 2-Slice Toaster, Black & Silver: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 August 25, 2006 A. Hug "Toast" Michigan Hi, I usually don't complain about the products that I buy because I consider myself a savvy consumer, but in this instance I was dubbed big time! A few years ago, we received a Krups coffee maker as a wedding gift and we love it! However, this particular toaster rarely worked. In fact, I would say that 85% time it would either not toast or would "flip" the toast prematurely e.g. 5 second or less. I have no idea if this is a fluck in quality control or not, but I highly recommend buying a different toaster. I know, I thought, Krups makes a toaster? Wow, I'll buy it, after all how hard can it be for a German company to manufacture functional a toaster? Well, evidently, they have issues. B0001I9RA0:a_big_mistake:s._peterson_"theswedishchef" B0001I9RA0 Krups FEM2B 2-Slice Toaster, Black & Silver: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 15 of 15 1.0 February 25, 2006 S. Peterson "theswedishchef" Santa Rosa, CA Although Consumer Reports rated this model as #2, I have found this a very disappointing purchase. The cheap aluminum parts inside bend all the time jamming the toaster. It toasts very uneavenly and inconsistently. I am very sorry I purchased this toaster. I was expecting much more from a toaster so highly rated but I've learned that Consumer Reports does not always get everything right. Listen to the other warnings and stay away from this toaster. As soon as I find another toaster, this one goes off to Goodwill. B0000DI4PG:warp_factor_1:david_cross B0000DI4PG All-Clad Lasagna Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 March 9, 2006 David Cross Oregon, USA Nice, shiny, new, heavy, quality product. Two uses later... Warped and buckled tray bottom, shiny, heavy, poor-quality product. I am a keen cook and I don't expect to spend this much on an so-called "quality" item only for it to warp and buckle after two uses under normal conditions. 1 star B000ASGVGO:fatal_flaw:susan_dennis B000ASGVGO Back to Basics Egg & Muffin Toaster - TEM500: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 2.0 January 13, 2006 susan dennis seattle, wa USA I've had this appliance since just before Thanksgiving but only able to fully use it twice. It's very cool the way the egg poacher works with the muffin toaster. BUT when I washed the egg poacher cup, a good bit of teflon came off. (I tried a second time and my poached egg was full of black teflon flakes.) The appliance came with a notice that implored you to please call the Back to Basics if there is a problem (rather than the retailer) so I did. I was told they would send a replacement cup immediately. I can boil eggs in it which is great but you can't toast at the same time so either your toast or your eggs get cold while waiting for the other. As I approached my 30 day return period, I called back and was told that the cups were being redesigned and they would send one out immediately. Today (now 64 days after the first call) I called again and was told that my cup was mailed 10 days ago (but only 7 business days so they won't even discuss tracing or resending until next week). They mailed it from Utah. I live in Seattle. I am so not happy with their service, their attitude and now I'm even getting annoyed at the appliance. Hopefully, no one else will have this problem. But, just in case.. B0000AFQ5S:i_used_it_once_and_it's_going_in_the_garbage:t._kahl B0000AFQ5S Black & Decker GG200 Gizmo Grater: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 17, 2006 T. Kahl I have had this gadget for a little over a year as we got it as a wedding gift. I had not used it as it did not seem worth the trouble to plan on getting it out ahead of time and charging it for 15 hours when I could use a manual grater right when I needed it. Last week, I needed to shred some cheddar for a recipe. I read the instructions front to back, allowed it to charge the full amount of time, and I was pretty excited when it came time to try it out. Right from the start, I knew it was junk. You are supposed to be able to lift the piece of plastic up and have it stay in the up position while you change the blade. Not mine. The plastic piece kept coming off, and dozens of tries to keep it upright resulted in dozens of failures. I decided to look past that and judge purely on the shredding ability. Once I started trying to grate, I had a really hard time getting the thing to shred. I tried varying degrees of pressure. As others commented, the cheese does get stuck EVERYWHERE. Then, the cheese that does come out is in tiny little shreds. I did not get the nice big shreds that I am used to with my manual grater. My husband thought I was doing it wrong, so he tried it. He had the same result. I will not even sell this at a rummage sale or give it to goodwill, because people are better off without it. Since it was a gift, I'm glad I'm not out any money. It is going in the trash B0000AFQ5S:wow_this_sucks:jane_smith B0000AFQ5S Black & Decker GG200 Gizmo Grater: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 April 12, 2006 jane smith palmdale ca i wish i saw the feedback before i bought this...this thing sucks you have to charge it 15hours just to get 23minutes of nothing.. it has no power and it just pushes the cheese it doesnt even grade it...please dont waste your mone B0001ZYYXS:metrokane_mighty_juicer--:jared_smith_"razorback22" B0001ZYYXS Metrokane Mighty Mini Bar Juicer, Chrome: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 5, 2006 Jared Smith "Razorback22" Las Vegas To whom it may concern. Cheap assembly, binds up on internal hardwear, does not press fully, all in all, very poor product. You would be better off hand squeezing with you hand than you would with this item...Run B00005OTYL:cracked_base:21_days B00005OTYL Rival GC8151-WN 1.5-Quart Treat Shoppe Electric Ice Cream Maker, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 May 23, 2006 21 Days Alabama After a couple of years of casual use, my bowl also cracked in the freezer. Fortunately I had it wrapped in a plastic bag so the mess was kept to a minimum. Now I'm in the market for one with a higher quality bowl. B00005OTYL:worked_well...3_times:indylisa B00005OTYL Rival GC8151-WN 1.5-Quart Treat Shoppe Electric Ice Cream Maker, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 March 12, 2006 IndyLisa Indy, IN I received this as a gift for Christmas. It worked like a charm for ice cream and lemon slush 3 times. BUT then, the base burst in my freezer, spewing foul scented goo all over. I contacted the manufacturer to ask how to get it replaced, and NEVER HEARD BACK. Apparently they don't care about backing up their product. Now I have to buy another one, and it won't be this brand B00005OTYL:horrible_tasting_ice_cream_that_costs_more_than_premium:kris B00005OTYL Rival GC8151-WN 1.5-Quart Treat Shoppe Electric Ice Cream Maker, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 5 1.0 June 25, 2005 Kris Hampton, IA United States I bought this item on sale at Shopko, where it will be returned today. I froze the gel disk as instructed, bought all the ingredients listed in the recipe booklet for vanilla ice cream, cooled the ingredients after mixing as instructed. After 45 minutes of mixing I ended up with ice cream soup. You could let this thing run forever and never end up with ice cream that is set up enough to eat. I put it in a container in the freezer. The next morning I had an ice cream brick. Not to be deterred I microwaved it for 15 seconds until it was soft enough to actually remove with my metal ice cream scoop. This stuff gets harder than cement! After all this work the ice cream had a bad plastic-like aftertaste. I had to throw it all out. If this isn't enough to deter you keep in mind that the "heavy cream" called for in most of the recipes listed in the booklet costs a pretty hefty price. I paid $2.50 for the heavy cream listed to make 1.5 quarts of ice cream. That price doesn't even include the other ingredients listed. Buyer Beware B00009A9WV:what_a_disappointment:pennypincherp B00009A9WV SiliconeZone Standard Baking Mat: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 79 1.0 January 28, 2004 PennyPincherP BELLFLOWER, CA USA I used this maybe a dozen times before I stopped using it out of disgust. The surface is fragile and hard to clean. I reheated pizza and the residue stuck so tightly it could only be scraped off with extreme care. I did a bone-in slow roast and the weight alone pierced the surface so the juices bled into the matting layer. What's the point if you can't clean it or let anything harder than Jell-O come into contact with it. Just to clarify--the mat was used to line an airbake cookie sheet for the pizza and to line a baking pan with the roast atop of a bed of carrots and celery. I like my pizza crisp yet moist so I reheat it in a skillet when I can. I bake thin or drier pizza on an insulated sheet to keep it from getting desiccated. When I make a roast--I don't need any gravy. I slow roast the Alton Brown way and the juice stays in the meat rather than ending up in the bottom of the pan. The meat literally makes its own au jus in your mouth. I put a bed of vegetables on the bottom to further reduce the heat transfer from the pan to the meat. Not cooking for a crowd? Try a 3 inch thick steak (stood on end) cooked this way. You won't want to share. I don't slow roast turkey but it only takes 2-1/2 hours to do a 14-16 pound bird if you temper it properly. My sister always gets comments on how moist and juicy it is. In fairness, when I gave my neice two of my unused large pastry/baking mats, she used them successfully to make her chocolate dipped strawberries, turtles, etc. B00005B5ZV:boils_fast_but_this_is_a_flawed_kettle:glenn_cherrits B00005B5ZV Revere 2-1/3-Quart Whistling Tea Kettle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 2.0 April 11, 2006 Glenn Cherrits Hoboken Well reviewed on amazon but this kettle is lacking. The copper does, indeed, boil water fast; and that's the job of a kettle, I admit. However, the button/trigger that opens the spout is too close to the steam and you're forever guarding your fingers and shying away from the kettle. As you tilt the kettle to pour, you're also tilting the steam nearer to your fingers. It's uncomfortable at best and searing at worst. While you learn how to not get scalded, this kettle is always at least slightly irritating. There are better kettles around B000A5CLFC:returning_broken_glasses_for_credit:a._gordon_pym B000A5CLFC Bodum Canteen Double Wall Cooler/Beer Glasses, Set of 2: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 15 of 17 1.0 December 5, 2005 A. Gordon Pym Nantucket, of course Why would anyone rate these glasses more than 1 star if Amazon is refusing to credit for those broken in shipment B00004OCJG:pretty_dull:billie_m._rohl B00004OCJG OXO Good Grips 24080 2-Piece Peeler/Parer Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 December 7, 2002 Billie M. Rohl ANN ARBOR, MI USA The handles, although very cushioned, are TOO fat for my hands (which admittedly are rather small). I never really got to give either piece a true test though, because the blades on the parer and the vegetable peeler were way too dull to work well. I can't really recommend either, although the parer was a little better than the peeler B00004S9D3:not_the_right_bowl_for_ice_-45:beatrice_j._martin B00004S9D3 Cuisinart 1-1/2-Quart Additional Freezer Bowl, fits ICE-20 Ice Cream Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 6 1.0 July 9, 2006 Beatrice J. Martin This bowl does not work with the ICE-45 ice machin B00004R8ZC:the_hardest_can_opener:"chrish2144" B00004R8ZC Kuhn Rikon Safety Lid Lifter Can Opener: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 8 1.0 May 19, 2004 "chrish2144" holdenville, ok United States I'm sure that this is a wonderful can opener if you can figure out how to use it. I recieved mine as a gift, and neither the giver, myself, or my husband can figure out how to use the thing. I was told that the instructions could be copied from the internet, but who can find them B000063D3M:rust:c._jackson B000063D3M Carry-On Polished 45-pc. Flatware Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 June 3, 2005 C. Jackson Carrollton, TX United States I bought this flatware in spite of the warnings about rust. Well, sure enough, rust started to form on the knives just after the first run through the dishwasher. The rust spots were small, but I returned the set anyways, as I am not willing to risk the severe rust problems reported by others. And just for the record, I did not use lemon detergent, and I only allowed the set to stay in the dishwasher a short while after the cycle completed. This set is at best a high maintenance proposition. Hand washing and drying is not for me! Its a shame, because the set really is beautiful B0007IR2EM:not_as_good:julieanna B0007IR2EM DeLonghi EO1258 6-Slice 1/2-Cubic-Foot Turbo Convection Oven, Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 1.0 July 31, 2006 julieanna This DeLonghi toaster oven was not made as well as the previous one we had. The grey plastic on the sides made it look cheap. The stainless steel was very thin too. You could bend it easily. We returned the oven B0007IR2EM:stopped_working_in_less_than_two_months_of_owning_it:c._cogburn_"c.c." B0007IR2EM DeLonghi EO1258 6-Slice 1/2-Cubic-Foot Turbo Convection Oven, Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 July 14, 2006 C. Cogburn "C.C." Newnan,GA I was pretty happy with this toaster oven until last night when it just stopped working while I was baking some potatoes. I have no idea why it would just quit working like that. I am not happy at all with this product B0000635XF:defective_controls:mikemar1955 B0000635XF KitchenAid KTT570OB 4-Slice Digital Toaster with Bagel, Warm, and Frozen Functions, Onyx Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 1.0 April 15, 2006 MikeMar1955 This was a great toaster, until it starting turning itself on. After popping up the toast a few minutes later the heating elements will come back on. KitchenAid has a recall on their proline series with the same problem but there is no recall on this model, YET. Don't Bu B00009K3T2:i_am_extremely_happy_with_this_product_after_i_returned_it!!!!:katia_f._nogueira B00009K3T2 Cuisinart CCJ-100 Citrus Pro Juicer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 March 6, 2006 Katia F. Nogueira santa cruz, ca United States It spins on the counter and the juice always slips out of the cup! DO NOT buy this piece of junk!!!!! don't waste your money on this. B00009K3T2:poor_design:tekin B00009K3T2 Cuisinart CCJ-100 Citrus Pro Juicer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 February 17, 2006 Tekin Long Island, NY I bought this juicer last week from a local store. It is impossible to keep it steady when you use it. You are luckY if you get the half of the juice in the glass! The juice is all over the place. The unit started to make a loud noise after 2 days. I will return it this weekend and get my money back. STAY AWAY! B0009PRK18:tried_it,_hated_it,_returned_it:dwain_david B0009PRK18 Eureka 2553AX Atlantis Express Carpet Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 1.0 August 13, 2005 Dwain David Saskatchewan, Canada I needed a compact cleaner to tidy up after my delightful cat decided to soil my couch. I had read other reviews of the Bissell Little Green Machine that were unfavourable, so headed off to the store to find something else . . . . the Atlantis Express looked interesting, and I hadn't seen it before. Suffice to say, it did get the cat stains out of the couch, but not after revealing itself as a really poorly designed product. - The machine is LOUD, very loud - The cleaning 'head' on the end of the hose has a 'flip-up' cover to make it easier to clean where it sucks in lint and stuff into the machine. That is a great idea, but there is no gasket to make the joints true and tight . . .. so while it may have 2 times the power of other machines based on sheer power of the motor, it looses some of this power when you actually use it to try and suck water and cleaning solution back up. - The option to spray water and solution or just clean water is part of what appealed to me about this machine. However to accomplish this, the cleaning head has 2 seperate spayers on the underside. Neither are centered, the one on the left operates when you have the slider set to solution and the one to the right operates when you have slider set to rinse. As they are not centered, they overspray quite a bit past the edge of the cleaning tool. Mine sprayed a wide swath of rinse water about 3 inches past the edge of the cleaning head. To top it off, when you release the trigger, the cleaning head continues to drip water for a few moments, meaning that you have to go VERY slowly or risk dripping everywhere. While it functioned well enough to clean my couch, it was a brutal and terrible experience. When I bought it I figured it could be used too on my car interior . . . . but the frustration of cleaning a small patch on my couch quickly quelled that thougt. I returned the Atlantis Express to the store and went out and bought a Hoover Steam Vac Jr. -- which I should have done right from the start--- the hoover runs circles around this machine B0009PRK18:the_first_atlantis_was_destroyed;_this_one_should_be_too!:rapunzel B0009PRK18 Eureka 2553AX Atlantis Express Carpet Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 August 3, 2005 Rapunzel Seattle The first, and only time, I tried to use this compact carpet cleaner was a total disaster. While removing an old sofa to make way for new furniture, the delivery men stained the new carpet. I whipped out our new Atlantis, filled the rinse tank and popped in the soap cartridge. With manual in hand, I tried to quickly clean the carpet as the new furniture was making its way up the stairs... The unit did not dispense soapy water, the hand-held wand leaked, and finally I discovered that the body of the until was leaking all over my carpet, creating a soggy new stain. So here I am with two stains on my now very wet carpet, furniture being delivered and an Atlantis unit sitting in my bathtub until I can find a large sledge hammer. Don't waste your money with this thing. There has to be a better answer B00006JL08:bad_unit:charles_martin_"chuck_martin" B00006JL08 Braun KF580 AromaDeluxe 10-Cup TimeControl Coffemaker, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 9, 2006 Charles Martin "Chuck Martin" Fairfax Va. Wish I had heeded the advice of most of the reviewers before I purchased this. I went ahead and purchased this because it was replacing a Braun coffee maker that we had had for 10 - 15 years. After it got the new plastic taste out of it, it made good coffee. Even without the Brita Filter. Just like all the reviewers indicated, the carafe leaked and spilled badly unless you poured very slowly and carefully. Unfortunately, it has quit working after only 2 1/2 months. The seller, Etronics, is declining to do anything about it saying it is now outside of their 30 return period. That will be the last thing I buy through them. Like uhh, since they sell Braun,one would think they would have some recourse through Braun and try to help their customers. So, here I am between the proverbial rock and a hard place, try to find a Braun warranty center and wait for it to get repaired or replaced, or just bite the bullet an go buy another. (want to bet it won't be a Braun?) Additionally, what do we do for coffee in the mean time? Such are the hazards of purchasing an electric appliance on the internet B00006JL08:disappointment:beacon B00006JL08 Braun KF580 AromaDeluxe 10-Cup TimeControl Coffemaker, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 September 22, 2006 Beacon Boston, MA I've had two of these now, and they both had one serious flaw: the trumpeted "brew and pause" feature DOES NOT WORK. Pull the carafe out during brewing and treat yourself to a steaming hot waterfall of coffee that would almost be comical if it weren't such a relentless pain in the neck to clean up. Also, it's hard not to spill some water on the heating plate, either during filling or brewing, creating a consequent sizzling sound that adds a lot of ambience -- if you live in a steak house. Considering how many other coffee makers are available out there, these flaws make this machine a mistake. Too bad, because some things are done quite nicely: the controls are good and easy to set, and the overall styling is sleek, euro-cool, and compact. Unless you live in a community where calcified sewage runs through the taps, the water filters do about as much as a rain dance. Pass on this one B00006JL08:just_stopped_working_&_not_even_1_year_old!!!!:financial_district_resident B00006JL08 Braun KF580 AromaDeluxe 10-Cup TimeControl Coffemaker, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 2.0 April 8, 2006 Financial District Resident I loved this coffeemaker, until it just suddenly stopped working and it isn't even 1 year old!! Previous coffeemakers I owned have lasted years and years. I expect more from a coffeemaker that cost over $[...]+. Now I have to find the warranty card and go through all that hassle. I am NOT a happy customer B00004R94F:exterior__exposed_lip_reaches_250_degrees_on_auto_setting:chief_cook_"chef_ca'in" B00004R94F Farberware FSC600 6-Quart Oval Slow Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 27 of 27 1.0 February 21, 2005 chief cook "chef ca'in" MN I returned this the day it arrived. I heated the obligatory 4 cups of water as per instructions. Left the room and came back in 20 minutes. The warning light was not lit. I moved the crock to the side to see if I had not properly plugged it in since the light was out. I brushed my hand against the exterior lip and received a first degree burn. Farberwear company customer service said "the light is a little dim" but you should be able to see it. Yes, you can see it if you look up from below the crockpot you will see a faint glow. The crock pot sits very loosely in its container leaving a large gap between the food container and the heater housing.Heat escapes through these gaps which accounts for the overheated exterior. I would advise those with kids, especially, to find another slow cooker B00005LDOO:taylor_professional_thermometer_shuts_itself_off!: B00005LDOO Taylor Professional High Precision Pocket Digital Thermometer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 24 of 28 2.0 April 8, 2002 I received my Taylor Professional [and] it appeared to be behaving normally except it shut itself off after 4 to 7 minutes even while its readings were changing. Now, it is supposed to save its battery life by shutting off if there is no change in its temperature reading for 10 minutes, but it should stay on if its readings are changing. The temperatures were no where near the extremes of the thermometer's range, so this wasn't a case of shutting down because of that. ... I e-mailed the manufacturer about the problem and was told I could return it to them for replacement. I did this and less than three weeks later received a new one from them. Surprise, surprise -- this one behaved the same way, shutting off after 4 or 5 minutes even while its readings were changing. I e-mailed Taylor again about this and suggested they check out their existing supply of this model, as I suspected they had many that were shutting down like this. ... Approximately two weeks later ... I received another package from them containing one of their model 9845 thermometers, a different model! I received no communications from Taylor about this, other than their original e-mail stating I could return my original thermometer to them for replacement. I don't know what I'll do now. I would like a properly functioning 9878 ... B00006JSVI:cake_always_stick: B00006JSVI Nordic Ware Rose Cast Bundt Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 7 2.0 February 14, 2004 I own this pan and the Bavarian and Chrysanthemum models too. I think Nordicware makes very innovative designs which makes their flaw even more disappointing. After a few uses, everytime I bake with these pans the cake always stick. I grease AND flour these pans before baking and the cake still sticks. One reviewer said to LIBERALLY grease these pans, but I don't understand why there's so much work for greasing a "non-stick" pan. I had less worries when using a regular tin pan with no "non-stick" B00011HH22:a_bit_disappointed:b._lahue B00011HH22 Sanyo HPS-SG3 200-Square-Inch Electric Indoor Barbeque Grill, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 2.0 November 10, 2006 B. Lahue I purchased this item to be able to grill during the winter months when it's too cold to be outside. It looks very nice and clean up is super easy. The problem seems to be in what you decide to grill on it. The first time I used it, I grilled chicken breasts and they turned out fine and by keeping water in the drip pan, I had no problem with smoke. This is great, I thought. The next time I grilled hamburger patties and even though I followed the same procedure as before, it smoked up my whole house. (these were not high fat content burgers either) I added more water to the pan thinking it may have not been enough and it continued to smoke even more. It was not a pleasant experience. Right now it is sitting on top of my fridge and it may stay there until I decide to give it one more try. If it fairs better next time I will return and give it a better review..maybe B00005JRI8:chemical_smell:avid_reader B00005JRI8 Farberware 3-Piece Wood Cutting Board Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 August 30, 2006 avid reader I finally just threw them out. They were apparently cured with some chemical and the smell was terrible. B000308B30:bad_shaft:virgilm_rochester B000308B30 Hamilton Beach 65117 Eclectrics All-Metal Retro Drink Mixer, Licorice: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 5 1.0 September 2, 2005 VIRGILM ROCHESTER Escondido, CA There are only two mixers on the shaft. As a result it is very difficult to mix the ice cream into a thick milk shake B00015N5ZQ:not_nonstick:k._gaul B00015N5ZQ Calphalon One Infused Anodized 10-Piece Cookware Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 10 2.0 May 25, 2005 K. Gaul We had registered for All-Clad pans for our wedding last year, and decided to go with a Calphalon commercial nonstick set instead. The person helping us highly recommended the Calphalon One infused anodized set instead, and said the demonstrations he had seen were fantastic. We bought that set and have had it for nearly a year. We hardly ever use it, however, because things stick so badly, even with oil. While the set looks quite nice and cleans up easily enough with soaking and Bar Keeper's Friend, I'm very disappointed with how it cooks and would love to be able to return it B00005AL7S:my_pan_has_warped_and_is_getting_worse:love_to_cook B00005AL7S All-Clad Stainless Roti Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 2.0 March 29, 2005 Love to Cook Seattle, WA At first we loved this pan. We've used it quite a bit, but recently it has started to warp and it gets worse when it is heated. I can no longer sear a roast and then put it in the oven because the pan is so uneven. I've contacted All Clad and am waiting to see what they say. Needless to say, I would have been much happier with a less expensive pan. I am very happy with all the other All Clad pans that we have, but this one is a disappointment B00005AL7S:overpriced:c._ursel B00005AL7S All-Clad Stainless Roti Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 7 2.0 November 6, 2004 C. Ursel This item is the black sheep of the All Clad line. It is NOT a triply pan like other All Clad products and is made entirely of stainless steel(no aluminum). It is also made in Korea where other All Clad products are made in the USA. There are better roasters out there for less than half the price of this roaster B00008CM6D:very_low_quality_steel:t._erickson B00008CM6D Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 3-Quart Saucepan with Cover: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 5 2.0 December 29, 2005 T. Erickson Fresno, CA United States I liked the look of these pots. I bought several 2 and 3qt pots mainly for boiling water for pasta, potatoes etc. The stainless steel used is very poor quality. After just over a month all of them have rust spots on the bottoms and where the handles meet the pot. After the first use I noticed small discolored spots on the inside bottoms, not your typical discoloration from heat, and they would not polish out with bar keepers friend. These spots are now where I see rust forming after each use. These are definitly no where near the quality of my all-clad and calphalon stainless steel cookware, but then again neither is the price. All said I wouldn't buy them again. Even cheap stainless steel pots and pans shouldn't rust with normal use. Even the free Cuisinart Santoku Knife I received is rusting and I've only used it 3 times. I cannot stress how bad the steel is! As far as cooking goes, they work great. The aluminum core bottoms conduct the heat well. They also have a great look aside from the rusting B0000X7CMQ:save_your_money_for_something_else:clybourn_"lulu" B0000X7CMQ Zojirushi EC-BD15 Fresh Brew Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 2 1.0 October 21, 2006 clybourn "lulu" Chicago, USA I bought this coffee maker, because some people gave it high recommendation here. I think I wasted my money. It worked only for a couple of days. Finally, it just stopped working and I had to push the button at least three times in order to collect a small cup of coffee. That is ridiculous for an expensive coffee maker priced at $80 above. It makes me feel that this Japanese coffee maker is like Sony-made products, having a fancy looking but lousy quality. Save your money for some other coffe makers, and avoid this one B00005AL8N:why_is_all_the_steam_coming_out_of_the_side?:d._renn_"d._renn" B00005AL8N All-Clad Stainless Steamer Insert: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 September 4, 2005 D. RENN "d. renn" costa mesa, ca I have to agree with the other negative reviews. This insert loosely fits the All-Clad 3-Quart Casserole Pan I bought with it (which I could understand if I were trying to use it with another brand). It being from the same line and company one would think that someone would have tested how well it worked. As with all All-Clad products it's built very well but who cares about that if it doesn't work properly. Someone else mentioned all the perforations are in the bottom of the insert, it would be better if there were holes in the sides as well. I think my artichokes would cook a little faster if tons of steam wasn't rolling out from in between the insert and pan. It works, just not very well. B00005MFCA:bad_design/cheap_materials:tracey_anderson B00005MFCA Waring WPB05BC Kitchen Classic Blender, Brushed Chrome: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 24 of 26 1.0 June 19, 2005 Tracey Anderson We're a small restaurant (16 seats), serving dinner 4 nights a week, and we use the blender for soups, Caesar dressing, etc., once or twice a week, but never use ice in it or anything like that. We've had two of this same model now, and had the same problem with both of them. The black collar, the part of the base where you set the container, is plastic, and on both blenders has broken. The first time it lasted almost a year, and we figured that wasn't too bad -- especially when you compare the cost to a true commercial/professional blender, which are $300+. Also, we really like the blender in terms of function, so we picked up another one. This time, the exact same thing happene, except that the collar cracked within 2 weeks!! My other complaint is that I found Waring Customer Service to be disinterested & unhelpful -- especially because I contacted them about buying a new model, not about problems with the one we had. I saw a model on their website but no purchasing info was listed; I emailed to find out where to purchase, and the rep seemed almost inconvenienced by my inquiry B000064841:unsatisfactory:essex B000064841 Cuisipro Donvier Yogurt Cheese Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 1.0 October 9, 2006 Essex Connecticut No postives to report. The unit is: 1.Too small to make enough cheese to bother with. 2 Very difficult to clean. 3 Poorly designed; the cheese sits in the whey. 4.Overpriced. This should retail for under eight bucks. Four or five on sale. Faster and easier to use cheese cloth than this device. B0000CFPH9:reliability_is_the_issue:j._beverley_"quality_freak" B0000CFPH9 FoodSaver T03-0024-01 Bottle Stoppers, 3-Pack: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 14 1.0 February 17, 2006 J. Beverley "quality freak" Waconia, MN United States Unfortunately, I've ordered more than my share of FoodSaver products, having bought into the philosophy of vacuum storage, despite reading ample warnings from discontented consumers. What many of them claim is very much to the point: plastic containers frequently develop cracks and loss of vacuum. I've had many of their marinators and storage canisters prove defective after less than 10 uses. It seems to be related to the material properties and container size characteristics. The smaller containers seem to last longer. Those with thick walls relative to the specified volume or reinforcing structures seem to last just a bit longer. In plain language, the plastic containers are unreliable. FoodSaver should develop materials and designs that can handle the stress of the vacuum cycling placed on them, or quit the the business. Since their products have been on the market for many years, I can only assume they are more interested in recruiting new customers than satisfying existing customers. If you like filling out warranty forms every few weeks, more power to you. Bottle sealers are equally worthless. Every one that I bought lost vacuum in short order. In one case, a defective seal resulted in a spill of cooking oil that damaged a nylon tent and other camping gear. FoodSaver has done a good job with certain items in their product line. The vacuum unit is well designed and performs reliably, as long as the instuctions are followed. The bagging system is unassailable, even though the cost of the bags and rolls is quite high (read Consumer Reports reviews). And, to be fair, their Universal lids are excellent. Use them to seal small glass jars or stainless steel bowls, and there is no loss of vacuum due to cracked plastic. Bottom line? Be careful which products you buy. Some are excellent, while others are pure junk. B000063CDH:what_a_messy_thing!:ms._n_"sew_aloha" B000063CDH Emile Henry Couleurs Butter Pot, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 4 1.0 October 1, 2004 Ms. N "sew aloha" Maui, HI I was disappointed in this product. The butter slid out of the bell and into the water. I think it would be better if the inside of the bell wasn't glazed B00006416A:grater_broke:a._bartley_"wannabeanurse" B00006416A KitchenAid 6-Piece Gadget Set, Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 2.0 December 15, 2005 A. Bartley "Wannabeanurse" Bakersfield, CA I bought this set and was very pleased until the grater just snapped at the handle. This implies that there is a support problem with the manufacturers design B00004R947:a_disapointment,_it_lasted_just_two_years:lmn B00004R947 Farberware FCP512S 12-Cup Cordless Percolator: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 2.0 October 17, 2006 LMN Foothills of the Catskills, N.Y. This percolater makes great coffee and I was very happy with it until it broke within two years. Actually the first thing that broke was the little plastic knob on the top. I called the company and they were very nice about it. They quickly sent me a replacement part. I thought, what a great company. Then when it would not work one morning just a little over two years after I bought it I called them again. They explained that it was no longer under warranty (I think I missed the warranty term by a month or two.) They offered that I could purchase a refurbished one from them for about half the price of the original (I paid about $70.00, a refurbished one was, I think, $35.00) but it came with no warranty and I'd have to pay shipping. I was very, very disappointed. Thankfully, I had my old drip coffee maker in the attic. I pulled that out and have been using it although it does not make as good a cup of coffee as this percolator did. This product should have lasted me years. I am looking for another good cordless percolator but would not consider another product by this company. I gave it the two star rating instead of one because it did truly make a good cup of coffee but the two year life is just not worth the cost B00004R947:yummy_coffee_for_9_months...:srk_"srk" B00004R947 Farberware FCP512S 12-Cup Cordless Percolator: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 1.0 June 9, 2006 SRK "SRK" n/a First the plastic top broke off at 6 months. Then it stopped working at 9. I have one word: Junk B00004RDF1:the_dies_are_too_fragile:d._cibotti_"frustrated" B00004RDF1 Simac MX700 PastaMatic Pasta Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 November 5, 2006 D. Cibotti "Frustrated" Louisville, KY Less than one month after puchasing this pasta machine all of the pasta dies have broken. The ring nuts cannot hold the dies in place and they break. Maybe it is because I was making semolina pasta, but that should not be the case. This machine has caused me way too much stress at dinner time. Knowing what I know now I would buy fresh pasta at the store B00004RDF1:worse_than_the_ronco_machine:craig_shields B00004RDF1 Simac MX700 PastaMatic Pasta Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 17 of 20 1.0 March 14, 2004 Craig Shields Chicago, IL After my Ronco machine broke, I bought this one. It never worked well for hollow pasta, and the bearings went out after about 20 uses B00006IUVD:smells_funny:kitty_cat B00006IUVD Black & Decker DCM18 Brew 'N Go Coffeemaker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 2.0 August 12, 2006 Kitty Cat I bought this on 8/4/06. When I first got the coffee maker, I ran plain water through the machine to get the plastic smell out. Afterwards, the machine still smelled like plastic, now I've ran vinegar through the machine and still no help. The horrible plastic smell is still there. Baking soda is no use also. The only thing I've not used is bleach. If you don't mind the plastic smell then this is a good small machine that works well with most coffee cups. Makes really hot cups of coffee and none of the leaking problems B0009T8CHU:not_what_i_expected:nls B0009T8CHU Bodum So Long Stemless White Wine Glasses, Set of 2: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 June 25, 2006 NLS These are plastic-y, one cracked after 2nd washing, they look like the little fish bowls from the county fair, so big you have to use 2 hands to prevent sloshing it all over yourself : B0002I40GU:good_while_it_lasted:oregon_rainman B0002I40GU Panasonic NB-G100P-S 7.2-Quart Flash Express 1300 Watt Infrared Toaster Oven, Silver: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 September 16, 2006 Oregon Rainman Oregon This was the best toaster over I ever owned. But one of the infrared bulbs blew after about 4 months. Does anyone know where to buy a replacement B0002I40GU:i_was_looking_for_more...:s._roseman B0002I40GU Panasonic NB-G100P-S 7.2-Quart Flash Express 1300 Watt Infrared Toaster Oven, Silver: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 5 2.0 July 27, 2006 S. Roseman Round Rock, TX USA I can not testify as to how well this unit makes toast. I basically bought this Toaster oven for it oven capabilities. * I like the fact that the oven cuts off after the timer expires. Things burn quicker in a toaster oven. * My major gripe: I often can not selected the correct oven temperature. For example, today I needed to warm up some bread sticks to go with Italian dish. The box told me to set the temperature to 375 degress. Guess what, there is no 375 degree temperature on this unit. There is a 355 and 390. Other frequently requested temperature settings missing on this unit are 350, 400, 450. 425 is the only relatively common temperature setting that is found on this Toaster Oven. As a "don't fire up the big oven heating up the house on a hot summer day" unit, this toaster oven comes up a little short B0000CFMIL:chips_ahoy!:abt1950_"abt1950" B0000CFMIL Sango Splash 5-Piece Completer Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 5 2.0 September 8, 2004 abt1950 "abt1950" usa The Sango Splash line of dinnerware is gorgeous, no doubt about it. It's got a lovely combination of colors and textures and it feels great in the hand. So what's the problem? It chips. I've had a set of eight place settings plus various serving pieces and other extras for about two years. At last count, there were five pieces with chips and one cracked cup. That doesn't say much for the set's longevity, especially since I don't use these every day. B00069FEVK:iced_by_machine:carrie_the_oracle B00069FEVK Platinum Portable Ice Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 28 2.0 April 20, 2006 Carrie the Oracle Pasadena, CA, USA This machine does not make clear ice, just like your in-refrigerator does not make clear ice. Also, please read consumer reviews about function B00004UE6T:norpro_bread_slicer:lorraine_garduno B00004UE6T Norpro Bread Slicer with Crumb Catcher: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 8 2.0 March 9, 2006 Lorraine Garduno Denver, Colorado USA What I most like about this product is the crumb catcher feature. Unfortunately, I have a problem with the acrylic piece at the end of the cutting board popping out when I am using it. I would also recommend that the wood used be a harder wood such as is used normally with cutting boards as when I slice it leaves grooves in the wood B00004UE6T:broke_in_the_first_week:ironmike_"mike" B00004UE6T Norpro Bread Slicer with Crumb Catcher: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 1.0 January 10, 2006 IronMike "Mike" St. Louis, MO USA I agree with other writers. This unit is very poorly designed and built. Cutting my third loaf of bread, the knife point came out of the guide, and on return, snaped one of the guides off. Not washable, end plate falls off while cutting all the time, unit slides over the counter when trying to cut (rubber feet would have cured this). I would look elsewhere before buying this unit B00004UE6T:flimsy_not_worth_the_money.:c._mihelic_"panda" B00004UE6T Norpro Bread Slicer with Crumb Catcher: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 1.0 December 26, 2005 C. Mihelic "Panda" WV Very disappointed in this product. It falls apart everytime you try to slice a piece of bread. The wooden crumb box gouges very easily as well. Just a piece of flimsy plastic. :( I ended up buying a much less expensive bread keepr that came with a slicing guide, about half the price and it works great : B000C239HW:great_value_but!!!:m._matthews B000C239HW Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 17-Piece Cookware Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 August 17, 2006 M. Matthews The 17 piece set is a great value but quality of the stainless steel is poor. The mirror finish doesn't last long when you begin cooking on or even boiling water. The bond use to stick the bottom plate to the bottom of the pan is odd. When 1st heated it makes a few popping sounds. I didn't expect a great quailty product due to the cost of the set. Finding everything that I needed and used was more important. The set does heat evenly and cook well it's just overall spotting and stains are an eye sore. This product is great if looking for style and going to hand it up over an Islan B0000UJMS6:do_not_order_this_from_amazon:sturtle B0000UJMS6 Corelle Just White 34-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 8: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 1.0 November 17, 2006 sturtle New Orleans, LA United States I grew up with Corelle. My mom still has a complete set she got before I was born. It survived four kids--all boys--and three marriages. I thought it was indestructible. I was wrong. When I lifted the box from Amazon, I could hear shards of glass scraping around inside. I only needed to open one flap to see that, indeed, the entire set was destroyed. However, I should point out that the problem doesn't lie with Amazon. The damage is PURELY the result of Corelle, which clearly didn't intend for this box to be shipped solo. My advice: pick up a box locally at Macy's or Dillard's or something B0000936JF:pretty,_but_not_very_functional:n._barber B0000936JF Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick Stainless-Steel Steamer Insert with Glass Lid: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 19, 2006 N. Barber Atlanta, GA USA I like the Calphalon Contemporary line a great deal, and so I was pleased to find the steamer insert that fit my pan. But my first attempt to use it was a failure--the small steamer holes (and not very many of them) are easily covered by the food to be steamed, leaving the insert to function like a double boiler. After working for close to an hour to steam summer squash (which should take 20 minutes at most), I gave up and dumped the squash into the steaming water and boiled it. I'm sure that some foods will steam in this pan, but items that lay flat like sliced vegetables will be a problem B000A7DPNC:buy_a_good_steam_iron_instead:alish B000A7DPNC Conair GS11RH Professional Upright Steamer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 12 2.0 June 12, 2006 alish Washington DC This steamer was only useful to get the wrinkles out of clothes that had been really balled up... it gets them to a state where you can IRON them more easily, but basically saturates with the steam so the fabric is damp. Sure there is technique to learn, but I spent a good long time on several different items. It heats up quick and produces steam well etc, but it performed far below what I thought were reasonable expectations. It also has a low hanger so you constantly have to extend the hose to let the condensation run back down or else get gurgling and low output. I returned it, amazon was good about that, and the return shipping was less than what amazon charged me in the first place B000AAYDK8:doa:marisa_williams B000AAYDK8 Mario Batali Panini Grill and Press, Persimmon: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 13 1.0 April 5, 2006 Marisa Williams Sigh. Was so excited to receive this item and it arrived today via UPS in pieces. I should have heeded the previous reviewer's warning. Doh! Oh well. Live and learn. Live and learn. Refund, please B000AAYDK8:arrived_broken:bookjunky B000AAYDK8 Mario Batali Panini Grill and Press, Persimmon: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 19 1.0 November 25, 2005 bookjunky How durable can a pan be that arrives in pieces inside the box? I can't imagine breaking my old cast iron frying pan...this one had a huge chunk out of the side. I sent it back and will look for a better quality item. Shame on Mario for endorsing this thing B0000CCZ3Y:problems:v._cummings_"victorc1978" B0000CCZ3Y KitchenAid 3-Speed Classic Blender - White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 March 29, 2006 V. Cummings "victorc1978" Two Rivers, WI United States With 3 different speeds you think you would able to make a shake or smoothie in this machine with no problems right? Nope, I am always running into problems with ice getting stuck around the blade assembly, and I do mean stuck! I have not had this blender for very long, and I really don't use it very often either so there is no reason I should be told my blades are probably dull - its not like I was making a brick smoothie! AHH.. Also why does the lid stain so easily - I have never made anything that contains purple in my blender ans now my lid is permantly that color! The best thing I can say about this is that it is heavy so it stays put, and the lid has a really tight seal which is not good if you have limited mobility in your hands. I have since purchased a differnt brand and have no problems! Looks the mixer is the only thing KitchenAid has perfected B0000CCZ3Y:coupler_broken_after_1_year:r._jackson B0000CCZ3Y KitchenAid 3-Speed Classic Blender - White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 2.0 July 30, 2004 R. Jackson After going thru several $20 dollar blenders in the last 10 years I decided to splurg and go for the Kitchenaid. Well it didn't last even as long as the cheap ones. The motor is still good, and the blades are still good, but they used a little plastic coupler between the two and it lost all it's teeth one by one. We mainly like to make milkshakes and smoothies about 3 or 4 times a week. B00009K3SW:beautiful_-_but_not_worth_it:mitch_"mitch" B00009K3SW KitchenAid KCG200MC Model A-9 Coffee Mill, Metallic Chrome: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 2.0 October 28, 2006 mitch "Mitch" cottonwood, arizona United States I bought my first one about 14 months ago - it lasted about 8 months. Motor made a high pitched sound and blew coffee all over. I dismantled the whole unit - it then worked for about 2 days. I called Kitchenaid - (they are right about no hassle warranty) They quickly sent me out a new one. This new one lasted about 6 months - and now has the same symptoms. I really wish this was the grinder for me - I LOVE the Capacity for bean storage and LOVE the way it looks - I have been forced to look at other grinders. Hope this helps. By the way - I used grinders twice daily - in the morn and then in the evening - not like I was putting a whole lot of strain on them! Hope this help B00004RDE1:good...until_the_rivets_snap:gini B00004RDE1 Norpro Stainless Steel 8-Inch Mesh Strainer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 1.0 January 9, 2006 Gini Grand Ledge, MI I was happy with the performance of the strainer...easy to clean, fit well over the edges of pans, etc. But only a month after I received it, the handle snapped right off. I was draining a can of vegetables, so it doesn't seem to me that was overdoing it. I'll definitely check the fastenings on the next strainer I buy B0002V3WU2:do_not_recommend:pearly_white_"ee_cook" B0002V3WU2 KitchenAid Silicone Mini Madeline, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 13 1.0 March 30, 2005 Pearly White "ee cook" Rolla, MO I baked two batches of madelines side by side, one in this pan (set on a baking sheet), and another in a traditional pan with non-stick coating. I brushed both pans with canola oil before using. As per the package instructions, I allowed the madelines in the silicon pan to cool completely before removing them. The madelines in the traditional pan released easily, were golden and high, and had a pronounced design. The other batch were almost soggy (probably from cooling in the pan), flat, pale, and did not have the appearance of a madeline. To make matters worse, they did not release easily, and a few of them even broke as I attempted to remove them. I would not recommend this pan B00005B6Z0:big_disappointment:lifemom B00005B6Z0 Salton LM8 Lemonader! Lemonade Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 April 10, 2004 lifemom KY United States We were so looking forward to fresh lemondade. The moment the Salton arrived we opened the box, pulled out the lemons we had bought in anticipation and began juicing. On the 5'th lemon the gears stripped and the juicer no longer turned when applying even the slightest amount of pressure to the lemon. We were all very disappoined, my 5 kids and I : ( I had hoped for better after reading the great reviews written by some of the others. B0000DJC9K:poor_quality:lisa_s B0000DJC9K Wamsutta 100% Cotton Luxury Gingham Flannel Twin Extra Long Sheet Set, Brick: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 2 1.0 April 25, 2006 Lisa S Cedar Falls, Iowa I also tried some cotton Wamsutta sheets from Bed Bath, and Beyond and they pilled the first time I washed them. I was able to return them to the store, but it was a waste of time. I wouldn't recommend these sheets or any Wamsutta sheets because I think they're poor quality B0002TU4ZA:rust_spots:m._breaux B0002TU4ZA Cuisinart 14-Piece Triple-Rivet Cutlery Set with Bonus 7-Inch Santoku: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 7, 2006 M. Breaux California, USA These knives are already showing spots of rust despite washing by hand & drying. Very disappointed in quality of finish B000A1FFR2:very_upseting_purchase:suresh_gulati B000A1FFR2 Hamilton Beach 52644 WaveAction Blender: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 9 1.0 March 17, 2006 Suresh Gulati the blender looks very attractive but hardly works. quite a bit of time even crushing a tomato. hard to believ B00006IUV7:horrible_product:chantelle_coetzee_"mommy" B00006IUV7 Aroma ARC7031G 6-Cup Rice Cooker and Food Steamer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 22 of 22 1.0 November 2, 2005 Chantelle Coetzee "Mommy" New Rochelle, NY This products is horrible. It burns the rice and the heat actually bend the insert so the lid would not fit anymore and after using it only a handful of times it stopped working. It is really terrible would give it zero but there is no option B00006IUV7:a_piece_of_junk!:m._k._foley B00006IUV7 Aroma ARC7031G 6-Cup Rice Cooker and Food Steamer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 30 of 31 1.0 September 18, 2005 M. K. Foley Prospect Heights, IL USA Don't waste your money. I bought this because it was small and I wanted a rice cooker that would make 3 cups and take up less storage space than the bigger ones. It burns the rice every time no matter how much I adjust the water ratio. And brown rice - forget it, even more burned on the bottom. You have to watch it instead of being able to rely on it doing what it says it will do. It has yet to turn out 'perfect rice.' If I could rate this a zero I would B000BXD5WQ:died_after_two_loaf:a_sad_user B000BXD5WQ Breadman TR2500BC Ultimate 2-Pound Stainless-Steel Convection Breadmaker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 November 18, 2006 A Sad User San Francisco, CA United States Bought it two months ago, used it only twice and suddenly it stopped working within a week. Called manufacturer, got return label, sent in for replacement, but three weeks passed and I still have not received anything. So I called them on Nov 17, 2006, and was told they don't have this model in stock. The worst part is that they also said they do not know when it will be ever in stock, maybe tomorrow or may in a year. I wish I had tried to return it to Amazon rather than called manufacture for return/replacement. Do not buy this model!!! and maybe we should not buy any Breadman branded products at all since the customer service from manufacturer is astonishingly bad. B0007NIBHO:super_annoying_-_sold,_but_did_not_deliver:allan_wang B0007NIBHO Le Creuset 11-3/4-Inch Iron Handle Skillet, Dune: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 14 1.0 August 1, 2006 Allan Wang Holualoa, HI United States I was really looking forward to receiving this, but four weeks after purchasing online, I received an email from Amazon saying they did not have a supplier for my purchase! I am disappointed in Amazon. How can you sell something you do not have B000CI8ECG:disappointed:suzanne_f._dahms_"suzq" B000CI8ECG Woven Stripe 300-Thread-Count Queen Sheet Set, Lt Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 1.0 June 13, 2006 Suzanne F. Dahms "SuZQ" Verona, WI There is one huge problem with these sheets -- they are not permanently pressed. There is no way to get out the wrinkles, other than by ironing them. Otherwise, they are fine. But who in the world wants wrinkled sheets! You should be able to take them right out of the dryer and fold them with little or no wrinkles -- like your average sheet. These sheets are full of wrinkles and they look just terrible on the bed. I cannot believe you are actually selling these things on-line B000CI8ECG:if_i_could_give_0_stars,_i_would:designer_chick_"gifted_amateur" B000CI8ECG Woven Stripe 300-Thread-Count Queen Sheet Set, Lt Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 1.0 March 1, 2006 Designer Chick "gifted amateur" Albuquerque, NM Great price, poor product. They are beautiful upon arrival. I washed them according to manufacturer's instructions. You would not believe the copius amounts of lint that piled up in the lint catcher of my dryer (usually a sign of poor fabric quality). While folding them up, I discovered that most of the hems had unraveled and frayed. And I hadn't even used them yet! Unbelievable. I returned them for a full refund, including shipping (and I stupidly purchased 2 sets). Goes to show you get what you pay for. Never again B0000638S9:junk:matthew_cartier_"matt_c" B0000638S9 Vacu Vin Rapid Ice Silver Can Chillers, Set of 2: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 13, 2006 Matthew Cartier "Matt C" Maryland Works if you have COLD soda and it's frozen. After 2 cans it's done. Yes you get two of the sleeves, but I'm not pleased. Better luck with a 99 cent foam coozi B0001LG1E2:negative_reading_light_review:steven_l._gulke_"event_manager" B0001LG1E2 SMALL GOOSENECK READING LIGHT: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 8 1.0 June 26, 2006 Steven L. Gulke "Event Manager" Milwaukee, WI This light is made of cheap plastic, has a faulty switch, and broke down within an hour of use. No good, waste of money, will not order from American Science again. Very bad experience. No response from company when I complained, would like my money back, and then some B00006IV0U:malfunctioned_in_less_than_a_month:violetval B00006IV0U Presto 04212 Electronic Clock/Timer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 2.0 December 19, 2005 VioletVal Lithia Springs, GA The timer worked great at first, but in less than a month, the alarm for the timer has stopped working and the magnet has fallen off. I am only keeping the timer because the clock and the stopwatch are still useful B0002FCG9G:easy_to_spin,_but_disappointing_results:m._naman B0002FCG9G Zyliss Easy Spin Salad Spinner with GlideWheel Motion (Transparent): Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 11 2.0 February 13, 2005 M. Naman San Francisco, CA USA I was at first very excited with my new Zyliss salad spinner - it looks great, and it's much easier to spin than the older string-pull version (not to mention the old-school "pump" versions, which required a lot of effort). However, as another reviewer mentions, it simply does not get your greens very dry. I've been surprised and disappointed by the amount of water left on lettuce after spinning, and spinning, and spinning B0000VLH1K:muffin_pan:frances_mills_"fmm" B0000VLH1K Chicago Metallic Commercial 6-cup Crown Muffin pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 2 1.0 August 9, 2006 Frances Mills "fmm" Sacramento, CA Pan was what was expected but the muffins do not come out looking like a mushroom. I was looking for a pan where the muffin top came over the muffin so you could break it off. It's hard to explain. B00008UA7A:not_for_tomato-based_sauces:rs_"value_for_money" B00008UA7A Emerilware Stainless 1-Quart Saucier: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 3 2.0 October 28, 2004 RS "Value for Money" WA, USA The interior of this pan got discolored after the very first use. It got yellow stains from cooking tomatoes in a little bit of oil. A lot of scrubbing and a cycle in the dishwasher lightened the stains, but the pan never got its new look back B0007Y6BQQ:too_messy:disappointed B0007Y6BQQ Krups GX4100 Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 2.0 October 27, 2006 Disappointed Bought this grinder after my Capresso grinder developed a crack in the plastic housing. After using for about two weeks, I have to agree with other reviews that mention "static problem". The grinds cling to grinder and coffee end up all over the counter when trying to pour into coffee machine. The plastic cover also somewhat awkard to get on and off. I would not recommend this grinder B000095RBD:awful_product!__waste_of_time!:s.k.e. B000095RBD BonJour Cookie Factory: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 9 1.0 December 8, 2005 S.K.E. For years I used my mother's cookie shooter to make my holiday spritz cookies. When I bought my first house I wanted my own cookie shooter. Boy, I wish I hadn't purchased this one. The first time I used it I thought, "It shouldn't be this hard to use or take this long!" But I was using it correctly. The motor is SO WEAK! My biggest grip however is with the threaded rod that twists to push the dough out. The rod has an indentation all the way down, so when it's twisting, it constantly skips back up and never eventually pushes the dough down the tube. If I do get a cookie out of it, it's misshaped and took at least 30 seconds to get out. What a piece of junk! B000095RBD:a_joke_of_an_appliance:juliette_jones_"juliette" B000095RBD BonJour Cookie Factory: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 11 1.0 October 27, 2004 Juliette Jones "Juliette" San Jacinto, CA I cannot believe what a WASTE of money this thing was. HUGE disappointment. I was all excited when I got it, made some cookie press dough, put it in, and... nothing. The plunger pretty much spins in place. I could PUSH the dough out manually faster than this thing can. I couldn't even get ONE FREAKIN' cookie out of it, onto the cookie sheet. DON'T buy this sorry excuse of plastic waste, and if you do, don't say you weren't warned. I probably would have more constructive criticism, but #1 This product isn't worth the effort, and #2 I spent ALL effing evening saying to myself, "It CAN'T be this bad. It must work somehow." Ummmm... NOPE!!!! B000E3VRVE:not_that_good:trolleyman_"trolleyman" B000E3VRVE Bianca Butterfly Hand Towel, Yellow: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 3, 2006 Trolleyman "Trolleyman" Trolley Square, DE, USA i got the white color version and was happy about it but this one is half the goods/worth B0007WBRSK:disappointed:devon_k. B0007WBRSK Carbon Gray Beanbag Lounger: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 March 8, 2006 devon k. We thought this was smaller than pictured and not comfortable. We were not pleased with this B000069LBF:too_much_work:casino_maven_"l" B000069LBF Circulon 2 12-Inch Deep Round Grill Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 5 1.0 June 22, 2005 Casino Maven "L" Henderson,NV I have had this pan for a year. I bought it because it was on sale and was shopping around for a new pot set. I figured it would be a good test run on the Circulon brand. It grills great,but you will spend twice the cooking time cleaning the pan! I could not imagine how much food would be left on this pan if someone without great eyesight cleaned it. You have to go along each crevice on both sides of the grill gooves to get the food out. It is very time consuming and tedious and just not worth it. I wonder if the Calphalon pan is the same??? As far as the pot set I ended up buying-Analon Titanium 12 piece. Highly reccomend it B0001YH1OS:not_heat_resistant:c._sarna B0001YH1OS OXO Good Grips 1061275 Nylon Flexible Turner, Raspberry: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 July 10, 2006 C. Sarna Burlington, VT While this was great to not scratch my non-stick pans, it melted while using it in an aluminum pan! Would not recommend B000BHDM4I:there_are_better_toaster_ovens_out_there.:meredith_branch B000BHDM4I Oster 6295 6-Slice Convection Toaster Oven, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 15 of 16 2.0 May 10, 2006 Meredith Branch Eugene, OR Pros: The oven part works great. I like the fact that it is controlled by a timer, meaning that you can set somthing to cook for 20 minutes and then it turns itself off. For cooking things, the double rack is also handy, although you only get one pan (luckily, I saved the pan from my old toaster oven). Cons: The toaster part is horrible. This thing burns my toast every time, unless I watch it carefully and take it out at precisely the right time. Part of the problem seems to be that the timer doesn't work very well in small increments, and in some cases never turns itself off. Also, the bottom rack is completely useless when toasting, so the fact that they are touting this as a 6-slice toaster oven is misleading. B00009N7HG:i_loved_it_until_it_broke_after_3_months_of_use:d._jones_"simple_person" B00009N7HG Patton U2-1803-UC 18-Inch Velocity Air Circulator: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 2.0 April 7, 2006 D. Jones "Simple Person" Oahu, USA The fan was great, with lots of breeze and circulation. It is loud, but who cared? The problem is that it only lasted for about 3 months before it just quit working, along with a little puff of smoke. Two weeks before the fatal puff, the fan arced, popped, sparked, and gave off a puff of smoke, but it still worked. Two weeks after that it sparked and puffed and has not turned on since. I live in Hawaii and it is currently in the rainy season. There has been a lot of humidity in the air during the last month, and I noticed that the back of the fan was actually getting rusty. I thought perhaps that moisture was the cause of the sparking so I was surprised to read in another review that the fan was good to use during heat and humidity! The fan was sitting in front of the living room window and it kept the whole small 2 bedroom house cool. We miss it, but I can't keep buying a new fan every 3 months! This is the first time ever that this has happened with a fan that I purchased. I have been living in Hawaii for 13 years and have been through a lot of fans. One of the best-lasting fans I had was a $10.00 Lasko box fan. It lasted and worked well for 7 years before it quit working B00008GKDQ:dissapointed.:jackson_marks_"jackson" B00008GKDQ Lodge Logic Pro 20-by-10-7/16-Inch Cast-Iron Grill/Griddle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 September 3, 2006 Jackson Marks "Jackson" NY Just bought this item this week, was very excited about using it for the first time. Turned out to be a huge mess. The stove turned black right under the grill, it took like 20 min to clean it up, burned up mess. Also there there is soo much smoke coming from the grill I had to shut off the smoke detector for a while. Overall the food came out pretty good but the mess with the stove really upset me. B0002DK2DU:very_disappointed:a._lane B0002DK2DU Omega Paw RA20 Self-Cleaning Litter Box, Large: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 24, 2006 A. Lane This product had the best reviews but the performance was not at all very good. I found it very awkward to roll the litter box. You still have to bend down and tip the litter box all the way over to get the clumps into the pull out tray. And that's the clumps that aren't stuck in the litter filter piece, which gets easily clogged and is not really something I want to deal with cleaning. Besides not all clumps going into the tray, lots of unused litter ended up in the tray as well. Also, I bought the 'regular' size one and the filter piece goes almost right in the middle of the space so the usable cat space was very small. Needless to say I returned the litter box and was so glad to have the old fashioned scoop litter box B00009A9WZ:ruined_my_cake:theresa_c._payne_"threese258" B00009A9WZ SiliconeZone Bundt Pan, Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 10 1.0 September 25, 2004 Theresa C. Payne "threese258" Ligonier, PA United States i own many kitchenaid appliances and love the brand. i even own a silicone muffin pan which i love. this pan, however, is terrible. the cake did not bake completely and i had a terrible time trying to get it out of the pan. (yes, i sprayed the pan effectively.) do not waste your money! stick to the metal pans B00009A9WZ:stick_with_metal_pans:constance_d'ulisse_"dulisse" B00009A9WZ SiliconeZone Bundt Pan, Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 12 2.0 August 8, 2004 Constance D'Ulisse "dulisse" philadelphia, pa USA This is a beautiful blue color, coordinates with my kitchen. However, I'll bake my poundcakes in my old, reliable metal pans. I tried to use this a few times, spraying every nook and cranny with Baker's Secret release spray. Without fail, each time the cake stuck to the pan in a few places. B00063ZVK0:loved_it_until_it_broke_almost_right_away!:margaret_r._mcneely B00063ZVK0 Vornado EH1-0028-06 DVH Digital Vortex Heater: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 2.0 March 1, 2006 Margaret R. McNeely Charlotte, NC I loved the way the Vortex Digital Heater heated and the way it kept cool to the touch. But within a week, the one I had started cutting off when it hit the set temperature and did not come back on. I was worried that it was overheating all the time and called Vortex who told me I could send it in at my expense and pay $15 to fix it. I emailed my Amazon seller (Louise at Pinnacle Packaging) who was wonderful and paid to have it sent back to her, and is going to refund my money. I think I am going to buy another one only I am going to purchase it from a local store and make sure I can bring it back if the new one does the same thing. I guess I am a sucker but I really liked the way the thing worked when it worked correctly B0009VCBKM:stiff_sheets:julie_l._pells_"jp's" B0009VCBKM 1200-Thread-Count 100% Cotton Sateen King Sheet Sets, Ivory: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 9, 2006 Julie L. Pells "jp's" san clemente,ca. good size, good color but way too stiff .I washed these 5 TIMES with no change B0000DE4TY:pb_soy_yogurts:jerome_r._joly_"delphine" B0000DE4TY Cuisipro Donvier Electronic Yogurt Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 25, 2006 Jerome R. Joly "Delphine" Delphine I miss soy yogurts !!! I've been used to make soy yogurts in France. I've bought this yogurt maker. I've tried several times to make some but it never worked. I've followed the recipe using plain soy milk and one plain yogurt. Has anyone got a recipe for me ? I'm allergic to lactose... Thank you B00004RHRK:bulb_is_weak_link: B00004RHRK Hoffritz Stainless Steel Tube Baster: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 12 of 12 1.0 December 3, 2002 Bought this item last Christmas for my wife. Worked fine until this Thanksgiving when rubber bulb split apart when basting turkey. She had complained when I bought this fancy one to replace her old ugly plastic one last year but I insisted this was better. Boy am I in trouble now. Old plastic one had lasted for 10 years and cost 1/10 as much. Did not look like much but it did the job B00004R949:used_10_times_:brent_m._abrahams B00004R949 Farberware FSU255 55-Cup Electric Urn: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 January 11, 2006 Brent M. Abrahams And bit the dust. I use it once a year for 3 days. I'm estimating it made coffee 10 times. Now it wont brew anything but weak coffee. If you fill it to 55 cups it takes about an hour to brew. Now it perks for 30 minutes and walla it makes the coffee weak. I was going to call Faberware and noticed they charge 95 cents per minute. For what? Like the last guy said it's an expensive way to make a cup of coffee. It's a throwaway. So,this time I'll buy the west bend for 35 bucks and when it stops working I'll throw it away. At least I wont be thrwing away 150 bucks B00005M1VG:cuisinart_dco-24_die_cast_can_opener:e._porter B00005M1VG Cuisinart DCO-24 Die Cast Can Opener: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 April 2, 2006 E. Porter Vermont I agree completely with the review by Terry Gruggen. As she said in her Feb review, "the cutting arm is attached to this indestructible case by an all too flimsy piece of plastic. A little extra pressure on the arm and this plastic attachment shatters....leaving you with a $49 die cast paper weight." Despite its rugged looks, the appliance was a real disappointment B000BVIUFK:it_will_do:hayley_j._johnson_"sportygrlh" B000BVIUFK National Sleep Products Karo Baffle Down Comforter, Twin: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 2.0 March 22, 2006 Hayley J. Johnson "sportygrlh" Denver, CO USA not incredibly impressed with it, but it does keep me warm for the price i paid. B000CRXHQU:very_bad_quality:r._singh_"-raj-" B000CRXHQU Malibu Shores Navy/Sage Floral 4 Piece Jacquard Comforter Set, Queen: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 10 1.0 July 31, 2006 R. Singh "-raj-" LA, USA The way specifications were mentioned it sounded a very good deal, and price comparision made it very promissing, but after getting the item I found item is a trash quality I have ever seen in my life. If someone give me a free item like this I won't take it. Don't fall for this deal. I am very disappointed with this item. B000CRXHQU:the_ugliest_thing_i_ever_saw:pat_"luxury_bargain_hunter" B000CRXHQU Malibu Shores Navy/Sage Floral 4 Piece Jacquard Comforter Set, Queen: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 10 1.0 July 28, 2006 Pat "Luxury Bargain Hunter" Saint Louis, MO USA I ordered this thinking that I'd save a bundle, and have a really nice comforter set. Not! The product description promised Navy and Sage, but it is Black and Sage. It is the cheapest looking comforter that I have ever seen. I sent mine back yesterday--I just can't let the seller get away with the totally inaccurate description and the deception in claiming that this product was originally $200+ dollars B000084F2Q:i_didn't_think_i_had_scardy_cats_._._.:l._medland B000084F2Q Petmate; Fresh Flow Cat Fountain (50 oz. capacity) - 8.5W x 13.25"D x 7.5"H": Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 9, 2006 L. Medland After operating the Petmate Fresh Flow Cat Fountain for a month my 2 cats won't go anywhere near it. Very disappointing! B0002ISJHQ:not_"elite":r._hollie_"the_big_'o" B0002ISJHQ Back to Basics SE2000B Smoothie Elite Smoothie Maker, Brushed Chrome: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 8 1.0 July 6, 2005 R. HOLLIE "The big 'o" Bellevue, ne This has been used twice. The first time I used it, it made a great smoothie. I tried to use it this past Independence day and the "pulse" stopped and started continuously. After a while, something smelled like it was burning. On the bottom, there appears to be lots of specks of metal. Don't think I'll be buying a new one B0002ISJHQ:worked_only_once!:brenda_lacey_"smoothie_lover" B0002ISJHQ Back to Basics SE2000B Smoothie Elite Smoothie Maker, Brushed Chrome: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 9 1.0 June 19, 2005 Brenda Lacey "Smoothie Lover" Austin, TX I used this smoothie machine once, and it made a nice smoothie. The second time it locked up and I could smell something burning in the motor. I used the exact measurements for liquids and frozen fruit, so I'm confident I didn't do anything wrong. I sent it back for a refund immediately. B0000CFPFZ:bad_thermostat_and_worse_customer_service:duped B0000CFPFZ Farberware FCP412 12-Cup Electric Percolator, Stainless Steel with Black Accents: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 8 1.0 April 26, 2005 Duped WA USA We also bought the FCP12 after years of hearing from satisfied Farberware users. Unfortunately it only worked about three months until it also made lukewarm, tea - like coffee. I removed the bottom and wiggled the wires and it worked great for another month or so. After a few times of this monkey business, I contacted Farberware and was told I had voided my warranty by removing a single nut from the base. The best they could offer was a refurbished unit at half price. Shipping would be on me both directions as well, I told them I would not pay any price for another one of their products, based on our experience and their lack of any desire to acknowledge the widespread problem or help to fix it. I am going to try replacing the thermostat, as I like perked coffee, but I am not convinced it will last any longer, time will tell B00009K3SY:fell_apart_when_i_turned_it_on.:alan_r._mcclintick_"jester64" B00009K3SY Waring Pro WMK300 Belgian Waffle Maker, Brushed Stainless: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 30, 2006 Alan R. Mcclintick "Jester64" SJ USA I never got to use this item. I turned it on and for some reason the heat seemed transfered to the screws in the hinge. It just fell apart and started smoking. The hinge was very cheaply made. I would not buy this product again. B00005MFCB:light_intermittent_household_use_at_best.:thomas_e._thorsen B00005MFCB Waring FS800 Pro Electric Food Slicer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 27 of 28 1.0 June 7, 2002 Thomas E. Thorsen Newfoundland, PA United States Stainless-steel and die-cast aluminum construction promises performance, but the undersized electric motor limits this slicer to very light intermittent household use. The Waring FS800 Pro Electric Food Slicer seems to have a barely adequate motor when brand new with a new sharp blade. Just think how it will perform when the blade gets a little dull. This is definitely not a professional quality food slicer, it is only a light intermittent duty slicer at best B00009A9WU:dosn't_clean_up_even_in_dishwasher:b._mcmorran B00009A9WU SiliconeZone 9-by-12-Inch Small Baking Mat: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 October 3, 2005 B. McMorran Bar Harbor, ME This liner is non-slip which is nice and even home made chocolate chip cookies dont stick BUT....it looks dirty and baking residue is sticking to it even after I have put it in the dishwasher. My other liner is a Chef's Planet Full size baking sheet non stick bakeliner and while it can slip a bit and dosn't have a "finished" edge it dose have the advantage of wipe-down clean up and it arrives in a large sheet that you custom cut to fit any baking sheet(s) you will be using it with. Don't buy this liner but do buy the non stick bakeliner from Chef's Planet. It's not as pretty but it works like a charm! After years of buying expensive parchment paper I'll never go back. Also, it's less wastfull to use a bake liner instead of disposable baking sheets or parchment paper B00027Z42K:bad_idea_if_you_are_thinking_cheesecakes:n._stewart_"malcontent" B00027Z42K Kaiser La Forme Mini Springform Pans, Set of 4 with 4 Holiday Stencils: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 13 1.0 March 22, 2006 N. Stewart "malcontent" Pantego I thought the four 4.5 inch springform pans would be equivalent to one 9.0 inch springform pan. After all, the areas are equal, i.e. 4 * 2.25 * 2.25 * pi == 4.5 * 4.5 * pi. I thought I could use the recipe for a 9-inch cheesecake and have 4 4.5-inch cheesecakes that tasted the same but were a more convenient size for giving as gifts. However, while the areas are the same, the volumes are not. The pans are not deep enough. While a 9-inch springform pan is 3 inches deep, these 4.5-inch springform pans are 1.5 inches deep. Therefore, if you use the recipe for a 9 inch cheese cake, you have a lot of batter left over. If you half the recipe, you produce baked goods that taste something like cheesecake but not as dense or as moist or as rich. I was very disappointed in these pans. They may be good for something, but I don't know what. They are well-made, so I won't throw them away, but right now I feel like they were a waste of money B0002MR7A2:no_suction_and_terrible_customer_service:annemarie_feldman_"amfeldman67" B0002MR7A2 Hoover F6215-900 SteamVac Agility Carpet Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 1.0 October 18, 2006 Annemarie Feldman "amfeldman67" New Jersey I used my Hoover Agility for the first time and the suction quit after 5 minutes. I followed all the trouble shooting instructions and it still didn't work. I called Hoover and spoke with a rep who was basically reading out of the manual. I sat on hold for 21 minutes only to hear a manager tell me that they cannot give out technical information because it's against their policy. I guess this is to ensure their Hoover service centers get the business. I'm returning the Hoover and NEVER purchasing a Hoover again. B00009PGUG:this_isn't_silicone!:s._sutherland_"gadgeteer" B00009PGUG SiliconeZone 4-Piece 11-by-15-Inch Non-Skid Flexible Cutting Boards: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 November 3, 2006 S. Sutherland "Gadgeteer" SoCal The cutting boards are not silicone but have a thin layer of silicone sprayed over one side of another plastic that is not heat resistant. I placed a hot pan on one and it melted onto the bottom of the pan which took a great deal of effort to clean the melted plastic off so the pan could be used again. I prefer a thick cutting board so I bought these thinking that they were heat resistant so I wouldn't purchase them again B000055Y0W:not_built_to_last:l._sumner_"daycare_mom" B000055Y0W Ronco Inventions ST4000 Showtime Indoor Rotisserie and BBQ: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 August 27, 2006 L. Sumner "daycare mom" Grass Valley, Ca I bought this back in 1999, and I love the way it cooks chicken and salmon steaks, but it's not built to last. First, after about 3 years, the tracks where the door slips onto the bottom broke off due to the screws being too tight, and then the 5th year, the knob broke off, so I have to use pliers to turn it on. It still cooks chicken great, but after trying to superglue the "feet" back on and the knob, they broke again right away. Cleaning is a pain, and the non-stick stuff got scraped right off. The food tray that goes on top is hard to clean too. Don't try to cook burgers in the basket, because they shrink as the fat drips out, no matter how tight you make the basket, and they start sliding around and falling apart as they hit each other. Cooking times were always longer than the cookbook says. I used the skewers once to cook some ribs, and they're so flimsy, that they kept falling off the spit from the weight of the ribs. I still use it, but I wouldn't buy a 2nd one after reading all the reviews. I think I'll try a George Foreman one next time B00008TAAF:doesn't_last_long:jelena_v.p. B00008TAAF Zyliss Silicone All-Purpose Spatula: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 1.0 June 26, 2005 Jelena V.P. Maryland, US I really liked this spatula in the beginning, but after just 6 months of very gentle use its head developed cracks and chipped. B0004JMOVK:poor_performance:veronica_lake B0004JMOVK Krups FEM4B 4-Slice Toaster, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 7 1.0 July 31, 2006 Veronica Lake Bethesda,, Maryland USA After thoroughly checking toaster reviews and ratings (this got top ratings), I had to return it after several attempts to get it to produce evenly toasted bread. Very disappointing; my old Toastmaster (much less expensive) does better. B000CMKHY0:extremely_unsatisfied:earlene B000CMKHY0 1,200-Thread-Count 100% Cotton Sateen Queen Sheet Set, Cameo: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 1.0 August 23, 2006 Earlene We have not been able to use the sheets because they are so stiff and rough. They are wrinkled and no matter how many times they are washed they do not soften. The pillowcases are too narrow for our regular size pillows which makes the pillows too high and hard to be comfortable. We are totally dissatisfied and thoroughly disappointed and will be returning them if for no other reason than to get them out of the house. We do like the color, though B000CMKHY0:save_your_money:c._shelton-lopata B000CMKHY0 1,200-Thread-Count 100% Cotton Sateen Queen Sheet Set, Cameo: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 18 of 21 2.0 July 14, 2006 C. Shelton-Lopata I was so excited to buy these sheets as my husband and I have 600 thread count sheets that we love. These, I DO NOT love so much. This is why: 1. They are increadibly stiff. I washed them 5 times before my first use and even tried vinegar and salt washes to soften them- it did not work. They are, however, softening as we sleep on them. 2. They are so wrinkley!! 3. They barley fit the bed. The description says that is fits extra deep mattresses but it is a STRUGGLE to get them on my bed. I just read consumer reports and they recommend that you buy between 400-600 thread count, they contend more than that is unnecessary for a soft, nice sheet. My 600 thread count sheets are much more soft and have very few wrinkles. Dont waste your money, buy something else B0000U11PS:glasses_not_available:steven_l._wood B0000U11PS Corelle 1057424 Callaway 16-Piece Impressions Dinnerware Set, Service for 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 4 1.0 December 7, 2004 Steven L. Wood Maryland Nice pattern, but you cannot find the glasses that go with it B0000DEZO0:fancy_,handy_but_too_touchy:erdal_toprak B0000DEZO0 Breadman Breadmaker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 1.0 February 28, 2006 Erdal Toprak this breadmaker is not doing what I want. It is so touchy, you have to be very very precise to be able to cook a reasonable bread loaf. I am not satisfied with the product and will try to return it. also it works very noisy during dough process. look for something else if you want a breadmaker B00030J1SE:not_what_i_thought_it_was...:m._freeze B00030J1SE West Bend 6111 Heart Smart Indoor Grill, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 11 2.0 August 29, 2005 M. Freeze Franklin, TN I was very surprised at how large this grill was when it arrived; way too large for my countertop at least; it just seemed like more trouble than it was worth; it seemed easier for me to just broil food in the oven frankly; I mean the only thing you are going to get from using this grill is the grillmarks on your food; nothing can duplicate the flavor of cooking on an outdoors grill; the size turned me off as well as the inconvenience of using the product. It is one of those products that you will use once or twice and then it will end up lost somewhere in your cabinets B0000CDBWO:not_worth_it:daved B0000CDBWO Kitchen Aid KG303 Multi Slicer, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 October 15, 2006 DaveD Milwaukee, WI I bought this to simplify making fries, it was a disappointment. It takes a lot of effort to push through a potato, and when it does go through it most likely won't go straight. Either save your money and use a knife, or spend more and get a mandoline B0000CDBWO:look_elsewhere_if_you_plan_to_make_fries:amazon_shopper_"rk4321" B0000CDBWO Kitchen Aid KG303 Multi Slicer, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 1.0 July 5, 2005 Amazon shopper "rk4321" Saratoga, CA I found the following issues which put this purchase into the local landfill: 1.) Once you get a successful potatoe to cut through, the ends of the fries are stuck in the thick grids. Getting them out is a real pain, you need a lot of careful tugging and wiggling to remove them without breaking them. Just a mess. 2.) If you are slightly off 90 degrees when you start pushing through the potatoe, you are in a very dangerous zone. Think of a lot of force applied to sharp blades that is going in the wrong direction. 3.) Maybe my set was off tolerance, but the blade would not stay in the housing by itself. I had to hold the blade in the housing and push it on the potatoe simulateously. Not a big deal, but that for me sealed the 1-star rating. I guess the bottom line is, if you expect nothing out of it, you might use it, or if you are slicing something softer than potatoes. For me, I've decided to get one of those Vollcraft units. It's on order B000085OX8:disappointed:sunshine B000085OX8 Farberware Millennium Soft Touch Stainless-Steel 12-Inch Nonstick Skillet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 6 1.0 April 12, 2006 Sunshine Sunnyside, NY United States After cooking eggs this morning and having a layer of egg stuck to the whole pan, I'm sad to say that my non-stick pan sticks. We've had this pan for maybe 8 months and I just assumed that pans lasted for several years. We even bought this pan plus the 8" for my mother-in-law for Christmas. What a disappointment. Better begin research on a new pan...and I'll make sure to read the reviews. B000085OX8:buyer_beware!:keith_bell B000085OX8 Farberware Millennium Soft Touch Stainless-Steel 12-Inch Nonstick Skillet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 13 1.0 March 19, 2006 Keith Bell Republic, WA USA When I first bought this pan I was replacing a pan from a moderately priced set from Costco. That pan lasted about 3 years and I got my money's worth. The positive review from America's Test Kitchen is what pointed me in this direction. The Farberware pan was a joy to use when I first bought it and I loved the even heat. All of the positive comments are accurate at first. The problem is it only lasted 3 months before it lost it's nonstick properties almost completely. I never used spray on oil or subjected it to high heat. I was always very meticilous about the way I cleaned it and never touched the surface with anything but plastic. I even bought a special soft plastic cleaning brush so as to be very delicate with the surface. I have been using nonstick skillets since they first came out many years ago. With the exception of one ultra cheapo model I have NEVER had a nonstick that had its nonstick go bad so quickly. Of course I can send this back to Farberware but it seems clear that if it has lost it's nonstick properties they only have to say it was my fault. Why waste $10 in shipping costs? This is my last Farberware product. After writing this first part of the review I thought it would only be fair to email Farberware to let them respond. After doing some googling I have found that there is no email. It is also basically impossible to get someone on the phone. They sold their warranty service to a different company, All American Lighting in Berwick, PA. As it turns out this company gets terrible feedback for their service. If this isn't really Farberware what exactly is their incentive to provide good service? You can check on consumeraffairs dot com and other places and you'll get an eyeful. BUYER BEWARE B000085OX8:caution_--_they_don't_warn_you_about_a_major_problem.:albert_kave_"akave14" B000085OX8 Farberware Millennium Soft Touch Stainless-Steel 12-Inch Nonstick Skillet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 16 1.0 November 10, 2005 Albert Kave "akave14" After your pan starts sticking, you go to their web site to complain and you find .... A warning that you can't use high heat on this pan. They warn you if you use high heat or some sprays, the pan will then start to stick. Yes, you've just been ..... and you paid $40 for the privilege. Imagine, a frying pan that doesn't like heat. How much heat? They don't tell you. If your pan is sticking, then it must have been toooo much. Buy at your own risk B0002XGSN8:buyer_beware:sandra_harrington B0002XGSN8 DeLonghi DSM5 5-Quart Stand Mixer, Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 22 of 26 2.0 December 2, 2005 Sandra Harrington If you are planning to purchase anything from getapc.com, the markeplace vendor selling this item, beware. I purchased the Delonghi 5-Quart mixer based on product description and customer reviews but found that it did not perform as expected. It froze up kneading a 2-loaf batch of whole grain bread. The design is beautiful and the mixer is probably good for non-artisan breads, but should you have any problems with it, you'll have to stay on the vendor to get any kind of response. I am still waiting for a refund on the product after 2 weeks. The last message I got was that "it may take a bit longer." So be sure this is what you want before you buy it. Returning it is not easy. And getapc.com charges a $60 reshelving fee on top of the shipping you'll have to pay to send it back. My markeplace experience has been very frustrating. I won't buy through the marketplace again. If amazon.com or getapc.com processes my refund in the next day or two, I'll feel better and will edit my review, but for now, buyer beware B00004S4TZ:the_thermometer_is_only_as_good_as_the_probe.:s._nelson B00004S4TZ Polder 307 Deluxe Preset Thermometer, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 2.0 December 5, 2004 S. Nelson Windsor, CA I purchased this product 4 years ago and have replaced the probe three times for about $7 each. The latest probe just malfunctioned. I really loved it at first...perfectly roasted chickens,loin roasts, and turkeys. Oddly enough, the thermometer works great but the probe itself isn't designed to handle much time in the oven. If you like to roast your chickens in a hot 400 degree oven ,the probe will eventually stop working or will become completely unreliable. Even at lower temperatures, the heat finally takes its' toll...it just takes longer for it to happen. One would think that something designed to be left in the oven would be able to take the heat. I will buy yet another probe because when this thing is working, it is great. That is worth $7 a year for me....but not for everyone. Per another reviewers advice, I am calling Polder B00004S4TZ:poor_reliability:a._bartlett B00004S4TZ Polder 307 Deluxe Preset Thermometer, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 1.0 December 5, 2003 A. Bartlett San Jose, CA United States This unit was a great addition until the probe went bad after only a few months. Not recommended B00004S4TZ:not_very_good:jaime629 B00004S4TZ Polder 307 Deluxe Preset Thermometer, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 1.0 October 6, 2003 jaime629 New York, NY When it worked it worked well. However, eight months into this -- and I only have used it maybe 6 or 8 times, it's broken. I have not done anything to it, and one day the the display is just messed up. I can see a line here and there, but nothing else. Replacing the battery did not help and Polder's website offers no information such as warranty information. It is defintely NOT worth $30 B000050AQ6:don't_buy_this_model.___honeywell_screwed_up!:kevin_graham B000050AQ6 Honeywell 17400 Enviracare QuietCare HEPA Air Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 16 of 21 1.0 February 10, 2004 Kevin Graham Seattle I bought this air cleaner in March of 03 and was pleased with the thing until it just stopped working in January 04. There was no indication that anything was amiss, I was changing the pre-filters on the recommended schedule and then one morning nothing; no lights, no sound, no activity. Am sending it back to Honeywell (on my nickel according to their warranty policy). We will see how long the replacement lasts. I have read several reviews here that don't give me much hope. Amazon was nice, said I needed to contact Honeywell directly but suggested I post a review B00026D1Y4:broken_item:mary_channell B00026D1Y4 Fiesta Scarlet 831 4-Piece Dinnerware Place Setting, Service for 1: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 12 1.0 March 8, 2006 Mary Channell I was dissapointed that this item arrived broken and I needed to send it back for a refund B0009VEOE8:bought_two,_both_cracked:elaine_c._markley_"malainie" B0009VEOE8 MIU France Large-Size Bamboo Cutting Board: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 1.0 July 9, 2006 Elaine C. Markley "Malainie" Albuquerque, NM United States I purchased this as a Christmas gift in early December. It didn't ship until February, which was okay. By then I liked the way it looked so much, I bought one for myself. They both arrived within a week of one another. Both boards were treated with heated food grade oil and allowed to sit and soak it in. After wiping off the oil, my board had surface cracks, where the oil had pulled some of the glue out from between the bamboo pieces. Within the first month of use, both boards developed cracks all the way through them. Both boards were never soaked in water, but just wiped with a damp cloth. This board may be beautiful, but it quickly became unusable and a waste of money. Now I'm looking for a good hardwood cutting board. (I've already replaced the gift board with another.) All in all, this fiasco of a cutting board has cost me around $150...and I have yet to replace my board B000162M9U:pricing_error:abe_weissmark B000162M9U Calphalon One Infused Anodized 5-Quart Saut Pan with Lid: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 5 1.0 September 15, 2005 Abe Weissmark Ft Lauderdale, FL this item is priced wrong It is not in line with the other Calphalon item B00005BIF3:krups_is_king:bob_p._"bob_p." B00005BIF3 Cuisinart 10-Cup Replacement Carafe, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 September 16, 2005 Bob P. "Bob P." Pittsburgh, PA. USA Considering all the bells and whistles on the coffeemaker itself,(all excessive, by the way) the carafes have much to be desired. It seems as if they are made with spun sugar. EXTREMELY FRAGILE, awkward handle and like a comment already listed, I too have replaced the carafe twice...making three so far. My Krups carafe of 10 years is still intact. If they still made the filters, I would still be using that machine. The Cuisinart coffee bean container is hard to clean, still maintains rancid oils and leaves an oil slick on the top of the coffee. The carafe is poor at best B000063Y87:not_worth_the_money:tony B000063Y87 R sle Peeler: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 6 2.0 August 1, 2002 Tony Purchased this, expecting better functionality. Sure it doesn't rust, but my $5 Wustoff pealer works much better B00004RFMD:chips_the_knife_edge!:c._nelson_"nelson1820" B00004RFMD Henckels Twinsharp Knife Sharpener: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 10 1.0 June 8, 2005 C. Nelson "nelson1820" San Diego This sharpener seemed to work well, but that was before I noticed it was putting chips in the edge of the knife B00004X131:the_worst_food_processor_ever:lilou B00004X131 Hamilton Beach 72610 Fresh Chop 3-Cup Food Chopper: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 February 9, 2006 Lilou DC This chopper, if you can call it that, is terrible. I've tried chopping all kinds of foods from veggies to fruit to nuts to cheese. I've tried filling up the bowl, half full and barely anything at all. It doesn't chop. Plain and simple it just doesn't chop the food. I've had pieces of vegetables get stuck on the blade. Then, I'd have to stop and remove the piece and try again. It started to chop a little a couple of times, but then just stopped and the blade kept spinning while chopping nothing. It was horrible and I've opted now for a bigger 7 cup Kitchen Aid or Cuisinart processor based on reviews here. Lesson learned, you get what you pay for B00004X131:very_disappointing:"jboyd@bellarmine.edu" B00004X131 Hamilton Beach 72610 Fresh Chop 3-Cup Food Chopper: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 31 of 31 2.0 February 5, 2002 "jboyd@bellarmine.edu" Louisville, KY USA I was so excited at the prospect of having a 3-cup mini chopper. I thought it would be ideal for hummus, which I hate to scrape out of my blender. However, it was very disappointing. On either speed, it just seems to chop what is in the center, so the stuff on the inside stays on the inside and the outside stuff stays on the outside--unchopped. If I wanted to take the lid off every two seconds and move everything around, I'd use the blender, no? I nearly pureed some red pepper, trying to get it all chopped. I have a 2 cup mini chopper (Procter-Silex, I think) that is really much better at consistent chopping. I never had to take the top off of it. Unfortunately, the bowl got warped in the dishwasher (even though it claimed to be dishwasher safe) and the lid does not fit tightly now, making an occasional mess with liquids and crumbs. Still, even warped, I find myself using the old one instead of this new one--it is really that bad! B00007G308:the_worst_can_opener_i_ever_bought:mary B00007G308 Cuisinart CCO-40BC Can Opener, Brushed Chrome: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 1.0 September 2, 2005 Mary NYC Openning a dog food can is nearly impossible without at least 6 or 7 tries to get the blade to catch. I bought it; I regret the purchase; I threw it out. This really hurts the cuisinart image B0002TU4OG:ok_quality,_not_much_of_an_edge:d._gore B0002TU4OG KitchenAid 4.5-Inch Dupont Delrin Handle Santoku Knife, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 14 2.0 August 31, 2005 D. Gore Chattanooga, TN United States Dont plan on cutting anything you need a sharp knife for. Other than that, it's ok B00008VACS:nice_oven,_lousy_toaster:john_b._traylor_"the_old_space_hound" B00008VACS Oster 6233 6-Slice Toaster Oven/Broiler, White with Chrome Accents: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 January 6, 2006 John B. Traylor "The Old Space Hound" This is a very nice small oven, but as a toaster it really drives me up the wall. As someone else said, three knobs to adjust just to make toast! Then you have to stand there and watch it and the toast still burns! I will keep this to use as an oven, but tomorrow I am going out and buy a nice small toaster. And guess what it will not be an Oster product. This is the last of their products I shall ever purchase. Joh B000CDPN70:poor_quality:joseph_m._cooper B000CDPN70 Pem America 6-Piece Jacquard Towel Set, Peach: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 November 9, 2006 Joseph M. Cooper Ugly and Cheap looking Wife hated them now using as rags to wash the ca B000CDPN70:just_plain_terrible:n._smith B000CDPN70 Pem America 6-Piece Jacquard Towel Set, Peach: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 10 1.0 August 23, 2006 N. Smith USA These towels are very poor quality! I guess I can use them to dry off my dogs. If you really want cheap almost see through towels these are the ones for you B00004RFS9:terrible_quality:der_lizzard B00004RFS9 Toaster Oven Baking Sheet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 10 1.0 October 15, 2005 der Lizzard Chicago The coating does not last - extremely poor durability. I've been very careful with this pan, using only wood or plastic utensils and washing by hand only. Didn't matter - within just a few uses, the coating flaked off and the edges on the underside are rusting. Waste of money B00004RFS9:if_you_like_to_eat_teflon:s._j._carlson_"loves_to_cook" B00004RFS9 Toaster Oven Baking Sheet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 1.0 September 12, 2005 S. J. Carlson "loves to cook" Denver, CO USA I received two of these baking sheets for Christmas last year; by March, 1/3 of the teflon was gone in spots. By July, it was coming off in sheets when washed. These Never went through the dishwasher; always hand washed. I threw them away and purchased Baker's Secret which seems to be satisfactory so far B00004RFS9:nonstick_finish_flakes_off:rocky_j._wilson B00004RFS9 Toaster Oven Baking Sheet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 8 1.0 February 27, 2005 Rocky J. Wilson I would never buy this product again. The finish came off almost immediately. Don't waste your money B00004RFS9:nonstick_coating_flakes_off: B00004RFS9 Toaster Oven Baking Sheet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 1.0 May 30, 2002 I REALLY loved this baking sheet when I first got it, so I was supremely disappointed when the nonstick coating began flaking off, essentially rendering it unusable. I may have gotten a bad batch or something. The product has a lifetime warantee and I do intend to send it back in, but wanted to let folks know about my experience B00004TX7O:rust_on_knives:r._trinidad B00004TX7O Henckels Premier Series Opus 45-Piece Stainless Steel Flatware Set, Service for 8: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 24, 2006 R. Trinidad Ann Arbor, MI United States Have been using the set for less than a month. Rust has started to form on the knives just where the blades are fused to the handles - right at the seams. Looks like rust starts from the inside of the handle. Unless design is changed, don't know how replacement knives will be any different. Too bad since knives are sharp and set is designed beautifully B000056I8T:functional,_but_they_get_knife_marks:martha_b._paschke_"jungle_girl" B000056I8T Fiesta Black 464 7-1/4-Inch Salad Plates, Set of 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 4 2.0 August 17, 2005 Martha B. Paschke "jungle girl" Geneva, IL I bought these plates after I already had the rest of the matching dishes. I already knew that I was not pleased with them but had to complete my set of dishes and will have to tolerate them as long as they last. They are really sturdy and go with everything BUT they get the 'knife-marks' - grey scratch marks from utensils scraping them. I imagine that there are white dishes out there somewhere that are not subject to this flaw, and if there are I hope to find them, but these are not them B00006IUYQ:there_are_only_4_programming_options!:michele_a._colley_"millncolley" B00006IUYQ Rival SP100 Smart-Part Module: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 11 2.0 February 27, 2006 Michele A. Colley "millncolley" South Louisiana I thought this was the answer to my crock-pot prayers! I received it for Christmas and was heart broken to realize that you can choose high for 4 or 6 hours or low for 8 or 10 hours. (Look at the product image enlarged) Most things I cook take 6 hours on low! I occasionally have something that needs 8 hours but most of the time it is 6 to 7 hours. Unfortunately, if it doesn't do the time you need, it is completely useless. You would have to be home to turn it off or down. So I returned it and am making do with my Select Brands corningware programmable, (it doesn't do 6 hours on low either) and a regular 3 quart. I just make it home in time or I don't cook it B000ASDX4C:not_as_easy_as_it_looks_or_they_say.:julia's_disciple_"visages06" B000ASDX4C Rival VS105-B Seal A Meal Vacuum Food Sealer with Bonus 3/4-Quart Canister, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 9 1.0 November 14, 2005 Julia's Disciple "visages06" Hawaii I found this sealer to be difficult to use. It is very difficult to get a good vacuum seal due to the clumsy method of putting the bags in a nozzle. Extreme pressure is needed to hold down and lock the top in order to create the vacuum and seal the bag. If you let up on the pressure, the vacuum seal is broken. I returned mine and would never buy another Rival sealer product again B0000E1FDA:do_not_buy.:t._simpson B0000E1FDA Old Stone Oven 4467 14-Inch by 16-Inch Baking Stone (PIZZA/BREAD): Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 13 1.0 March 16, 2006 T. Simpson Wyoming I accidentally ruined my father's old baking stone so I bought this on for him to replace it. Everything sticks to it! We thought maybe it just needed to be seasoned a bit before it stopped sticking. We've had it for over a month and we use it at least four times a week and it continues to make a mess out of anything we bake on it. That's not even the worst of it. It puts out a disgusting smell in the oven. Just last night we used it and had to sit it in the garage and open up the entire house because we all had headaches and our eyes burned from whatever fumes it was releasing. I definitely DO NOT recommend this item. B000CRU9K2:not_what_i_expected:julie_l._pryer_"jlp" B000CRU9K2 Royal Opulance 1200 Thread Count 100% Cotton Sateen Stripe Queen Sheet Set, Linen: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 11 1.0 July 13, 2006 Julie L. Pryer "JLP" Norman, OK I thought that 1200 thread count meant really soft.....while these sheets are really thick, they feel like sand paper. If you're looking for soft sheets, don't buy these. B000ASDCWK:dirty_water_drips_back_onto_carpet:s._brown B000ASDCWK Bissell 9400 ProHeat 2X Select Upright Deep Carpet Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 10 1.0 September 4, 2006 S. Brown Even though I cleaned the machine between each empty and fill, if I did not have white carpet I would not have known this machine leaks the dirty water back onto the carpet. I had to shampoo the carpet two more times to remove the extra spots left in the carpet. A second time with detergent to remove the spots and then immediately with a rinse only cycle. My second gripe is the clean and dirty water reservoirs are in the same small space. I had to change it out about every 10 minutes. The machine gets one star for the dual brushes which I think are a positive for this machine. Unfortunately, that was not enough for me to keep it. It would have been cheaper for me to hire someone to come in and steam clean my carpet considering the fact I had to clean it three times and this carpet is in a low traffic area. I've had a Hoover for 8-10 years and will look to see what new machines Hoover has on the market. B00006IIVA:one_of_the_worst_products_i_have_ever_seen:steven_l._sholem B00006IIVA Hoover F7220-900 SteamVac V2: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 4, 2006 Steven L. Sholem Phoenix The V2 is one of the worst built appliances ever especially at about $250. Without exaggeration I have been back to the parts dealer about 10 times for replacement of the front suction piece (breaks), a number of times for the clear water and soap dispenser assembly. It seems to fall apart, leak, and requires constant attention. I now have to go to have a repair of the brushes - they don't rotate. And this is with use maybe once a month. Frankly, I'd be embarrassed to manufacture and sell a product with such miserable (and expensive) quality B00023C6L6:stainless_-_not!:ken_h. B00023C6L6 Henckels International Stainless Steel 8-Piece Steak Knife Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 18 of 19 2.0 May 27, 2005 Ken H. Florida These were sent instead of the black-handled set I ordered so I thought I would give them a try. They are listed as "dishwasher safe", but evidently are not. Brown stains (rust?) appeared on the tops of all the handles. I cleaned them with silver polish, but the stains reappeared with subsequent washings. I have returned them and received a refund B000063YA3:bad_quality_-_a_review_after_long_term_use:brillat-savarin_"david" B000063YA3 T-Fal Initiatives 9-Piece Total Nonstick Set, Gray: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 11 2.0 June 2, 2006 Brillat-Savarin "david" houston, texas I brought T-fal pans from my local Sam's Club wearhouse, and initially, the pans worked great. this is my review after about 1.5 years of use: 1. the handle on the lid (plastic) broke after about a year. 2. the non stick coating began to crack from regular use in about about 6 month, and it got so bad that i tossed the pan out in about a year and half. 3. the handle broke twice on me and for both time i super glued them back on. on the third time, i just tossed them out and got an expensive Anolon titanium non-stick set. 4. the pan is not made of aluminum and there are "hot / cold" spots on the pan. the hot / cold spot is caused by uneven distribution of heat. a good pan, generally with copper or aluminum core will evenly distribute heat. this pan does not. bottom line: do not use this pan in the oven eventhough the instruction said up to 400 degrees. the handle will and did crack on me for 3 times with occasional oven use. the pan is thin, and does not distribute heat well. and the worst: the non-stick coating is a joke. i found out that it's actually cheaper to get a expensive set and use it for like 10 years instead of getting a cheap set for a third of the price and replace it every 2 years or less. not recommended. B000A5CLC0:bodom_glasses: B000A5CLC0 Bodum Assam Double-Wall Ice Tea Glasses, Set of 2: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 March 24, 2006 After very little use one of the glasses inner lining broke and is unusable B000667TUW:it's_a_"dribbler"....:steve_wayne_"puzlbox" B000667TUW Bodum Stainless Steel Vacuum Travel Mug w/ Grip: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 2.0 November 18, 2005 Steve Wayne "Puzlbox" Midwest, USA I liked the mug's look, feel, & size. Then I took a drink of java from this mug... I never could get a lip lock on this mug. The rim is very thin & very wide. It would always spill a couple of drops on my shirt. Nissan mugs have what I call a "lip ledge" that prevents the "dribble" effect to which the Bodum is prone. Nissan mugs also have a much smaller diameter rim which also makes drinking from them less hazardous to my white shirts B00004R91J:bread_pans:jane_doe_"foodie" B00004R91J Chicago Metallic Professional Non-Stick Perforated Baguette Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 4 1.0 August 31, 2006 jane doe "foodie" phila. This product did not even approach what was described. A bagutte pan needs to have a decent-sized curvature so a bagutte shape will be obtained. This pan would have produced a fairly flat loaf B00005OTXK:i_am_so_dissapointed:joanie_in_parkers_"joanie" B00005OTXK Oster 5838 ExpressBake Breadmaker, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 December 27, 2005 Joanie in Parkers "Joanie" Parkers Prairie, MN USA I am really dissapointed with this bread machine! I had a panasonic 1 lb. breadmaker which I loved--but wanted a machine with a bigger loaf capacity. Never had any problems with the smaller panasonic, and received the Oster 5838 fo Christmas and have had nothing but bad experience--how many times do you have to experiment with the thing to get a good loaf of bread--like the Panasonic, you should be able to follow the instructiona and get a good loaf of bread!! We also gave 2 of these for gifts --and really feel bad as they are a pain--all 3 are going back! B00009RXMQ:return!!!:cemre_ozkurt_"deluxepaint" B00009RXMQ DeLonghi EC5 Steam-Driven 4-Cup Espresso and Cappuccino Maker, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 September 7, 2006 Cemre Ozkurt "deluxepaint" los angeles it's just bad looking plastic. if you want expresso buy nespresso machine with capsules B0000CBINT:boils_fast_but_this_is_a_flawed_kettle:glenn_cherrits B0000CBINT Revere 3-1/2-Quart Copper Bottom Teakettle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 2.0 April 11, 2006 Glenn Cherrits Hoboken Well reviewed on amazon but this kettle is lacking. The copper does, indeed, boil water fast; and that's the job of a kettle, I admit. However, the button/trigger that opens the spout is too close to the steam and you're forever guarding your fingers and shying away from the kettle. As you tilt the kettle to pour, you're also tilting the steam nearer to your fingers. It's uncomfortable at best and searing at worst. While you learn how to not get scalded, this kettle is always at least slightly irritating. There are better kettles around B00023XCV4:hamilton_beach_40616_perculator_doesn't_last:nitro_willie_"willie" B00023XCV4 Hamilton Beach 40616 Stainless-Steel 12-Cup Electric Percolator: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 June 6, 2006 Nitro Willie "Willie" Indiana My wife and I purchased the 40616 Hamilton Beach Perculator at K-Mart. After only 8 months of service the perculator would not keep the coffee hot--only luke warm.K-Mart refused to do anything about the problem because they only warranty the coffee pot for 90 days. This should give you an idea of what K-Mart thinks of the quality of the Hamilton Beach 40616 perculator.When I called Hamilton Beach customer no-service I was told to send in the cord from the coffee pot and a check for $9.95 and they would replace their defective equipment. The $9.95 is 25% of the original price of the perculator so I will decline their offer. If their perculator only last for 8 months I don't even want to pay the $9.95 to get a new one. I feel that it should have been replaced for free! In their warranty booklet they tell you that the 40616 perculator has a limited 2-year warranty but that is only if you are willing to pay $9.95 to ship their defective equipment back to them. Because of this experience with the Hamilton Beach 40616 coffee perculator I will never purchase any Hamilton Beach equipment in the future.I will also not purchase anything else from K-Mart B00023XCV4:a_bad_choice:lee_meagher B00023XCV4 Hamilton Beach 40616 Stainless-Steel 12-Cup Electric Percolator: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 May 2, 2006 Lee Meagher New York City I feel it was an unlucky day when I bought this pot. As careful as I tried to be, it was extremely difficult to tell if I had correctly placed the stem (with basket) in the pit. It had to be by "feel," and half the time it was apparently a hair's breadth off and would not perk. Or it would perk enough so that the light went on but that the coffee grounds were hardly wet. It was also difficult to correctly jam the plug into the pot. A hair's breadth off and again it wouldn't perk. So each day became a guessing game as to whether today would be the day I got real coffee instead of cold water or damp coffee grounds. I am returning to my old friend, the Farberware FC280. It may or may not last more than a year but at least I can depend on it B00004SACJ:dont_buy_this_item:s._key_"srk" B00004SACJ Polder 216204 Deluxe Stainless Steel Bread Box: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 29 of 29 1.0 May 9, 2005 S. Key "SRK" Bowling Green KY Not much to say about this item it sucks. very thin and cheap made. Does not seal at all and does not keep the bread freah This is the worst product i have every got from Amazon. B0000DE3CV:watch_the_handle!:h._a._kipp B0000DE3CV Joyce Chen 2-Quart Stovetop Ceramic Tea Kettle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 September 14, 2006 H. A. Kipp I agree with the previous reviewers. The style is quite sleek and the ceramic, earthen material eliminates the metallic taste of the water. However, the handle is a huge problem and you have to be extremely careful when pouring the pot. I made a hot of tea only filling 1/2 way full and put pouring it the handle can apart from the kettle and smash went the kettle, leaving me standing with only the handle in my hand. Thankfully I was pouring this over the sink or I would've suffered quite a burn. Buyer beware B00008PC46:awful:porkchops B00008PC46 Simply Calphalon Aluminum 8-Inch Omelet Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 10 1.0 February 25, 2006 porkchops New York, NY Why would anyone want pots that can't be used on high heat, can't be washed in the dishwasher or can't be scoured for fear of removing their anodized finish. My Calphalon professional pots were very expensive and it makes me sick that they have preformed so poorly. I have noticed that many of the positive reviews were by people who haven't owned these pots for long I am a real cook and use my pots several times a day, I need them to work, not just look good and this cookware is ridiculously tempermental. After leaving them on the heat too long, just once, they warp. Food sticks easily to them and they are very hard to clean because you can't use steelwool or abrasive pads. After a guest put one in a dishwasher by mistake, the pot finish was ruined, and I had aluminum coming off on my food. I am someone who takes good care of my things, and it is impossible to clean these well without removing the finish. I had taken some comfort in the "lifetime" warantee, I tried to return them, but the warantee, like this cookware is absolutely useless B00007IT2X:knife_broke_the_first_day_i_received_it!:s._lee B00007IT2X Calphalon Collector's Edition Contemporary Cutlery 5-1/2-Inch Tomato/Bagel Knife: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 1.0 January 24, 2004 S. Lee Valencia, Ca I just received this knife yesterday & am sending it back for a refund. Upon first use, the forked metal tip broke off when I was chopping tomatoes for a salad. It took me a few moments to notice the lost tip (as it had ended up in the salad I was preparing.) Could have been very dangerous to swallow a sharp metal tip! The knife itself is flimsy, can't imagine that it could cut a bagel very well B000BIU088:could_work_better.:keith B000BIU088 Presto 09402 MyPod Refillable Personal Pod/Coffee Holder: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 August 30, 2006 Keith I folowed the instructions and found that the coffee was very weak so I experimented with differint grinds and filter no filter. I found not useing the paper filter and grinding the coffee expresso and stoping the water when it starts to look pale makes a med. strong cup. A lot of work for a decent cup. I still think that my old krups drip makes a great cup. I will keep trying other alternets to the pods becous there very expensive. I am waiting for some one to start manufacturing a home pod maker. that you can fill & seel at home B000BIU088:not_as_good_as_the_ecopods:john_a._saloiye_"johns" B000BIU088 Presto 09402 MyPod Refillable Personal Pod/Coffee Holder: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 2.0 August 30, 2006 John A. Saloiye "JohnS" South Charleston,WV I have had the blue ecopods for well over a year now. Ilove the taste of the coffee and it does give a fair amount of foam but hard to clean. I saw the Presto MyPod and leaped to try it. The coffee overfills the cup making it too weak and no room for creamer. There is absolutely no foam. I got hooked on the Senseo Foam. We will use it in a pinch but only on the 1 cup setting with 1 1/2 scoops B0000644FC:more_of_a_toy_than_actual_need: B0000644FC SoftWorks Salad Spinner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 8 1.0 July 19, 2003 I thought that this would actually be something that I would need when I registered for this for my wedding. But this is more of a toy for the kitchen than something that you will actually use. Sure kids might like to use it when they cook, but in all the time that I have owned one, I have only used it once. Its more of a hassle because you have to clean it out afterwards. You are better off without it B00004UE84:painful: B00004UE84 Norpro 2-Tablespoon Stainless Steel Scoop: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 6 1.0 July 27, 2003 It may work O.K. for melons, but the handle is extremely uncomfortable and ackward to grip when attempting to scoop ice cream. In addition, the shape of the scoop bowl makes it difficult to get a full scoop of ice cream B0002Y5XKQ:overflows_consistently:j._foulk B0002Y5XKQ KitchenAid KCM511ER 10-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Empire Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 September 18, 2006 J. Foulk Wichita, KS I bought this coffee maker to match my KitchenAid blender and coffee gridner. The coffee maker is attractive but works terribly. If you make more than 1 or 2 cups it overflows hot coffee onto the counter top. There is almost always grounds in the coffee too. When I called KitchenAid customer service they said they made a revision to fix the problems and sent me another one. It has the same problems. This is NOT user error I have tried different coffees, grinds, and positioning the carafe differently. This coffee maker is just a distrastrous design mistake. Finally I got KitchenAid to buy the coffee maker back and got a Cuisinart one. It works perfectly, costs less, and has more features. I would recommend Cuisinart and highly recommend that you do not buy this shoddy coffee maker - you will regret it. B0002Y5XKQ:disappointing_piece_of_junk:j._cox B0002Y5XKQ KitchenAid KCM511ER 10-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Empire Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 1.0 May 27, 2006 J. Cox Kansas City, MO United States I have several other Kitchen Aid appliances and they are all great - solid, hefty machines that do superior work, the type of items Kitchen Aid has built a reputation on. So that is why I bought this coffee maker (actually I have the previous model before this "update"). Boy, howdy! Was I blind-sighted! The quality of the housing is no better than a Mr. Coffee for 1/4 the price, and I too, have experienced the leaking problems like other reviewers have noted. And on mine, the spring that keeps the shut off unit down while you take the pot off the machine to have that first cup while it is still brewing - well, it decided to not do it's job only after about a month of owning it. The unit leaks coffee as if that is what it was designed to do. HEY, KITCHEN AID ENGINEERS - DO YOU READ THESE AMAZON REVIEWS? IF YOU DO, THEN GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND MAKE A COFFEE MAKER THAT IS IN LINE WITH YOUR OTHER PRODUCTS! AND GIVE THOSE OF US THAT BOUGHT YOUR PREVIOUS JUNK A FULL CREDIT TRADE IN TO UPGRADE TO IT ONCE IT IS AVAILABLE! HOW HARD IS IT TO MAKE A GOOD COFFEE MAKER? MY GRANDMA'S EARLY 70'S MR. COFFEE IS STILL PERKING STRONG - WHAT AN EMBARASSMENT TO KITCHEN AID. Nuff' said B0000AFQ5U:the_unit_didn't_power_on!:quality_seeker_"johnny" B0000AFQ5U Black & Decker D2020 Digital Advantage Iron: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 17, 2006 quality seeker "johnny" san jose, ca I got this on sale from Targets for $35. Eagerly I plugged in the unit, turned the variable dial to maximum steam, and increased the digital dial to 7. And then I waited, and waited, and waited, for 10 minutes. The iron never warmed up, let alone hot enough to iron anything. I can't say this is a bad product, but surely I got a non-working unit B0000AFQ5U:nearly_caught_on_fire,_ruined_my_shirt:albert_vernon B0000AFQ5U Black & Decker D2020 Digital Advantage Iron: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 6, 2006 Albert Vernon Dublin, OH This iron worked splendidly for over year before almost catching on fire while I was using it. I was pressing a shirt when suddenly the LED display on the iron shut off and started beeping repeatedly. I smelled smoke and the handle was hot to the touch. I lifted the iron off my shirt to discover a dark scorch mark ON MY BRAND NEW SHIRT! I do NOT recommend this iron -- you risk burning your clothes B0000AS3QJ:disappointing_product:p._scrutchin B0000AS3QJ Kitchen Grips 2-Piece Hot-Pad Set, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 October 23, 2005 P. Scrutchin Friendswood, TX Both pads "burned" on the backside the first time I used them. They are still serviceable, but the "burned" areas are hard. They were used in a normal kitchen--no blow torches B000ARPH2E:worst_product_i_ever_bought:a._gramajo_"great_boy" B000ARPH2E Edgestar Titanium Portable Ice Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 12 1.0 June 27, 2006 A. Gramajo "Great Boy" Fontana, California Be careful to buy products from compact appliance. They will not be responsible if the product is defective from the manufacturer. There is no return. You better think more than twice before you buy from compact appliance. They have the worst customer service including the manufacturer Edgestar. I agreed completely with the previous customer review that it is hard to get in touch with Edgestar customer service, which has the worst product I ever bought. B000ARPH2E:great_for_a_week_then_junk:matthew_cartier_"matt_c" B000ARPH2E Edgestar Titanium Portable Ice Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 17 of 19 1.0 June 2, 2006 Matthew Cartier "Matt C" Maryland Box arrived damaged. Opened product, scratched on front, dirty on the inside. After I cleaned it up it worked great for a week then "poof". No power at all. Thought I may have ran it too much so I left it unplugged for 24 hours then plugged it back in and NOTHING. Additionally customer service for Edgestar is TERRIBLE. I have left 10 voicemails and sent approx 14 e-mails back and forth with their customer service (haha) reps and still have made zero progress. Buy with caution B0000630NW:would_like_it_if_it_ever_arrived_in_one_piece!: B0000630NW Anchor Hocking Union Square Cake Dome: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 10 1.0 January 23, 2003 I ordered this cake plate and dome for my mother, shortly before Thanksgiving of 2002. The first time it arrived, after 3 weeks, it was in about 1,000 pieces. The UPS driver realized that upon delivery and returned the item. When it was sent the second time, which wasn't until around Christmas, it arrived with the handle to the dome broken off. So, long story short, no cake plate for Mom! Amazon.com should really examine how they pack items like this B0000635XL:nice_idea_-_failed_implementation:anne_e_nonomous B0000635XL KitchenAid KTT340WH 2-Slice, Two-Slot Digital Toaster with Bagel and Warm Functions, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 September 4, 2006 Anne e Nonomous Boston, MA United States I wanted to like this toaster. It looks nice, seems sturdy enough, and stays cool to the touch. But it toasts poorly. One side of the bread toasts more than the other. So I have to pop up the toast 1/2 way through and turn it over. And now the pop up mechanism isn't working well B0000635XL:bagels_yes,_bread,_no:mya_blue B0000635XL KitchenAid KTT340WH 2-Slice, Two-Slot Digital Toaster with Bagel and Warm Functions, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 11 2.0 January 28, 2006 Mya Blue Alexandria, VA If you prefer having bread that is toasted on both sides look elsewhere for a toaster. Even when it is not on the bagel "setting" it does not do any more than barely warm one side of bread. In addition if you are looking for a blue toaster (how I wound up with this one despite the warnings about its inefficiency) don't buy this one--it looks nothing like the picture on the internet. It is purple, so not only does it perform poorly it looks terrible in my blue/gray kitchen. I expected more from a KitchenAid product and if I could return a used toaster (albeit only 3 times) I certainly would. B00005JSG5:bad_quality_plastic: B00005JSG5 T-Fal 62870 Magiclean Deep Fryer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 5 1.0 April 16, 2004 As soon as I opened it and tried to remove the lid for cleaning, it broke! No instructions provided on how to remove, replace the removable parts B0000A0E1T:this_fan_is_a_piece_of_junk.:focus_on_nature B0000A0E1T Hunter 90021 Century 12-Inch Performance Oscillating Fan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 1.0 July 7, 2006 Focus on Nature Ohio I finally gave up after trying three of the Hunter fans and got my money back. Even on the lowest speed, this thing rattles, shakes, and groans. I own five Hunter ceiling fans, which are great. This fan doesn't deserve the Hunter nameplate B00028073U:cookware_is_fine,_but_bonus_item_still_not_here:cook_"cook" B00028073U Calphalon One Nonstick 8-Piece Cookware Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 29 2.0 December 26, 2004 Cook "cook" Texas I like the cookware. Solid as Calphalon always is, If you follow the link on the Bonus item, it shows a 1-2 day availability. Today is Dec 26, ordered on Nov 9. Still waiting for the bonus. B000CRU9QG:overrated!:matthew_jones B000CRU9QG Royal Opulance 1000 Thread Count 100% Cotton Sateen Stripe Queen Sheet Set, Sky Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 8 1.0 July 19, 2006 Matthew Jones Washington, DC USA I had older 500 thread count sheets that were better, lighter, smoother. These feel like 200 thread count sheets. Complete waste of money B0001IZWGI:stopped_working:e._smith B0001IZWGI CC4030 Digital Fork Thermometer 13-in.: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 6, 2006 E. Smith San Antonio, TX USA This Fork Thermometer would have been great if it had lasted more than 3 usages. No way to notify the manufacturer to find out "why" the fork quit working. It's still useful as a meat fork, but not as a thermometer. Very disappointing and a bit expensive to be used only as a fork. B0007RPW4A:warning!!!_don't_buy_t-fal:sumie_mishima B0007RPW4A T-FAL Aquaspeed FV5155 Iron: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 18 1.0 February 22, 2006 Sumie Mishima Los Angeles, CA I bought T-fal's top of the line Avantis iron even though I only have light ironing to do. It broke in less than a year - losing heat completely. T-fal would not stand behind it. I wrote to them several times. They insisted on the original sales receipt despite the fact I had the charge on my American Express bill. They had no technical advise either. Read other Amazon reviews on their products breakdowns! I've paid half as much for irons that lasted for years. Avoid this turkey and this company. I'll never buy another T-fal product and neither should you B00006F2MH:cleaning_nightmare:beth_a._adams B00006F2MH Cuisinart DGB500BK Grind and Brew, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 14, 2006 Beth A. Adams Ohio United States A normal coffee maker requires a quick rinse; this machine requires a wash, rinse and a thorough drying of the grinding unit. You can't just rinse the grinding unit because the fine coffee grounds need to be washed out. If it wasn't for the fact that we spent nearly $100 for this unit, I would throw it away. SAVE YOUR MONEY - DON'T BUY IT B00004Y2RM:very_disappointed:barb B00004Y2RM Tilia FoodSaver Professional II Vacuum Sealing Kit: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 12 1.0 February 15, 2004 Barb Baltimore, MD A friend bought a food saver by Tilia and told me that it would be wonderful for storing my bulk shopping in the freezer. I saved for it and got it. I used it a total of 10 times and not for long periods of time and it literally died. I sent it back to the factory asking for a refund and they refused and sent me a refurbished one in return - they will not refund your money on the poor quality items they sell. Just be careful and do not let this happen to you - Tilia looks much better on TV than it performs in real life. B0000AYKNY:bottom_drawer_a_waste:val_the_homeschooler B0000AYKNY Haier LW120W Energy Efficient Dual Compartment Chest Freezer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 2.0 June 23, 2006 Val the Homeschooler Michigan The top portion of the freezer works great. The bottom drawer portion sounded great - no more digging to see what's at the bottom. The reality is that the bottom drawer is only useful as overflow from my refrigerator. I don't put anything in that part that I'm not willing to store at regular refrigerator temperatures. It's a disappoinment B0000AYKNY:haier_dual_compartment_freezer:sharyn_doanes_"sd" B0000AYKNY Haier LW120W Energy Efficient Dual Compartment Chest Freezer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 5 2.0 September 11, 2005 Sharyn Doanes "sd" atlanta, georgia the product is an average product, do not think it is a top seller, another retailer has the same item cheaper.. the delivery and customer service is the wrost I have ever experienced.... would not order this item again with the poor delivery. B0000DAQ6U:suitable_for_hard_cheeses_only.:sum_guye_"sum-guye" B0000DAQ6U OXO Good Grips 1057945 i-Series Container Grater: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 13 2.0 December 9, 2004 Sum Guye "sum-guye" NJ The holes are really small. This grater is suitable for hard cheeses like Romano, but forget using it for a softer cheese like cheddar. B00009WE4L:this_item_does_not_work: B00009WE4L Metrokane Rabbit Lever Vacuum Pump: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 27 of 28 1.0 February 19, 2004 This product simply does not work. The vacuum is so weak that it does not preserve the wine, even for a day. I have used a Vacuvin for many years and it is a far superior product at a far lower cost. We bought this item because it appeared to be easier to pump than the Vacuvin -- and it is. The reason: it doesn't preserve the wine. I am seeking a return and refund, either through Amazon or Metrokane B00064XS1I:beautiful_but_not_reliable:k._hsiang_"ksh" B00064XS1I KitchenAid KSB5PK4 Komen Foundation, 5-Speed Blender, Pink: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 13 2.0 June 18, 2006 K. Hsiang "KSH" SF Bay Area I honestly liked the blender a lot. I received it as a gift and it matched the rest of my kitchen's KitchenAid appliances-- range, refrigerator, dishwasher, pretty much everything other than the toaster oven. At the time, there could be no better blender. It looked great. It promised professional performance. It had KitchenAid's brand and durability behind it. I use my blender for making tomato sauce and the occasional fruit smoothie. There is some amount of ice crushing required, but that shouldn't be an issue. I certainly was not a weekly let alone a daily user. So, 3 years after I got the blender, I went to turn it on and it is completely dead-- no light on the on button. Changed outlets and still nothing. It's done. What an incredible dissappointment. But, it seems to me that the KitchenAid brand has really taken an awful turn since it was acquired by Whirlpool(?). First, my dishwasher broke (3 repair jobs) then my stand mixer's seals are loose. I called customer service about trying to buy a replacement thermometer for my range and after endless re-routing, I got no where. The fridge has minor issues (loose rails, pieces not refitting) and is probably the best of the lot. I did some research. Apparently, KitchenAid is just licensing its name out on various products. So, realistically, there is no such thing as KitchenAid quality anymore since they don't make much of anything. Everything is just a re-branded product. Whirlpool is going to milk the brand premium until its reputation catches up to it. From a once KitchenAid loyalist, avoid this product-- yes it's beautiful but it's not going to last. Avoid all KitchenAid products because they really are not what they once were B00064XS1I:mine_broke_after_two_uses.:emma_scott B00064XS1I KitchenAid KSB5PK4 Komen Foundation, 5-Speed Blender, Pink: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 May 31, 2006 Emma Scott Charleston, SC Mine broke and started SMOKING while I was making hummus (not even something tougher like ice). Kitchenaid won't fix it. There are many MUCH cheaper but nicer ones on the market B00064XS1I:broken_after_18_months-_ka_refused_to_fix:britta_r._bergacs_"bergacsfam" B00064XS1I KitchenAid KSB5PK4 Komen Foundation, 5-Speed Blender, Pink: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 May 17, 2006 Britta R. Bergacs "bergacsfam" NJ, United States I find that such a well-known brand would have a longer warranty than 12 months. My blender broke (it was the "coupler") after about 18 months of use. I emailed KA about it and all they did was give me two repair shops where I could pay to have it fixed. Both repair shops are more than one hour away. They also offered me [...] off a "refurbished" blender. Gee...what service. You'd think they'd at least work with me since the blender wasn't even 2 years old. For [...] I went out and bought a Cuisinart and that comes with a 3 year warranty. KA blender was not worth my [...]. It never blended fruit all the way, either; it always left chunks of bananas B0000CBI4E:just_a_regular_mattress_pad:jk B0000CBI4E Wamsutta Even Temperature Queen Mattress Pad: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 7 2.0 February 5, 2005 JK NYC My husband sweats a lot at night and I thought this would stop the problem. It didn't at all. It doesn't seems like it does anything for me either. It just feels like a normal mattress pad. Not exactly worth the price for a normal mattress pad B0000DINYU:its_ok:beth_wright_"just_a_mom" B0000DINYU Le Creuset 13 Inch Rectangular Skinny Grill, Flame: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 28 of 33 2.0 July 28, 2005 Beth Wright "just a mom" Daytona Beach, FL USA I just purchased a glass top stove and bought this because of the protective bottom. However, after using it several times, I would choose a different grill because of the following reasons: #1 The spatter mess - there is virutally no way to prevent splatter when using this pan creating an unneccessary amount of post-cooking clean-up. #2 There is no option of purchasing a lid #3 The pan itself has an odd rectangular shape that does not fit on one burner or two for that matter. Thus, somewhere while cooking you have a cool spot B0000C1E81:tried_of_the_rust!:wolfy_"wolfy" B0000C1E81 Oneida Satin Sand Dune 24-Piece Flatware Set, Service for 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 September 6, 2006 Wolfy "Wolfy" Michigan We've had 3 sets in just over 1-1/2 years. Return policy is great but it's a hassle. Can't Oneida make silverware that doesn't rust? I'm going to try a different brand B0007NIBH4:not_up_to_par:j._norris B0007NIBH4 Le Creuset 9-Inch Iron Handle Skillet, Dune: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 16 of 16 2.0 June 11, 2006 J. Norris I have numerous Le Creuset items, and this has to be the worst one. Everything sticks to the finish. Salsbury steak turns out horrible (can't make gravy), breakfast sausage patties become ground sausage pieces due to the sticking. And, like mentioned in an earlier post, it is hard to clean. Beware this new finish, (they have it on their grill pans also)it is not up to par B0007NIBH4:not_happy_with_this_pan:m._k._foley B0007NIBH4 Le Creuset 9-Inch Iron Handle Skillet, Dune: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 57 of 59 2.0 February 11, 2006 M. K. Foley Prospect Heights, IL USA I'm a huge fan of Le Cruest's products and own a few well chosen pieces. Having said that, this new satin finish is a disappointment. I was given this a gift a year ago and was thrilled - until I used it. I really wish they'd go back to their original smooth enamel finish. This must be an attempt to produce an interior more durable for using metal utensils with. An attempt that in my opinion is a failure. Things (like eggs and hamburgers) stick to this finish. You have to use a lot more fat to prevent sticking. It's hard to get clean, takes quite a bit of scrubbing even after soaking. It doesn't give the finish to grilled meats, etc that I want from a fry pan. Forget deglazing it to make a sauce. I find my All Clad 9 inch skillet to be a superior performer to this one. Since this is a 9 inch skillet, I haven't used it to saute onions, etc., so I can't say how it performs with these items. I do use it to make cornbread and to roast small portions of meats or veg in the oven, with good results (as long as I'm not going to use the browned bits to make a sauce). This to me though, is not enough uses to justify buying it. B0002XGRCK:don't_buy_this_one!!!!!!:nicole_church B0002XGRCK DeLonghi EO1238 1/2-Cubic-Foot 6-Slice Toaster Oven, Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 August 29, 2006 Nicole Church New York, NY USA Door advance feature broke after several weeks. Lower heating element broke after six months. Customer service refused to stand behind the product, stating that the warranty was expired. Note to buyer- warranty is one year from time of manufacture- NOT the date you actually receive it as a gift or purchase it. The knobs on the unit are like a child's toy- cheap and plastic. This is a highly disappointing product- I doubt we will buy another Delonghi product again B0002XGRCK:2_dead_on_arrival_-_giving_up:mark_twain_also_"unix-linux_systems_guy" B0002XGRCK DeLonghi EO1238 1/2-Cubic-Foot 6-Slice Toaster Oven, Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 August 23, 2006 Mark Twain Also "unix-linux systems guy" Chicago, IL USA The second one came today. It is also dead on arrival. Do not bother with this one B0002Y5XM4:kitchenaid_coffee_maker:sunnyd_1219 B0002Y5XM4 KitchenAid KCM514OB JavaStudio 14-Cup Stainless-Steel Programmable Coffee Maker, Onyx Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 22, 2006 sunnyd_1219 Sarasota, FL USA I, too, own several KitchenAid products and have been delighted with previous products. When I needed a new coffee maker, I decided to switch brands to KitchenAid based on prior history with the company. HOWEVER, this is the WORST coffee maker I've ever owned, including cheaper models. I'm now on my second coffee pot after KitchenAid sent me a new one when the one I ordered failed. While the company has been more than understanding, I hesitate to call again because I don't even want another one. Getting my money back shouldn't lie with the hands of the seller I purchased it from. Here's the problem. After a week of use, the water and grounds kept spilling over and coffee was not draining into the pot, saturating the electric plate and my kitchen floor. When I could get it just right (standing there holding the carafe in place), the coffee tasted burnt. I thought I had a defective product, but the new one is starting to do the same thing. The carafe does not stay in place and slides forward when placed on the electric plate (until there is enough coffee dispensed. The coffee carafe is supposed to push (when it's in the right place) on the plastic piece that releases the coffee. It's a design problem. It's definitely cheaply made. I have to stand next to my coffee maker as it's brewing to make sure the coffee is dripping. Believe me, I wouldn't have bothered writing this if I didn't think it might save someone else the headaches. Buy something else! It's not worth the hassle. B0002Y5XM4:looks_great_-_tastes_mediocre:jon_rosen B0002Y5XM4 KitchenAid KCM514OB JavaStudio 14-Cup Stainless-Steel Programmable Coffee Maker, Onyx Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 September 10, 2006 Jon Rosen I'm usually a big fan of KitchenAid appliances and I own a Proline coffee grinder, which is excellent. But, I could not get a good full-flavored cup of coffeee out of this machine. I usually brew 4 cups at a time. They have a setting for 1-4 cups, but the coffeee still turned out slightly weak and slightly bitter. I returned it and will try something else B0002Y5XM4:very_tasty,_very_big_mess!!:cathy_grahame_"barkingark" B0002Y5XM4 KitchenAid KCM514OB JavaStudio 14-Cup Stainless-Steel Programmable Coffee Maker, Onyx Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 8 1.0 April 24, 2006 Cathy Grahame "BarkingArk" Chicago, Il I love Kitchenaid products, but this one failed miserably!! The taste of the coffee is excellent, but there were grounds and coffee everywhere. The Pause N Serve feature works as it brews!! I don't think that was the intention though. When I called the company the not so brilliant guy told me that they hear this all the time on this model and that you just have to push the coffee maker in far enough so that the pause n serve feature isn't activated...well, unless we put a heavy ceramic bowl in front of the carafe to hold the pot in place we have coffee soup all over our counter and floor. My husband and I love coffee and we like it STRONG! We feel coffee is very important to survival in our home as we have 5 kids and this helps us stay alive and energetic for the 48 hours a day we care for them!! My strong advice...don't but this model. Though Kitchenaid is a great product and I have never had problems with any of their other lines, this one should be junked! We are returning ours! B0002Y5XM4:faulty_electronics:kitchen_maestro B0002Y5XM4 KitchenAid KCM514OB JavaStudio 14-Cup Stainless-Steel Programmable Coffee Maker, Onyx Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 6 1.0 March 16, 2006 Kitchen Maestro Canada The salesclerk told us that because of previous model recalls, that the new KitchenAid was sure to be a huge improvement, especially with it's price tag. We've tried 2 models and both had problems with error messages. The manual's suggestions do nothing to eliminate this. Also, we've had the same trouble with coffee spewing out. For the price tag, this is a seriously disappointing coffee maker. We finally took it back and are on the look out for a better quality model (NOT KitchenAid). Oddly enough, our other KitchenAid appliances (range and fridge) have also had electronic problems. I wonder what the quality control is on the parts that are being cheaply manufactured, no doubt, in some overseas location. I wouldn't recommend KitchenAid to anyone, regardless of the nice styling and supposed high-quality. B0000CEVOW:never_received_this_item:scott_barrett_"scein20" B0000CEVOW Sealy Posturepedic Luxury 300-Thread-Count Egyptian Cotton Standard Pillow: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 16 1.0 January 8, 2006 Scott Barrett "scein20" manlius, ny ordered it in October, now it's January 8th! I give up B0001I9R82:water_&_steam_everywhere!:b._baty B0001I9R82 Krups FND111 Allegro Espresso Maker, Black & Silver: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 November 5, 2006 B. Baty Texas This Krups espresso maker leaves water and steam all over the counter every time it is used. I think the "built in safety" features are to blame. The finer the grind, the more water leaked out. Keep in mind that fine grinds are recommended for espresso and cappuccino. Using a coarse grind, which is usually only used for cowboy coffee out on the trail or French press machines, I still get quite a bit of leakage. Using finer grinds produces more and more leakage leaving only about half a carafe of extremely strong espresso which is indeed more like cowboy or french press coffees. -I enjoy cowboy coffee but would prefer espresso from my espresso machine plus I hate all the mess. The Krups machine I had fifteen years ago worked well but this machine sucks big time. If you don't want to fork over a lot of bucks for a "real" espresso maker, try a Mr Coffee espresso machine. Mine, which I use when I travel, cost less than twenty dollars and does not leak. In the meantime I have ordered a Lello 45900 Ariete Espresso/Cappuccino Maker to replace the Krups. -I'll keep you postsed. Billy Bat B000FZJAEM:good_idea:_bad_in_reality:mark_husson_"astrologyrules" B000FZJAEM Bean Vac Coffee Canister (ED150): Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 11 2.0 September 30, 2006 Mark Husson "astrologyrules" Denver, CO USA I jumped on purchasing this machine when I saw it. I was tired of storing beans in the freezer. I put 4 AA batteries in it and a pound of beans, closed the lid and the sucking sound started...and it kept going, and kept going, and kept going. I started looking for places to store it so that it wouldn't wake me up at night or disturb me with it's annoying hum first thing in the morning. But I didn't have to worry, but the next morning the batteries were dead. I replaced them and within 24 hours they were all dead again! There is no place to plug it in so you're stuck with using batteries. I'm going to try buying rechargables but I don't know how long I'm going to want to keep this replacement going!! P.S. I found it interesting that after I post my negative review three 5 star reviews appear from people who have no review history and NONE of them address the battery issue. Sur La Table, is sending me a new unit but told me that they received an identical complaint about the battery life. Be wary. I'll try to update you B00022HZ04:it_is_an_expensive_toy:cameron_chehrazi B00022HZ04 iRobot Roomba APS 4905 Battery: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 November 3, 2006 Cameron Chehrazi Los Angeles, CA United States I have two Roomba's, after one year of good operation they have been having battery problems. One Roomba was returned for refurbishment. They have good customer service, if you pursue them. The newly returned Roomba still has battery problems. The housekeeper which was very excited when I bought the Roomba now uses the vacuum cleaner. B00022HZ04:yellow_battery_took_over_a_month_to_get_to_me!:marlene_m._mcgarrity_"queen_of_the_click/mom_to_dachshunds" B00022HZ04 iRobot Roomba APS 4905 Battery: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 August 22, 2006 Marlene M. Mcgarrity "Queen of the Click/Mom to Dachshunds" Brooklyn, NY United States Amazon took over a month in shipping me this roomba battery. It works ok. Also the list price is too high on this Amazon site. B00008IH9P:the_perfect_appliance--if_you_have_20_minutes_for_toast:samiam_"kate" B00008IH9P Hamilton Beach Classic Chrome Extra-Wide-Slot Toaster: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 6 1.0 August 9, 2005 SamIam "Kate" South Dakota What a shame that this appliance fails at its sole purpose in life. Let's hope there's a support group for mediocre toasters B000EN4FCM:pricey_for_an_item_that's_$19,_isn't_it?:r._rabara_"cakegourd" B000EN4FCM Wilton Cake Caddy - White/ Clear: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 2 1.0 July 10, 2006 R. Rabara "CakeGourd" Kent, WA USA Recommended: No. The product is not very durable Good things: All in all, this caddy is great because it's versatile. It's huge and tall enough so a 12.5" round cake that's about 5 inches high can fit in easily. The locking mechanism is also pretty neat. There's 3 of them so it makes it very easy to carry without any fuss of the cake dropping on the floor. The handle of the carrier also gives a comfortable grip. Carrier is also see through so you'll notice if the decorations have been messed up during the transporting process. NOT so Good things: NOT very durable. Locking mechanism that holds the base of the carrier may crack making it non portable. This product is susceptible to breakage perhaps because certain stores just have had these items on their shelf for a long time-- that's only my assumption. Plastic should not crack unless it's placed in extreme temperatures or is abused. Should the temperature in the fridge crack a plastic? Very unlikely don't you think? The price is also far cry compared to other products sold by discount stores (i.e Linens../WlMrt. Other carriers are sold from $4-$9. The height is good but it can be problematic when storing it in the fridge, but aren't all cakes difficult to store regardless? In terms of cleaning the base, you'll need a brush to really get the bottom cleaned up B00005NCWQ:a_workhorse_of_a_coffee_pot:rad_"rad" B00005NCWQ Farberware Classic Yosemite Stainless Steel Percolator: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 7, 2006 RAD "RAD" Providence RI A well made no frills percolator. It packs well,is quite simple to use and makes a great cup of coffee. The ideal coffee pot for camping or outdoor use. A superior product compared to the many flimsy coffee pots made for campers B00005NCX2:piece_of_garbage:drew_camier_"dcam" B00005NCX2 Nordic Ware 2-Burner Nonstick Reversible Grill/Griddle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 1.0 March 5, 2006 Drew Camier "DCAM" Brooklyn, NY I would have given this no stars but it won't let me. This non-stick griddle has more things stick to it than tape. It is simply the worst product I have purchased in a long time. I have this "non-Stick" griddle for just about a month and it is ready for the trash. The non-stick is coming up on the flat end and the griddle is worthless, it ripped my chicken cutlets to shreds. Don't buy it!!! If you read this and still buy it may you have three horrible meals like I did before it met the old trash can B00005NCX2:bad_fit...:m._murray_"mathgeek" B00005NCX2 Nordic Ware 2-Burner Nonstick Reversible Grill/Griddle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 10 1.0 December 11, 2005 M. Murray "mathgeek" Sacramento, CA FYI, those of you with square burners will not like this one. It is not stable because of the design, which is clearly meant for round burners. B00015USLK:sheets_irregular_to_the_extreme:c._hammond B00015USLK Wamsutta 100% Egyptian Cotton Jersey Full Sheet Set, Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 6, 2006 C. Hammond The sheets arrived soft and after washing stayed colorfast but shrunk. They were difficult to get on the mattress B00015USLK:ok,_the_sheets_weren't_expensive_but_what_a_disappointment!:ninabee B00015USLK Wamsutta 100% Egyptian Cotton Jersey Full Sheet Set, Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 1.0 June 28, 2006 Ninabee Chicago, IL USA After one wash the fitted sheet shrank and color leeched onto it so it has grey splotches in places. We don't even have a deep mattress but now the bare mattress shows on the sides. It'll have to go in our next garage sale. B000096JFW:poor_negative_pressure:michael_geffin B000096JFW Euro-Pro EP035 Shark 800-Watt Turbo Hand Vacuum: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 2.0 May 14, 2006 Michael Geffin I purchased this about 1 year ago and it's only taking up space in my house. It has very poor suction on carpeting. Works O.K. on hardwood floors but then again most of these will. I expected better force. The small openning may look "cool" but it doesn't allow for wide enough sweeping area and I find myself going over the same area again and again. Also, the charging holder is a little harder to place the unit in. I would consider look at others first B0001LB9RG:disappointing:thrifty_"baking97" B0001LB9RG Black & Decker HCC100 Home Cafe Single Serve Coffee Brewing System, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 18, 2006 Thrifty "baking97" Ozark, MO The convenience tempted me to try this for $20 at my local grocery. Poorly executed & constructed, the pods were too expensive & bland. Will be donating this to charity B0001LB9RG:leaky_mess:christopher_g._mendla_"cgmsys" B0001LB9RG Black & Decker HCC100 Home Cafe Single Serve Coffee Brewing System, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 1.0 July 17, 2006 Christopher G. Mendla "cgmsys" Southampton, Pa The coffee maker was working fine as long as I was using the presto Mypods with no filter in them.. Then, I tried using some pods in the regular pod holder. Coffee all over the counter every time.. I suspect that using the pods created back pressure that ruptured something internally. Based on the fact then when used as intended it fails miserably, I would have to say that it is an example of shoddy engineering.. Junk, Garbage, Crud BTW - If yours is working, I found that the secret to decent tasting coffee was to wash the pod holder (the presto mypod) with soap and water every time and throw the pod holders in the dishwasher once in a while. I guess they let some three year olds design the thing on a 'take your kids to work' day. B0001LB9RG:great_coffee,_but_the_machine_only_works_for_about_1_month:james_a._pierce B0001LB9RG Black & Decker HCC100 Home Cafe Single Serve Coffee Brewing System, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 1.0 June 21, 2006 James A. Pierce livingston, mt I am on my third machine now, and it too is leaking. Dont get me wrong, the coffee tastes really good, always fresh. But after a while the machine starts to leak when you are making a cup of coffee. I guess the machine only cost 25 bucks now, so if you dont mind only using it for a month it is a great buy B0001V4900:very_disappointing:a._couch B0001V4900 Wilton 2104-4010 Cookie Pro Ultra Cookie Press: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 11 1.0 November 26, 2005 A. Couch Indiana I bought this cookie press to make my favorite Christmas cookies-Spritz. I got the dough into the gun, squeezed the handle, kept squeezing the handle, and nothing. The mechanism that was supposed to push the dough out thru the disk kept slipping, and hence, no cookies. It was very frustrating, having everything ready to make the cookies, but with no way to properly form them. I would not recommend this cookie press B0009PJVO2:took_too_long_to_ship,_then_got_wrong_color!:al_"capone" B0009PJVO2 400-Thread-Count Egyptian Cotton Sateen Queen Sheet Set, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 2.0 March 8, 2006 Al "Capone" Boston Ma This is a disapointment for me. I ordered these sheets in white, and recieved ivory. (unlike other reviewers I am not talking about a tinge of ivory, my package said IVORY instead of WHITE.) I would return these sheets, but they are a gift for my mother, and since they took so long to ship, I won't have time to get her anything else! I have never had a bad experience with Amazon products, some of the third party sellers could be better, but usually Amazon it's self is pretty good. Not in this case! The sheets do feel nice, and hopefully they work out for my mother, but I am keeping my paperwork and packaging just incase she runs into any problems! Buyer Beware: $200 dollar sheets for $30 is TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE B0002YE6KE:jack_of_all_trades,_master_of_none:michelle_trombetta_"blondebombchelle" B0002YE6KE George Foreman GRV660 8-in-1 Toaster Oven/Broiler/Rotisserie, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 11 2.0 April 23, 2006 Michelle Trombetta "blondebombchelle" Minnetonka, MN USA We purchased the George Foreman 8 in 1 with the thought we would get the toaster oven we needed and some other features that would be nice to have. The 8 in 1 does have alot of neat features, the issue is it doesn't do any of the features very well. The toaster feature takes about 2 times as long to toast as a smaller, more conventional toaster oven. The Rotisserie is difficult to use and the grease catcher woefully inadequate. We found out the hard way when we had chicken grease overflow out of the grill and onto the counter. I can see this being a very good item for those with very small kitchens and in need of saving space, however, be warned that this oven has many shortcomings B00005LD46:arrived_broken:diana_g._miller B00005LD46 Fiestaware Sunflower 821 Sugar and Creamer with Tray: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 3 1.0 August 22, 2005 Diana G. Miller Meridian, ID Fiesta Scarlet is a beautiful color and the Sugar and Creamer with Tray is really great. Mine arrived broken and I had difficulty returning it so I remain disappointed and unwilling to try again. B0000UUZXC:give_this_one_a_pass...:gsm B0000UUZXC Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless-Steel 16-Inch Rectangular Roaster With Rack: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 41 of 42 2.0 May 27, 2005 GSM Boston Area Definitely not up to typical Cuisinart standards. While the roaster is a nicely polished stainless which makes for easy cleanup, it's relatively thin. In a 400 degree oven, the pan actually bows. Look elsewhere for your roaster B00006IUUO:not_for_smoothies:history_buff B00006IUUO Osterizer 4125 6 Piece Kitchen Center, Chrome: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 14 1.0 January 16, 2006 History Buff I don't know what the other reviewers of this blender are blending...but this blender is junk. I have tried twice to make smoothies with it and this blender cannot do the job. All of the ingredients just sit there while the only part of the mix being blended is at the very bottom. So, you have to keep stirring and stirring and stirring the mixture to get it all incorporated. And then try adding the crushed ice. This blender is going back. If you need a blender to make smoothies, this is not the model to buy B000063CC3:bad_delonghi_experience:kim B000063CC3 DeLonghi XR640 Retro Toaster Oven: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 August 30, 2006 Kim Boston, MA We purchased a DeLonghi toaster oven and both the toaster and oven functions stopped working right after the one year warranty expired. We barely used this product. When contacting customer service we were told that there were no replacement parts available for our model and there was nothing we could do and nothing they would do for us. My $20 toastmaster lasted more than 15 years! This is the lsat time I buy a toaster based on appearance B000063CC3:manufacturing_defect:keith_e._kelley B000063CC3 DeLonghi XR640 Retro Toaster Oven: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 1.0 March 27, 2006 Keith E. Kelley Ledyard, CT I received the DeLonghi XR640 Toaster Oven and was disappointed to find it unuseable. The wire rack inside was such a tight fit, it took 2 hands to pull it out! After a few times doing this, the enamel finish was starting to come off, which would soon result in rusting metal. I never turned it on, just returned it immediately. B0002T3UJ2:piece_of_junk:r._booth B0002T3UJ2 KitchenAid KRAV Ravioli Maker Attachment: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 53 of 55 1.0 July 26, 2005 R. Booth Saint Jean de Braye, France I've been happy with many other KitchenAid products, but this one is pure junk. The pasta roller attachment that KitchenAid also offers is great, but the width of it is so close to the size of this ravioli press, that the edges of the ravioli barely have enough dough to seal - and many of them pop open. It's worth noting that although this does in fact attach to a standing mixer, it does not use the mixer's motor. You have to manually turn the crank with your hand. I returned this piece of junk, and bought the VillaWare V5500 10-Square Ravioli Maker for $18. Save yourself some money and do the same B0002CXCRO:it's_ok_but_a_bit_fragile:roland_g._martinez_"roland_martinez" B0002CXCRO CorningWare Corelle Coordinates 4-Piece Casserole Bake and Serve Set, Cajun Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 14 of 14 2.0 May 29, 2005 Roland G. Martinez "Roland Martinez" Salt Lake City, UT Firstly this set arrived with the small lid broken. Amazon of course sent a replacement set but then the large lid was broken on that one. I now have my full set however it feels kind of thin and fragile. It's an ok buy but when the time comes to replace them I'll be looking for something a bit more durable B00000JGRS:cuisinart_-_tough_to_clean:bill_dallas_tx B00000JGRS Cuisinart DGB-300BK Automatic Grind and Brew 10-Cup Coffeemaker, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 August 13, 2006 Bill Dallas TX While the combined grinding and making of the coffee in one unit is a great idea, the mess that it created was a pain to clean up each day. The grounds would get caked in on all three removal parts and each part needed to be cleaned before using again. I had the product three months and it quit working. The good thing is that when we call Cuisinart's 800 number, they told us to just return the item to the store that we purchased it at and we got our money back. B00005RKOF:oxo_great_shape_measuring_cup:ewolram B00005RKOF OXO Good Grips 70881 1-Cup Angled Measuring Cup: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 2.0 July 13, 2003 EWOLRAM Tempe, AZ United States I think it is ALMOST a great idea! It would be super if made of glass. I don't want to be concerned with material for which I use it! I would buy a couple if made of glass, otherwise not B00004RFOE:a_short_but_fruitful_life: B00004RFOE Henckels Five Star 7-Inch High Carbon Stainless-Steel Santoku Knife: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 22 1.0 August 29, 2002 For approximately six months I owned this knife. I used it everyday as it far outshined my other henkel chefs knife in balance, cutting efficiency and need for regular sharpening. Until a few weeks ago when I was peeling a clove of garlic with the knife. Lo and behold...I know have a two inch blade attached to the handle and five inches of steel sitting on the countertop. I am currently looking for other brands of this knife style as I was unhappy with the manufactures complete lack of response regarding my complaint B00004SCOO:nonstick_broiler_pan:andrea_bevacqua_"andrea_bevacqua" B00004SCOO Roshco Large Nonstick Broiler Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 1.0 February 24, 2006 Andrea Bevacqua "andrea bevacqua" brick, nj Every time I use the pan is twists as soon as it gets hot. It makes it very difficult to cook on and to move in and out of the oven. The non stick surface comes off very easily too. For the money I expected better!! B00004SCOO:this_product_is_horrible!: B00004SCOO Roshco Large Nonstick Broiler Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 36 of 36 1.0 October 22, 2001 I completely agree with the other reviewers. This product is so bad. It warps under the heat, the not-so-non-stick surface peels, and food sticks like glue B00063QMIU:slow_work:coffee_starts_my_day B00063QMIU Conair GS4 Compact Fabric Steamer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 2.0 September 1, 2006 Coffee starts my day Indiana I have used the steamer once, and was disappointed at how long it took. The steam comes out weakly and splattered water on the garment several times. I was just trying to take the store creases out of a new pair of lightweight cotton trousers, and it took a lot of going over to get it done. I used to have a small hand steamer that put out a real blast of steam and worked much faster. This one will probably work on heavier material like drapes, but it will take a very long time. I wouldn't buy it if you plan to use it for anything other than very delicate items, and it seems like a lot of equipment to lug out for that job. A hand unit makes more sense to me, and you wouldn't have to maneuver that long hose. This is just one more large thing to store. I wish I could return it to Wal-mart, but will probably give it away and buy something that is easier to use B00063QMIU:can't_imagine_anyone_liked_this_thing.:steven_pereira B00063QMIU Conair GS4 Compact Fabric Steamer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 1.0 May 9, 2006 Steven Pereira Boston I hate to iron and despise the cost of dry cleaning...so, I was really excited when I saw this steamer at CVS. It was reasonably priced and sounded wonderful. I was bragging about how much I loved this steamer after using it just once! It was easy and fast....then, the second time I used it---Water everywhere! Water started to spit and spray out of the (sealed and closed) base of the steamer. I had turned the top to the locked position...but, the black rubber ring (supposed to keep the thing sealed?) was all twisted up---explaining why it wasn't working. Well, I fixed that rubber thing back into place, but it still kept spraying boiling water. SO, right now it's sitting in the corner waiting to be thrown out. I'm very frustrated with this product, but love the way that clothes steamers work. It looks like I'm going to have to bite the bullet and buy an expensive one. But, how expensive should these things be? All they do is boil water and shoot it out of a nozzle, right? This product is a waste of time and money...I can't believe that there were any good reviews. B00063QMIU:a_big_fat_joke_&_a_waste_of_money:pattimat_"reality_tv_critic" B00063QMIU Conair GS4 Compact Fabric Steamer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 13 1.0 April 3, 2006 PattiMat "Reality TV Critic" I am a trained research assistant; therefore, I try to research products before I purchase them. In the case of this purchase, I saw the item during an early bird sale at Kohls, so I grabbed it. I owned a professional steamer that was purchased at a store that was going out of buisness, but it is really bulky, so I thought that the compact steamer would be a great choice. On the contrary, it was a big waste of time trying to dewrinkle a blouse, and although it was on sale, it was a waste of money. The problems I had were: 1. The cord is too short: directions instruct user to hang nozzle on the door hook which hangs over the top of any door. The nozzle would not reach to the top of the door, and I live in a mobile home, so it is not like I have the tallest doors in a home. 2. The most important thing in steaming a garment, for me, is to avoid the garment getting wet. I did not fill the steamer to the maximum line, because I know from past experience that this could sometime cause the spitting affect. After 2 minutes of waiting for the steam, I began to try it out on a silk blouse, and what a big mistake I made. The water spat out on the material. I thought that I should not hold the nozzle so close, but it did not matter, because water continued to spit out on the blouse. 3. The steam pressure would not dewrinkle the blouse. The is not a case where the material was so hard to dewrinkle; it is silk, not that hard of a material. I have read other reviews, and if this machine worked for them, I don't know how, but I can attest to the operation of the steamer that I purchased. I dabble in selling clothing on another website, and I have owned my other steamer since 2002, and I will continue to use it; I will just have to deal with space that it takes up in my home. Conair GS4 Compact is a bust. B00063QMIU:i_burned_my_eye_pretty_bad.:f._romero_"fern" B00063QMIU Conair GS4 Compact Fabric Steamer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 10 1.0 March 7, 2006 F. Romero "fern" Milwaukee This is a dangerous steamer. Sometimes it will pour steaming water and burn you badly. definitely not recommended. I am throwing mine away B0000VCXR2:too_damned_purple!_(aubergine):j._stein_"tech_buddy" B0000VCXR2 Chantal 48-Ounce Tea Steep, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 6 1.0 March 5, 2005 J. Stein "Tech Buddy" SF Bay area, CA This is NOT Aubergine, a dark purple like the color of eggplant skin, but it is a light, bright purple. Sitting on my kitchen countertop, it is a very formidable sight first thing in the morning; glowing, shimmering in kitchen flourescent lighting. Caveat emptor, unless you're color blind or really like bright purple B00004S9EQ:pass_on_this_one!!:lou B00004S9EQ Cuisinart MM-2M Mini Mate Chopper / Grinder: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 11, 2006 Lou Massachusetts Threw it in the trash! It was AWFUL!! Horrible to clean, didn't chop right. PASS ON THIS ONE!! Bought an unknown brand for $9.99 and love it B00004S9EQ:save_your_money:m._rasing B00004S9EQ Cuisinart MM-2M Mini Mate Chopper / Grinder: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 April 20, 2006 M. Rasing I've been using a large Cusinart for over 10 years. It is marvelous, so I decided to get the mini-mate chopper for smaller jobs. WRONG IDEA!! This is a horrible little machine. It won't grind more than a couple of seeds at a time & forget chopping! The grinding unit won't rotate most of the time. It's going to the Salvation Army as a donation. B00014WPU8:overpriced_to_say_the_least:ben_franklin B00014WPU8 Screwpull Elegance Lever Model Corkscrew Gift Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 1.0 June 13, 2005 Ben Franklin Minneapolis I strongly agree with the last reviewer- this unit is EXTREMELY OVERPRICED. I also have a all-metal zinc alloy unit that included 2 extra worms, aluminum foilcutter, stainless steel bottle stopper and pourer and gift box for $25. This one, at $150, still has a plastic body B00004OCNK:useless..!:paola_piccolo B00004OCNK OXO Good Grips 73381 Dough Blender: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 1.0 February 4, 2005 Paola Piccolo Newark, California I bought this blender to make pie pastry, and I was thoroughly disappointed. The wires don't cut because they just widen and the pieces of butter slip through..I spent a lot of muscle to obtain a very poor result. The handle is nice but it just doesn't get the job done B0000E2GVZ:burst_into_flames_when_making_toast:jml5_"customer" B0000E2GVZ Black & Decker TRO962 Dining In 4-Slice Toaster Oven: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 August 14, 2006 jml5 "Customer" Seattle, WA I just bought this toaster (not on Amazon) to replace a Black&Decker toaster oven that had served well for more than 10 years. This new toaster oven burst into flames when making toast filling my house with rank smoke and nearly setting my kitchen cabinets ablaze. This is a very dangerous appliance that, based on my experience and other reviews here, should probably be taken off the market and recalled B0000TQSES:not_even_worth_1_star:m._janiszewski B0000TQSES Desk Organizer - Monthly Bill Organizer - (Natural): Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 March 1, 2006 M. Janiszewski This item fell apart the moment I took it out of the box. The sides literally came apart. Do not buy this product. The company should be ashamed for even selling it B0009KMYFK:poor_quality:c._duncan B0009KMYFK 500-Thread-Count Cotton Sateen King Sheet Set, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 July 21, 2006 C. Duncan Siloam Springs, AR USA We have only been using the sheets for 2 months and it is already pilling (balling up) very badly. It is already affecting my husbands sleep so we are on a search for another sheet set. When you see 500 thread count, you expect more from the sheet but I guess we should have know what to expect given the low price. I suppose you get what you pay for. Take my advice and don't throw away this $$ B0000DDUG0:impossible_to_clean:l.a._lawyer B0000DDUG0 Click Clack 3155 Storage Container Set 24-pc.: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 1.0 September 10, 2006 L.A. Lawyer I agree with the previous reviewer that these are difficult to clean and dry. I could never get mine really clean so I threw them out B0000DDUG0:crack_easily:sue_c. B0000DDUG0 Click Clack 3155 Storage Container Set 24-pc.: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 2.0 September 19, 2005 Sue C. SF Bay Area, USA Although I like the concept of these storage containers, they crack very easily. The bottom of one of the largest containers had cracked during shipping. (Still useable for dry things like flour) Then as I was sitting on the floor putting the containers away in a bottom cabinet, I dropped on from 1-2 feet above a linoleum floor -- it too chipped and cracked at the point of impact. Also, when I first unpacked the containers, one of the lids came apart and the bottom half became stuck in the container. We had to use a knife/fork and 2 people to pry it out, doing some damage in the process. I believe the Click Clack folks have developed a second or even third generation of these containers. Perhaps they are sturdier. On the positive side, I did store some tomatoe sauce in one of the containers and it did not stain B0000B2AEC:since_when_is_spode_made_in_china?:m._shirley B0000B2AEC Spode Christmas Tree Oval Rim Dish: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 4 1.0 September 13, 2006 M. Shirley I purchased 5 of these dishes (at $9.99 each) to give as Christmas gifts. Spode is manufactured in England, but the sub-standard knock-offs I received came from China. The color is dull and grayish. Return shipping would be outrageous, so I'm stuck with 5 ugly dishes. B0001LQG92:can_you_hear_me_now?:melanie B0001LQG92 VTECH V 2650 Dual Phone Handset System: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 1.0 June 9, 2005 melanie arlington, texas This phone would be great if it did not have the worst static come and go several times throughout a call. It never fails, when I need to make a really important call-- the static is so loud I can't hear at all. Every time we use it the static interrupts our conversation because we can't hear. And Target wouldn't take it back without the box--How long are we supposed to keep the box- reasonably! B00005NCWR:black_goo_and_funny_smell:angie_s_"angie" B00005NCWR Farberware Classic Sonoma 2-1/2-Quart Whistling Stainless Steel Teakettle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 14 of 16 1.0 January 8, 2005 Angie S "Angie" California The design is ok. Nothing fancy, nothing different, it looks just like any other teakettle. It works fine. The handle doesn't get hot, and the whistle isn't too loud. I gave it one star because of the black goo that came inside. I washed it before using it, and after the water was done boiling, I saw little black particles floating in the water and the water smelled weird. The smell may have been caused by that black stuff. I washed the pot again and saw more black stuff coming out. I took one piece and noticed it was gooey. I checked if there was something that had melted when I boiled the water, but I saw the kettle was intact. I boiled more water and again I saw the black goo floating in the water. I have boiled water 7 times and have washed the pot 4 times, and there is still goo floating in the water, they are almost unnoticeable, like very tiny dots, but they are there. At least the funny smell is gone. I don't know what that black goo is or what's causing it or where it's coming from. I'm afraid it may contain dangerous metals or chemicals that can be harmful. If I keep seeing black goo, I'm sending it back. I think I've learned my lesson. When it comes to buying cookware, it's better to buy good quality. It's not worth jeopardizing your health to save a few bucks. Update: After washing it two more times and boiling water one more time I got rid of the goo. And I've noticed that the handle gets very hot when I fill it all the way up B0009VELUA:terrible_in_so_many_ways:d._riccio B0009VELUA Cuisinart DCC-2000 Coffee-on-Demand 12-cup Programmable Coffeemaker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 3 2.0 November 22, 2006 D. Riccio Florida I have read a few reviews about this machine and some how I am not sure what I missed. I purchased this machine about 8 months ago. I loved the look of it in my kitchen with all my stainless appliances. That is where it ends. This machine has been terrible, when you put water in it the filter part floats up and out of the slot letting water get into the machine unfiltered. When your filling your cup you have to bend down in front of the machine to see where the coffee is in the cup or it will overflow, making more for you to clean up. I just want coffee!!! Even though the inside "unit" that holds the coffee does come out, it is not designed to fit into the front of a refrig to put water in it. You have to use something else to catch the water from the refrig then dump that into this machine. They put little time into the design/research of this machine. I hesitate to add this as I don't want anyone reading this to think my home is dirty....living in Florida we tend to see Palmetto bugs. This machine has about 5 vent holes in the top of it, I had two bugs get in the machine. They had full access to the water reservior. Once I filled the water reservior the bugs came flying out. That was the end of this machine for me. POOR DESIGN ISSUES and not sanitary by any means. LOOK ON! B0009VELUA:loved_it_until_this_morning.__:m._van_cott B0009VELUA Cuisinart DCC-2000 Coffee-on-Demand 12-cup Programmable Coffeemaker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 8 1.0 August 25, 2006 M. Van Cott Seattle area, WA USA I have had the Cuisinart DCC-2000 Coffeemaker for about six months or so and loved it. This morning, however, it decided to stop working correctly. I left the kitchen while it was brewing and all of the coffee leaked all over the counter. What a mess! I then made just 2 cups and put a coffee cup under the spout and watched it. Sure enough as the coffee was brewing the spout was spewing. I don't know what coffeemaker to buy now B0007KQZT8:poor_handles:p._lam_"po_po" B0007KQZT8 Farberware Select 10-Piece Cookware Set, Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 1.0 December 8, 2005 P. Lam "Po Po" NY The cooking set looks great. However, once you heat the pot/ pan, the steel material handles become super hot. I have to return the huge box B00006LILV:i_hate_these_pillows,_they_smell_like_a_henhouse!:tab B00006LILV Pacific Coast Feather EuroFeather Standard Pillow, Set of 2: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 11 1.0 November 22, 2004 Tab Maine, USA Granted I have never had feather pillows before so maybe this is what is to be eppected but they have no neck support whatsoever, they make disturbing crunching noises whenever I move my head and they positively REEK like a dirty henhouse. Gross! Home on the range ain't for me. I detest these, and threw them out B0001ATELK:cooks_great,_lid_does_not_work_well...:belle B0001ATELK T-Fal FR4004002 Avante Deep Fryer, Chrome & Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 2.0 March 2, 2006 Belle I Love the way the Tefal deep fryer cooks, however, I am returning my second one due to a defective lid closure. The lid may close initially, but after a few uses it no longer stays closed. Since I have small children in my home, I will not be purchasing this one again. B00004S1CY:high_priced_-_low_quality:beybandit B00004S1CY Nissan Travel Companion Stainless-Steel Insulated Bottle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 16 1.0 April 6, 2006 beybandit Melbourne, FL Very disappointing! Spend your money somewhere else. I threw away a perfectly good but old made in the USA Thermos bottle and bought this made in China Nissan 0.79-Quart Stainless-Steel INSULATED Bottle back in June of 2005. Ten Months later this bottle stopped keeping anything warm and would feel warm to the touch after you poured warm liquids in it - evidence of the loss of its insulating function. I think it lost the vacuum in the cavity which I think is the method used to insulate the liquid inside. When you spend $25 one would think it's a good quality product - Think again B0000AQL25:very_annoyed!:sweet_dreams B0000AQL25 Maverick CT-03 Digital Oil & Candy Thermomter: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 16 of 19 2.0 May 18, 2005 sweet dreams N. Babylon N.Y. I bought this thermomter after watching Goods Eats with Alton Brown, because when I make buttercream frosting I wanted to be able to clip on the thermometer to the pot and get an accurate reading. Well this themometer did a lousy job at staying clipped onto the pot, it kept falling off no matter how I put it on. I even tried using other pots, but no luck. I am so mad that I paid so much money for this crappy gadget, it sucks B0000AQL25:great_..._as_long_as_it_worked:elb B0000AQL25 Maverick CT-03 Digital Oil & Candy Thermomter: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 24 of 26 1.0 December 5, 2004 ELB Rockville, MD USA I used this thermometer fewer than 10 times before it stopped working. For the most part, it no longer registers any temperature, and when it does it reads 75-100 degrees too cool. While it was working, I definitely preferred it to my analog candy thermometer because it was less bulky, but I certainly can't recommend it now. The clip still works, though, and coupled with my wonderful Polder probe thermometer, I've got the best candy thermometer ever B0006FKD9W:big_and_leaky:steve_k._"music_junkie_and_a_dad" B0006FKD9W Hamilton Beach 47114 BrewStation 12-Cup Coffeemaker, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 November 20, 2006 Steve K. "Music Junkie and a Dad" King George, VA United States This is a neat idea ruined by shoddy manufacturing. First of all, this coffemaker is a lot bigger than most regular ones, especially the height. I can't fill this one without pulling it all the way out to the front of the counter. This takes up a lot of room for small kitchens or crowded countertops. The whole thing is also made out of plastic with a very cheap look and feel as soon as you take it out of the box. In just about 3 months of daily use, I've already had water or coffee leak out of the dispenser four times. Between the constant waste of space and having to watch out for leaks, I'd rather go back to pouring my own cups. The only reason I haven't thrown it out is because my wife bought it and I don't want to hurt her feelings B0006FKD9W:if_you_want_quality,_look_elsewhere...:fletch B0006FKD9W Hamilton Beach 47114 BrewStation 12-Cup Coffeemaker, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 2.0 August 6, 2006 Fletch Utah I purchased this unit due to the fact that you could dispense without a coffee pot. In the past I have usually ended up breaking the glass carafe that comes along with traditional coffee makers. At first, I was very pleased with the unit and thought I made a great purchase. Eventually it started to drip and leak at random. The handle in the water/coffee holder broke. The top of the unit that lifts up broke off completely and now just sort of sits there precariously. Finally, this week it decided that it was not going to work at all. It will not make coffee. It will turn on, but not brew. I have only had this for a year and a half or so. Look elsewhere if you are looking for something that is going to last. (it was only used 2-3 times a week B0006FKD9W:no_need_for_cups,_slurp_it_off_the_counter:susie_morris_"book_junkie" B0006FKD9W Hamilton Beach 47114 BrewStation 12-Cup Coffeemaker, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 17 of 18 1.0 March 30, 2006 Susie Morris "Book Junkie" Beaumont, CA We received the Hamilton Beach BrewStation 12 Cup Coffeemaker as a gift from my sister-in-law. She loved hers and had used it for a few months so she bought one for us. Shortly after buying this for us, her coffeemaker started leaking. She thought it was just worn out from the six months of use and purchased a different type to replace hers. We used our BrewStation for the first time yesterday. The night before, I set it up and programmed it to make coffee at 5:00 AM - perfect, we could get up and have coffee already made. It worked great. A minor problem is that I enjoy coffee throughout the morning and the coffeemaker shut off after two hours. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, I just turned it back on and life was good. Now before I go on with my story, I need to explain how this coffeemaker works. You pour the water into the first reservoir (for water only) using the coffee tank to measure the amount of water. The coffee tank is placed back on the coffeemaker and the coffee filter and coffee is placed in a basket that fits on top of the coffee tank. The coffee is made and held in the coffee tank. To dispense the coffee, you place your cup below the tank and push on the dispenser button with your cup. Coffee pours right into the cup. Great idea, too bad it doesn't work as well as the concept! Today coffee was brewed at 5:00 AM again. That's the only thing that worked well. When my husband tried to get a cup of coffee it poured out and would not stop. The cup overflowed, the coffee ran all over the counter and continued to flow until he unplugged it and put the entire coffeemaker in the sink. It finally stopped pouring out when it ran out of coffee. I've cleaned the coffee tank and it continues to pour no matter what I do. Since this coffeemaker runs just under $ 50, the twelve cups of coffee we've made with it very expensive! I've emailed Hamilton Beach and am awaiting an answer to this dilemma. I need to purchase another coffeemaker today and it definitely won't be a Hamilton Beach brand. I can't afford to purchase a new coffeemaker every other day! My advice is to purchase a different brand and stay away from this one. Unless you don't have cups and want to slurp your coffee off of the counter! B00020BP0M:battery_life_is_4_months_tops:pj B00020BP0M Black and Decker CHV9600 9.6-Volt Cyclonic DustBuster: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 October 30, 2006 PJ GTA, Canada My spouse operates this vacuum daily until the rechargeable nickel-cadium battery is dead to avoid any memory issues. Like the Black & Decker 15.6V CHV1560 cordless hand vacuum, the battery life is 4 months tops. Perhaps Black & Decker should replace the nickel-cadium battery with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery on all of their cordless hand vacuums B00020BP0M:works_great,_at_first...:j._worch B00020BP0M Black and Decker CHV9600 9.6-Volt Cyclonic DustBuster: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 August 16, 2006 J. Worch Kansas City, MO I have had this product for about 2 years. When we first got it, it worked great--lasted about 10 min. at a time. Now, we're lucky to get the floor cleaned up under the table before it starts to wear down. Also, the clip which holds it to the base just broke, and I see that I am not the first person to experience this problem. I don't see anywhere to buy a replacement base, at this time, so I may end up just throwing the whole thing away B00004WKI3:stripped_gears:g._kerner_"in_nh" B00004WKI3 Cuisinart CEK-40 Electric Knife: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 November 24, 2006 G. Kerner "in NH" Meredith, NH I am very disappointed with this product. I was carving my Thanksgiving turkey yesterday when the knife stopped working after it got hooked on bone in the wing. The motor continued to work, but the blades stopped moving. The knife has only been used 3 times, but I had to throw it out today. I opened the plastic case, and found a metal worm gear coming off the motor shaft,and a cheap nylon gear attached to it to move the blades back and forth. The nylon gear was stripped and the knife was useless. My prior knife, much less expensive, lasted for 18 years. The Cuisinart knife is not well made and only works well when it is not under any stress. B00000JGRV:mechanics_are_faulty:bobbi B00000JGRV Cuisinart CPT-90 Classic 4 Slice Toaster: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 April 28, 2006 Bobbi Waterloo, IA, USA We have had this toaster for approximately 3 yrs. It has had mimimal use as we vacation away from home in the winter ( 4 months at least). There are just two people using this toaster and on an average only use it twice a week. The toaster is a part time toaster, sometimes it will toast both sides sometimes not. It has now become a total pain as the mechanism to hold the bread down has stopped working. I thought that a Cuisinart would last for ever. I owned a very cheap toaster for over 35 years, gave it to my sons to use in college. That toaster still functions properly but is small and a 2 slicer. It will come out of the attic until we can find a better company than Cuisinart with a better product B00008TAE4:they_leak:kin_m._hui_"kinhui" B00008TAE4 Zyliss Shake 'N Go, Frost: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 May 26, 2006 Kin M. Hui "kinhui" addison, tx Zyliss makes different Shaker with different color. If you didn't catch this review, it is just because this color is n/a. They all leak. After 3 months of daily use, I feel bad that I have another thing to full up the landfill B00008TAE4:careful,_it_may_leak:angel_g._taveras B00008TAE4 Zyliss Shake 'N Go, Frost: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 2.0 February 16, 2006 Angel G. Taveras It has a terrible desing flaw. I use it to mix and carry protein shakes. I put the powder in, put the cap on and when i am ready put the milk or water, shake and drink. Too good to be rated 2 stars, isn't it? well that was the good. The bad is: the tread that hold the cap is inside the conteiner so when you mix, the mixture go thru the tread (it doesn't look nice), and it's supposed to be hold in by a clear tiny silicon-like band that is attached to the cap. If you tighten the cap too much, the band will be squeezed out of position and leak. If you do not tighten it enough the band won't seal and leak. Another thing, maybe not as important as the above, is that it is little uncomfortable to drink directly from the bottle, the lid keep closing everytime. So before you make your decision analize carefully. Despite all that.... It mixes, when you get it right(until the band break) and spray eventuall B0000C7BAK:too_small:d'vonne_casadaban_"diobahn" B0000C7BAK Copco Camden Teakettle, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 May 17, 2006 D'vonne Casadaban "diobahn" southeast Louisiana, USA Unit is advertised as 5 quart............what arrived is 2 quart, and much too small for my purposes B000288KDE:this_does_not_hold_its_edge:rko_"radiopictures" B000288KDE Komachi Series 6-1/2-Inch Vegetable Santoku Knife: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 6 2.0 December 17, 2005 RKO "radiopictures" Los Angeles, Ca USA I have had the knife for a month, and now it is simply not sharp. The knife does NOT hold it's edge, and I have used it only on soft vegetables a few times. Acceptable at $19, but hardly high quality B000153ZYC:poor_quality_-_a_great_disappointment:l._m.m_"lisamay" B000153ZYC Cuisinart DCC-1000R Programmable Filter Brew 12-Cup Coffeemaker, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 8 1.0 April 9, 2006 L. M.M "LisaMay" Casco, WI I bought this coffee pot after owning the older version of the grind and brew. Silly of me to think this would be an improvement. The front load basket design is terrible. It is a true "pain" to clean this section, you cannot get your hands or any tool I have in my kitchen to clean the mechanisms. Therefore, the brew basket sticks and at times the latch that holds the basket in will at times be gummed up. Then when you start to brew your coffee thinking that the latch is closed, its not - its gummed up. Not a problem until the heat and moisture from the brewing coffee loosen the gunk up and your basket shoots out and the coffee brews all over your counter. As many times as hubby and I try to clean this its become too much of a pain, this coffee pot is out of here... and on its way to the curb. I actually am contemplating sending it back to cuisinart in pieces!!!!!! Poor design. Did I mention the coffee itself does not seem to have the same flavor as the other machine. I think this one brews at a higher temp making the coffee bitter. My advise as a seasoned coffee maker/drinker. PASS save your money and your headaches B000153ZYC:dislike_button_pause_and_pour:b._keyt B000153ZYC Cuisinart DCC-1000R Programmable Filter Brew 12-Cup Coffeemaker, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 2.0 March 20, 2006 B. Keyt I am not a fan of the pause and pour feature. IT is a button and if the pot is not directly under button the coffe over flows. On two occasions the machine stopped dripping coffee in the pot, casing grounds to overflow the filter. I can only assume the pot was not perfectly placed. I searched for a red coffee maker at a resonable price but could find none without this type of pause and pour. I may have to remove button for 100% satisfaction. But I love the red accents in my kitchen B00004SU18:green_slime_in_brita_pitcher:two_cats B00004SU18 Brita Replacement Filter for Pitchers (3-Pack): Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 7 1.0 June 19, 2006 Two Cats I have been using a Brita pitcher for years but with the last two boxes of filters, a green slime grew in the pitcher after less than a month of use. I've heard the Brita faucet filter attachments are worse. I'm looking for another product. B00008KIWH:awful:t._palka B00008KIWH Rival Oval Programmable Stainless Steel Crock Pot (5.5-qt): Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 23, 2006 T. Palka canada i have wanted a crockpot for a long time and this one was one of the cheaper ones i saw. i've read reviews about rival before but decided to go ahead and try it out. i really wish i would have kept my receipt and box!. the lid doesn't even fit and moves around most of the time making a bunch of noise and letting all the steam escape so all your liquid ends up being gone. the food is well done before the slow time is up. my chicken turns out SO dry and overcooked. B00008KIWH:cooker_from_he__!!:d._hutchens B00008KIWH Rival Oval Programmable Stainless Steel Crock Pot (5.5-qt): Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 10 1.0 September 28, 2006 D. Hutchens Fallon, NV Wish I had seen the reviews before purchasing this insane appliance. Nothing "slow" about it-- burns everything, even on the Keep Warm setting. Best you can get out of it is 4 hours before you absolutely have to return home and shut it off. If not, your evening meal is small burnt pieces of food welded to the bottom of the pot. I swear, this thing is possessed! My old Rival Crock Pot was the best appliance I ever purchased, this one is the WORST! B00005851Z:get_the_upgraded_grill_with_the_removable_plates_instead._:riolama B00005851Z George Foreman GR10ABWI Champ Grill with Bun Warmer, Indigo: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 13 1.0 August 15, 2006 Riolama I wish I had. This one goes to the Goodwill. Grill plates are fixed and a chore to clean. Grill leaves uncooked areas if height is irregular, like a chicken breast. Hamburgers work best. Watch out for burns B000228KBW:why_anyone_thinks_this_is_a_good_iron_is_beyond_me:scott_from_dallas B000228KBW Black & Decker AS150 Steam Advantage Iron: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 17 of 20 2.0 February 17, 2005 scott_from_dallas Irving, Texas United States I bought this iron based on the recommendations here and was terribly dissapointed. First of all, the iron is very big and heavy. That's not really a problem by itself, but when the iron leaves wrinkles on a shirt as much as it did, it becomes a big problem. The controls were hard to deal with. Turning the iron on and to the setting desired involved getting under the holder. I can see someone burning their hand on a hot iron by accidentally reaching underneath to get a grip in order to work the controls on a hot iron. The water receiver only accepts water when the iron is laying flat. Well, that's fine if the iron isn't hot, but what if you decide you need water while ironing? The steam controls either don't work on the unit I have, or they don't work similar to any other iron I've used. This iron is far worse than the Sunbeam I'm trying to replace due to inherent problems and leaks B0000DDVL0:not_very_effective:mary_jo_sminkey_"author_of_cfwebstore" B0000DDVL0 Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Cookware Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 2.0 May 4, 2006 Mary Jo Sminkey "author of cfwebstore" Carlisle, PA USA Maybe I just have stains that are too much for it, but this cleaner didn't seem to do very much, certainly not enough to warrant paying the extra for it versus normal cleaners. And I'm not using it on very old Le Creuset either, everything I have is less than a year old. Maybe it does better on older stains! B0006M54KI:tfal_deep_fryer:rosemary_warner_"nccookie231" B0006M54KI T-Fal FA7001002 Ultimate EZ Clean Deep Fryer with Timer, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 5, 2006 Rosemary Warner "nccookie231" NC The size is nice for 2 people. Cleaning is easy. Seems to be a defect in that the unit has to sit just right on the base or it will not go on and off by itself. You have to juggle it to be sure it is seated just right to get it to come back on after the oil is heated up and then you have to be real careful that it stays seated just right. B00004RFNW:never_again:m._mihalik_"mmm" B00004RFNW Henckels International Eversharp Pro Stainless Steel Steak Knives, Set of 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 5 1.0 January 7, 2002 M. Mihalik "MMM" Cincinnati, OH USA These knives are terrible! The eversharp edge is finely serrated and tears the steak leaving pieces of meat hanging on the edges. It rips the food instead of cutting it. I thought the Henckels name would be better than this. Don't waste your money B00006IIVB:another_water_tank_victim:p._meier B00006IIVB Hoover F7425-900 SteamVac Dual V with SpinScrub Hand Tool: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 October 28, 2006 P. Meier Peru, IL United States As mentioned in a lot of other reviews, my water tank leaks like a sieve. the unit is completely unusable. When you see how poorly constructed the water tank is, you realize Hoover has built a clearly defective product. Save yourself trouble, buy another brand of cleaner. I will never buy a Hoover product again B00004SY8R:is_this_some_sort_of_sick_joke?:captain_hook B00004SY8R Calphalon Single Pot Rack Hooks, Set of 2: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 55 1.0 July 30, 2002 Captain Hook Never Never Land Is this some sort of sick joke? Are you purposfully trying to be politically incorrect or WHAT!? Making fun of sombody's disability like that is not funny and can produce long term mental anguish. If you're not careful, I'm going to take you to court B0007XXSB8:corelle_livingware:frank_m._nielsen B0007XXSB8 Corelle Livingware Pink Trio 20-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 3 1.0 March 25, 2006 Frank M. Nielsen My wife and I ordered 2 sets of the corelle ware. We even got a $10 discount automatically. The order came quicker than expected and everything was in excellent shape. We like this type of diningware better than china ware. It is virtually indestructible. I lkie Amazon's free shipping. I've purchased many things through Amazon and haven't been disappointed B00004S9CY:disappointed!:james_n_favor B00004S9CY Cuisinart DCG-20BKN Coffee Bar Coffee Grinder, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 9 1.0 April 25, 2003 James N Favor SANTA BARBARA, CA United States This grinder has a small capacity [not as advertised]. If you follow directions, it will only grind enough for 4 cups at a time. Also, for some reason it generates a static charge and there is coffee dust all over the counter after emptying it. The cord is stiff and the cord storage is inconvienient. Finally, it is much more noisy than my old one B000260JPS:the_chemical_smell_is_real:e._dean B000260JPS Sanyo ECJ-D100S 10-Cup Micro-Computerized Rice Cooker/Steamer, White with Stainless Accent: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 6 2.0 October 17, 2006 E. Dean Portland, OR USA After reading the reviews here saying that the chemical smell mentioned by others was not a problem for them, I went ahead and ordered this rice cooker. After I received the cooker, I was a little disappointed to find that it was made in china, rather than japan, and that there were some very noticeable imperfections in the fit and finish. I made sure to remove the shipping paper under the pot, and wash the pot and lid thoroughly, but upon trying it out I was disappointed to find that my cooker did in fact emit an acrid chemical smell that filled my apartment. It was the kind of smell that you more feel in your nose than actually smell. The smell also flavored the rice, which was most noticeable after letting it cool and airing out the apartment. Aside from this problem, though, the rice, which was standard japanese style white short grain, came out perfectly. I returned this cooker and ordered the Panasonic SR-NA18, which should arrive tomorrow. I have compared a few rice cookers at my local asian store, and this Panasonic model seems better built than the newer (I believe) Panasonic SR-LA18, plus I believe it is made in Japan (I'll have to check when mine arrives). I also highly recommend the Zojirushi 10-cup "Neuro Fuzzy" model (NS-JCC18/NS-ZCC18). My parents have had one for several years and it works perfectly B00000JGRQ:worked_for_a_few_years,_then_burn_city:a_few_to_review_"tootsie" B00000JGRQ Cuisinart SPB-7 SmartPower 40-Ounce 7-Speed Electronic Bar Blender, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 2.0 May 2, 2006 a few to review "Tootsie" Oregon I loved this when I purchased it, then I noticed it did not do a perfect job, then it would take a while to get going, then it smoked and died. Not worth it B00000JGRQ:fresh_out_of_the_box:larry B00000JGRQ Cuisinart SPB-7 SmartPower 40-Ounce 7-Speed Electronic Bar Blender, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 8 1.0 April 18, 2005 Larry Took the blender out of the box. Cleaned the jar and lid and started trying to use. It ran for a few seconds and then I started smelling something burning and the blender quit. I attempted to contact customer support and couldn't get through. The telephone message suggested I leave a message and they would call back. I attempted to leave a message but it said the mailbox was full. Not a good sign B0000CDVD7:gummy_handles_in_dishwasher:the_kwil B0000CDVD7 OXO Steel 58181 Garlic Press, Stainless: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 October 14, 2006 The Kwil CO USA We have had this garlic press for a number of years, but now its handles have turned so gummy from repeated dishwashing that they turn the kitchen counter black just by laying it down. Plan on buying a new one every couple of years B00004OCJ3:rust_spots_on_cutting_edge_of_blade:victor B00004OCJ3 OXO Good Grips 22181 5-Inch Utility Knife: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 2.0 April 24, 2006 Victor It is a strong knife; and easy to grip; but, I am upset about the rust spots on the blade, especially because I gave 2 people this knife as a gift! It was very embarrassing! I can't return it since it was a long distance gift. Shame on Oxo! I gave it 2 stars because of the good grip; but, that is all it is....a good grip that looks like you bought it at Good Will B00008TACS:idiotic_sticker!:david_a._hendrick_"dave_h" B00008TACS Zyliss Pizza Wheel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 4 1.0 August 14, 2006 David A. Hendrick "Dave H" Charlottesville I'm sure this is a fine pizza wheel. Unfortunately, I've not yet been able to use it, as the @#$!*$ sticker that came attached to the blade is vitually impossible to remove. Geez. B000CSBLYE:not_sure_if_i_would_buy_again.:kimberly_ansley B000CSBLYE Rowenta DX1700 Effective Iron: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 3, 2006 Kimberly Ansley IA United States After many years of loving Rowenta irons I have to say I am very disappointed the DX1700. It has already "died" on me. The first few months it worked very well. The steam power that most Rowenta's have is great. But I am very disappointed that it will no longer heat up. B00005B5YY:revere_ware:brad_scher B00005B5YY Revere 1400 Line 1-Quart Covered Saucepan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 1.0 November 30, 2005 Brad Scher HUNTINGTON, INDIANA United States The name Revere ware used to mean exceptional quality, now it means "Just more Chinese crap".The bottom is so thin it can't have the logo stamped properly.The redesigned handle has an impossible to wash void in it. In all fairness it is better than most imported junk B000079XWF:not_my_favorite:jcb B000079XWF OXO Good Grips 1051105 Leave-In Meat Thermometer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 July 2, 2006 jcb I handwashed this one time and it filled up with water. I didn't expect to be able to wash it in the dishwasher but I also didn't expect it to fill 45% up with water the first time I washed it by hand. The water has since evaporated but I haven't tried to use the thermometer since and I won't use it without using a second one to calibrate this one to see if it is anywhere close to accurate. Not exactly what I was looking for B000A1FJL4:great_bargain!:lynn_renard B000A1FJL4 Novelty Snowflake 100% Cotton Luxury Flannel Twin Duvet Cover, Brick: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 9 1.0 February 3, 2006 Lynn Renard California This is warm, beautiful, soft and a fabulous bargain! I highly recommend it... and buy the matching sheets! They're a wonderful combination B0000AR6K1:avoid_this_one:linda_b_"semiretireddiva" B0000AR6K1 Cuisinart DCC-1200BW Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Matte Black Metals: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 1.0 October 19, 2006 Linda B "semiretireddiva" va beach, virginia United States Only had this coffee maker ( second replacement) one year and it leaked from all over my counter. I asked for a replacement, crazy huh, and was told NO my time had run out. Well I am off on a hunt for a good coffee maker. THIS WAS NOT IT !! Do not waste your money B00004S7U1:how_can_i?:k._m._donegan B00004S7U1 J.K. Adams BBCB-1824 Maple Counter Board, 18-Inches by 24-Inches: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 13 1.0 October 16, 2005 K. M. Donegan Amazon couldnt send me the correct cutting board and they tried 4 times and now they want me to review this item that they never sent m B000BIW1BW:non-absorbent_towels:tina B000BIW1BW 100% Egyptian Cotton 725-Gram 6-Piece Towel Set, Bluestone: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 26 of 28 2.0 March 16, 2006 Tina CA These towels are soft and fluffy, but the towels are not absorbent. Just as other reviewers have stated, the towels don't absorb water, rather the water rests on the surface of the towels B000063CC1:delonghi_ar1070_convection_oven_with_rotisserie:robert_c._pellman B000063CC1 Delonghi AR1070 Retro Convection Oven with Rotisserie: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 9, 2006 Robert C. Pellman San Diego, Ca. USA I bought it because of the rotisserie function, which I use a lot. This model has no variable temperature control on that function. There are some things I cook at a lower temperature for a longer time to get the proper doneness. I don't know why when they wired the machine they didn't route that function through the temperature control. B0009W7EDK:title_says_nonstick,_must_be_a_typo???:crawl_"crawl" B0009W7EDK Calphalon One Nonstick 10-Inch International Griddle Gift with Purchase: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 25 1.0 March 10, 2006 Crawl "Crawl" DFW, TX U.S.A. I'm not sure who decided to put the word non-stick in the title of this griddle. It took me two days to scrape off the egg omelet that I tried to cook on it the first time. They should change the title of this item to Calphalon One Stick 10-Inch International Griddle. Do not buy unless you enjoy hand cleaning and scraping pots and pans B00004XSC5:garbage:scholarma B00004XSC5 Taylor Digital Oven Thermometer/Timer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 23, 2006 Scholarma La Quinta, CA This thermometer never worked correctly. For oven temps. over 350 the probe is worthless, it reads the oven temp., not the temp. of the meat. Save your money and buy and old fashoined one B00004XSC5:3_month_review:jeff B00004XSC5 Taylor Digital Oven Thermometer/Timer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 September 25, 2006 Jeff Sonova Beach, FL This thermometer worked flawlessly for the first 3 months, then the probe broke. Don't ask me how it broke because I cannot see inside the metal do-hicky. A replacement probe is $10-15 provided you can find one. It seems all these units have problems with the probes. Well, enough for me. I'll go back to my traditional thermometer B00004XSC5:some_annoying_features:rvroadie B00004XSC5 Taylor Digital Oven Thermometer/Timer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 September 24, 2006 RVRoadie Fulltime RVer, USA First, when you use the temperature probe, the meat temperature shows on the display. Also, it is very easy to set the temperature alarm. However, there is a small switch that must be turned on to activate the alarm. Good for one burned roast. Granted, a mistake you will only make once. Second, when the timer gets to zero, the alarm sounds, and the timer switches to an elapsed timer. A very nice feature. However, there is no way to shut off the alarm without stopping the timer. It will eventually shut off after one ear-splitting minute. Otherwise, it works B00005Q4OD:foodsaver_cannister:p._myers B00005Q4OD FoodSaver 3-Piece Canister Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 August 3, 2006 P. Myers Virginiia I was very unhappy with this product. I ordered several cannisters and 3 out of 5 cracked after the first use!!! I did everything that they recommended and they all cracked in the same manner. The people at Foodsaver were very happy to replace them because they are under "warranty" but I am surprised to see how fragile this product is. FYI, they will not warranty the products sold on E-Bay. I should have listened to the reviews and not taken a chance on this product. B00005Q4OD:don't_buy_this:jack_(nmi)_stecker B00005Q4OD FoodSaver 3-Piece Canister Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 1.0 June 16, 2006 Jack (NMI) Stecker I got one with my foodsaver. I like the foodsaver but their canisters crack after a couple of uses. Also the manufacture is not handy friendly. I was injured and can't speak. When I tried to get help by email they told me I needed to get friend or family member to call them if I wanted help. That just wrong. I guess they haven't heard about the equal access laws B0000DINYT:siz_is_too_small:a._myers B0000DINYT Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Rectangular Skinny Grill, Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 14 2.0 March 15, 2006 A. Myers It says this is a 2 burner grill pan but that is so wrong. It does not cover 2 burners it sits in the middle of each burner causing the handles to be right ove both burners. Very dissapointing, I love the le creuset normally and was really looking forward to having a grill pan made by them. Unfortuanatelly due to the shape it will not work for just one burner either. Hopefully they will come out with an updated one, until then my search for a good 2 burner grill pan continues B00004X13D:started_out_good:james_a._brown B00004X13D Proctor-Silex 26500 Morning Baker Belgian Waffle Baker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 12 2.0 December 27, 2005 James A. Brown Temple, Texas Made good waffles when I got it but now it burns them to a crisp. There is no adjustment on it to compensate for the ageing of the internal components. B0000UJGVE:poorly_balanced: B0000UJGVE KitchenAid 4-pc. Culinary Utensil Set - Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 June 9, 2004 These tools, although fun looking, are poorly balanced and fall over if they don't have enough room to rest on the counter. The handles are a little awkward in size and the bowls of the spoons slightly too deep. I like their look, but I don't like the design of them B00005851Y:get_the_upgraded_grill_with_the_removable_plates_instead._:riolama B00005851Y George Foreman GR10ABW Champ Grill with Bun Warmer, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 13 1.0 August 15, 2006 Riolama I wish I had. This one goes to the Goodwill. Grill plates are fixed and a chore to clean. Grill leaves uncooked areas if height is irregular, like a chicken breast. Hamburgers work best. Watch out for burns B0000A1ZN1:cuisinart_cpt-180:claude_p._bolduc B0000A1ZN1 Cuisinart CPT-180 Metal Classic 4-Slice Toaster: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 2.0 May 22, 2006 Claude P. Bolduc This was supposed to be the toaster to end all toasters. We had it for about 2.5 years, and now the toast brown on only one side. The outer heating elements still work. The inner elements work at about 1/3 capacity of the outer ones. We now turn our toast around after a couple minutes to cook the other side. Until we find the next toaster to end all toasters. This one was not it! B000C3S73W:bad_tea:sweet_wille B000C3S73W Sunbeam HTM5 Tea Drop 850-Watt Hot-Tea Maker, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 1.0 June 22, 2006 Sweet Wille CO United States This is not a very good hot tea brewer. The tea doesn't steep hardly at all and there is no difference between the strength settings. The water is also not heated to boiling. It is really just a glorified coffee maker. You would be better off purchasing a more traditional teapot for far less money B0000505IX:it_was_great_-_until_i_washed_it!: B0000505IX Zeroll Aluminum Nonstick Anti-Freeze Ice Cream Spade: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 15 1.0 February 5, 2003 Worked like a charm until I put it through the dishwasher, and now it always exudes a fine black residue. Maybe some kind of rust? Can't use it anymore unless I want black grime on my ice cream. I have emailed the manufacturer to ask what's going on; haven't heard back yet B00023DLJC:not_from_england:m._mirza B00023DLJC Royal Albert Old Country Roses 3-Piece Tea Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 15 2.0 October 14, 2005 M. Mirza LA, CA I bought a set recently and unfortunatley it is made in china. We have some older ones and they are much differen B0000959EX:tomato_slicer_is_not_sharp:suzy_homemaker B0000959EX Pedrini Black & Satin Stainless Steel Tomato Slicer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 July 28, 2005 Suzy Homemaker Mississippi I recently ordered a Pedrini Black & Satin Stainless steel Tomato Slicer through Amazon.com. The delivery was very prompt. The slicer came with a clear plastic cover for the blades. But the problem is that the tomato slicer is very dull. The tomatoes are literally torn up by the time they are completely sliced. I would not order another one by Pedrini. I am not pleased at all with my purchase B0000959EX:waste_of__time:katie_r._ziehme B0000959EX Pedrini Black & Satin Stainless Steel Tomato Slicer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 1.0 May 15, 2005 Katie R. Ziehme Griffin,GA This is a complete waste of time. This thing takes a lot longer than a traditional knife. The tomato juice goes everywhere and its flimsy. You actually have to saw and the blades bend like crazy. Dont waste your time or money B00004S9CX:get_a_real_grinder:j._cornwell B00004S9CX Cuisinart DCG-20N Coffee Bar Coffee Grinder, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 16 1.0 February 5, 2003 J. Cornwell Upstate NY, United States The blade broke after 14 months of use. And to take advantage of the warranty, I learned that I was required to send THEM a check for $4.00 for processing costs, not to mention the cost that I would incurr to ship it to them. It was an adequate grinder at best, so I'm definitely not going to bother returning it (I assume that this is Cuisinart's reason for having such a lame warranty in the first place). I wonder if the rest of their product line is like this. Until now, I thought Cuisinart was a name you could trust. I'm very disappointed B000050HCV:fire_hazard:c._rafferty_"taylor's_mom" B000050HCV Dirt Devil 08230 Ultra Power Handheld Vacuum: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 1.0 April 20, 2006 C. Rafferty "Taylor's mom" NY I bought this vac to help clean up behind my 19 month old daughter and my 2 pets. I used it once without a problem, seemed to work reasonably well for a hand vac. The 2nd time I used it I was cleaning up kitty litter tracked from the litter box. The 1st pass went fine but then as i was getting ready to make a 2nd pass to finish the job it started whining and it stopped working. I turned the machine off, checked for any clogs or hair of any kind that may be causing the interference but i found nothing. I manually moved the brush around a couple of times without a problem, so i turned it back on. It was still not working and then within 2 seconds it started to smell like something was burning. I turned it off and it was smoking pretty heavily, which lasted for at least 2-3 minutes before cooling off. Don't waste your $$ on this and more importantly don't risk your safety with this fire trap B00006FX8D:spout_that_spills_and_leaks....for_shame!:lilyte_review_"mercy" B00006FX8D Calphalon Collectors Edition 2-Quart Stainless Steel Tea Kettle with Glass Lid: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 2.0 January 15, 2006 LILyte Review "Mercy" CA Who had the bright idea with putting the spout so low that this thing will boil thru so easily? since it doesn't make any noise that it is boiling, you know when the water start to burst thru the spout area and it is not a good thing. And what is up with the leaky spout in the weld area anyways? Welding is a skill that if done right, it would NOT leak! The handle will get hot so wear your glove. On the plus side, the stainless steel looks very nice which is why i bought it in the first place. I use to have a cheap tea pot that cost half the price of this one and it was more reliable (lasted 2 years) so that just goes to show that just because it cost more, it don't mean it would last longer. Mine start to leak after 4 months. I am going to buy that cheap one again if they still makes it. Overall, i cannot recommend this tea pot due to the spout flaw. B00006FX8D:awful_awful_tea_kettle:scubaette_"cook" B00006FX8D Calphalon Collectors Edition 2-Quart Stainless Steel Tea Kettle with Glass Lid: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 10 1.0 November 14, 2005 scubaette "cook" New York, NY USA This kettle has so many design flaws I don't know where to start. It doesn't whistle when it boils so if you leave the room you could have serious overflow before you get back. The spout is at such a steep angle that it often pours beyond the cup. The shape (especially the angle) of the handle means that it gets very hot -- I can't hold it without a pot holder -- and your hand gets scalded by the steam when you pour the water. Mine also already started rust on the outside. I purchased this kettle about six months ago and I'm going to have to now buy another one B00006FX8D:looks_great_while_it_burns_you:pond_turtle_"tp" B00006FX8D Calphalon Collectors Edition 2-Quart Stainless Steel Tea Kettle with Glass Lid: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 28 of 30 1.0 December 20, 2004 Pond Turtle "TP" SE Michigan Look carefully at where the spout is mounted. If you fill above this line, with the lid on tight, when it boils, boiling water shoots out of the spout. And the lid fits so tight it is hard to remove without burning. I'm suprised to see this still being sold B00004RGAW:huge_disappointment!:b._himes B00004RGAW DeLonghi D895UX Cool Touch ROTO Electric Fryer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 10 1.0 April 4, 2006 B. Himes Charlotte, NC I received the Delonghi deep fryer on Friday evening and had it at the post office on Monday morning. I did everything EXCEPT stand on my head to get it to make potato chips...smaller batches, larger batches, shorter cooking times, longer cooking times. What I did get, consistantly, resembled more a potato cake which was soggy in the middle. I bought a Waring Pro at William Sonoma for $40 more and had beautiful potatos Monday evening. Bottom line...Delonghi may be a bit cheaper and a tad easier to clean, but I want good tasting food B0009VEODY:disappointed:laura B0009VEODY MIU France Bamboo Cutting Board, Medium: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 August 29, 2006 Laura Bozeman, Montana This board scratches really easily, and mine had dings in it when it arrived B000GTR79W:do_not_buy.:soreano B000GTR79W Saeco Incanto Rondo Espresso Cappuccino & Coffee Center: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 25, 2006 Soreano CT I returned three Incantos, all for the same reason. The steamer stopped working on all of them after 3-4 weeks. It sounded like the pump failed. I replaced it with the slightly more expensive, older Magic Comfort Plus, which has worked like a charm B000A33B08:i_got_out_while_the_gettin'_was_good.:gerard_c._murphy B000A33B08 DeLonghi EAM3500 Magnifica Digital Super Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 12 1.0 May 26, 2006 Gerard C. Murphy Albuquerque, NM USA This machine is the only sub-$3000 machine I could find that would make a cappuccino with the push of one button. However, after an hour of trying, I could not get the machine to do anything other than display a message saying the grind was too fine. The DeLonghi service number blamed it on the plastic float in the water reservoir, the simplest and cheapest looking mechanism imaginable. I was having second thoughts about their quality control for a machine whose all-plastic construction did not inspire confidence to begin with, when the service person, after conferring with a colleague, decided there could be something more seriously wrong with the machine and that I should exchange it. Knowing that super automatics in general are not known for their reliability, I envisioned years of chronic problems with this machine. I opted for a refund from Amazon instead and am relieved I did B00005QFZD:bubbles: B00005QFZD Farberware Classic 12-Inch Nonstick Deep Skillet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 March 4, 2006 I bought one of your pans and I was so very careful with it only using plastic or wood utensils. The pan has got big bubbles in it and the nonstick finish is pealing off. I rate this very poor B000A1FFZE:garbage:s._powles_"susan" B000A1FFZE Hamilton Beach 22708 Toastation Toaster: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 October 25, 2006 S. Powles "Susan" NY Please do your self a favor and do not buy this item. As a toaster oven it burns the bottoms of everything you heat in it. As a toaster to toast bread or bagels, well it still has yet to toast anything for us. You can run the toaster 6 times and it will never toast/brown. I was shocked that this item would be so bad being that Hamilton Beach is a good brand. Something is obviously wrong with the production of this product. Forget about purchasing this one. If there was a zero for the star option on this product I would have given it a zero B000079XWG:way_too_slow_registering_temp:c._mahl B000079XWG OXO Good Grips 1051106 Oven Thermometer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 January 1, 2006 C. Mahl Ohio Although I love the way it clips onto the oven rack, and it's VERY easy to read, it took about 15-20 minutes to "register" the temperature of the oven. B000162NXA:you_cannot_make_pancakes_or_eggs_on_this_pan...:timothy_mcmanus_"tim_mcmanus" B000162NXA Calphalon One Infused Anodized 11-Inch Square Griddle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 1.0 January 29, 2006 Timothy McManus "Tim McManus" Haskell, NJ Contrary to the description above, this is NOT a non-stick pan. I tried making eggs and pancakes on the pan. Everything stuck to the bottom. I used bacon grease on the pan before I made the eggs. They stuck. I used butter on the pan before I made the pancakes. They stuck. I could not get the pancakes off the bottom of the pan without destroying them. This might be a good pan for searing and the cleanup that comes with it, but it is definitely NOT a pan to make breakfast or any other meal that requires a non-stick pan. My 12-year-old T-Fal with a worn surface outperformed this pan making pancakes. I am definitely returning it B0007XXS1I:i'm_sending_them_back:s._smith_"mommamia" B0007XXS1I Corelle Hearthstone Stoneware Turmeric Yellow Round 16-Piece Set, Service for 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 November 7, 2006 S. Smith "mommamia" WA, USA I ordered the orange and the red. The colors were much more drab in person. The cumin is actually burnt orange from the 70s B00004WKI1:gigantic_disappointment:bevjeanm B00004WKI1 Cuisinart DLC-2011BCN Prep 11 Plus Food Processor, Brushed Chrome: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 1.0 August 11, 2006 BevJeanM Boise, ID United States Thought for years, I was missing something by not having a Cuisinart! What a laugh. In the few months I have had this unit, two pusher assemblies have cracked and broken. I did read the manual from cover to cover and watched the video prior to using. This is an obvious design defect. Guess I was lucky, in that first replacement was made without a hassle or having to return anything. Now they want the broken item returned, which is an inconvenience and a delay. I was without my replacement last time, at least six weeks. I plan to return this item and purchase a different brand B0007Y6BPW:arrived_not_functioning:lf B0007Y6BPW Krups FLF3 Stainless-Steel 54-Ounce Electric Kettle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 1.0 February 22, 2006 LF Port Jefferson, NY I had a Russel Hobbs electric kettle, made in the UK, which worked well for 3 years. When it finally died, I ordered one of these, based on the glowing reviews. It arrived new from Amazon not working. LF Port Jefferson, N B00014W9MW:one_kitchenaid_attachment_to_skip: B00014W9MW KitchenAid Hand Mixer Liquid Blender Rod Attachment: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 11 2.0 April 26, 2004 Maybe I just don't understand what this is supposed to do. KitchenAid attachments are usually wonderful enhancements to their basic appliances. But I haven't been able to create volume or foam in drinks with this attachment. Can't see that it does much more than a spoon, and certainly doesn't do as much as a plain wire whisk. It's not portable like those cheap, little drink mixers. When I'm at home, I have my immersion blender - a much better option for mixing liquids. Maybe this is good for something I haven't tried yet B0007ZJF2M:problems_after_3_months:liv_houston B0007ZJF2M Hoover U5269-900 EmPower Bagless Upright Vacuum: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 1.0 July 31, 2006 Liv Houston After 3 months of average use, this vaccuum stopped spinning the brushes. The canister is difficult to empty. I was very dissappointed because of the failure of this machine to last. I will never buy a hoover product again B00004S7TQ:disappointed!:martha_minica B00004S7TQ Le Creuset Blue Silicone Spatula Small: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 6 2.0 October 19, 2001 Martha Minica Pharr, TX United States I LOVE THE COLORS AND THE HEAT RESISTANCE BUT FOUND THE WOODEN HANDLE ON ONE SPATULA ROUGH AND SPLINTERY. ALSO THE SPATULA IS SHOWING NICKS ON THE EDGES OF THE SILICON....DON'T UNDERSTAND BECAUSE I DON'T USE IT ON ROUGH EDGED BOWLS OR PANS B00005MF8B:worked_great_at_first:susan_m._davey_"candle-licious" B00005MF8B Hoover U6630-900 Self Propelled WindTunnel Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 8 2.0 February 7, 2006 Susan M. Davey "Candle-licious" Illinois It picked up great but one month before the warranty expired the thing made terrible noises and didn't self-propel correctly. Sent it in for repair, took a month. They said "nothing" was wrong and sent it back, but now it works. I wouldn't buy another one. For $300 it should last more than a year before repairs are needed. Spend your money on something built better. http://www.candle-licious.com Su B00005MF8B:bad_vacuum:lmnop_"lmnop" B00005MF8B Hoover U6630-900 Self Propelled WindTunnel Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 15 of 16 1.0 October 15, 2005 lmnop "lmnop" flagstaff Bought the vacuum on oct 1 2005. Brought it back to the store on Oct 7th. The belt broke! Thought it was a fluke. Tried one more...Brought it back after 10 days. A piece went flying after using the hose. the suction on the hose then did not work! Overall the cleaning was great.... while it worked. B00005MF8B:don't_buy_this_piece_of_junk.:seattleite B00005MF8B Hoover U6630-900 Self Propelled WindTunnel Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 14 of 17 1.0 July 25, 2005 Seattleite Seattle, WA USA I bought this vacuum new and used it three times. For those three times, it worked like a dream. Never had the carpet been so clean. It even looked like a professional carpet cleaner had just visited. On the fourth use, the brush abruptly stopped rolling and the motor started smoking. It cost me over $100 to repair. Beware buying this vacuum; repair shop owners will laugh when you bring it in because they see so many of them with broken belts and motors. Ignore what consumer reports says on this one and most definitley do not throw your money away on this piece of junk B00005MF8B:yuck!:kay B00005MF8B Hoover U6630-900 Self Propelled WindTunnel Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 12 1.0 July 9, 2005 kay nevada First of all I'm a Dyson fanatic....I have a total of three (one on each floor). When we bought our cabin I couldn't stand to give one up and felt too cheap to buy another one (they are pricey) for carpet I'm on five or six times a year so I bought this. At first I was thrilled. It was wonderful. After using it a few times however it has completely lost suction. Keep in mind this is being used in a second home with no kids, pets or real dirt. I would doubt that it's on except that it's noisy and takes off without me. I have bought new filters and looked for blockages but nothing has worked. Also the "dirt container" is sometimes hard to remove and put back. Feels like it's catching on something. What a waste of money. Even in my college days I've never had a worse vacuum. I highly recommend the Dyson instead or even the $50 Dirt Devil I gave my niece as a wedding present- it cleans circles around this thing. To me "Hoover" spells "DISAPPOINMENT" B00005MF8B:piece_of_junk!:s._steele B00005MF8B Hoover U6630-900 Self Propelled WindTunnel Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 10 1.0 June 17, 2005 S. Steele Salem, OR USA This is the WORST vacumm cleaner I have ever had! It has continually broken down since I bought it and is now again dead. It's only 1 1/2 years old! While under warranty (the first year), I went through 5 belts, a roller brush, and the motor burned out. It is no longer under warranty, and of course, it broke down again. It smokes like it's on fire, and I believe that it's the roller brush *again*. Now mind you, my house is only 1600 sq ft, and half of that space is wood flooring, so I don't have an excessive amount of carpet. Nor do I vacuum excessively. Maybe once a week. I complained to Hoover and they basically told me "too bad". And it's not like it's an inexpensive vacuum at $289! I will never again buy a Hoover product B00004XSC3:get_one_with_auto_off:bob_from_new_york B00004XSC3 Taylor Digital Instant-Read Pocket Thermometer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 October 19, 2006 Bob from New York Near New York, NJ This one is doesn't work when it gets hot or wet (and where do you use YOUR thermometer?). Also, it is very easy to leave it "on" draining the batteries. Replacement batteries cost nearly as much as the thermometer itself. I have another Taylor (unfortunately, there is no model number on it). It is auto off and saves the MAX and MIN temperatures. The MAX is helpful when I want to check I steak on my HOT! grill. I can hold the thermometer with a pair of thongs without burning my hands. This one is just plain useless B00030J1SO:dangerous_incendiary_device:chris_butterworth B00030J1SO West Bend 53783 1-3/4-Quart Cordless Water Kettle, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 1.0 November 7, 2006 Chris Butterworth Mine worked reasonably well for about 7 months; then stopped switching itself off and eventually overheated the plastic bulkhead which holds the coil, giving off a strong (presumably toxic) odour of melted plastic, also affecting the taste of the water. Amazon does not sell this item in Britain, where it would never get through the safety tests required by consumer legislation, but apparently they are quite happy to put American lives in danger B0000645RS:piece_of_junk/_no_warranty_from_manufacturer:tree B0000645RS Emile Henry Couleurs Creamer, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 February 13, 2006 tree TX, USA I bought this item in October 2005, by January it had developed a crack across the bottom and up the side of the pitcher. I contacted both Amazon and Emile Henry about it. Amazon will only give a partial refund and Emile Henry told me to go through the merchant and DID NOT offer that supposed warranty on their shoddy product. Don't buy this piece of junk B0001M3MN4:close_to_garbage!:jane_hush_"rain_taster" B0001M3MN4 Wamsutta Acrylic Thermal Full/Queen Blanket, Medium Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 1.0 December 30, 2005 Jane Hush "rain taster" CA I got them free with purchase of Wamsutta sheets. These blankets are of really cheap quality. Thin, mesh-like texture. Threads get loose at the ends. Leaving traces of fabric everywhere. I got rid of it cause I am afraid the loose ends and fabric may be swallowed by babies B00006IFQK:pay_more_to_get_something_better:glamourose B00006IFQK Farberware Classic 1-1/2 Quart Sausalito Stainless Steel Teakettle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 11 1.0 October 12, 2005 Glamourose New York, NY United States The tea kettle is inexpensive, but I'd spend more to get a tea kettle that whistles and also has a top that flips open from the handle instead of one where you have to manually pop it off. In addition, the handle gets hot, and you need an oven mitt to hold it B00004S1D6:nice_size_and_shape,_but_started_to_split_apart_after_first_use.:stan B00004S1D6 Sassafras Pizza Peel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 2.0 March 14, 2006 Stan Livingston, NJ Like many large wood surfaces, a peel is made from several strips of wood laminated together. However, this peel developed a split after just one use. The instructions indicate maintenance is achieved by wiping with mineral oil, so perhaps you should do this before using the first time. I imagine there are heavier peels available which may be worth checking out. I was rather dissapointed. B00006IUZS:fast,_faster,_or_even_faster...:s._berner_"masterdealfinder" B00006IUZS Toastmaster 1778 Hand Mixer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 21, 2006 S. Berner "masterdealfinder" Michigan, USA This mixer has many speed settings, but they all pretty much go the same speed. The "low" setting is so fast that if you are mixing much liquid it spashes all over. I would not recommend this mixer, spend a few more dollars and get a better one!! B00005O65B:glass_is_fragile:michael_douma B00005O65B WMF Boston Cocktail Shaker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 12 2.0 December 25, 2002 Michael Douma Washington, DC USA The glass is quite fragile. I had two break B0002VAHZK:works_so_so,_company_has_exaggerated_performance_claims:davic B0002VAHZK Breville WC15XL Wine Chiller: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 16 of 16 1.0 May 13, 2005 davic S.F., CA The Breville chiller works so so based on the 6 minute claim the company states. To get it cold like in your refrigerator it took more like 14-15 minutes--still faster than a fridge though. Also, the description is sort of deceptive since it says new freezer gel packs, "no messy ice". I thought you just use these freezer packs and thats it--note you still need access to a freezer to freeze the gel packs before using. Also, you still need to add water and the freezer packs don't really last that long. If you want to chill more than 1 bottle, I ended having to use good old ice cubes since the freezer packs were spent. Its a bit messy trying to chill anything other than wine bottles since a typical drink can/bottle will be submerged under the water bath and the only way to retrieve it is to dunk your hand in the cold water. Also, if you are chilling allot of beverages, there is no way to pour out the excess water as the ice melts--they should put a drain spout at the bottom--I had to unplug the unit and dump the excess water over the sink. It does work being faster than your fridge or freezer, but the companies performance claims are a bit exaggerated B0002VAHZK:does_nothing_in_7_minutes:wine_drinker_"wine_drinker" B0002VAHZK Breville WC15XL Wine Chiller: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 18 of 19 1.0 April 27, 2005 Wine Drinker "Wine Drinker" new york, ny I tried to chill my white wine in seven minutes and it was still warm. They say chill, but what does that really mean? They should say what temperature it chills to in 7 minutes. I guess that is why they have a 15 minute timer. Also the description does not state that you have to add water so it is just as messy as an ice bucket and as much work. B0002VAHZK:does_not_work_well_to_chill_wine_quickly:wine_lover B0002VAHZK Breville WC15XL Wine Chiller: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 27 of 27 1.0 October 25, 2004 Wine Lover San Diego, CA The description does not tell you that you still have to add water to unit in addition to the gel packs. I chilled my chardonnay for seven minutes and it was still warm. I had to chill it for 20 minutes to get it cold enough to drink. Gel packs don't allow you to chill several bottles without having to refreeze them or add ice to the machine. B000CSCFFI:poor_quality:tina_kurtluyan B000CSCFFI Rowenta DX1900 Effective Cord Reel Iron: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 September 6, 2006 Tina Kurtluyan It's great, if it works!!! After keep exchanging it over and over, I gave up the 5th time. First time, spray didn't work, second time, power steam button didn't release the steam, third time, it was too strong fabric got stock underneath the iron and I couldn't clean the iron, fourth time, steam problem again, fifth time, steam problem again. Poorly tested product. I would've been really happy to keep it, if it was working properly. It actually had all the features I was looking for. Too bad for Rowenta for not testing their products properly. B00004S9HB:great_concept,_poor_design:greg_leaf B00004S9HB Lodge Cast Iron Stir Fry/Wok Skillet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 40 of 42 1.0 May 14, 2000 greg leaf glorieta, new mexico United States Cast iron is the only way to go when you are cooking on anything over 30,000 BTUs. Lodge has a lock on this market. Trouble with this wok is the sides are not high enough. As soon as you start mixing, your food goes sliding up and over the side. Also, for the extreme weight, the handle should be wider; distributing the weight a little more broadly for the weak hand hold. I gave mine away after three months. I wish they would change the design; I'd buy three B0009R0BGC:does_not_live_up_to_function_as_claimed:sonic_dragon B0009R0BGC Personal Cooling System 3.0 - Silver (SI758SL2): Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 4 2.0 August 28, 2006 Sonic Dragon S. California I bought this thing due to my inablity to handle heat effectively anymore like I used to. The unit was not deffective or anything like that, but it also only works under very specific conditions and that window is small. While it is stated in the manual that it's not an A/C unit or super powerful and that it works off of evaporation. I found it to be nothing more than an inconvienance than effective. The fan at the back of the unit doesn't have enough power to move the lightest of feathers let alone allow one to feel anything. While the manual claims that the fan is for cooling the back of your neck I find it is more functional to the evaporation chambers. Overall, the unit just keeps your neck wet and doesn't really cool anything. I found that the unit did work a little more noticably if it was not that hot out and you stood still. Anything over 85 degrees and it fails. Don't waste your money on this thing until someone comes out with a better system B0009R0BGC:does_not__work:d._dell_"okla" B0009R0BGC Personal Cooling System 3.0 - Silver (SI758SL2): Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 4 1.0 August 23, 2006 D. Dell "okla" USA I should have listened to the other reviewers, which I usually do. I followed the directions to the letter. Put it on in 95+ degree weather and never felt cool at all. In fact, after several minutes I actually felt hotter and was sweating as much as without this thing on. Even if it had worked, it was very uncomfortable. I am suprised that Sharper Image sells such a bad product B0009R0BGC:personal_air_conditioner:jane_e._thomas_"lambiepie" B0009R0BGC Personal Cooling System 3.0 - Silver (SI758SL2): Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 August 19, 2006 Jane E. Thomas "lambiepie" West Liberty, Ohio Very disappointed- Feels cumbersome around the neck and blows very little ai B0009R0BGC:doesn't_work_:m._kim_"ika" B0009R0BGC Personal Cooling System 3.0 - Silver (SI758SL2): Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 August 16, 2006 M. Kim "Ika" California USA first 5 minutes: feels like having a cold towel on your neck after 5 minutes: feels like you are wearing a warm/hot wet block on your neck B0009R0BGC:waste_of_money_!:natalie B0009R0BGC Personal Cooling System 3.0 - Silver (SI758SL2): Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 August 2, 2006 Natalie Queens, NY USA I live in New York City where the temperatures and humidity are high. All this does is make your neck feel cold. I was still sweating after an hour! Try it if you want. The Sharper Image has a money back guarantee for 60 days. I dont know about Amazon B00015USMY:comfy_but_poor_durability:cat_bennet B00015USMY Wamsutta 100% Egyptian Cotton Jersey Twin Sheet Set, Celery: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 August 10, 2006 Cat Bennet South Burlington, VT United States After one wash cycle, these sheets split at the seams. Otherwise soft and comfortable B00022HYJ6:refurbished_product_is_garbage:d._peterson B00022HYJ6 iRobot Roomba 4210 Discovery Floorvac Robotic Vacuum, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 8 1.0 November 11, 2006 D. Peterson Dallas, Texas I cannot recommend purchase of the refurbished Roomba Discovery 4210. While I think the product did a good job on BARE floors (not carpet), now after only 4 months of light use (we only used in the kitchen/den area of our home), the unit is trashed. The refurb warranty is only 90 days and that's apparently all the machine is good for. I purchased a new APS fast charger in an attempt to rule that problem out, but it did nothing. This seems to be typical of this vacuum since the Roomba rep I talked to told me that if the charger failed the Roomba was "probably trashed". She was right. If you want to try this machine stick with the new one, at least you'll get a one year warranty. But I recommend staying away altogether B00022HYJ6:neat_idea,_pretty_awful:h+e B00022HYJ6 iRobot Roomba 4210 Discovery Floorvac Robotic Vacuum, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 November 6, 2006 H+E Albuquerque, New Mexico United States Roomba was given as a gift to me. Not only is it noisy, but it took 2 hours to do my small house with 3 rooms closed off to it (about 1000 sq ft). It takes me 15 minutes to swiffer the house. It missed a LOT of areas. Yuck B00020R0W4:beautiful_but_too_heavy!:ergo_dan B00020R0W4 Braun WK600 Impressions 7-Cup Electric Kettle, Brushed Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 2.0 November 20, 2006 Ergo Dan Philadelphia Works well and looks great but lifting is not fun. If you are a weight lifter always looking for a few more reps for your wrist elbow and shoulder get this kettle. This stainless WK600 one is listed at 6.4 lbs, and the white plastic WK200 is listed at 2.9 lbs. A big difference! The stainless one weighs empty close to what the plastic one weighs full. With a minimum fill of 1/2 liter The stainless weighs in at 7.4 lbs. and the plastic at 4.0 lbs. I'm returning my stainless WK600 unit and ordering the WK200 plastic one. B00020R0W4:stopped_working_after_less_than_2_years:alison_gittelman B00020R0W4 Braun WK600 Impressions 7-Cup Electric Kettle, Brushed Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 November 11, 2006 Alison Gittelman Northern Virginia, USA I've had this kettle for less than 2 years. After reading good reviews, I decided to purchase this kettle because I wanted something that would last with daily use. I disliked it from the beginning. Why? 1) It's heavy. 2) When you open the lid to fill it with water (you shouldn't fill it just through the spout because then all the deposits are on the wrong side of the filter), water that has collected around the lid leaks out and runs down the outside of the kettle. 3) After less than 2 years of use, it is no longer working properly. It constantly switches off during heating. I've had better use from a cheap plastic kettle, and will be going back to using one of those B000068U5W:i_wish_there_were_zero_stars:jackie B000068U5W Euro-Pro SC620S Garment Steamer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 14 1.0 January 6, 2005 Jackie Los Gatos, CA USA What A JOKE!!! This whas a disappointing experience. The Garment Steamer never really worked. I wasted a valuable time in this deal. I bought one at target first missing parts then I went back returned it and came back home to use it and again never worked. What a WASTE of my time! The second GARMENT STEAMER ONE and OFF button kept turning off about one minute never producing any steam. I tried to contact customer service to find out if I was using it right and customer sevice is no HELP AT ALL! MY ADVISE IS: PLEASE DON'T EVEN WASTE YOUR TIME WITH IT. Sincerely,&#60;br /&#62;<br /> Jackeline De Ranier B00006910G:peeling_after_a_couple_years:coachant B00006910G Anolon Professional 12-Piece Nonstick Cookware Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 25 of 26 2.0 March 10, 2006 coachant CA Although I ONLY hand washed these pots and pans, somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd year, the nonstick coating on the pans started lifting. I also do not use metal cooking utensils. All that being said, I still use these pots and pans (been almost 5 years now). Overall, I originally bought this set for ~$300 5 years ago. The pots are still in excellent condition. If I was looking for pots and pans, I would consider purchasing another set at $150. I do cook a lot (used for business) so my 5 years with these pans may equate to 7-10 years of normal use B0000E2V84:designed__wrong:"mkeoghan" B0000E2V84 Oggi Deluxe Two-Tier Dish Drain: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 13 2.0 February 17, 2004 "mkeoghan" Mantua, NJ United States I purchesed this product not too long ago and whoever disigned it should take a look at the silverware basket. They sould come up with a better way to drain the silverware because the silverware basket hangs over the counter in every position I tried. Needless to say, I took it back because the basket would have drained my silverware all over my counter and not in the drain board. I think its a nice dish rack but the basket has to be redisigned to drain in the drain board and not over the counter. Looks are very decieving, in the picture it looks like the basket is over the drain board but its not. I hope this helps others before they decide to buy this product B00005B8JQ:disappointed...:stephen_goodin B00005B8JQ CorningWare French White 7-Ounce Ramekins, Set of 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 5 2.0 August 16, 2006 Stephen Goodin Sebastopol, Ca United States I ordered 2 sets of four in case there was any breakage...and guess what...1 ramekin was broken leaving me with 7 dishes. To top it off, a few days later, I found a comparable set, slightly larger, at Big Lots, for only $7 for four. Of course this is always the risk we take through mail order...often it is not worth the time or trouble to get refunds or replacements B00009K3SD:soehnle_vera_digital_scales:jeffrey_l._spangler B00009K3SD Soehnle Vera Black/Stainless Digital Food Scale: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 8 1.0 October 21, 2005 Jeffrey L. Spangler We had to return this item for a refund. It arrived and never worked. B00062KTX0:makes_a_yogurt_drink:shirley_murphy_"earthelph" B00062KTX0 Cuisipro Donvier Yogurt Starter: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 February 3, 2006 Shirley Murphy "Earthelph" West Tennessee The first time I used this yogurt starter and it did not thicken I thought that it was my technique. After reading and making several sucessful batches using store bought yogurt for the starter, I tried another batch using the Rolmex starter purchased at the same time as the original failed starter. The results were the same: no thickening, just liquid. Others seem to have had good results so it is possible that the culture I received was not properly stored at some point before I received it or that it was just a bum lot B0002NJ3U8:don't_buy_it:s._hughes B0002NJ3U8 Stretched Octagon Coffee Table Aquarium- 28 Gallon: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 64 of 72 1.0 September 20, 2005 S. Hughes BALTIMORE,MD I get this thing and they forget to tell you about the big bulky power cord its impossible to feed the fish and a number of other problems B0000645Z1:what_a_dissappointing_experience!!!:j._st_john B0000645Z1 Melitta MEBG8B Coffee Mill: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 July 14, 2006 J. St John Granbury, Texas I purchased the Melitta Mill in April, it's now July and the thing is shot. We used it daily to grind 2 tablespoons of coffee, first the switches stuck and then we had to plug and unplug it to run the thing. Sure it was inexpensive, but you should get more than three months out of the purchase. $6+ a month just to grind coffee? Don't buy this poorly constructed product. B0000645Z1:melitta_products_are_inferior:laura_j._chambers B0000645Z1 Melitta MEBG8B Coffee Mill: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 6 1.0 May 2, 2006 Laura J. Chambers I received this grinder because I had purchased a defective Melitta Grind & Brew coffee maker through Amazon. The coffee maker had electrical problems and I sent it back to the manufacturer as the manual instructed. To make a very long story short---Melitta was not able to replace the coffee maker. They stopped making them. Amazon had my money and I waited over 4 frustrating months for a coffee maker. Amazon would not help me and after many, many phone calls Melitta sent me another coffee maker and the coffee mill to compensate for the Brew and Grind. Grinder malfunctioned periodically and finally died with in 9 months. WARNING--DON'T BUY MELITTA PRODUCTS AND RETURNS FOR DEFECTIVE MERCHANDISE SHOULD BE RETURNED TO AMAZON. B0006PRU3O:good_company,_bad_product:valerie_douglas B0006PRU3O KitchenAid KCO1005OB 1/2-Cubic-Foot 6-Slice Countertop Oven, Onyx Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 22 of 23 1.0 October 6, 2005 Valerie Douglas I, too, am SO disappointed with this product. When our DeLonghi toaster oven died after 15 years, my husband and I went shopping for a new one. Numerous reviewers and salespeople informed us that DeLonghi toaster ovens just weren't as good as they used to be, so we decided to try the KitchenAid oven. It appeared to be solidly built and was a brand we'd always been satisfied with. The oven, which was bought from a major retailer, looked fine, but the timer and bell were out of synch. Even worse, while the top coils heated up nicely, the bottom ones heated very unevenly. KitchenAid Customer Service was friendly and helpful and offered to send a replacement oven along with a mailing label so we could return the defective oven to them at no expense. Less than a week later the new oven arrived. It looked perfect. But again, it didn't work. This time the top coils glowed brightly while the bottom ones barely heated up. After preheating the oven for 5 minutes and positioning bread for toasting exactly as instructed in the owner's manual, we found that the oven produced a piece of toast that was beautifully and evenly golden on top and absolutely white on the bottom. Now we'll have to return this oven as well, and we've pretty much given up on getting a KitchenAid one at all B00009K3TL:doesn't_do_the_job:r._mccarty_"texan" B00009K3TL Zojirushi CB-AA10 Sesame Seed Grinder 45 Grams: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 14 1.0 October 9, 2005 R. McCarty "Texan" The product is labeled as a seed grinder, so you would expect it to be able to grind seeds, but it failed miserably. I tried grinding flax seeds (about the size of sesame seeds) but about half of the flax seeds made it through the grinder intact. I even tried running the "ground" seeds through a second and third time but still wound up with a large portion of whole or almost intact seeds. That was with the grinder on the fine setting. It seems to be a combination of poor design and cheap parts. The "grinding" wheels are made of plastic which is not the best material for friction and the design allows a lot of the seeds to drop off the wheel into the chute without having actually been "ground" by the wheels. If you're wanting to grind a very small amount of seeds, try a manual grinder. If you're wanting to grind a medium to large amount of seeds, spend more money and get a proper flour mill B0000CFPES:did_not_get_item_as_described:lisa_flack B0000CFPES Pyrex Bakeware Loaf Dish, Cobalt: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 April 5, 2006 lisa flack Northern CA The decription says it is a 9x5 loaf loaf dish. I was thrilled. I have been looking all over to find one that size in glass. I was so mad and disappointed when I opened the box and it was 8.5 x 4.5. That wasn't what I ordered. And yes when baking bread there is a difference. I am still waiting on my postage-paid return label so I can ship this back. This would have been a great deal, except I already have the 8.5 x 4.5 pans. They need to change the dimensions in the description. Buyer beware! B00004SC5M:piece_of_j-u-n-k!:jeffrey_e_"jeffinaustintx" B00004SC5M Black & Decker EC1200 Grand Openings Can Opener: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 July 23, 2005 Jeffrey E "jeffinaustintx" Austin, TX We bought this to replace our 25 year old can opener after the blade on it snapped. We looked around and quickly discovered that finding an inexpensive opener was easy but a quality opener was going to be a difficult task. Out of shear frustration we ended up selecting this Black & Decker. At first it seemed "ok", but after just a few months we are back to using our old "manual - hand wind" opener. The reason is that the top lever is too cheaply made and it flexes. Over time (not much time!) it gets too loose to hold a can anymore. We lock it in place, it spins an inch or two and the can drops onto the counter. Repeat this scene over and over...! At the end, the lid is never (REPEAT - NEVER!) separated from the can - ever! It's back to the hand held and a search of a decent electric continues B000A6XAR4:beautiful_sheets_at_the_beginning,_but....they_lost_color,_and_they_shrank!:shopper B000A6XAR4 Royal Heritage Home 1000-Thread-Count 100% Cotton Sateen Queen Sheet Set, Stone: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 July 26, 2006 shopper No I don't think it's the problem with my washer and dryer, they are new units. Now only with great difficulty can I put them on my queen bed. and they claim they have deep pockets! I do believe it is a quality problem B000A6XAR4:they_pile!!!!:patricia_barros_"patbrs" B000A6XAR4 Royal Heritage Home 1000-Thread-Count 100% Cotton Sateen Queen Sheet Set, Stone: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 July 14, 2006 Patricia Barros "patbrs" Encino, CA USA I was so happy when I received this sheet set. It looks beautiful (that's the reason why I am still giving 1 star). But after a couple of nights of use the fitted sheet became ruff. THEY PILE!!!! If you are looking for comfort - as anybody who buys a 1000TC sheet set is - don't bather with these. Spend your hard earned money someplace else B00005RKOE:nice_design,_faulty_manufacture:dhaukap B00005RKOE OXO Good Grips 2-Cup Angled Measuring Cup: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 1.0 January 2, 2006 dhaukap Everett, WA I'm normally a fan of OXO products and own many of their gadgets. These measuring cups are the first problem product I've had from OXO...both the 2 cup and 4 cup sizes cracked on the bottom of the cup, right at the plastic injection point (that little circle with the tiny bump in the center of it), and they both now leak at the crack. These cracks developed very soon after I bought them, and I only ever washed them in on the top rack of the dishwasher. Because of the design of the cups, it's kinda annoying to wash them by hand - and they're not great for measuring dry ingredients for the same reason. So mine have gone into the garbage can, replaced by the KitchenAid cups of similar appearance (although without the handy interior measuring marks). My advice, keep your receipt if you buy these. Or skip them and get the KitchenAid, which have a non-slip rubber ring on the bottom, another nice feature. And they won't crack in the dishwasher B000FNRSF2:not_worrth_it.......:shanker_dutt_"deal_guy" B000FNRSF2 Pike Street Solid Flannel King Sheet Set, Brick Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 25, 2006 Shanker Dutt "Deal guy" IA, USA I have bought flannel sheets from Amazon before but they were from Martex and they were greate. But, these are just bad. They are too thin to start with, left lint all over the bed and even after washing they have left fuzzies all over the sheets, I cannot even explain how bad it is. I should have waited for another Martex deal B000FNRSF2:horrible_product:gopalakris_juttu B000FNRSF2 Pike Street Solid Flannel King Sheet Set, Brick Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 3 1.0 November 19, 2006 Gopalakris Juttu Houston, TX Product not even worth a penny. Impossible to use after the first wash..Wont recommend to anyon B000FNRSF2:afraid_they'll_fall_apart:annemarie_karnbach B000FNRSF2 Pike Street Solid Flannel King Sheet Set, Brick Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 November 17, 2006 Annemarie Karnbach I bought two sets to take advantage of the free shipping, despite the low reviews. (I plan to buy good sheets once they go on clearance at the end of the season...) When I took one set out of the package there was already a hole in it. Amazon replaced them, but when I washed them they feel like they are going to fall apart. The filled up the lint collector. I have red and green lint everywhere, even after washing them. You get what you pay for B00004S575:wrong_description_on_site!:mickeyc B00004S575 Zojirushi NHS-06 3-Cup Rice Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 15 of 16 1.0 December 15, 2004 Mickeyc Douglasville, GA Very, very, disappointed and irritated. HUMBUG, I ordered this rice cooker and I just received it today. I really wish, I had read some of the reviews above. The description on this site clearly states that the rice cooker stays warm for 5 hours! The manual clearly states it does NOT. I bought it because of the keep warm for 5 hours promise. I can get a CHEAP, basic cook and shut off at Wal-Mart for $12 here in Georgia. I'll be sending it back tomorrow, and I'm very upset that I have to take the time to do it, HUMBUG!~ I like Amazon .com, but I'm really mad about this. No Christmas rice for me B0000A1E8E:"new"_french_white_is_terrible!!!__please_do_not_waste_your_money!:d._fontana B0000A1E8E CorningWare 16-pc. Jumbo Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 14 of 19 1.0 August 9, 2005 D. Fontana NJ - USA I have depended on my French White - the "old" style - for many years. I went to buy a few new pieces for myself, but discovered that Corning has changed the design. "French White" is now nothing more than cheap-cheesy-heavy-porous-breakable stoneware. I saw many chips and even a crack in the display models. STUPID Corning! They seem to have forgotten that Corningware was designed to be the smart alternative to that cheap-cheesy-heavy-porous-breakable stoneware! PLEASE SAVE YOUR $$$ B0006512GU:joining_in_with_the_naysayers:c._mullane B0006512GU Farberware Nonstick Aluminum 6 Qt. Covered Pasta and Straining Pot: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 October 3, 2006 C. Mullane I have tried to like this pot - in theory it sounds great, but in actual usage, it is very problematic. The non-locking handles are the chief drawback - you need to awkwardly hold them closed with pot holders while draining - and the acute angle needed to remove all the water inevitably means leaking hot water on to the holders and hence on you. Back to the tried and true colander in the sink for me B00004RDBY:review_of_metrokane_mighty_oj_manual_juice_squeezer:"vvmoore" B00004RDBY Metrokane Mighty OJ Manual Juice Squeezer, Chrome: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 23 of 25 2.0 January 7, 2004 "vvmoore" Wheaton, IL USA Although I ordered the juicer in the color black, I received the product in white. If not for the color I would have purchased it locally. After approximately 6 months of satisfactory occasional use the juicer is no longer functional. Some of the teeth on the gear that is connected to the press lever have broken off. I had expected a product this simple would have lasted for years. I am obviously totally disappointed B00006IUY6:poor_quality_product_returned:holland B00006IUY6 Rival CF151WD Chef's Fry Cool Wall Deep Fryer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 9, 2006 Holland I thought I was getting a good deal with this deep fat fryer but the quality was really poor. I used the fryer only once because the lid did not seal properly and I ended up with oil & water from condensation dripping down the side. I returned the product and received a full refund. The safety plug was hard to use and the basket size is too small for more than two people B00004OCJ1:gathers_dust_in_my_kitchen:malcriada B00004OCJ1 OXO Good Grips 21881 Rolling Herb Mincer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 September 22, 2006 Malcriada cyberspace it simply doesn't do the job. only bruises the herbs. i normally love oxo products, but this one is a disappointment B00000JGRR:worked_for_a_few_years,_then_burn_city:a_few_to_review_"tootsie" B00000JGRR Cuisinart SPB-7CH SmartPower 40-Ounce 7-Speed Electronic Bar Blender, Chrome: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 2.0 May 2, 2006 a few to review "Tootsie" Oregon I loved this when I purchased it, then I noticed it did not do a perfect job, then it would take a while to get going, then it smoked and died. Not worth it B00004OCNF:quality_problems:rom B00004OCNF OXO Good Grips 72891 Medium Spoon Spatula, Tomato: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 8 1.0 May 15, 2004 Rom Athens, GA United States I purchased a few of these for myself and friends. From the day I got my spoon spatula it was my favorite kitchen tool, especially since I could use it when making sauces or frying onions and veggies. One day when making a non-meat tomato sauce the handle simply broke off leaving the handle in my hand and the spatula in the pot. I wrote to OXO about this twice in the last 2 months with no reply and this is most frustrating to me. Anyway, I am now using a KitchenAid product which feels much more sturdy and KitchenAid responds to e-mails IMMEDIATELY B00012V15K:harder_than_maple,_huh?:sarah_m._thomas_"sarah_m._thomas" B00012V15K Totally Bamboo Kauai Cutting Board: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 2.0 March 31, 2006 Sarah M. Thomas "Sarah M. Thomas" Madison, WI The very first cut I made on this cutting board left a huge gouge in the surface. Subsequent cuts also left deep marks. For something that's advertised as being harder than maple, I found this to be very surprising. Maybe it's the way it's put together? All I know is that this cutting board is on pace to be the shortest lived ever in my kitchen. Pretty much the only thing that I like about it is that bamboo is a renewable resource. Good thing because at the current rate, I anticipate needing a new one very soon B0000DDVV4:universal_lids:r._raby_"livingwell202" B0000DDVV4 FoodSaver T03-0021-01 Universal Lids, 2-Pack: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 9 1.0 September 25, 2005 R. Raby "livingwell202" Lenoir, NC United States I have the large one tried to use it on coffee.... can't get it to work. Love the rest of the products B00006E9SP:the_glass_was_great_but_amazon's_shipping_is_the_worst!!!:wine_lover_of_uiuc B00006E9SP Riedel Sommeliers Bordeaux Grand Cru, Single Stem: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 11 1.0 November 22, 2004 Wine Lover of UIUC Champaign, IL USA I decided to buy this Riedel Sommeliers Bordeaux Grand Cru and Burgundy glasses from Amazon due to the the price and the name. When they arrived both were damaged. I returned them and wait for the replacements. When I got it, SURPRISE SURPRISE, they were all damaged again and Amazon said that they won't replace them anymore and I needed to return them again for the refund!!! The worst experience in online shopping ever!!! Tips: Buy these beautiful Riedel Glasses somewhere else. Trust me!! B00005K4ZT:vinchilla_wine_chiller: B00005K4ZT VinChilla 107900 Single Bottle Electric Wine Chiller, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 29 1.0 May 24, 2002 ... I returned it without even using it because it did not feel like a quaility item. I would not recomend this product if you have any taste B0009X6QBU:function_fails_to_follow_form:donald_symons B0009X6QBU Bodum Pavina Double Wall Cooler/Beer Glass, Set of 2: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 2.0 March 22, 2006 Donald Symons Like most reviewers, I found these glasses to be elegantly modern and sleekly minimalist. Like a number of other reviewers, I found that one of my glasses leaked. Unlike one other reviewer, I was unable to eliminate the water between the glass' walls in the microwave, and when I tried to do so the glass became very hot because of the steam produced. To my mind, elegance of form can never compensate for a failure of functional design. 5 stars for form, 1 star for function: 2 stars total. Addendum: I liked the form of these glasses so much that I bought two more at my local coffee house, knowing that if either leaked I could easily return it. Neither did, and they're a pleasure to use. I recommend local, rather than web, purchase B0001U5YJ6:broken_after_one_use!:olivine_queen B0001U5YJ6 Arcosteel Hand Operated Pasta Machine: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 6 1.0 February 24, 2006 olivine queen Cambridge, MA United States I got this pasta maker as a gift, and after the first use the knob used to set the thickness of the pasta broke off and so did a piece of the handle used to turn the rollers. All it would make after that is a flat piece of pasta with varying thickness. The company is going to charge me to send it to them and back, even if they decide to exchange the product, and all correspondences must be done by mail (no call-in number) so I'm not even hopeful for an exchange B0001U5YJ6:great_pasta_takes_practice.:sailoil B0001U5YJ6 Arcosteel Hand Operated Pasta Machine: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 32 1.0 October 25, 2005 Sailoil Dublin Ireland Bought the Machine, and got the correct flour. Made up the dough, and that was a success. Followed the instructions, used the vice to hold the machine to the table, then started off by cleaning the machine with a small piece of dough to get rid of machine oil. All that worked well. Then I started to make pasta. Making the sheets was fine, but as soon as I cut them into noodles it all went wrong. They started to stick together. My wife and I ended up having to work together, flouring the noodles as they came out of the machine to stop them sticking. But the pasta was delicious. I guess it just takes a bit of practice. In future I will leave the dough longer in the fridge to "rest" before rolling it, and have a mini-production line ready to catch and flour the cut noodles. The machine works great, I have no problems with it. It is cheap, it may fall apart, but for this price who really cares? I can't wait to try making my own pasta tricolore. And I want to try lasagne, ravioli and canneloni. That way we can freeze our own pasta for easy re-heating. Healthy TV dinners here we come B00004SQ0K:5_stars_for_amazon.com_and_1_star_for_the_metrokane_rabbit:t._falk B00004SQ0K Metrokane Rabbit Corkscrew: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 1.0 January 10, 2006 T. Falk We purchased this corkscrew as a gift for our daughter. On her first attempt to use it at a holiday dinner party, we found that it required an unreasonable amount of strenghth to uncork a bottle of wine. After contacting Amazon.com customer service, our entire $39.95 purchase price was refunded in the form of a gift certificate under their extended holiday gift return policy. Recently our daughter had an opportunity to use a corkpuller of a similar design. It removed a cork with far less effort. In summary, we offer a rating of 5 stars for our Amazon.com buying experience and a rating of 1 star for the Metrokane Rabbit corkpuller. B00004SQ0K:terrible!!!_don't_buy!!!:rustedart B00004SQ0K Metrokane Rabbit Corkscrew: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 6 1.0 January 4, 2006 rustedart Doesn't work. Not worth the postage to return. The foil cutter works, though...so if you want a really expensive foil cutter with a free paper weight, this is for you! B00005KI69:not_as_handy_as_i_hoped:pam_jaegers B00005KI69 KitchenAid Silicone Basting Spoon, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 2.0 February 20, 2006 Pam Jaegers MO I have to admit that this is not as handy as I hoped. It is big and clumsy and it's a little too flexable B000AQK0E0:why_did_i_try_proctor-silex_again??:familymom_"steph" B000AQK0E0 ProctorSilex 42114 Single-Serve Pod Coffeemaker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 July 2, 2006 familymom "StEpH" Charlotte, NC United States After me first coffeemaker began leaking- and it was a realtively new proctor-silex 12 cup maker- I decided to try one of these "cute" single serve ones. Why, oh why did I purchase this brand?? First, it does take around 3-4 minutes to brew a single cup of coffee or tea. This seems like a longer time than most. And now, after 2 or 3 frustrating weeks, it's leaking just like the old one did. Not user error, as the water comes from underneath the coffeemaker. Also, the coffee is not coming out as hot either, which causes me to wonder if it's the heating element... Even though this one can use loose grounds or pods, it is not worth the frustration! Try a different brand. My sister-in-law has really enjoyed her Sensao! B000AQK0E0:absolutely_horrible!_:nik_"busy_mommy" B000AQK0E0 ProctorSilex 42114 Single-Serve Pod Coffeemaker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 1.0 May 30, 2006 Nik "Busy Mommy" Philadelphia, PA Absolutely horrible! The worst $20 I've every spent. This machine is an absolute waste of money. I have had this machine fore 2 weeks and still have not found a cup small to fit it, they are all either too wide or too tall. A total headache when your rushing out to work B0000VC2BY:not_what_i_expected: B0000VC2BY Chantal EveryWare Extra Large Plate, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 8 2.0 July 13, 2004 When something says 'white' I sort of expect to get something close to the colour white. I ordered three of these plates but they are closer to beige. They also have an odd matte finish that made them seem cheaply. However, they are large plates and at this price, probably good for entertaining if you need quite a few. The large ones would be good for holiday meals - those times when you really need extra serving pieces that you don't use the rest of the year B0002U9L26:not_a_good_design_for_car_use.:joseph_toto B0002U9L26 Nissan JMT401 Easy Sip Travel Tumbler 14-oz.: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 September 19, 2005 Joseph Toto The tumbler that I have is sold in various places as the '360-degree Dribble-Proof Tumbler', I am not sure if that is the same as the JMT401 but on paper the specs and features are the same. It is not a good design for car use. On the plus side I like the no-handle design and it has a small base which should fit most cupholders. On the down side you need 2 hands to twist the lid open or closed. Also the 'dribble-proof' design means that the mug has a very deep lip, and even when it is full you have to tip it far up and into your field of view to get the liquid flowing B0000AR6K4:too_much_trouble:parkers_back B0000AR6K4 Cuisinart CBT-500BW SmartPower Premier 600-Watt Blender, Matte Black Metal: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 2.0 August 13, 2006 Parkers Back Ferndale, MI Looks great in my kitchen but I, too, only use it for shakes & smoothies. It DOES smell like burning rubber nearly every time. I used to think something was wrong with it and now I just disregard it. And after less than two years or making smoothies, I'm replacing the blade & gasket assembly. B0000AR6K4:very_disappointed_in_this_cuisinart_product.:robert_samphire B0000AR6K4 Cuisinart CBT-500BW SmartPower Premier 600-Watt Blender, Matte Black Metal: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 May 12, 2006 Robert Samphire Woodinville, WA We have owned this blender for about 3 years. If I had to do it again I definitely would not buy this blender. First, it is very loud. The timer quit working and the band rivets around the jar are rusty. The only things I like about it are that it is easy to clean and the jar is nice and big. Other than that don't waste your time B0000AR6K4:pretty_blender_shaped_paper_weight:suburbs B0000AR6K4 Cuisinart CBT-500BW SmartPower Premier 600-Watt Blender, Matte Black Metal: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 9 1.0 January 28, 2006 Suburbs This is our fourth new blender in the last three years. My wife and I prepare one large smoothie everyday that has no ice, but lots of frozen berries, fresh fruit, etc. Nothing else goes in the blender. This blender looked nice and was so heavy it implied quality. It even worked great for a few months. Then one day the gear that delivers power from the base to the jar stripped right off. Now it is out of warranty. This is not simple to replace since the plastic/rubber piece separated from the steel shaft. We paid close to $100 for this thing so spending a couple of hours bringing it to someone who will charge $25-$50 to repair it seems like throwing good money after bad. This blender,like many others that I will not waste anymore time reviewing, is described as heavy duty, industrial or commercial grade. None-I repeat-none of the ones sold at your retail store are comparable to the better commercial models. Save yourself time and money and buy the real commercial models that will last you a lifetime. You can easily find quite a few brands and reviews on the internet. The ones used in restaurants, bars and other food service businesses are constructed to a higher standard and have replaceable parts that are readily available over the internet. Be prepared to pay $200-$500. For someone who only occasionally will use a blender to make margaritas this may be a very useful blender. B0009U5NFI:caution_when_buying:p._tang B0009U5NFI Copco Zingo 2-Quart Enamel on Steel Teakettle, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 10, 2006 P. Tang New York, NY It leaked from the bottom seam the first time I used it. But I guess you get what you pay for. B00062AZ0C:horrible_set:s._janowski B00062AZ0C Trudeau 11-Piece Cheese Fondue Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 12 of 12 1.0 April 2, 2006 S. Janowski San Diego, CA This was the single worst set I've ever used. If zero stars would be an option, that's what I would have chosen. The pot broke before we could even dunk a peice of bread into the cheese. While it was warming on the stand it came with, I heard a sickening crack, so I immediately (tried) to take it the pot off the stand. The ENTIRE bottom of the pot and split away from the side...and cheese oozed everywhere on my counter top. Everything about this set is cheap. The pot (which was complete junk), down to the fondue forks it came with. They where metal with plastic. A complete waste of money. For your wallet's sake, save your money on this piece of junk and save up for a high quality set. B00061N0QO:ramekins_review:amanda_crandall B00061N0QO Nor Pro Porcelain Ramekins 6pc set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 16 1.0 March 20, 2006 Amanda Crandall This item was broken when it was received. It was not packed properly B00005KJX2:it's_not_german...:stephen_montgomery B00005KJX2 Rowenta DA-35 Latitude 35 Compact Iron with Dual Voltage for Travel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 14, 2006 Stephen Montgomery It's not made in Germany that's for sure, it's made in China (like everything nowdays) and I was really looking for German quality. B00004OCNL:had_high_hopes,__but_this_thing_is_slow:cherise_a._thompson B00004OCNL OXO Good Grips 73481 Flour Sifter: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 November 13, 2006 Cherise A. Thompson Seattle, WA OXO usually makes great things, this sifter does the job, but if you're making something large be prepared to be there awhile. It's very slow and after awhile your arm will start to tire. I would not recommend this sifter, just too slow for even making a small batch of cookies. B00004OCNL:incredibly_annoying!!!:h._timberline B00004OCNL OXO Good Grips 73481 Flour Sifter: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 8 2.0 March 12, 2005 H. Timberline Virginia, United States I have never written an online review for a product before, but I am so annoyed by this dumb sifter that I just had to. I am not a "speed" baker of any sort, but I have four kids and do like to make birthday cakes, muffins, cookies, etc. My old sifter was so old it was getting flecks of rust into the flour, so I started looking for a new one. I chose this one after reading all the online reviews, and even though I saw that a few people found it slow, I was not prepared for how slow it really is! I just sifted 3+ cups of confectioner's sugar for cake frosting and it took over five minutes. As another reviewer said, in order to make it go faster I shook more vigorously and then had to keep changing hands because they got tired. (I have never ever been tired out from BAKING before, fer' pete's sake!!!) I'm not convinced that the people who designed this product have ever actually USED a sifter. I'm stuck with the thing now, I suppose, so I'll learn to just go slower. But it is literally about one tenth the speed of my old sifter - which was just your typical grocery store thing with a crank on one side. The one thing I really like is the caps for both ends - an innovation I'm surprised nobody else has come up with. But that doesn't redeem the product for me. In fact, if I can put my hands on another one of those old-fashioned ones (at a thrift store, maybe) I'll snap it up and put this new one in the Goodwill bin. B00004SBGP:battery_replacement:david_salter B00004SBGP Black & Decker DB450 DustBuster Deluxe Hand Vac: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 11 1.0 May 23, 2004 David Salter Vilas, NC. USA Amazon should discontinue sale of this item as replacement batteries are not readily available B00095N90Y:poor_design:donna_renaud-apple B00095N90Y Wolfgang Puck's indoor Reversible Grill - Griddle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 1.0 December 2, 2005 DONNA RENAUD-APPLE After using this product twice I was extremly disapointed. The drip tray does not catch all the dripping from frying bacon. The grease ends up all over the counter and melting the base unit that the drip tray fits in. You would think Wolfgang Puck would try this product under all conditions to make sure it is enginered corectly. My counters are level so this is not an issue. I am a dissatisfied customer. B00095N90Y:only_lasted_4_months:maria B00095N90Y Wolfgang Puck's indoor Reversible Grill - Griddle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 9 1.0 October 29, 2005 Maria Irvington, NY I purchased this item from a well known home shopping TV show. After 4 months, it's no longer working. Also, it is advertised as being able to be put into the diswasher. I have an average size diswasher and it DOES NOT FIT!! I have contacted the manufacturer and will return it for repair or replacement! Note, when it worked it was great! I mainly purchased it for the reversable grill B00005LD47:sent_incorrect_item:l._max_lawson B00005LD47 KitchenAid K45B Flat Beater Replacement for KSM90 and K45 Stand Mixer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 3 1.0 February 24, 2006 L. Max Lawson Item was not the one ordered, I returned it and the reolacement you sent was also incorrect. I returned this second item for credit. You had placed your sticker with bar code over the manufacture's bar code and your label was incorrect. I hope you correct your error before you send several custmers the wrong ite B00005LD47:peeling_and_chipping_paddle:evie_scott B00005LD47 KitchenAid K45B Flat Beater Replacement for KSM90 and K45 Stand Mixer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 1.0 December 18, 2002 Evie Scott Seattle, WA I bake a LOT of cookies. I love my mixer but and concerned and disappointed in this piece of equipment. It peels and chips constantly and those pieces of plastic paint mysteriously disappear into ??????? How can they sell this type of faulty equipment B00008URR8:spotlifter_or_spot_grinder?:deborah_l._lamonica B00008URR8 Bissell 1716B Spotlifter Powerbrush Handheld Deep Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 September 12, 2006 Deborah L. Lamonica I bought this product thinking that it would be better than the cordless spotlifter that I had previously owned. The "powerbrush" just grinds in the spot and water flow required to loosen the stain must be hand pumped a little squirt or more accurately a dribble at a time. The prevoius cordless spotlifter pumped large amounts of water under pressure and made the clean up much easier. Also the suction is lousy compaired to the old cordless version. Once the spot is wet and loosened there is not sufficient suction to pick up the water. I'm sorry I bought this product. It does a very poor job B00008URR8:no_suction:r._jensen B00008URR8 Bissell 1716B Spotlifter Powerbrush Handheld Deep Cleaner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 August 1, 2006 R. Jensen Rapid City, SD USA There's hardly any suction. I applied a full tank of cleaner on the carpet (which requires a little effort one squirt at a time), but it only sucked up a few drops of it. customer service was helpful and had me return the product B0000AR6M2:failed_after_one_use:j.m. B0000AR6M2 Rival 3060-W 6-Quart Round CrockPot Slow Cooker, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 10 1.0 May 14, 2006 J.M. The slow cooker worked well the first time I used it. The second time, the light turned on, but it never heated up. I was disappointed, because the size was perfect for me. I'll try another brand B0002TU4EG:beautiful...if_you_like_orange.:b._powers B0002TU4EG Kitchenaid Poly Hub W/Santopreene Red 12 Inch x 18 Inch: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 January 5, 2006 B. Powers Mitten Land I have had these for about 4 months (I own every size made), purchased to go with the other Kitchenaid pieces (in red). It is impossible to get these white again after using them to cut cheese, carrots or anything with any natural coloring in it. I have tried cleansers with bleach, sprays with bleach and, in desperation, straight bleach! Scrubbing doesn't work either. I finally got some wood cutting boards and wish I still had my so attractive other ones on the counter. B0007XXRZA:had_to_return_it.:karen_feistman B0007XXRZA Corelle Hearthstone Stoneware Bay Leaf Green Square 16-Piece Set, Service for 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 November 4, 2006 Karen Feistman I'm surprised you requested this review because I returned the item. They were just what I wanted, color and all, but when I tried to put the dinner plates in the dishwasher they only fit if I placed them using two spaces. This reduced the dishwasher capacity. Next problem surfaced when the same dinner dishes didn't fit in my standard sized kitchen cabinet B0000AYKPF:still_waiting:floyd_c._jordan B0000AYKPF Haier RTC1700SS Stainless-Steel Convection Oven: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 February 20, 2006 Floyd C. Jordan I bought a Haier RTC1700SS oven from Amazon about a month ago. I am still waiting for a replacement from Haier because the trays & spit did not fit. I hope by this summer I will know what it's like to cook on a con- vection oven. I'll let you know if I ever get a chance to use the one I've already paid for B0000AYKPF:more_problems_than_pluses:vivian_robinson B0000AYKPF Haier RTC1700SS Stainless-Steel Convection Oven: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 2.0 October 9, 2005 Vivian Robinson YUMA, AZ United States I bought one and the plate that diffused the air was off center so it baked unevenly. I called and was told it was a defect and would do a warranty exchange. I was under the impression they would send it out but when I called, I was told I was supposed to send in $14.95 for shipping or I could give them a charge card and they would charge it again to ship out a new one and credit when I returned it. The new unit I received has had problems with the digital timer displaying the timer but rather than to have a short so rat her than do the return thing again I just used a manual timer. It baked a bit more evenly and was fast but still needed to rotate pans. I just recently had a power spike that took out all electronics plugged in, including the oven but I doubt I will reorder this product. Too unpredictible. B00009K3S0:bad_buttons,_short_battery_life:c._smith_"cymedman" B00009K3S0 Soehnle 66522 Futura Digital Food Scale, 4 Pound 6 Ounce Capacity: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 25, 2005 C. Smith "CYMedMan" Cyprus Beautiful to look at, BUT, I agree with other reviewers that buttons are difficult to operate and don't even work sometimes, plus be prepared to change batteries every few months--ridiculous for something that uses TWO lithium batteries and is not in heavy, or even everyday use B00005V9DY:disappointed_with_kitchenaid_this_time...:patty B00005V9DY KitchenAid Silicone Spatula Scraper, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 February 6, 2006 Patty Bronx, NY United States I have this scraper and after just a few uses, it fell apart at the connection in the center. Normally, I rave about KitchenAid, but this product was truly a disappointment B00005V9DY:keep_looking...:"chickenhound" B00005V9DY KitchenAid Silicone Spatula Scraper, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 20 of 25 1.0 November 22, 2002 "chickenhound" Naperville, IL United States I have several other silicone spatulas, and this Kitchenaid scraper is, by far, the worst I've used. Most silicone scrapers are soft and flexible, but this one is very stiff and rigid, so you cannot scrape containers out very well at all. Honestly, it doesn't even appear to be made of silicone. Cheap grocery store spatulas work much better than this one. Very disappointing B0000UBV7G:they_get_scratch_marks:yoko_"yoko" B0000UBV7G Pfaltzgraff Flower Garden 16-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 3, 2006 YOKO "YOKO" when this arrived I was very pleased with its quality-color-packaging -everything.Only problems is that after a short time using the plates I noticed scratch marks-dark ones in the center of the plates-I would guess from where people used their dinner knives to cut their food--very disappointing-as I was ready to buy the entire collection-glad i waited. B0007M2BN0:erm...:alberto_milazzo B0007M2BN0 NordicWare Egg Boiler: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 9 2.0 June 16, 2006 Alberto Milazzo NY NY I bought this because it had such good reviews... I got one and used it a few times perfectly without problems. until it blew up in the microwave. yep, BLEW up. Now Im sure i did everything as i was meant to.. so i really am being objective about this review.. what can i say? this was my experience, ive decided to buy a more reliable egg cooker which does not involve the microwave.. B0000SW0FK:pretty_disappointing:j._stuart_showalter B0000SW0FK Black and Decker CFV1200 DustBuster 12-Volt Cordless Vacuum: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 August 24, 2006 J. Stuart Showalter I found this product cumbersome, and the instructions for assembly, battery replacement, etc. were not very clear. The vacuum didn't hold a charge well, and it was hard to remove the batteries for replacement. I finally gave up altogether and bought a different product B0007KQZSY:farberware_skillet:l._kelley_"lkelley" B0007KQZSY Farberware Specialties 12-Inch Open Skillet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 October 18, 2006 L. kelley "lkelley" I bought this and some other pans in the set. Very disappointed. I have a glass cooktop, and when the pans heat up, they warp. Then return to their normal shape when they cool down. Guess I got what I paid for B000069BF8:zero_stars!:david B000069BF8 Shark EP750M Deluxe Cordless Handheld Vacuum: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 August 3, 2006 David Seattle, WA The battery is way below standard, extremely disappointing. It's cheaper to buy another machine than to replace it B00005KI68:not_for_small_hands:nujoi B00005KI68 KitchenAid Silicone Slotted Turner, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 2.0 November 11, 2005 NuJoi Chicago, IL United States This product stands up to heavy use without fraying or melting. My only complaint, and it's a significant one, is the shape of the handle. I find it awkward and clunky. It's probably great for people with larger hands. I've decided to replace mine with cheaper ones. B00005KI68:food_shovel:ww33 B00005KI68 KitchenAid Silicone Slotted Turner, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 2.0 March 7, 2005 ww33 Florida The handle is big, bulky and heavier than need be. It's like picking up a hammer B000684DKE:sorely_disappointed:shopping_too_much!_"val" B000684DKE KitchenAid Professional Egg Slicer, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 9 1.0 June 16, 2005 Shopping too much! "Val" LA, California I must begin by saying my kitchen is 100% KitchenAid in Empire Red. I adore their gadgets and utencils...and then I came across this egg slicer. A good egg slicer is hard to find, and to find one matching my set..needless to say I was excited. But the first time I tried it, the wires simply popped out. It takes very little pressure to slice a hardboiled egg, but this poor slicer couldn't take it I am very surprised, considering the high quality of the other products that I own. I am on a hunt for another red egg slicer B000684DKE:wire_slicers_not_durable:bob B000684DKE KitchenAid Professional Egg Slicer, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 11 1.0 March 24, 2005 Bob Seattle, WA USA I bought one of these because I think that the idea of a slicer is good. Supposed to work with soft cheese, eggs, mushrooms and other soft items. The first time I used it I decided to try it with mushrooms and on the third mushroom the cutting wires broke. I would have returned it but for the price didn't think it was worth the trouble. So I just tossed it. Maybe mine was defective but I doubt it B0000AQIFU:beautiful_but_distructive:chop123_"chop123" B0000AQIFU Studio 16-pc. Stoneware Set - Sage: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 August 9, 2004 chop123 "chop123" Mpls, MN BUYER BEWARE! I agree with the other reviews, these plates are BEAUTIFUL! Great size and shape. However, I used them for the first time last night at a dinner party and the bottoms of the plates and cups are so rough they scratched my solid oak, espresso stained table! Each place a cup or plate was set that wasn't on a placemat there were small scratches left behind. If you always use a table cloth or have a granite or stone table they would be fine, but I wouldn't ever put them on a quality wood table again. Fortunately Amazon makes returning easy B0001ATELU:good_oven,_but_controls_gave_out:vince_fong_"vince" B0001ATELU T-Fal OT8085002 Avante Elite Convection Toaster Oven: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 10 2.0 September 16, 2006 Vince Fong "Vince" San Francisco, CA We like the features and performance of this oven quite a bit. We bought it to replace a regular old toaster oven. The T-Fal toasts very evenly and I can fit a whole frozen pizza in it! The bad part is that after about 2 weeks of service, the controls work only very intermittently. This means that all functions behave at their default settings--no temperature or time adjustments. Luckily, the default setting for toast is just barely on the brown side for us, still edible. It's annoying to have what is otherwise a fine oven so befouled by unusable controls. It would have received a 5. B00005KAY1:okay_coffee_maker:coffeejunkie B00005KAY1 Remanufactured Cuisinart DGB-300FR Automatic Grind & Brew 10-Cup Coffeemaker, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 November 17, 2006 coffeejunkie MA This brews great coffee; unfortunately I have gone through 2 of these in 3 years. Not heavy use either. On my first one it started to leak the water from the bottom, and now my second one doesn't grind anymore. Still makes a good hot cup of coffee thou B0001GZO7W:rusting_is_a_problem.:lehman_security B0001GZO7W Farberware 14-Piece Classic Forged Block Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 4 1.0 September 20, 2006 Lehman Security My knives started to rust after 3wks of use. I didn't put them in the dishwasher either. I just leave them in the sink w/the dirty dishes till I'm ready to wash. But that shouldn't be the problem. I have a cheap $3 butcher's knife from chinatown that hasn't rusted yet and I treat that one the same B00062B0YC:mine_broke_too!!!:d._canevari B00062B0YC Trudeau Nonstick Dough Blender: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 March 8, 2006 D. Canevari Connecticut I used this dough blender for not even 6 months, and the handle snapped! (mind you, I am not a pastry chef, so I was not using it everyday. I used it a handful of times.) I understand it has a 5 year warrenty, so i will try to get it replaced. I have to say that it worked great before it broke B00009K3SO:don't_waste_your_money:paul_c._ruck B00009K3SO VillaWare V5375 Power Cookie Press: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 April 9, 2006 Paul C. Ruck I am an avid cook and baker. I used this unit twice and it broke after the 2nd useage. I found it to be very slow; the charge didn't last long so I had to keep it plugged in. The dough had to be very very soft in order for the press to produce the cookies. I am very disappointed that such an expensive item would operate so poorly B00005QFNZ:super_annoying_-_sold,_but_did_not_deliver:allan_wang B00005QFNZ Le Creuset 11-3/4-Inch Skillet with Iron Handle, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 14 1.0 August 1, 2006 Allan Wang Holualoa, HI United States I was really looking forward to receiving this, but four weeks after purchasing online, I received an email from Amazon saying they did not have a supplier for my purchase! I am disappointed in Amazon. How can you sell something you do not have B00005KJX1:don't_bother_with_this_one:noelle B00005KJX1 Rowenta DA-75 Steam ' n Press Dual-Voltage Travel Steam Iron: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 January 14, 2006 Noelle Washington, USA I have to echo some of the other customers' negative sentiments below - this thing never really worked well. Recently I noticed it had completely died; I think I used it all of 6 times. There have to be better models out there - I wouldn't recommend this one B00004SPDJ:not_well_engineered: B00004SPDJ VillaWare V515 Pasta Drying Rack: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 1.0 January 26, 2004 My rack came with pieces warped, one screw and most screw holes missing. Wood split as I was putting it together. Used it once for drying pasta, then once for kindling. Hope you have better luck B00006IUWX:broke_after_5_uses:m._furniss B00006IUWX Proctor Silex 57171 7-Speed Blender: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 3, 2006 M. Furniss This blender is very weak. It has a small blade that cannot pull down anything of substance and I had to stir even soft fruit in liquid or it would never get cut up -- just the bottom part of the mix spins around. I used this blender four times since August 2006 (when I bought it) to make 'smoothies', always with poor results. As the other reviewer said, the fruit stays lumpy. The little blades aren't strong enough. Yesterday I wanted to liquify some cooked potatoes for soup. Of course they are thick and starchy, but after the usual 'stirring' to get them to move through the blender, the speed buttons started to vibrate and I could smell the unit getting hot. I wasn't overworking it -- mainly pulsing and then running it for about 30 seconds. All of a sudden, it wouldn't work any more. It just burned out. If you actually cook and expect a blender to blend things, don't buy this blender. I'm going to see if Amazon will take it back. (Note: after I wrote this, I was told by Amazon that I had to get in touch with the manufacturer, which I could do because it was within 90 days of purchase. However, the company wants me to mail in the plug and $5 for 'shipping' to get a replacement, which obviously I don't want. Why would I want to pay $5 more for a product that didn't work the first time? Why would I want the product again at all? Amazon would have taken it back, but they wanted it returned in the box, which I threw out. I'm even more dissatisfied with this product now than when I wrote this review originally. Maybe I can make it into an interesting planter and sell it at a craft fair . . . B0002YTFV4:wow,_what_an_amazing_rip-off!!:j._rehm B0002YTFV4 OXO Good Grips 1062036 Garlic Peeler: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 July 17, 2006 J. Rehm DAYTON, OHIO USA I suppose this will actually peel garlic, if you use it just right. Never, ever, ever get it wet. It will not work. Also, you must trim off both ends of the garlic, or it won't peel. And then, I still have to hand peel some of the more stubborn pieces. It's just not worth the money. If you look around, you can find much cheaper garlic peelers out there.....BUY THEM! B00005OTXI:mr.__coffee_cheaply_made_pitchers:g._arnold B00005OTXI Mr. Coffee TM1 2-Quart Iced Tea Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 9 1.0 May 12, 2006 G. Arnold Owned Four Diffrent Styles. All Of them Worked ok But!!! The Pitchers Cracked, All Of Them!!!!My last New Mr. coffee Pitchers Lasted 3 Months and cracked (tea went all over the counter and floor) If you just make tea once in a while It may be ok But i make 3 Pitcher's a day With three tea makers sitting in the kithen on a old compter desk. The Hamilton Beach Has lasted 5 Years With Only one pitcher,It works good I'm ordering 2 more to replace the 2 mr coffee Because all my pitchers Cracked. I know Most people don't drink That Much,But I do. B0000VCXQS:pretty_with_some_flaws:ac_"ac92" B0000VCXQS Chantal 48-Ounce Tea Steep, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 20, 2006 AC "ac92" Simi Valley, CA United States I bought this teapot from Amazon in 2005 and used it numerous times. The material is great, heat retention is good, it looks very nice, and I had no problems cleaning it (I use a babybottle brush). The tea infuser is not very effective though. The holes are a bit on the large side, so any broken bits from whole tea leaves can still pass through. And the infuser is too small for my taste to allow proper steeping of all the tea leaves, especially when I'm not planning to fill the pot to the brim (it doesn't extend deep enough). So I don't use it at all (I put the leaves directly into the pot and use a strainer as I pour). However, my biggest gripe is that the spout does tend to dribble after you pour. So you have drops of tea trickling from the spout to the bottom in between pours, ending up with a wet spot on your table/counter. I have to make sure I either wipe the spout in between pours, or set it on a dishtowel/paper napkin (unless I'm planning to pour tea to multiple cups in one session). I found that pretty annoying. So in conclusion, for the price I paid for this teapot's supposedly wonderful features, I don't think it was a good buy. B0000VCXQS:in_the_running_for_worst_teapot_ever...:singing_rainbow B0000VCXQS Chantal 48-Ounce Tea Steep, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 April 26, 2006 Singing Rainbow Austin TX USA Yes, it is pretty. No, it is not a good teapot. I have made tea for over 40 years, in all sorts of pots, and this is right up there with the worst. It drips A LOT! Perhaps those who think it does not drip were just looking at the spout. And no, it does not drip from the spout. Rather, lots of tea runs down the underside of the spout and ends in a big puddle under the pot. This happens with both fast and slow pouring, with full and near empty pots. This teapot will most likely have to become a pretty red flowerpot. Just too much mopping up B0000VCXQS:too_damned_purple!_(aubergine):j._stein_"tech_buddy" B0000VCXQS Chantal 48-Ounce Tea Steep, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 6 1.0 March 5, 2005 J. Stein "Tech Buddy" SF Bay area, CA This is NOT Aubergine, a dark purple like the color of eggplant skin, but it is a light, bright purple. Sitting on my kitchen countertop, it is a very formidable sight first thing in the morning; glowing, shimmering in kitchen flourescent lighting. Caveat emptor, unless you're color blind or really like bright purple B000059L49:broken_hearted_pasta_maker:wannamartin_"jim" B000059L49 Ronco PAS17 Automatic Pasta & Sausage Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 12 of 12 2.0 September 3, 2004 Wannamartin "Jim" Centerville, Utah We love this machine, but it continually breaks down. The plastic parts are too brittle for the pressure that this pasta maker places on them. We have waited many times for parts, and we have waited too long on the service line needing help. Look for another machine that uses steel or metal parts that won't crack, chip or snap when making the machines pasta recipes. Best to you B0000DDVYE:i_sent_it_back_for_a_refund:jean_dunlap B0000DDVYE Joyce Chen Saladacco Spiral Slicer, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 August 16, 2006 Jean Dunlap Somerset KY I sent it back because the shaft that was supposed to fit down through a hole DIDN'T, no matter how I considered the matter, so never tried it, sent it back, asked for a refund. :-( B0006GCEXO:snooze_you_lose:r._roberts B0006GCEXO 600-Thread-Count Stripe King Sheet Set, Sage: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 3, 2006 R. Roberts Miami, Fl Took what I thought would be a nice set of sheets to my place in Costa Rica and have slept in wrinkles ever since. Hard to maintain, color is not vivid and am overall disappointed with this 600 thread count sheet set. B0002HDWNS:expensive!:s._england B0002HDWNS Hamilton Beach Countertop Convection Oven: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 9 1.0 September 11, 2006 S. England Near East Coast You can buy this at Walmart for $78.00. The seller here is charging $89.00 plus $26.00 shipping. You can buy here for 115.00 or go to Walmart and get it for 78.00. Also, seller misquoted price on this item and when he realized this he cancelled my order through amazon.Will not buy from this seller again.This new seller who sells on ebay also is not getting off to a very good start B0000E2OCQ:don't_waste_your_money!:m._clemons B0000E2OCQ KitchenAid KS411OB Black KitchenAid Utensil Set 4-pc.: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 6 1.0 August 17, 2004 M. CLEMONS I thought "KitchenAid" this has to be a keeper. I was wrong. The handles are much too heavy. There's too much give with the spatulas. I find the utensils to be too bulky and uncomfortable. I'll stick to my other much cheaper temperature regulated utensils B000H6AK7A:worse_than_scooping_everyday:m._c._guette B000H6AK7A LitterMaid Elite LME9000 Mega Advanced Automatic Self-Cleaning Litter Box: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 1.0 October 15, 2006 M. C. Guette Ventura, Ca I bought this box about 4 months ago and stopped using it about 2 months ago. It turned out to be more work than just a regular box. At least you can wash out a regular box and start over clean. Good luck with completely cleaning all the poo crumbs from the sliding track and cheap gears. It gets to be a disgusting affair, more than with a regular box. As other reviews said the rake only goes over the top half of the litter so there's tons of sticky cement left at the bottom which you have to manually scrape out. It was often unable to push the clumps into the bin. So it would just very noisily push until it got stuck, back up, and then start over again like 10 times in a row. When it does get clumps into the bin, it also pushes tons of litter through the crack between the bin and the box and then you're left with a huge pile of litter underneath the box. To clean it, you have to take it apart. The top part houses a computer so you can't soak it which means there's poo always stuck in the crevices. Ever see Office Space? At the end of two months I was ready to bring this thing out in a field and bash it with a sledgehammer. Now we're looking for another box. Currently, we are just using the plastic box from the littermaid without the rake, etc. This is my worst investment to date. B0007LJO5Y:auto-shutoff_is_incompatible_with_sewing_and_quilting:s._bergeron_"sylvainber" B0007LJO5Y Rowenta DX-8800 1750-Watt Professional Iron: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 50 of 53 2.0 May 1, 2006 S. Bergeron "sylvainber" Oswego, IL USA The Professional label on this product is a big misnomer. Ask frequent sewers and quilters what they hated the most about the last iron they replaced and they will almost invariably refer to leaking and the auto-shutoff feature if present. Typically, they press seams as a batch and go back to sewing... only to return to a iron that has shut off and requires a reheating cycle. The auto-shutoff on this model makes it poorly suited for the sewing room where the 'professional' label should apply. This (and other) Rowenta iron produces good steam and can burst steam to a certain extent. However, usually between 6 months and 1.5 yrs, Rowentas begin to drip. The valve design just doesn't hold up to water hardness that long. Failure number two. For garment sewers and quilters, a professional system with a separate water boiler (tank) works far better: * won't shut off on you * since the iron doesn't make the steam (the boiler does), the sole doesn't have the 'hot spot' where household irons drip the water to make steam, which tends to scorch fabrics * true professional models have a thicker sole which will maintain a more even temperature (still without the hot spot) I teach sewing classes (garment, home dec, totes, etc.) and have completely walked away from household iron designs like this one. You will not see this type of iron in a commercial workshop. Noone there would have the time to wait for the iron to get hot again every time you've been away from it. This iron is a better than average housesold model, designed for 'ironing' your laundry and not for pressing in a sewing room. For general ironing duty (like laundry), check out the T-Fal 1759 Ultraglide Diffusion Iron for about half the price. My t-fal irons (i've had 2) have outlasted my Rowenta iron, with just as good a performance and with the advantage of the ultraglide sole, a ceramic-like sole coating that does not scratch, even over metal zippers (the stainless steal sole on the rowenta WILL scratch over metal zipper) Rating this (and similar) Rowenta as a conventional household iron: Performance 5 Durability 3 (before it begins dripping) As a sewing room iron: 2 Overall Rating: 2 (because they label the product as professional, where it fails to the task) P.S.: for any household iron, be sure to empty the water tank after use to prolong the life of your iron. Leaving water in the tank leads to premature wear of valves and seals B00005EBGU:love_the_idea,_but_the_nonstick_doesn't_deliver:ken_alverson B00005EBGU Nonstick Egg/Pancake Rings, Set of 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 2.0 June 6, 2005 Ken Alverson Ohio, USA I had been looking for egg rings (without knowing what such a thing was actually called) for a long time before I happened upon these babies. As soon as I saw them I knew they were exactly what I had been looking for and ordered them on the spot. Unfortunately, my glee turned sour when I tried to use my new egg rings. A lot of people report they haven't had a problem with sticking, but that is not consistant with my experience. Eggs stick to virtually everything, and these rings are no exception. Trying to remove the ring and flip the egg is a pain, usually I flip the ring and the egg flips with it, and then I have to cut the egg away from the ring so it falls down to the pan B0009PRJZU:omg_i_think_i'm_deaf:coda_rabbit_rescue_"hs" B0009PRJZU Eureka 431AXZ Optima Lightweight Upright Vacuum: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 November 16, 2006 Coda Rabbit Rescue "HS" North Brunswick, NJ United States Well, it started off a fairytale. This small vacuum has a lot of power. Unfortunatley, I think I have permanant hearing damage from the volume of this vacuum. It is EXTREMELY loud, it terrified my pets and I had ringing in my ears after using it. It worked very well for about 6 months and then pooped out on me. I'm not sure if the motor gave out or what, but the suction doesn't work even though the brushes still spin. THE FILTER IS A PAIN! I run a rabbit rescue and deal with a lot of pet hair, it just clogs up way to fast. If you have a small apartment with merely area rugs, this might be ok, just make sure you buy some ear plugs. YIKES. B0009IR0WE:non-functional_slicer:daniel_d._herchenroether_"danherch" B0009IR0WE Oneida Cast Gadgets 4 1/2-Inch Egg Slicer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 November 29, 2005 Daniel D. Herchenroether "danherch" Pittsburgh, PA USA This egg slicer would seem to be a smart design since it will do slices and wedges. However, the wires consistently get snagged in the slots and break. Also, it does not accomodate jumbo eggs well. B000A1FJD2:low_price_low_quality:r._singh_"-raj-" B000A1FJD2 Novelty Snowflake 100% Cotton Luxury Flannel Twin Extra Long Sheet Set, Lotus: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 2.0 July 31, 2006 R. Singh "-raj-" LA, USA The way specifications were mentioned it sounded a good deal, and price comparision made it more real, but after getting the item I found that it's true: Low Price, Low Quality... Don't fall for this deal. I am disappointed B00004OCMO:be_carefull_i_broke_two_allready:jeffrey's B00004OCMO OXO SteeL 58991 8-Inch Strainer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 21 of 24 1.0 September 21, 2002 Jeffrey's edgartown, MA United States This product is junk. I like most oxo products but this one is poorly designed. The hadle is spot welded and can not hold any weight. My second one broke after shaking the remains of a stock out. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!!! B00063RVEO:probably_defective_from_the_start.:d._petersen B00063RVEO FoodSaver Pro III Vacuum Sealing Kit, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 5 1.0 August 22, 2006 D. Petersen AK I've used these type of units all the time until I got my own. It stopped sealing, and I haven't had a chance to use up the bags that came with it! When I called, they said it was probably the heat tape that went bad and they can't fix it. They offered to sell me a new one though! I have no idea where my receipt is (my fault). I have to have another one, so I'm going to buy the cheapest one so I don't feel so bad when I have to replace it in 6 months to a year B00004RC45:nice,_but_not_very_durrable: B00004RC45 Kaiser Bakeware Noblesse Nonstick Mini Springform Pans, Set of 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 38 of 38 2.0 May 5, 2001 When I received my set of Mini Springform pans I was very excited. I couldn't wait to get started on some wonderful deserts. And as expected the results were great. Only after the first washing did the problems reveal themselves. Not only did I notice rust on the release hinges, but the rims on the collars were warped. At first I thought I could live with this, but a friend pointed out it could only get worse. I am used to purchasing top quality kitchen equipment, but these definitely do not make the grade. Admitedly the results of my first time use were great, but I just don't feel these pans will last. I hate buying something and knowing I will have to replace it soon. And that is exactly the way I felt with these pans B00004S576:not_worth_the_mess:john B00004S576 Zojirushi NHS-10 6-Cup Rice Cooker/Steamer & Warmer, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 11 1.0 March 30, 2006 John Central NJ I purchased this after looking at all of the reviews. What a mistake! After using this to cook single cup servings of several types of rice, there was one thing in common - a huge mess. Even after rinsing the raw rice several times, the unit still spatters out to about a two foot radius. I may try it with a wet dish towel on top to contain the mess, or I may just stick it in the basement and forget about it B00004S56U:sticky_button:paul B00004S56U Zojirushi AFFB10S Premium Thermal 1-Liter Carafe, Brushed Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 March 25, 2006 Paul California This carafe keeps beverages warm enough. The problem I'm having is the push button on the lid sticking in the open position. The instructions that accompanied the carafe address this issue, although they were written for a different model that has the push button on the top of the lid. Despite following these instructions the push button still sticks. To get the lid to close now after I'm done pouring I have to release the button and smack the top of the carafe. Very poor design in my opinion. I wouldn't buy another Zojirushi product based on this experience. B00005MFA2:didn't_work_for_me...:rodrigo_faustini B00005MFA2 Black & Decker GS110 Steam 'n Go Garment Steamer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 8 1.0 July 11, 2006 Rodrigo Faustini Vit ria, ES - Brazil Simply put, it doesn't work. Well, perhaps it can work on some types of fabrics/garments in very specific (or limited) situations, but it didn't work on mine. You can't manage to get a continuous flow of steam, even if you keep on pumping the button frequently (what it doesn't support, as a matter of fact, because there's a limit of bursts of steam it can shoot out in a row before "reloading"). I returned it to seller (Brand Variety, that refunded me without problems, no question asked). Not recommended B00004S4U0:good_while_it_lasts:zip B00004S4U0 Polder Cooking Thermometer with Timer and Clock: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 2.0 August 19, 2006 Zip Minnesota I have purchased this item twice. The first barely made it through a grill season and the second proved even less hearty. The grill gets too hot for the wire and it burns through leaving two pices of probe wire. There is no way to use this with a grill and get sustained use from it. The same is true of all brands.. Models sold as "wireless" are not wireless in terms of going from the meat to outside of the grill. Somebody needs to figure out how to make this tool without the probe wire. That said, before it becomes useless, it works really well. Maybe the idea is to buy these by the case? B00004S4U0:keep_your_receipt:night_reader B00004S4U0 Polder Cooking Thermometer with Timer and Clock: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 3 1.0 June 26, 2006 Night Reader Atlanta I've had 4 or 5 of these thermometers over the years and when they work they are great. But inevitably the probes fail. You will think its your fault and probably buy a new one. But the reviews show that the probes are not up to the temperature extremes they will be subjected to in a grill or an oven. One solution I've tried that works pretty well, is to keep your receipt, and when the probe fails, take it back where you bought it for a replacement. B00004S4U0:lasted_less_than_year:ross_a._seymour_"rseymour10" B00004S4U0 Polder Cooking Thermometer with Timer and Clock: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 10 2.0 November 7, 2005 Ross A. Seymour "rseymour10" La Crosse, WI United States While it worked, it worked great. But then it stopped working. Only 10 months of use. Ordered a new probe, but that didn't work. Now, it's just an expensive timer. Would've received three stars, but the Polder site and service not helpful. Will try the Taylor model, good luck with analog Taylor thermometers. Once you get used to these types of thermometers, it's hard to go back. The precision in cooking, especially for chicken and pork, can make a big difference B00008WFGL:wonderful,_until_the_handle_cracked:laura_f.-t._"multi-tasking_professional/mommy" B00008WFGL Le Creuset 14-1/4-Inch Cast Iron Wok with Glass Lid, Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 14 2.0 February 1, 2006 Laura F.-T. "Multi-tasking Professional/Mommy" Ventura Co., CA USA I purchased this wok for my husband's Christmas present. It was lovely, we cooked two meals in it Christmas day. Nice heat transfer, beautiful on the table (but big). That night, he noticed the handle was cracked where it meets the pan. It's considerably narrower than the normal Le Creuset handle. Back it went to Williams Sonoma, where there were a few other L.C. woks with similar cracks! Phooey to you, Le Creuset. I wish I could find another glass lidded Joyce Chen wok - my old one was the best, before it was dropped one too many times B0000CF651:beautiful_look_and_feel.......until_you_wash_it!!:c._hagbloom B0000CF651 Cambridge Silversmiths Townhouse Satin 18/10 20-Piece Flatware Set, Service For 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 July 10, 2006 C. Hagbloom Taylor, MI United States We received 3 sets of this for a wedding present. I really liked how the polished silver shined and how they felt in your hand. However, after just one wash there were quite a few that had rust spots. After two more washes the rust got worse. These are supposed to be dishwasher safe! There are recommendations to hand wash these and dry them, but who has the time for that these days? Despite the apeal of the set, we decided to try something else. It's a shame because it's such a pretty set (before the wash of course!). B0000CF651:first_rate_junk....:jodyc B0000CF651 Cambridge Silversmiths Townhouse Satin 18/10 20-Piece Flatware Set, Service For 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 April 15, 2006 JodyC Montana I bought two sets of these about 4 months ago. After the first time in the dishwasher I noticed little tarnish/rusty looking spots. They rubbed off fairly easily, but as time has gone by, they are looking very bad. Tonight while eating, I got a sliver in my finger from the fork! I have NEVER had a piece of flatware peel. I'm going back to my old flatware. Sure glad I saved it! DON'T BUY THIS JUNK B000CDKHJ4:does_not_fit_my_pillowtop:anonymous B000CDKHJ4 250-Thread-Count 100% Cotton Sateen Narrow Stripe Queen Sheet Set, Light Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 October 20, 2006 Anonymous Oregon True, these sheets do get rather wrinkled in the wash, however, that isn't my concern....... The description states that these sheets will fit a mattress up to 14 inches thick. My pillowtop mattress is about 11 inches thick and these sheets don't fit! I washed them in cold water and used the lowest dryer setting. What a pain B000CPZXGO:disappointing:dave_in_kansas B000CPZXGO Cuisinart GR-1 Griddler Panini and Sandwich Press: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 October 28, 2006 Dave in Kansas This press doesn't seem to work well. The top browns much more quickly than the bottom. Clean up isn't all that easy. I was surprised by how small the grill surface was B0007IQQUI:perfect_for_the_reckless_consumer:simplyjules B0007IQQUI Keurig B50 Gourmet Single-Cup Brewing System: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 42 1.0 September 7, 2006 SimplyJules Mequon, WI USA We had this machine at work and made maybe 6 cups a day on a busy day. Within a month the machine broke - Keurig did replace it right away but then the second broke as well (a co worker bought one for his home and had the same problem!!). they gave us an upgrade on the model and this one is still going. The Coffee was good but the tea was not. Most importantly people is IT IS WASTEFUL. WITH LITTLE PLASTIC CUPS FILLING UP THE GARBAGE, AND IN OUR CASE TWO MACHINES IN THE DUMP. COME ON PEOPLE LETS HAVE SOME CONSCIOUS COMSUMERISM AND SLOW DOWN. What ever happened to putting the coffee in a paper filter and pouring hot water over it and letting the fragrance wrap around you. If you are that busy and needy for coffee instantly maybe you should be looking at the job ads or self help books and not over priced hunks of wasteful plastic for greedy americans B00005LVVR:not_non-stick,_but_otherwise_a_good_pan:s._wong B00005LVVR Kaiser Jelly Roll Pan Extraordinaire: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 December 21, 2004 S. Wong San Francisco, CA I bought this pan because it was non-stick, plus it had the air cushion between the layer of steel. I bake my usual brownies and cookies and they all stuck to the pan. It stuck more than my glass pyrex casserole pans. It was not easy to get it off, I had to scrape it off and it took time and a bit of muscle. Definitely not non-stick. The air cusion works from preventing the bottom of the cookies from overbrowning, which is not exactly a great idea since the top of the cookie become significantly more brown than the bottom of the cookie, which sometimes is moist and not quite holding the cookie together. On the up side, this pan doesn't warp if you are baking at 350 degrees of below. I am returning this item, I wanted non-stick and this definitel was not. B0000B2F44:plates_break_-_3_in_first_month:james_g._schallert_"jagajak" B0000B2F44 Sango Nova Brown 16-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 June 13, 2006 James G. Schallert "Jagajak" USA We just replaced our entire kitchen dishware with the Sango Brown - Mistake...even bought the added pieces...well, we ONLY hand wash them (we have a dishwasher but rarely use it). In the first week, a plate broke in half right down the middle...then a week later, a second...and tonight, a third..all three directly down the middle of the plate while HAND washing..(not rough washing either). I have a call into Sango and hopefully they will resolve it. After reading the reviews here, I would have to agree that its not worth the danger of broken dishes (My wife sliced her finger pretty good on the second broken one) to buy these. I am going to try to find a set that will go with ALL THE EXTRAS I bought from Sango..I am HOPING I don't have to replace everything! What a mess! Sango, why cut corners on such a beautiful set?? Im at a loss here to figure out that business logic B00005KI6G:gadget_enthusiast: B00005KI6G KitchenAid Silicone Short Turner, Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 9 2.0 January 27, 2003 I was disappointed with the spatula. It is too flexible and too large for my hand. My husband thought the size was okay but he too thought it was too flexible. It reminded me of a diving board B000BTYOYS:not_a_quality_item!:joyce_s._rettstadt B000BTYOYS Royal Heritage Collection 100% Cotton Jersey Knit Sheet Set - Sky Blue Queen: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 8 1.0 August 18, 2006 Joyce S. Rettstadt Princetonm, MA These sheets are not quality. They are no way equal to the value that the seller has assigned to them. The jersey material is very thin and the construction technique is inferior. They are NOT a bargain B000BTYOYS:waste_on_money:babs B000BTYOYS Royal Heritage Collection 100% Cotton Jersey Knit Sheet Set - Sky Blue Queen: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 August 1, 2006 babs philadelphia i agree these sheets are horrible.. i should have know better.. I have the same issues as every one else does.. I dont know what will happen after the second wash.. They will proably fit the crib.. Dont waste your money B000H6VH1S:knives_don't_cut_it:l._witnauer_"kitchen_guru" B000H6VH1S Chicago Cutlery Insignia2 18-Piece Block Set with In-Block Knife Sharpener: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 5 1.0 November 8, 2006 L. Witnauer "Kitchen Guru" I wish it was possible to give less than 1 star! Went through dishwasher once, came out rust! Save your money....or your packaging! I thought Chicago cutlery; how can I go wrong? so out the packaging went! I called Chicago Cutlery. Turns out some of their stuff is now made in China. Wouldn't that make it China Cutlery? B00004SBK0:cracked_in_the_oven_after_2_months:"mechengmother" B00004SBK0 Le Creuset Stoneware 12 1/2-Inch Rectangular Dish, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 18 1.0 July 29, 2003 "mechengmother" knoxville, tn United States I was very pleased with the Le Creuset baking dishes I have (I have the Poterie 10" x 13" deep dish baker, 14" oval baker, and 9" square dishes as well as this one). However, my 12" dish just cracked down the middle while I was cooking a pork roast in it at 425 degrees. It had only been in the oven about 45 minutes. I am sorely disappointed and now I am wondering if I wasted my money on the others. I have only had it for about 2 1/2 months B0000Y73P6:breadman_900s:je_"je" B0000Y73P6 Breadman Stainless Steel Bread Maker, 2Lb.: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 14, 2006 JE "JE" Pittsburgh I have owned this breadman for one year. I make between one and two loafs of bread per week. Mostly whole wheat bread. I purchased the 900S because my previous machine was a breadman and it performed well (8 years). Pros: It makes a good loaf of bread. Good selection of cycles. Loaf is easy to extract from the pan. Cons: The motor is not very powerful. It lugs down when making whole wheat bread. After 7 months of operation the Teflon wore off the mixing paddle. At 11 months the bearing failed in the mixing pan. Overall I am disappointed in this bread machine and I could not recommend it B0000Y73P6:expensive_baking_pan:l._w._"eager_student" B0000Y73P6 Breadman Stainless Steel Bread Maker, 2Lb.: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 1.0 January 24, 2006 L. W. "Eager Student" Chicago, IL Not sure how other people have been able to make a real loaf of bread with this, but I certainly could not. I made three attempts, all failures for various reasons. Either it did not mix, or the dough was so hard it knocked the pan off its base, or it created pebbles of dough. It definitely can not be left unattended, which defeats the purpose of delay start. It bakes OK though, but you better do all the upfront work yourself. PS. I was using the recipes that come with the maker B0000W4N0G:a_very_big_warning:who-zee-whuzz-it_"whoozee" B0000W4N0G Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Coffee Maker with Thermal Carafe and Two Travel Mugs: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 1.0 August 7, 2006 Who-zee-whuzz-it "Whoozee" USA We liked the idea that the caraffe didn't need to be heated from below... a big plus with this unit. But.... we have had some serious problems with the filter backing up and the water leaking over the top of it everywhere on the counter. A FLOOD of coffee. We thought that it might be the filter holes were clogged... so we made sure they were rinsed out well and could easily flow a stream through them. But then we had a flood again on the counter. So we thought that maybe our filters were'nt good... so we bought other ones. And them we had another big flood of coffee (this has proven to be very staining to our white grouting). So we thought perhaps we were grinding our coffee too fine and it was packing down too tight.... so we ground it coarser... and yet, ANOTHER DANG FLOOD. We have followed the instructions perfectly... and still these overflows. So now we are ticked... we have never had this headache with a coffee maker before.... and all we want is some coffee in the morning. So we're going to try and return the stupid thing (our reciept and box are long gone). Sure hope we can get an exchange... and certainly NOT another one of these. Oh... and the mugs that come with it don't have handles on them like the ones in the picture do B00009WE45:not_accurate_and_potentially_dangerous:critical_consumer B00009WE45 Taylor 9842 Professional Waterproof Digital Thermometer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 2.0 September 23, 2006 Critical Consumer Price, UT United States From the start, it was apparent that the temperature displayed was 5 or 6 degrees higher than two other digital thermometers I had in the same room. So I followed the calibration instructions and was only able to get the display to read 34.1 degrees in a 32 degree solution... ok, so I can live with 2.1 degree inaccuracy. After calibrating, the room temperature was also only off by about 2 degrees. However, I decided to test it in boiling water and the display read 193 degrees (water boils at 212F). So, If you are counting on this thermometer to tell you anything important (such as if your meat is cooked suffiently or if your beer water is the right temperature for steeping), I would make sure it is accurate at the temperature of interest before using... or avoid it all together, which I wish I had done B0001LO5GS:2_pans_->_2_damaged_pans_->_poor_product_quality:mike_from_brentwood_"mike_from_brentwood,_tn" B0001LO5GS Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 5-1/2-Quart Saut Pan with Helper Handle and Lid: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 5 1.0 September 17, 2004 Mike from Brentwood "Mike from Brentwood, TN" Brentwood, TN United States in defense of Amazon.com, the pan was not damaged during shipping. It appears that the nonstick surface has been gouged on both pans. I just got a refund. Poor Quality. Don't waste your time B00009WDSS:incorrectly_described:lynda_d. B00009WDSS W sthof Cutting Board: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 27 of 29 1.0 October 20, 2003 Lynda D. TROY, NH USA I wish I'd read the previous reviews! I ordered this for $14.99 as a "bottom of the page special" and it's going back. It is not two inches thick as described, but 3/4". What a disappointment! And now I see that the regular price has been changed from $25 to $40. YIKES! Don't bother.. B00006J010:don't_waste_your_time:rintintin_"woof" B00006J010 Lenox Tuscany Classics Martini, Set of 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 5 1.0 August 2, 2004 RinTinTin "Woof" Fort Worth, Texas United States All four glasses arrived broken. They are not packed for shipment. I have tried three times to get Amazon to refund my money but I have had no luck. Heed the warnings B00017UTC6:great_idea_but_rusted_fast,_pieces_fall_off_!!!:kas_from_md_"kasandra" B00017UTC6 Ultimate Tub Caddy - Expandable - (Chrome): Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 June 11, 2006 kas from md "Kasandra" Maryland, United States Now, i love the idea of having a chrome tub caddy until 2 months into having it, it begain to rust. Then the candle holder & the wine glass holder rusted off !!! I am now on the looking out for a plastic covered tub caddy. A caddy is awesome to have but not in chrome !! B000277Y9G:broke_three_in_quick_succession:kozi_"kozi" B000277Y9G Chicago Cutlery Centurion Shears, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 11 1.0 September 6, 2005 kozi "kozi" I bought three of these when I saw them in a local store, thinking them a great deal. They LOOK like the equivalent of the Henckels, solid and sturdy, at one-fifth the price. Looks can be deceiving. They are suitable for paper, skin, aluminum foil, etc., but do not try them on anything more substantial, like chicken leg bones. I broke these on items that I routinely cut through with my Henckels and Wusthof shears. The cost of sending them back under warranty was about the purchase cost, so I tossed out all three pairs. Sorry, Chicago Cutlery, but if you are selling office scissors, label them that way. I expect kitchen shears to be a LOT tougher, so I can't mark these more than one star. Chicago Cutlery makes a pair of scissors called the Insignia series, for only about $2-3 more. I suggest potential buyers look into these, or spring for the more expensive German brands B0009YHU5K:i_don't_get_this_positive_feed_back!_animal_abuse!:lisa-anne_furgal_"lisa_furgal_designs" B0009YHU5K Aquabetta-Aquarium Desk Lamp-Satin Nickel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 13 1.0 August 3, 2006 Lisa-Anne Furgal "Lisa Furgal Designs" Tampa Bay, Florida USA This product is sick! If you get a "delight" out of seeing an fish hung like a Christmas decoration in a ball that is way too small too live in your sick! Plus a nightlight? Try sleeping w/ no eyelids w/ a light over your head. Fish sleep too, but they cant close their eyes. There does not even seem to be much air space above the water. It's the same problem with those silly bowls with the plants on top. They breath oxygen and sufficate witout fresh air. Get at least a five gal. tank and don't waste your $ on this cheap fad product. Bettas are so smart, fun and sociable and desarve just as much respect as all of our fellow pets and humans B000220JZM:waste_of_money:l._johnson B000220JZM Black & Decker GM200 Gizmo Mixer, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 January 30, 2006 L. Johnson United States This mixer is so weak it couldn't mix air. It's horribly under powered. Seriously, it bogs down mixing mashed potatoes, and I'm talking INSTANT mashed potatoes! And mix protein drinks?? Forget about it. It leaves clumps because it doesn't spin fast enough. I'd do better twirling my finger in the glass. Consider using a spoon over using this contraption, and $20 will buy a lot of spoons. Or get a real mixer and leave it somewhere handy - same convience but it will actually work. If you don't believe me and the others here warning you, go ahead and throw your money away on it, and then you'll wind up here adding your own warning to others. Consider yourself warned B00005O0N1:nice_concept_-_poor_execution:l._cianciara B00005O0N1 Back-to-Basics Smoothie Elite Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 May 11, 2006 L. Cianciara NJ, USA I agree with the other reviewers; had the machine for a couple weeks, after 5 uses the machine didn't sit right on the base, causing the teeth between the base and the container to grind a bit. After that, it was all downhill. The base teeth were completely ground down within 2 uses. Interestingly, the new back to basics smoothie machines seem to have a better locking mechanism, and teeth that seem to be made of more durabe material B00005O0N1:smoothie_no_more_-_what_a_waste_of_good_tequila!!:m._dayton B00005O0N1 Back-to-Basics Smoothie Elite Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 2.0 March 26, 2006 M. Dayton Buffalo, NY USA I had this machine for about 3 years with no issues. But, how often do most people use their machine? I used it maybe 15 to 20 times. I went to use it yesterday and all of a sudden I see smoke and the bottom of the machine and that funny electric smell (We all know what that smell means) The plastic bottom of the base stuck to the machine and margarita's were everywhere (except in my glass). We had to throw the whole machine out. Now I will be buying a new machine, being that I enjoyed the convenience of the spout but if I can't find one thats non plastic I will use my blender. The smoothie maker makes less of a mess for drinks, a blender always doesnt pour as nice. I will not buy another plastic model again. (I believe this one was a gift to me) Do yourselfs a favor and spend the extra cash on a metal version or even glass if this exists, obviously the motor doesn't last long and the plastic parts break to fast according to other reviews I've read. B00005O0N1:great_idea,_poor_quality:c._holmes B00005O0N1 Back-to-Basics Smoothie Elite Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 6 2.0 April 19, 2005 C. Holmes Redding, CA USA I bought the Back to Basics 600 smoothie maker about 6 months agos. I was pleased with it until the plastic toggle on the spout broke. It is made of plastic and apparently could not withstand the tension on the plug. I was very disappointed since I use it every morning but thought it would last longer. I will look for a better quality one next time B00005MFA1:not_what_i_was_excepting!:karen_cargill B00005MFA1 Black & Decker F63D The Classic Metal Iron: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 December 30, 2005 Karen Cargill Silver Springs, Nevada USA I am a quilter and was looking for a good hot iron and lots of steam. I also hate the auto- shut off. Well I thought I had found it. The perfect iron for my needs. Well after only one days use it is put away for someone else to use I was very disapointed in the iron it spits water and boy do I mean spit my ironing board cover was wet. My fabric continued to to roll under the iron, the surface is not smooth and seems to grap the fabric. Not what I was looking for at all I would not recommend this iron B00005MFA1:worst_iron_ever:anonymous B00005MFA1 Black & Decker F63D The Classic Metal Iron: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 September 10, 2005 Anonymous Toronto, ON I have had this iron for awhile now. The big problem is that gunk builds up on the soleplate that is almost impossible to get off. Except when you iron white shirts, when it seems to rub off of the collar and seams, permanently staining and thus ruining your shirts. Avoid this iron at all costs B0000VMEYY:defective_product:ms._davis B0000VMEYY Wilton Cookie Master Plus Cookie Press: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 November 22, 2005 Ms. Davis I was very disappointed with the Cookie Maker Plus and I believe I bought a defective product. The picture on the front of the box shows the person's hand on the big button to make cookies, I had to use the small button at the top to get it to work and the big button to retract the plunger. I have used the Cookie Maker Plus 4 times... twice to make twice baked potatoes, once to make candy but the 4th time I used their recipe for Classic Spritz Cookies the machine died after 16 cookies. I switched the batteries and it produced 2 more cookies , then died again. I finished the batch by rolling them out and using a cookie cutter. The Cookie Master Plus could use major inprovement. Don't waste your money. B0000VMEYY:piece_of_junk:princess_katie_"katie" B0000VMEYY Wilton Cookie Master Plus Cookie Press: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 1.0 December 22, 2004 Princess Katie "Katie" HELL, Arkansas This is horrible.....as stated by the other reviews!!! Do NOT waste your money or time!!! My husband and I tried for several hours to get this to work, we let the dough come to room temperature, and still it would NOT work! B00004S1CT:amazon.com_delivers.....used_coffee_mugs:g._a._impullitti_"clean_coffee_mugs" B00004S1CT Nissan Ultimate 14-Ounce Stainless Steel Vacuum Travel Tumbler: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 11 1.0 January 26, 2006 G. A. Impullitti "CLEAN coffee mugs" MN If you're in the market for a used Nissan coffee mug, then step right up and order from Amazon.com! So you're probably thinking, yes, maybe I would like a used coffee mug. How about a used coffee mug with dried, brown coffee stains still in it...And how about with the fresh aroma of a...what does that smell like, ah, Vanilla Latte I believe it is. If you're still interested, continue ordering, but be advised as customer service will be unwilling to compensate you for any issues you may have with receiving a dirty mug in the mail. I think Nissan stainless makes a nice product, but I would suggest ordering from SOMEWHERE ELSE!!! Hip, Hip, Boooooo B00004OCJX:weak_hinge:graham_charles B00004OCJX OXO Good Grips 28181Garlic Press: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 July 12, 2006 Graham Charles San Francisco, CA USA I've had two of these break on me now after normal use; the hinge gives way during the "cleaning" process B00004OCJX:went_back_to_oxo_twice_--_made_from_weak_metal:amy_bauman B00004OCJX OXO Good Grips 28181Garlic Press: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 April 16, 2006 Amy Bauman Boston, MA Although this is a nice looking product, and it lives up to the 'good grip' promise, I went back to the company twice for a new one after the metal broke apart at the stress point (the hinge). I will say that OXO stood behind their product, shipping out a new one with no fuss. But after getting two replacements, and seeing the third break in exactly the same place, I'm done. B0000DC64R:so_so:t._brown_"trezzb" B0000DC64R KitchenAid Silicone Loaf Pan, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 15 of 17 2.0 November 4, 2004 T. Brown "trezzb" Hershey, PA United States My kitchen is entirely Kitchenaid, so I was very excited when Kitchenaid released their silicone bakeware line. I love the color and the way they clean up very nicely. I also love that they do not get scratched or clank around in my cupboards. However, I have noticed that when I bake in these, I can smell the silicone. It even dominates over the smell of the cake or bread that I am making! I have also noticed (especially with this bread pan) that the silicone gives your dessert a slight silicone taste. I own the muffin pans, so I use paper baking cups to prevent this from happening, but with the loaf pan, there is no way around it. B0000639WN:cup_leaks:tra_"tra" B0000639WN Nissan 18-Ounce Stainless-Steel Insulated Travel Tumbler: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 2 1.0 October 12, 2006 TRA "TRA" Texas Cup leaks out of the top closure part. I need one that does not leak at all, most of the time my hands are full and it's a balancing act. Very disappointed for this amount of money it is not worth the aggravation B0001XASVM:hardly_commercial_quality:jellybien82 B0001XASVM Waring C01500 Professional Convection Oven 1.5 Cu. Feet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 32 of 32 1.0 November 18, 2005 jellybien82 Indiana, USA I am writing this to warn all of you cooks and bakers at home, that like me, prefer real commercial equipment in your kitchen. Anything less is just a toy. I had purchased the Waring Pro 1500 convection oven thinking this would be a quality convection oven to replace a Farberware convection oven that I have had for over 10 years and just plain wore out. I ordered the Waring Pro 1500 from a catalog/online store other than Amazon, I don't know if it is legal to say, but it does have the word Chef's in it. I was so excited to get it! I opened the box, set it up, and was so disappointed. It was made so poorly I was just sick. The stainless steel top was not smoothed out, the oven door was installed so crooked it scraped the metal off of the side of the controls, and it had been dropped or something before packing because the feet were up inside of the thing, and the top was bent down. The shipping packaging was fine, there was no broken packing and the box was fine. OK, so I sent that one back, got a replacement thanks to the wonderful customer service at the online store, and opened the second one, same thing!! I was so devastated, that I decided to give it a shot anyhow. While cooking with it, the door had such a bad seal that it just steamed out the front, sides and bottom. I was amazed that there could be such shoddy workmanship out there on what was being advertised as commercial quality. OK, so oven number two went back, and I tried one more, what the heck three strikes you are out right? Right!! Finally oven number three came and it was put together so much better, seal looked good, top and feet looked good, so I decided to give it a whirl. Once again, huge disappointment. The convection fan goes on and off with the burner coils. Thus not giving the cooking cycle a true convection. I called Waring customer service and it was confirmed by engineering that they designed the fan to come on and off with the coils. Bad design! It took longer to bake cookies in there than it would my regular oven, and then they were hard and dry. I rotisseried a chicken and it took over 1 and a half hours and when I cut it, the skin was soggy, not crisp, and it wasn't cooked all the way through after 90 minutes! The thing popped (sounded like it was going to blow up) every time it heated up because they riveted the rack holders in there so tight, also making it nearly impossible to go from racks to using baking trays. OK, that was it!! After extensive internet research, I finally found a convection oven that is truly a commercial oven made for residential use, and exchanged it with the wonderful catalog/online store mentioned before and got the Cadco Commercial (and I do mean Commercial) half size convection oven Model number OV-350 and have used it many times since it's arrival and absolutely love it!! I know it is twice the price, but as usual, you get what you pay for. There is a smaller size version of the Cadco/Broilking oven that is quarter size, for people that do not need to bake huge quantities like me, that is the same price as the Waring Pro. Please people, if you are at all a person that demands quality in your kitchen, do not waste your time on the Waring Pro, just skip right to the real commercial stuff and save yourself some major stress!! Thanks again to the wonderful customer service at the aforementioned catalong/online company for NOT making me be stuck with the worthless Waring PRO 1500!! Go for the Cadco! B0001XASVM:godzilla:c._smith_"learner" B0001XASVM Waring C01500 Professional Convection Oven 1.5 Cu. Feet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 20 of 32 1.0 May 20, 2005 C. Smith "Learner" Western PA USA We never even plugged this sucker in. I wanted a countertop convection oven that would accomodate a pizza or 9 x 13 pan, and this unit was supposed to do that. What none of the product decscriptions mentioned is that this "countertop" unit should NOT be used underneath a cupboard. Don't most kitchen countertops have a cupboard over them? Also not mentioned is that the unit required a 4" clearance on the sides: so whatever the dimensions of the unit are, you need to add 8". I'm sending this monster back and getting something smaller B0000DC651:i_sold_them_at_my_garage_sale.:misswintersunshine B0000DC651 KitchenAid Silicone 12-Cup Muffin Pan, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 2.0 May 22, 2005 MissWinterSunshine Yardley, PA Unfortunately, if you have an older gas oven like we do, the temperature of your oven may actually be higher than the temperature at which you set it on the dial. This led to problems determining a safe temperature in which to use the trays. We were all hesitant to eat the muffins I'd made because of the chemical/plastic smell. I'm back to using foil muffin cups on a cookie sheet B0000ALQ8D:only_good_for_very_light_work:rob B0000ALQ8D Waring Pro FS150 Food Slicer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 2.0 December 27, 2005 Rob The FS150 food slicer is fine for very light duty work such as cheese or lunch meats providing you don't push this unit too hard or use it too frequently. Ours lasted a year and a half of very occasional use before it burned out. The two biggest drawbacks are the sliding rail and the motor/gear train. First the slider is simply a cheap plastic bushing on a metal rod that tends to bind up fairly quickly. We found that a little olive oil wiped on to the rod kept things moving well enough but it needs to be treated every time you use the slicer and then cleaned afterwards. Food grade Teflon or silicone spray did not seem to work as well as the olive oil. The big problem with this unit is the motor/gear train that drives the slicing wheel. The drive gear is plastic and will not tolerate any kind of continuous load and will strip out fairly easily if pushed too hard. We smoked the motor and stripped the gears just slicing up a couple of small roasts and we were not working the unit that hard. It does a decent job for the person that just wants to slice up a small bunch of deli foods for a party or do a weeks worth of cheese for the kids lunches but honestly a good knife will do just as well and not set you back ten minutes for cleaning every time you use it. If you are looking for a slicer to do more serious work you will have to spend the money and get something in the $400+ range. What this slicer is good for the deli counter can do for you for free when you buy your bologna. B0000ALQ8D:very_difficult_to_clean;_a_truly_horrible_purchase:tony B0000ALQ8D Waring Pro FS150 Food Slicer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 10 1.0 November 21, 2005 Tony Knoxville, TN USA I was actually satisfied with this slicer until I needed to clean it. When you remove the blade, there is a plastic ring or seal that clings to a metal rim with brittle, plastic "fingers". An intelligent engineer would have seated this ring in a channel rather than have it mounted by flimsy, brittle fingers to a thin semi-circle of metal. Mine broke on the 4th cleaning; now the blade is extremly difficult to align, and it wobbles if you leave the part off. Waring's website does not offer this part for sale, and customer service has not yet returned my call. Updated March 24, 2006: Customer service told me to clean this slicer by removing the three mounting screws rather than using the center screw. This is more difficult, and does not permit you to clean accumulated goop that gets behind the seal. They did send me a new ring or seal, but I had to eventually remove the whole blade when the smell of the goop became too strong. All of the fingers had broken off the seal, so I had to use duct tape to reapply it. And the blade really wobbles now. I see a few people really liked this slicer; I suspect they had not cleaned it before writing B0000ALQ8D:impossible_to_clean!:dave_"dave" B0000ALQ8D Waring Pro FS150 Food Slicer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 29 of 29 2.0 January 8, 2005 dave "dave" North Little Rock, AR This thing slices well, then comes the impractical task of trying to clean it. The tray does not detatch from the base, which cannot be put in water because it containes the motor. Pieces of food work their way into the motor area. After removing the blade (using tools) you must remove a plastic cover with 3 screws and dig out the pieces of food. I could not believe how bad a design it was from a cleaning standpoint. The tray that slides back and forth with the food has a stainless top that is literally two-faced taped onto the plastic base. This was very poor from a quality standpoint, and came off in my hand the first and only time used. The plastic base for this tray has about fifty little half inch square honey-comb sort of areas that grease from meat or juices from food WILL get down into. This thing is a nightmare to adequately clean and not worth the trouble. It went back to the store immediately, and it was not all the way clean because after about thirty minutes I gave up. I'm looking for another brand now B000A1FFQ8:misleading_advertising:c._brodeur B000A1FFQ8 Hamilton Beach 52754 WaveStation Blender: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 May 8, 2006 C. Brodeur I bought this product because the box says "no more ice chunks." There is even an "icebreaker" setting. I wanted a way to make slushies. However, the manual says you are to use the "icy drink" setting when crushing ice. I am not sure if or when a person is supposed to use the "icebreaker" setting! Also, the whole ice crushing process requires many steps and more than a blender. First, you have to pour water in before you can crush the ice. Once you press the "icy drink" setting, you pour out the excess water into a collander. Even after all that, there are chunks in the ice. No slushie for me! I gave this product just 1 star because I hate misleading advertising. I will now have to take time out of my crammed schedule to return this product B00006IUZB:dishonest_marketing_:debra_albagli B00006IUZB Sunbeam Steam Master Iron: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 23 2.0 April 8, 2005 Debra Albagli The price of this iron was reduced to $24.99 with the purpoose of missing the $25 order for free shipping, then they trap you into buying another item or pay over $7 for shipping. Now, to make matters worse, they omitted the most important feature of the iron; that the soleplate is aluminum. B0000UJGVO:too_heavy_on_handle_end:christopher_altermatt B0000UJGVO KitchenAid 4-pc. Culinary Utensil Set - Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 2.0 January 31, 2005 Christopher Altermatt Baltimore, MD, USA These tools are made of high quality materials, and they look very nice. However, the ends of the handles are so thick and heavy that if you leave them propped on the side of a shallow pot or pan, or on the counter, they are very prone to flip out of the container or off of the counter, carrying food with them to the kitchen floor. This happened to me twice while cooking thanksgiving dinner. I will not throw them away, but I would never buy them again. B0002IP4N8:sloppy_craftsmanship:christopher_t._manning B0002IP4N8 Hose Holder with Stake: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 June 1, 2006 Christopher T. Manning USA Would look great if it lined up correctly. Goes together very crooked & doesn't line up 100% with other parts, & there are only three major parts. I ordered two holders, & both have the same problems. May redrill the screw holes to line things up better, but may just return both for a refund. I love the look, & it would be great if things were done correctly B0006L9VB2:very_unhappy:karen_l._laufer B0006L9VB2 De'Longhi DSJ900 Esclusivo Electric Kettle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 1.0 July 8, 2005 Karen L. Laufer PA After getting the teakettle in January, I had to stop using it by June. The kettle was leaking water all over the kitchen counter and at time it would not turn off by itself. Delongi sent me a new kettle to replace the one that was broke but it was a model only worth $80.00. When I ask about the $50.00 difference in price of the two teakettles I was told they covered their warranty and I'm out of the $50.00. I won't be buying anymore of Delongi products! B0002AU0YE:not_even_close_to_frozen:joe B0002AU0YE Deni 5530 Deni Automatic Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 8 1.0 July 5, 2006 Joe Rhode Island Like the other reviewers, I followed the instructions for this machine to the letter. I froze the canister in my deep-freeze for several days and took it out just in time to load it. Although the recipe provided was quite tasty, even after 60 minutes the stuff never even got cold enough to reach the slush stage, let alone ice cream. My kids pretty much drank it from the bowl. It's advertised to make ice cream in 20 minutes; no way. Returned it the next day (and paid for shipping) B000A0IKKC:looks_great_but_poorly_designed:k._r._tucker_seeley B000A0IKKC OXO Good Grips Silicone Oven Mitt with Magnet, Charcoal: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 2.0 March 5, 2006 K. R. Tucker Seeley Boston, MA United States Let me begin with a positive note on the OXO Good Grips oven mitt: It looks great and the magnet is a good idea. Now for the negative aspects of this item: it's WAY over-priced, especially for how poorly it is designed. The way this oven mitt is designed does not give you a "Good Grip," which is ironic since it's called the "OXO Good Grips" oven mitt. It's hard to explain, but the silicone part is somewhat stiff and when you put your hand in the mitt, you cannot easily grab things, especially if what you're trying to grab is small (like a pan lid) or narrow (like the handles on a roaster pan). It's like this mitt was designed as though the only thing anyone uses an oven mitt for is to take hot cookie sheets out of the oven. I decided not to give it one star ONLY because it does a good job of insulating your hand from high temperatures. I strongly suggest that if you are considering purchasing this OXO mitt, you should go to a store and try it on first to see what you think about the design. B00008UA61:ugh:d._elwell B00008UA61 Fagor 4-Piece Egg Poacher Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 15 1.0 May 6, 2005 D. Elwell I bought this pan as a Christmas gift for my husband. It would have been easier if I had just put a match to my money and burned it. He has given up using this pan. He even read the directions thinking he was doing something wrong. Every egg he placed in it stuck to the side of the teflon rings. What a shame. The only use would be to throw the rings away and just use it as a regular pan. Don't waste your money B000COB5E4:mystery_plan_:charles_cordery_"a&e___series_nut" B000COB5E4 1-Year Replacement Plan for Small Appliances $75 to $99.99: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 August 19, 2006 Charles Cordery "A&E Series Nut" EHT New Jersey As of today August 19, I have not received anything on this plan. No paperwork,no backorder....NOTHING !!! I think maybe it's just a rip-off B0001O2WY2:should_have_read_the_reviews:mother_of_four_"donna" B0001O2WY2 Oster 6330 Inspire 4-Slice Toaster, Brushed Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 1.0 May 18, 2006 Mother of four "Donna" Greensboro, NC USA We have had ours less than one year and we hate it for all the reasons everyone else have listed. It doesn't toast evenly etc. Don't buy it B0000DE16I:who's_kidding_who_here?:wilmette206 B0000DE16I Cast Iron Rosette Irons 4-pc.: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 May 14, 2006 wilmette206 Lexington, SC This unit from Cooking.com is made from China. Consider it to be a disposable unit. The threads on it are worthless. I got one single use out of them. I thought it to be a fluke. Ordered another one. Same thing. Frustrated! I located a German Made Cast Iron Rosette Iron online, from another reviewer. There is a world of differences, between the $10.00 China junk knockoff and the German made one. It is my opinion that the German Rosette Iron is worth every penny! The German Made Cast Iron Rosette will no doubt be handed down for generations to come. The threads alone are worth the higher price; however the quality is significantly noticeable. The German made set is a much heavier set than the China made set from Cooking.com. It is my opinion that it is worth your time to do a bit more research than for settling for this Chinese knockoff. Don't get me wrong - they are still better than Aluminum any day of the week - but if you have ever owned an Alfred Andresen & Co Cast Iron Rosette set - you'll instantly know what I am talking about. B0001O34SU:waste_of_money:j._wenande_"j.w" B0001O34SU Calphalon 16-by-14-Inch Rectangular Cutting Board: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 March 16, 2006 J. Wenande "J.W" Colorado I am very disappointed in this product. I followed all the "mfgs. directions" on how to keep this board in great shape but it didn't matter. the board bowed and cracked after about 2 months (30 days over the Amazon warranty of course....) it's so badly curved we are waiting for it to turn into a sphere. B0001NRWDO:sunbeam_4200_smoothie_maker:zephyr B0001NRWDO Sunbeam 4200 Smoothie Maker, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 16 of 16 1.0 July 22, 2005 Zephyr Arlington, TX USA Assembling and disassembling this piece of equipment would discourage a person from ever using this item. It is far too complicated and has too many pieces that have to be washed each time it is used and then put back together again. One can expect to spend about 30 minutes to disassemble and reassemble the unit while following the assembly guide. In addition to that drawback, there isn't anything that should be placed in a dishwasher, so it has to be hand-washed and hand dried. An osterizer would be a much simpler and better choice!!! B0000A1ZN9:disappointing_poacher:theodora B0000A1ZN9 Cuisinart CEC-7 Egg Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 April 28, 2006 Theodora Madison, WI I purchased this egg cooker specifically for poaching 2 eggs. I used large, farm-fresh eggs. Whatever combination of water and timing I tried, I never got a perfectly cooked poached egg. The Cuisinart instruction book is confusing in its layout - specifically page 5. I called Cuisinart and after much back and forth, it was determined the eggs I used were too large and the directions were for MEDIUM-sized eggs. If considering this machine, be aware you might have to sacrifice the eggs you want to eat. B0000A1ZN9:get_krups_230-70_egg_express_egg_cooker_instead:m._kim_"ika" B0000A1ZN9 Cuisinart CEC-7 Egg Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 2.0 April 22, 2006 M. Kim "Ika" California USA The Cuisinart egg cooker: - over/under cook the eggs according to its measuring cup - plastic tray deforms after it's heated (and stays deformed) - the metal cover burns your hand - is $10 more expensive than the Krups 230-70 Egg Express Egg Cooker, which is a much better product than Cuisinar B00004S8F8:exquisite_product_-as_long_as_you_don't_intend_to_use_it.:kevin_lacamera_"winner_of_amazon's_most_helpful_reviewer_award" B00004S8F8 Waring MBB518 Professional Quality Food & Beverage Blender, Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 2.0 November 1, 2006 Kevin LaCamera "Winner of Amazon's Most Helpful Reviewer Award" Cleveland, OH This stunning slice of kitchen couture is undoubtedly a tactile and aesthetic dream - built with quality materials like real metal (not silvery plastic), and sporting a sophisticated, drop-dead gorgeous retro appeal. It looks equally as impressive in the hippest New York loft kitchens as it does on the shelves of Williams-Sonoma. However, as is the case when function follows form, this is a horrible blender. Don't get me wrong - I'm more than willing to forgive a modicum of piss-poor functionality if the design is attractive enough to render the former irrelevant. But quite frankly, this blender is beyond bad. Most unfortunate is the blender's propensity to splash everywhere - even when the user deliberately reinforces the lid onto the jar by hand. It seems to make little difference how much or what type of liquid one is mixing; it inevitably overflows with explosive fervor. I suspect that the unit's quasi-industrial motor may be a contributing factor; it only supports two speeds: off, and jet-cyclonic. While I admit that the minimalist toggle switch is profoundly chic in its own right, the consequences of omitting ramp-up speeds are overbearing, consistently messy, predictably inconvenient, and potentially dangerous (as liquid tends to flow liberally into the motor housing). The irregular cloverleaf shaped jar also seems to play a role in splattering liquids upward; and the blender's poorly-sealed lid does little to stop it from overflowing in dramatic fashion. In fact, this blender splashes so profusely that it's nearly unusable. It's too bad, because superficially, this blender really is quite the objet d'art. But when it comes to meeting the minimum requirements for acceptable performance, it has a long way to go - even in comparison to a $29 Oster. If I had to summarize this blender as accurately, succinctly, and fairly as possible, I'd distill it down to one word - "regrettable." B00004S8F8:a_little_disappointed:y._lu B00004S8F8 Waring MBB518 Professional Quality Food & Beverage Blender, Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 2.0 October 28, 2006 Y. Lu "Warring" has a high reputation for being a powerful blender. I purchased because of its reputation. But it turned out to be actually not that powerful and may not be as powerful as the one I had before which only costed $30. So I asked myself why bothered to replace it when the new one, "Warring", in fact does not really break ice any better than the cheap ones. B0001XAG8M:rice_steamer_makes_a_total_mess_on_counter.:one B0001XAG8M Cuisinart CRC-800 8-Cup Rice Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 5 1.0 February 17, 2006 One Capitola, Ca USA This steamer sucks. Puts white goo all over the outside of unit and on counter. Wish I didn't buy it B0001XAG8M:extremely_messy:b._mckenney B0001XAG8M Cuisinart CRC-800 8-Cup Rice Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 February 1, 2006 B. McKenney Oakland, CA We lived in Asia for five years and we eat a lot of rice. In Asia we owned a very cheap rice cooker that worked perfectly well (but different voltage). When we returned to the USA, I purchased the cuisinart 8-cup rice cooker (CRC-800) thinking I was getting "top of the line." It made such an enormous mess every time we used it, so I called cuisnart to find out if somehow (despite meticulous reading of the instructions) we were doing something wrong. No, it seemed we were doing everything correctly. So we tried a few more times, and then in exasperation returned the rice cooker for a new one. We thought given the generally good quality of cuisinart appliances, this one must be defective. Well the new one does the same thing! I give up. Enough of the messes. I got so frustrated I sent cuisinart a picture. C'mon this is not high-tech stuff! Get it right or take it off the market B0000AS48O:not_happy:s._iyengar B0000AS48O Simplicity SP100 Quik Press: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 17 of 17 1.0 September 24, 2005 S. Iyengar I would have to say that amazon gave me a good deal and immediate delivery. Unfortunatly i had to return this item . I havent been satisfied because the heating element heats up on the top rather than where it has to heat up. After ironing I could still see a lot of creases. They dont mention about the base being a wood plank either. I have used a Simplicity machine earlier and hence i know the quality of steam press but this machine is a waste of time and money. I would rather buy a normal iron to this or pay extra and buy a better one. But this is just my opinion B00008IH9K:terrible_product!:michelle_s._forgey_"mom-the-baker" B00008IH9K Chef's Choice 836 Petite Cone Express: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 9 1.0 August 27, 2005 Michelle S. Forgey "mom-the-baker" Fort Lewis, WA Do not waste your time in purchasing this product. At first, I thought this would be a great kitchen gadget for making small cones for my kids or when I just want a little treat, but I was wrong. The manufacture didn't think that as soon as the waffles are done, you have to be quick and roll the waffles into cones for it too cool. Well, instead of making one, you have to roll three in enough time before it cools. I tried numerous times to roll each one quickly as possible, but by the second one the third waffle is cooled and has not had the chance to be rolled up into a cone. It really is not smart for the manufacture to sell this product, unless it comes with three cone makers to wrap the waffle in. And, to state that you need three people to make it or it will not work. Do not bother purchasing this product, unless you are an expert cone maker. I did, however, went ahead and purchased the regular sized cone maker. It is hard to perfect the perfect cone without having a hole at the bottom, but at least I have time to wrap up one cone at a time without having it cool on me to quickly. Also, the petite cone waffle maker is rediculously too small to try to wrap. It really is a waste of energy. You could put batter in only one of the cone indentions, and do it one by one if its what you are looking for. That could work. All in all, personally it wasn't worth my time and money spent on the thing B0001GU7H4:not_what_i_expected:virginia_hamlin B0001GU7H4 Pfaltzgraff April Burner Covers, Set of 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 August 7, 2006 Virginia Hamlin AK, USA The item was not what I expected. The description said metal but it should have said "Tin" B00008CM68:cuisinart_does_not_stand_behind_their_products:paul_farrell_"paulf10" B00008CM68 Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 10-Piece Cookware Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 1.0 July 24, 2006 Paul Farrell "Paulf10" Westfield, MA Cuisinart does not stand behind their products. We purchased a 10 pc set and after using the 1 qt pan only once it formed a bubble on the bottom of the pan causing the pan not to lay flat on the stove. This actually renders the pan useless as it does not evenly disperse the heat and takes forever to even heat up. Upon notifying Cuisinart of the problem this is the response we got: "Thank you for your reply. The cookware does have a limited lifetime warranty against any manufacturing defects. However, if the pot has been over heated or damaged in any way it would not be covered under warranty. You may send the item into us for an evaluation. You may send it to the following address listed below, with a check or money order for $7.00 return shipping and we will evaluate the cookware for you: Cuisinart Corporation 150 Milford Road East Windsor, NJ 08520 Thank you for your use and interest in Cuisinart products. Very truly yours, Ann Marie Cuisinart Representative" Why should I have to pay for shipping their defective product?The cost of shipping the product just to have it "evaluated" makes it a wiser choice to just forget the warranty and buy a new one. However the wisest choice would be to steer clear of this company's products altogether. By the way the pan was only used to boil some eggs. B0001XASX0:beautiful_item_but_not_functional:p._rodriguez_"p._rodriguez" B0001XASX0 Cuisinart CSC-650 Slow Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 October 4, 2006 P. Rodriguez "P. Rodriguez" Pittsburgh, PA I researched a lot before buying this slow cooker. I have a Nesco roaster that I love and use often. I needed a large slow cooker. I started researching. Started out with the all clad but everyone said it got really hot. I wanted a good one. The Cuisinart had good ratings elsewhere and I thought well even it cooks faster that is fine. I will just watch it until I get used to it and go from there. Every dish I have watched..they all cooked in LESS than half the allotted time. Today I made a crock pot mac and cheese casserole and it burned within ONE HOUR. Way too hot. I called Cuisinart several times and they said I may have a defective unit. Well I doubt it. I just think it runs hot. I really was dismayed because I love the size and the design of this cooker. Really was not up to par with Cuisinart products that I know and love. Let me also say that I am a good cook. I feel that I know my way around any appliance. I was not happy that I was not going to be able to leave this cooker all day but I was ok to give it a try. It is not at all what I expected. I read the other reviews here and wish I would have taken heed of them. I had read good reviews elsewhere and saw two articles in magazines on this cooker being the best. If you are going to spend 100 bucks on a slow cooker, stop, get one of the higher end rival ones with a timer and then get a nesco roaster. You can cook anything all summer without heating up your kitchen. B0001XASX0:same_problem_other_people_are_having:carol_barnes B0001XASX0 Cuisinart CSC-650 Slow Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 2.0 July 21, 2006 Carol Barnes Ohio Mine didn't hold up either. For what I paid for it, I expected more. One I picked up for around twenty is doing a much better job and lasted through more than four uses. B0001XASX0:waste_of_money:s._heninger_"mom_of_4" B0001XASX0 Cuisinart CSC-650 Slow Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 1.0 July 18, 2006 S. Heninger "Mom of 4" Orlando, FL I have gone through 2 of these now and both ceramic inserts have cracked in the same place! Cuisinart customer service is not interested in replacing the inserts even though I have only used it 2 times before they cracked and were unusable. I had to send the pot back for replacement and the replacement had the same trouble. My cheap Rival crockpot that I had for years before I purchased this one never had problems or I would think that this was operator error. I was really looking forward to using this because I love all my other Cuisinart products but I am going today to purchase a nice, inexpensive, reliable Rival crockpot. B0009P633E:disappointed_with_the_performance:anita_l._mcelvane B0009P633E Circulon Elite 9 and 10 1/2 Inch Open Deep Skillet 2 pack: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 5 1.0 February 12, 2006 Anita L. Mcelvane Honolulu, HI United States I own many Circulon products, but most of which are under the Circulon 2 line. So when this 2 pack became available, I went ahead and purchased it. I have only used it to cook eggs on and I must say, I was sorely disappointed by the results. Not only did my eggs stick, but I used quite a bit of oil on the 2nd batch to make sure they wouldn't stick, but they still stuck. My Circulon 2 skillet makes far better eggs than this non-stick version and doesn't stick! I'm not sure what I can use these skillets for now since my main intentions were for fish, eggs and items which have a tendency to stick to the pan. It also left a horrible look on the eggs like the kind on eggs cooked with a Teflon pan without oil even though I used quite a bit of oil. Highly disappointed and will not purchase the Circulon Elite line again B00008CM53:faulty_faulty_lids...three_of_them:topanga_rose B00008CM53 Circulon 2 3-Quart Covered Chef's Pan with Locking Colander: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 7 1.0 September 21, 2005 Topanga Rose California USA After using my 3 new Circulon pots and lids for only 2 or 3 months, all the Circulon lids have broken plastic handles, including the lid for this 3 quart sauce pan. First noticed the problem when I got gouged by the broken plastic, I saw that all three Circulon lids showed big chunks of plastic off the underside of the plastic handles. I am very careful and do not own a dishwasher. Next, I saw that two of the faulty handles now had big chuncks off BOTH ends of the plastic handles. All the breakage occured where the plastic 'cool' handle attaches to the metal part of the handle. Just today, when I removed the hot lid from my Toss and Turn pan, the black plastic totally came loose from the metal part of the handle! Only fast dancing saved me from this big hot lid falling on my feet. But at last I saw the FLAW. Instead of these lids having a complete metal handle that is covered with the plastic for cool handling, the metal part only goes up an inch to meet the plastic. The black plastic only overlaps the metal part for A SCANT HALF INCH OR SO, causing the more sturdy metal part to undermine the plastic, and eventually causing the chipped plastic to separate from the metal with use. The lids are subjected to steam and heat on a daily basis, so no wonder the plastic broke off, the plastic has no backing. It is just carelessly and poorly attached to less than a half inch of the metal that is attached to the lid. This poorly conceived construction is why the handle broke away entirely after the plastic was chipped, A full metal handle covered with plastic would have been nice for the money spent and prevented the accident where the handle completely separated from the chipped plastic. There is no metal supporting that plastic folks. My enthusiasm for the Circulon was originally quite high, but now that I have lidless pots after less than 90 days, I'm pretty unhappy! This chipping happened to 3 out of 3 lids! AND the Toss and Turn lid is almost as expensive as the Toss and Turn pan! Now, after less than 90 days I must send in the Toss and Turn lid and my 2 smaller lids with chipped handles that go with the sauce pans. Because the Toss and Turn handle separated and broke away, this is not merely a cosmetic matter. Even before the lid handle broke entirely, the broken handles were uncomfortable to use with those sharp broken plastic edges digging into my fingers. Sending these lids back will leave me ill equiped in the kitchen after all the money spent to be well equiped. Further, I doubt their replacements will be any better, and they will probably need replacement every 90 days! Much as I love the Circulon pans, these lids make them a bad purchase. I would not buy this product again. Hopefully this review will help you make a good decision about Circulon pans and their bad lids B000CRXHT2:poor_quality:p._taketalovejoy B000CRXHT2 Malibu Shores Purple Floral 4 Piece Jacquard Comforter Set, Queen: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 16, 2006 P. TaketaLovejoy I own 3 other Malibu Shores comforter sets and I just love it with no problem. But, with this particular set I'm so disappointed with the quality of the material is poor, the areas where two materials were sewn together is tearing apart, and the stitchings are coming apart in many different parts of the comforter. Not to mention the padding is already separating after two weeks of usage B000CRXHT2:gr8_disappoitment:ashokkumar_govindarajan_"ashok" B000CRXHT2 Malibu Shores Purple Floral 4 Piece Jacquard Comforter Set, Queen: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 July 22, 2006 Ashokkumar Govindarajan "Ashok" USA This set looks gr8 only in the foto. In reality, it has a very dull look. Not worth buying. I got 2 queen sets and greatly disappointed with this purchase from Amazon! Price is cheap, so is the quality of the Comforter set! B0004JMO42:looks_great,_but_as_a_toaster_much_to_be_desired.:c._grimes B0004JMO42 Krups FEM3B 2-Slice Digital Toaster, Black and Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 11 2.0 September 8, 2005 C. Grimes State College, PA I should have simply repaired our old toaster that worked well, and reliably, for eight years. Too busy, first I bought a Braun toaster (looked great, had major problems actually toasting), then I bought this Krup toaster, and guess what, it looks great but has trouble actually toasting. Starting with the first piece of toast all is well (hence two stars instead of one). However, after the toaster is warmed up, the timing/heat regulation becomes totally useless. You have to toast, toast again, toast again. Fancy digital count-down-timer doesn't help much at that point! In researching toasters, did I mention I should have repaired my old toaster when it broke, I read a review where it was suggested that 'toasters have been around a hundred years, it can't be that hard!' I thought it funny at the time, but having now spent over $150 on two worthless toasters I find myself saying "toasters have been around for over a 100 years, it can't be that hard!" I hope Braun and/or Krup don't make medical devices or we are in trouble. B0000DIL62:negative_on_nordic_cake_keeper:happy_cooker_"ann" B0000DIL62 Nordic Ware Deluxe Bundt Cake Keeper: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 15 of 15 1.0 December 9, 2005 happy cooker "ann" Arkansas I put a fairly warm pound cake on the bottom of the cake keeper---apparently too warm. Cracks developed from opposite edges and met in the middle,creating a separation and thereby rendering the keeper useless B0009VELU0:bought_this_and_hate__it!:lw_raboys B0009VELU0 Cuisinart Smart Power Classic Blender, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 1.0 October 19, 2006 LW Raboys Massachusetts Just purchased this blender & am returning it immediately. It has a number of terrible features: it's very difficult to remove the cover if you have carpal tunnel, arthritis, or weak hands. To change speeds you turn a dial (as opposed to the buttons on most others), which makes for rough transitions. Moreover, the dial feels very flimsy and I doubt this machine will last. I purchased this model because I thought its premium price would mean a premium product, but from the plastic gears to the flimsy dial, to the impossible-to-open cover, I hate it. Will go back to either an Oster or Waring, both of which served me well, each for over 10 years. B000237FT4:not_the_same_as_the_cast_aluminum_rose_bundt:mimi_chan B000237FT4 Nordic Ware Pro Form Rose Bundt Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 25 of 26 1.0 October 11, 2004 Mimi Chan SF, CA USA I wish I had read the review by Mary Twain before purchasing the Pro Form Rose Bundt. Because it was made by Nordic Ware, I thought it would be the same as the cast aluminum but it's not. Don't be fooled b/c the cake will not look like a rose. The pan is more shallow & the ring is bigger than the cast aluminum. Since I only paid $9.99 for this, I didn't want to waste paying for shipping to get a refund B00080FPX4:item_in_image_is_not_what_you_get!:elizabeth_hatfield_"panieli" B00080FPX4 Norpro Cooking Temperature Guide Magnet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 2.0 December 8, 2005 Elizabeth Hatfield "panieli" Cary, NC United States Buyer beware! The item pictured is not what you will get! It contains the same information, but it is formatted differently. I asked for a replacement, asking for what is pictured and received the incorrect one again. What I received was smaller, about 5"x 3" whereas the image looks taller (about 4"). It was stainless steel as advertised. The information was listed in a grid, similar to a spreadsheet. Everything was written in CAPS which make it very hard to read (there is actually studies confirming this). Based on the image on the website, the information is the same, but the image lays out the information so it is easier and faster to find what you are looking for. If the formatting is not an issue for you, then these are great. I however have bad eye sight and the bigger and more spread out the text, the better! Had I received what was pictured, I would have given it 5 stars. I suspect that what I received was the older model and amazon.com is simply getting rid of the older items first. B000BPEFIM:west_point_stevens_rockport_full_bed_in_a_bag:ptak99_"ptak99" B000BPEFIM West Point Stevens Rockport Full Bed in a Bag: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 2.0 March 16, 2006 Ptak99 "Ptak99" Shoreline, WA United States You get what you paid for. Nice pattern, but the bedding is somewhat rough to the touch. Wouldn't give it as a gift B000AAYD6W:worst_customer_service_that_i've_ever_encountered.:frances_sanders_"larium@yahoo.com" B000AAYD6W FoodSaver V2440 Advanced Design: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 4 1.0 August 23, 2006 Frances Sanders "larium@yahoo.com" Exeter, RI USA To start with, the one-star rating is actually for the customer service department. When it works, the product itself is fine. I bought the unit last Christmas and used it frequently until early summer. At that time it began functioning only intermittently, then soon quit altogether. Tilia assurred me that it was covered under a one-year warranty, that it would be replaced, and that I needn't return the original unit. Our next call was prompted by its failure to arrive in a reasonable time. We were told that they had no replacements, it was back-ordered, and would arrive within several weeks. When it didn't, I called again and was told that the replacements had arrived and would be shipping soon. Our next call yielded the information that the replacements had NOT arrived afterall and that Tilia had no idea when they would. The saga continues... Get a food saver--but from another company rather than Tili B00005KIRV:loved_it_until_it_died.:s._ballenger B00005KIRV Krups FDE312-75 Universal Grill and Panini Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 16, 2006 S. Ballenger We raved about making panini's. Introduced many of our friends to them. Then it died without warning in the middle of dinner. We paid $80 for the thing too B00005KIRV:ours_died_too.:andy_rathbone B00005KIRV Krups FDE312-75 Universal Grill and Panini Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 October 24, 2006 Andy Rathbone San Diego, CA USA We used our beloved panini maker probably once a month or so for about a year, but it died without warning, and way too soon B00005KIRV:thanks_for_the_reviews:helpme_"goldnwlfq" B00005KIRV Krups FDE312-75 Universal Grill and Panini Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 10 1.0 September 29, 2006 HELPME "goldnwlfq" Texas Thankyou for the reviews about quality. I wanted to share with krups why I wouldn't buy there panini maker. But when I tried to email customer service it was to complicated to let them know. I also read there warranty and it appears your grills should be covered under one year. But of course it adds at there discretion. I am still deciding which to get but cuisinart has a 3 year warranty B00004R946:disappointed:twila_chee_"twila" B00004R946 Farberware FCP280 8-Cup Percolator: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 2.0 August 25, 2006 Twila Chee "Twila" Vancouver (the city Very noisy and takes too long to brew. Boxed it up to return but I misplaced the packing slip. Will keep using mom's very old Corelle electric percolator B0000DDVUE:item_turns_to_rust:elizabeth_coble_"pug_paws_books" B0000DDVUE Joyce Chen 14-Inch Carbon Steel Wok Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 November 2, 2006 Elizabeth Coble "Pug Paws Books" Colorado This item turned to rust after the first use. I do not recommend this product B000A8FE6W:not_a_good_foam_pump.:s._wilder B000A8FE6W Cuisipro Frosted Foam Pump: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 10 1.0 January 2, 2006 S. Wilder Florida The soap shoots straight out of the pump and can go about three feet. (Children would love this feature.) You have to hold your hand awkwardly in front of the spout to keep the soap in your hand or pick up the pump and pump it directly into your palm. Also the pump sticks and has to be pulled up manually. You cannot use this pump with one hand - not good for kitchen use B00006IV0N:keep_away_from_it:"txdong" B00006IV0N Brita 2-Quart Space Saver Pitcher: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 51 1.0 October 15, 2003 "txdong" USA I had one a few months ago. When I filled in water, the water just passed the filter quickly. I was not sure if the water is filtered. One day, I wanted to clean it. I put it in hot water for about 10 minutes. The pitcher was out of shape and I had to discard it. I believe the pitcher was made from cheap materials. I sent an email to the custom no service of Brita. I got no response. I will not buy Brita products any longer B0009302JC:poor_quality:lisa_s B0009302JC Wamsutta 100% Cotton Luxury Gingham Flannel Twin Sheet Set, Maple: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 2 1.0 April 25, 2006 Lisa S Cedar Falls, Iowa I also tried some cotton Wamsutta sheets from Bed Bath, and Beyond and they pilled the first time I washed them. I was able to return them to the store, but it was a waste of time. I wouldn't recommend these sheets or any Wamsutta sheets because I think they're poor quality B00006IFQR:farberware_8-inch_glass_lid:ralph_w._temple B00006IFQR Farberware 8-Inch Glass Lid: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 October 4, 2005 Ralph W. Temple did not fit the pot I needed it for. too much money for shipping on small item to justify sending back. B00004RFNQ:package_says_"not_recommended_for_left-handers":anne_cordelia_"anne_cordelia" B00004RFNQ Henckels International Eversharp Pro 5-Inch Stainless Steel Utility Knife: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 July 3, 2003 Anne Cordelia "Anne Cordelia" Albany, OR United States I purchased this knife, and when it arrived, the package said, "Not recommended for left-handers." If Henckels chooses to design only for right-handed people, that's their right, but they should disclose it clearly. Second, [Amazon.com] should include such information in their editorial review. I'm left-handed, and I'll add this to my can opener and vegetable peeler as one-way kitchen gadgets B00030IELE:why_should_anyone_want_a_waffle_baker_that_works?:ronald_davis B00030IELE KitchenAid KTA-KPWB100PM Pro Line Waffle Baker, Pearl Metallic: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 21, 2006 Ronald Davis portland The waffle baker (formerly waffle iron) works great. Make that 'worked great.' For an entire month, then it died. It was, of course, under warranty. No problem, we were told, we will ship a new one to your door. Great! we thought. That was three months ago. The latest is the honchos see no reason to hurry(!) our replacement. Customer service is hoping -- not guaranteeing, not promising, but hoping -- we will get our replacement in mid-January. If, and it is a very big 'if', we get our replacement in January, that will make the score 5 to 1 against us. For six months they will have had our money, and for one month of the six we will have had a functioning waffle baker. It would seem that it is difficult to do much worse than buy a waffle baker that dies after a month with no replacement on the horizon. Great when it works, but it doesn't work, so how many stars is it really worth? 2? 1? None? A negative number? And it really was a great toy. Drat! B00004S577:unsuitable_for_brown_rice:ak77_"prontobooks" B00004S577 Zojirushi NHS-18 10-Cup Rice Cooker/Steamer & Warmer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 7 1.0 March 13, 2003 AK77 "prontobooks" PRESCOTT, AZ United States I spent several hours searching & researching rice cookers trying to find one that was designed specifically for brown rice. I finally decided on this one because it specifically mentioned brown rice, and had brown rice "measurements" which are different than for regular white rice. I am disappointed. First of all, the manual recommends NOT using the "keep warm" function when using brown rice. This means you have to unplug the machine when the cooking cycle is over. This defeats the purpose of an automatic rice cooker. But even this drawback might be acceptable if it did a good job of cooking brown rice properly. It does not. It is either too wet & mushy, or too dry and burnt. We have been unable to cook a proper batch yet, after much experimentation with slightly more or less water, and using 3 different types of brown rice. Look elsewhere, and let me know if you find one that works properly with brown rice B0002LXTVO:warped_immediately:pennsylvania_reader B0002LXTVO Totally Bamboo Hana Cutting Board: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 9 2.0 December 3, 2005 Pennsylvania Reader The other reviewer was luckier than I was. Mine warped immediately, which forced off the end pieces B00005O65R:looks_nice,_but_not_at_all_functional.:wanting_a_warranty B00005O65R WMF Profi Plus Stainless Steel Ice Cream Scoop: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 8, 2006 wanting a warranty south florida We registered for a set of 10 WMF utensils for our wedding. They look great hanging in our kitchen and most all of the utensils are very functional. However, we are now on our second scooper and it has broken now for the second time. Its just not sturdy enough for its intended use...ice cream B00005O65R:attractive,_but_worthless: B00005O65R WMF Profi Plus Stainless Steel Ice Cream Scoop: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 1.0 December 30, 2003 The first time I used it, the weld holding the scoop to the handle broke, leaving the scoop in the ice cream and the handle in my hand B00004RDFH:do_not_waste_your_money.:i._maclean_"fry_cutter" B00004RDFH Progressive International Vegetable/French Fry Cutter: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 8 1.0 April 8, 2006 I. MacLean "Fry Cutter" MI USA This product would not cut through a sweet potato. It barely went through a piece of a regular potato. While cutting through a potato it was bending and felt like it would break. It's fairly cheap, but you get what you pay for. I ended up using a knife instead. It's your $8.99.. B0006ZUHR0:worked_great_until_it_died_-_black_&_decker_customer_service_terrible!:evalein_"evalein" B0006ZUHR0 Black & Decker D2030 Auto-Off Digital Advantage Iron: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 16, 2006 Evalein "Evalein" Pennsylvania I loved this iron until it died after owning it for a little over a year. I bought this iron because Consumer Reports rated it #1. It was a great iron while it worked. (I iron about once a week - sometimes twice a month.) I've had irons last for years and I usually get rid of them because they lack the bells and whistles not because they fail to work. Black & Decker Customer Service acted like I was the only one whoever had a problem with one of their products and told me to go buy another iron because it was over a year old. I'm sorry, but I think with light use, an iron should last more than a year. Forget Black & Decker. I'm trying Rowenta or Bosch B00004UE8E:does_not_work:robertecabe B00004UE8E Norpro Cast Aluminum Tortilla Press: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 July 24, 2006 Robertecabe This unit simply does not do the job. Press makes irregular shaped tortillas and they CANNOT be easily removed from the wax paper. Better job can be done with 2 dinner plates. Save your money B00012FQM4:base_appears_to_work__-_but_remote_is_a_joke:clayton_johnson B00012FQM4 Taylor Wireless Oven Thermometer with Remote Pager: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 1.0 September 1, 2006 Clayton Johnson Dexter, MI This is a cheap piece of junk. The base won't communicate with the remote even after extensive review of directions and trying different channel selections as directed. The plastic housings are so lightweight I don't think it'd survive ordinary outdoor use either. Certianly not a drop off your grill. Felt like I had to handle it gingerly so I didn't crush it with my hands. This one is going back -Sorry AZ. B00012FQM4:great_device_-_until_the_probe_fails:don_anderson B00012FQM4 Taylor Wireless Oven Thermometer with Remote Pager: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 12 of 12 2.0 June 21, 2006 Don Anderson Seattle WA USA If the probe was not so fragile I'd give this unit 5 stars. The remote works well although I have had it lose contact with the sender if I was out in front of my house (my grill is on the back deck). This is a minor annoyance, but what really ticked me off was that the probe failed (indicating "HIGH" reading) in conditions where my MIU France unit keeps on going. Unfortunately the MIU France unit doesn't have the remote capability. I purchased about 5 extra probes for the Taylor unit directly from Taylor by mail. But within a few weeks several of those failed. I don't mind having to replace a probe once in a while but when you have to replace two in one cooking session it gets pretty annoying. I'd suggest staying away from this unit B00012FQM4:stay_away_from_this_item!!!:a._trotochaud B00012FQM4 Taylor Wireless Oven Thermometer with Remote Pager: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 8 1.0 April 27, 2006 A. Trotochaud Connecticut, USA I LOVE to grill but I keep my grill a fair distance from my house while cooking so you can imagine the excitment I had in purchasing this item with the wireless transmitter. First, it took more than 1/2 an hour to get the two pieces to communicate with each other. Secondly, and worst of all, on just my second attempt using it I was watching my pork roast temperature from the comfort of my kitchen when the temperature value jumped to "HIGH". I immediately went out to check it and the probe is DEAD!!! There's no way to purchase a replacement probe so the whole thing is just a fancy kitchen timer!! Taylor is NO HELP! B00008UA3I:it's_true:_this_non-stick_pan_is_not_what_it_pretends_to_be.:l._murray_"omnivore" B00008UA3I NordicWare Broiler Pan Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 28 of 28 1.0 March 20, 2005 L. MURRAY "omnivore" North Adams, MA United States This product is a disgrace. Nonstick is not one of its virtues, and those who are thinking of purchasing this waste of money should be forewarned. It is not even well designed for broiling with small openings for fat drainage that quickly clog up. I am honestly surprised that Amazon would allow such an unworthy product to be sold under its banner B0000DBJRU:mediocre_for_a_krups_appliance:felix_c._wu_"wuf00" B0000DBJRU Krups FDH212 10-Cup Automatic Rice Cooker with Slow Cooker and Steamer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 2.0 November 29, 2005 Felix C. Wu "wuf00" albany, ny United States It looks like a Krups -- what with the stainless steel look and the fancy electronics, but, as a rice cooker, it does not perform as expected. The rice is passable but certainly not the best we've had - our very old National rice cooker produced better rice. Also disappointing is the lack of a retractable electrical cord - winding the electrical cord around a chintzy metal cord holder (unstrategically located at the bottom of the cooker) gets old very quickly. Lastly, the fancy electronic display is not very informative when cooking rice. (It may be more helpful when using the appliance as a slow cooker - but we thought we were buying a rice cooker.) Bottom line: it looks like a Krups, does not perform like one, and, with all its good looks, is decidedly un-ergonomic in its design. A disappointment. If we could, we'd return it. B0002YQOJK:won't_last:joseph B0002YQOJK Airbake by Wearever Natural 12 by 14-Inch Medium Baking Sheet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 1.0 September 5, 2005 Joseph San Diego, CA All the airbake products I have used thus far have proven awful over time. After only several uses, cookies stick (even after religious greasing of the sheet) and the sheets are impossible to clean without scratching or rubbing off the surface. Now I have to place a silpat on top to save myself the headache. I'd save my money and spend it on a heavier duty, higher quality baking sheet. B0002YQOJK:worst_brand_of_bakeware_on_the_market:cece B0002YQOJK Airbake by Wearever Natural 12 by 14-Inch Medium Baking Sheet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 1.0 March 22, 2005 cece PA AirBake products are horrible! I have used the cookie sheets multiple times and I have had nothing but problems. There products over-brown everything you cook and the food sticks no matter how well you grease the pans. I have better luck using my old cheap non-stick bakeware than AirBake. Buyer beware! If you do choose to buy this brand of products grease the pans generously and cut the bake time and oven temperature B0002N4QZ0:beautiful_but_dangerous:_buy_for_display_use_only:river B0002N4QZ0 Fiestaware Scarlet 453 10-1/4-Ounce Handled Mug: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 8 1.0 March 1, 2005 River Midwest The Fiestaware Scarlet mugs are beautiful but dangerous. The handle is much too small for this size mug. If you can get your finger through the small hole, your finger will soon be as scarlet as the Fiestaware. The first and only time my family used these mugs, two of us burned ourselves. Fiestaware really screwed up on this one, a shame given the beauty of the Scarlet Fiestaware B000EMDB2I:vornado_should_be_embarrassed:m._spencer B000EMDB2I Vornado FA1-0007-30 Zippi Desk Fan, Platinum: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 August 30, 2006 M. Spencer I love Vornado products but this doesn't qualify. Very little breeze. You have to turn the fan around to turn it off which means that about half the time I get whacked by the cloth blades. It should have a power switch on the cord instead. It's a trendy gadget that will only please people who are not Vornado customers B00029QOV8:too_much_resistance:m._reid B00029QOV8 Kamenstein 4536 Perfect Tear Paper Towel Holder, Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 November 15, 2006 M. Reid Louisville, KY I encounter too much resistance when trying to pull towel out for tearing. There is so much resitance that the base moves, unless I perform the procedure with both hands. B00029QOV8:terrible-don't_buy:anonymous_"unhappy" B00029QOV8 Kamenstein 4536 Perfect Tear Paper Towel Holder, Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 5 1.0 September 6, 2006 Anonymous "Unhappy" Pepperell, MA United States I read all of the reviews and thought this was the paper towel holder for me. Boy, was I wrong. It looked beautiful when it arrived and I couldn't wait to use it. Well, I put on my first roll of paper towels and pulled one off. The racheting system worked ok until it came towards the end of the roll. The racheting stopped and jammed and the paper towels ripped in half instead of where they were supposed to. I am going back to the old paper towel holders that just have a stick holding the roll and not a racheting whisk like bar. Jesh, all I want is a paper towel not aggravation. Which is what I got with this item B0001BMXAS:don't__waste_your_money_on_this_product:k._reed_"kimberly" B0001BMXAS VillaWare V5787 Double Smoothee Stainless Steel Bar Blender and Server: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 9, 2006 K. Reed "Kimberly" Southern California I bought the VillaWare Double Smoothee maker and it was a problem from the moment I pulled it out of the box. First, the silver lable was not glued on the product and wouldn't stick. Next when I made the product using THEIR receipe it wouldn't dispense from the spout and the spout connecting to the blender leaked. Tried calling the seller and emailing them about my problem and they wouldn't help. I called the manufacture and since I bought it HERE from a vendor they would help. So...now...its in the blender heaven of trash somewhere out there. WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY. THANK GOD FOR AMAZON'S ABC GUARANTEE!! B00004SGEP:i_hate_it: B00004SGEP KitchenAid KFPJE Juice Extractor Attachment, fits 11-Cup Processor: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 17 1.0 February 28, 2003 This attachment vibrates so badly that it about bounces the food processor right off the counter. I love the food processor but I regret having bought the juice extractor B00005JHQ6:i_received_this_as_a_christmas_gift:l._tyer B00005JHQ6 Rival RO200-W 20-Quart Programmable Roaster Oven: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 12 of 14 1.0 January 2, 2006 L. Tyer Texas, United States When I opened the box, I noticed corrosion on the lid. When I contacted Rival customer service via email, they told me I had to purchase a new lid. I called and spoke with a customer service representative and they told me that a lid was not covered under warranty. When I explained that I just opened it and it was defective they told me to just return the product that there was nothing that they were going to do. After being treated this way, I will NOT be purchasing any more Rival products if they don't stand behind their product!!!!! VERY VERY poor customer service B00005UWGZ:incorrectly_packaged:rence B00005UWGZ Rival FD350S Stainless Steel Electric Fondue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 4 1.0 February 21, 2006 Rence Chicago, IL United States When I received this item it was packaged with the wrong power cord, which didn't fit the unit. So I wasn't even able to use this unit. B0001ES9GC:weak_coffee_-_looks_very_cool_-_don't_buy_if_you_like_strong_coffee:charles_w._shank_"wshankga" B0001ES9GC Senseo HD7810/75 Single Serve Coffee Machine, Senseo Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 2.0 November 18, 2006 Charles W. Shank "wshankga" LaGrange, GA I have tried and tried but the thing just makes weak coffee. I don't know how many different pods I have tried but the thing just can't make a strong cup. I have tried 2 pods - I have even tried making my own pods. If you try to jam too much coffee in it, it leaks and will try to pop it's head off. I have not done the proper "priming" that folks have mentioned and I also have detected a bit of a metalic flavor so that may be associated with my lack of effort. Am going to try to return it because it is just too expensive to make a wimpy cupa joe B0001ES9GC:not_that_great!:cooking_enthusiast_&_avid_reader_"judy" B0001ES9GC Senseo HD7810/75 Single Serve Coffee Machine, Senseo Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 2.0 November 2, 2006 cooking enthusiast & avid reader "judy" Las Vegas, NV My husband bought this machine because it was supposed to be fast and convenient, and with different schedules, easier to brew one cup at a time. It worked fine at first, but now after just 3 weeks it leaks hot water all over the counter. This has happened to both my husband and me so it's not bad technique on our parts. We follow directions exactly, but we keep having to stop it, open the lid, check the pods, reclose the lid and try again. This takes all the convenience out of it especially when you have to clean coffe puddles off your counter. This just isn't acceptable, but it's mostly plastic so probably to be expected. We have used other pods besides the Senseo pods (which don't produce good coffee) but that shouldn't be an issue as they're all the same size. Anyway, we're trashing it and have ordered the Bunn professional which will hopefully do a much better job. I'll let you know in a future review. My advice on this one is either don't buy it or if you do, based on other positive reviews, keep the box and the receipt so you can return it when it starts malfunctioning B00005AL5G:a_total_piece_of_crap:jeremy_m._lydon B00005AL5G All-Clad Stainless 12-Inch Nonstick Fry Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 14 1.0 December 5, 2005 Jeremy M. Lydon Chicago Given as a gift - same story: The fact that I primarily used high heat, it didn't last past 6 months. All-Clad said too bad after I emailed them, and called them several times leaving messages - took them 3 months to get back to me, and then that was it. I WILL NEVER BUY ALL-CLAD EVER AGAIN!! B0007QA0F2:hard_to_rate:doctor_steven_"dseg" B0007QA0F2 Chicago Cutlery Insignia 2-Piece Asian Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 5 1.0 February 25, 2006 Doctor Steven "dseg" This item was ordered 1/4/06 it is now 2/25/06 and has not yet been shipped. Hard to rate the item, but for sure you can see the rating for delivery B00004SY67:not_up_to_calphalon_standards:peggy_becker_"peggy2219" B00004SY67 Kitchen Essentials® from Calphalon® Bakeware Round Cake Pan - 9": Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 2.0 April 8, 2001 Peggy Becker "peggy2219" Reston, Virginia United States I purchased these pans based on my previous positive experiences with Calphalon cookware--have tons of it, but I experienced the same problem as two other reviewers--that is, the slumping in the middle. I have been cooking for over 30 years and have never experienced this problem, especially since I have a new Kitchen-Aid convection oven. Also, the "non-stick" is not so "non-stick". At their prices, I think they have a little work to do to meet other Calphalon products B00004SY67:very_disappointed!: B00004SY67 Kitchen Essentials® from Calphalon® Bakeware Round Cake Pan - 9": Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 9 1.0 December 6, 2000 I am sorry to say that I was not satisfied with this pan at all! The cakes I bake are browning, even burning on the edges BEFORE the middle is even done! The edges are rising but the middle is "slumping" down. I own the Calphalon cookware and that is nice but they have a STINKER in their bakeware. My recommendation= Look at a different pan B0007Q3DV0:poor_pour:bronx_girl_"sg" B0007Q3DV0 Silverstone by Farberware 2-Quart Tea Kettle, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 1.0 April 23, 2006 Bronx Girl "SG" The Bronx yes, it looks good in my blue kitchen. but the water doesn't pour cleanly out of the spout - it's more like uncontrollable spewing, even when "poured" slowly, and boiling water splashes all over the counter. also very difficult to fully empty. sorry I threw out the box, or I'd send back B0000A1ZMV:burns_toast:s._decker B0000A1ZMV Cuisinart CPT-120 Compact Cool-Touch 2-Slice Toaster, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 3 2.0 October 18, 2006 S. Decker Ledgewood, NJ This toaster at the lowest setting of 1 burns my toast. It also burned one side of a frozen bagel when I put it on defrost. Further, when plugged in, the dial is lit up by a red light. It makes me feel like the toaster is on, and needs to be turned off. I have to keep reminding myself that it is okay. If I can find the box, I'll probably return it. Maybe I just got a dud, since most reviews here are goo B0000A1ZN7:very_disappointed!!!:connie_hayes B0000A1ZN7 Cuisinart DCG-12BC Grind Central Coffee Grinder: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 18, 2006 Connie Hayes I have been grinding my own coffee beans every morning for many years and have gone through quite a few different grinders. I have always loved Cuisinart products and was very excited to purchase this one, what a mistake! The grinder itself is really noisy and heavy for it's size. The coffee grinds are never fine enough for my liking and they get stuck up inside the plastic top, making a huge mess and wasting a lot of coffee. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY ON THIS ONE!! B0000A1ZN7:grounds_for_disappointment:m._davis_"foodist" B0000A1ZN7 Cuisinart DCG-12BC Grind Central Coffee Grinder: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 October 1, 2006 M. Davis "Foodist" New York, NY I was excited to upgrade to this coffee grinder after years of using a cheap Krups model, and I have to say that I am very disappointed with the way this machine grinds coffee. It takes way too long to grind, whether pulsing or grinding continuously. And then the grounds are very uneven. Although the manufacturer says it is grinding slowly to keep the flavor in, every coffee expert I've consulted with says the longer coffee grinds, the more it heats up and the more flavor is lost. Even after long grinding, there are large pieces of bean still visible. I was also excited about the machine's detachable bowl, which does make for easy cleaning. But only of the bowl. The rest of the machine is a pain to clean and no matter how carefully you remove the top, your counter is covered in grounds. I bought a second bowl so that I could grind spices in the same machine, and I think the coffee grinder works better on spices and seeds (such as flax) than it does on coffee. But you still have to clean the entire thing before reusing it, or your spices have a strong coffee flavor from the grounds that are stuck to the protective case. (That plastic case does make grinding quieter, however.) All in all I'm quite disappointed with this purchase. I should have gone farther upscale and gotten a more serious burn grinder, or stuck with my cheap Krups with the slanted bowl base which made even grounds quickly. B0000A1ZN7:quality_of_this_product_does_not_match_cuisinart's_reputation:ls_"ls" B0000A1ZN7 Cuisinart DCG-12BC Grind Central Coffee Grinder: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 July 10, 2006 LS "LS" Washington, DC Cuisinart is one manufacturer that has capitalized on its brand name and produced this inferior product. My criticisms of this machine: 1. Its heavy and relatively large. It is awkward to place in and remove from a cabinet, and so it remains on the counter top where it takes up precious real estate with its large footprint. 2. It's slow. With its weight, you would think the grinder would have a powerful motor that would quickly grind coffee. It does not. It takes a very long time to grind the coffee. 3. The grind is uneven and actually clumps. The grind is fine at the bottom and course and clumpy at the top. The finely ground coffee sticks to the bottom of the bowl below the blade. I must use a finger to remove the ground coffee or pound the bowel against the palm of my other hand. Pulsing makes no difference. Grinding a full bowl improves the performance somewhat. Yet, grinding beans for up to minute still does not produce a grind fine enough for even a cone filter. Espresso is out of the question. 4. I invariably spill ground coffee on the counter top no matter how carefully I remove the lid. Although the grinder looks cool with its stainless steel finish and it has a larger bowl than most blade grinders, those two alone do not even come close to overcoming its other deficiencies. Surely there must be better blade coffee grinders on the market B00005LM0U:mislabeled_size:ruth_austen B00005LM0U Bodum Eileen 4-Cup Coffee Press: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 16 of 34 1.0 March 29, 2002 Ruth Austen Riverside, CA United States The 4-cup coffee press is in actuality just 2 cups. The number of ounces is not listed in the sales blurb... What we wanted was 4 cups at 8 ounces each. The 4-cup coffee press is just a bit over 16 ounces. While it says so on the lid of the box it came in, the ounce-capacity is not in the Amazon listing. ...So we returned it.. B000096JG4:filters_don't_fit:kathy B000096JG4 Shark 3-Pack of Dust Cup Filters for SV726 - XSB726: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 January 14, 2005 Kathy The replacement filters for the SV726 do not fit and are not the same shape as the filter that came with the Shark Vac B00008WFDM:buy_boxes_instead:n._nelson B00008WFDM Original Space Bag Combo, 2 Large & 1 Jumbo: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 3, 2006 N. Nelson Clearfield, UT United States 50% of the bags leak. The plastic is thin and rips easily. Don't even think about using these for uder the bed storage. The bags will get tears on them if you just breate on them heavy. B0000ABPM7:way_too_thin!:angela_d._newitt B0000ABPM7 Pacific Coast Feather Down on Top Queen Feather Bed Cover: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 12 1.0 February 23, 2006 Angela D. Newitt This product was horrible. I ordered a queen size and expected a huge box to arrive carrying such. However, it was so small that a pair of shoes could have fit in it. When I took the featherbed out of the box, it was terribly thin. I currently have a featherbed and it is nice and fluffy. This item unfortunately felt as though I was simply lying on a blanket. B0007KQZUC:they_just_increased_the_price:j._zhuo_"joey" B0007KQZUC Farberware Enhanced 10-Piece Nonstick Cookware: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 24 1.0 October 26, 2005 J. Zhuo "Joey" Arizona it's 54.99 in last week, I'll wait till the price drop bac B00004SU16:water_tastes_good,_but_watch_out_for_the_lid:aideal_"aideal" B00004SU16 BRITA WATER PITCHER HOLDS 80 ozs: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 4 2.0 November 23, 2005 Aideal "Aideal" CA The only thing I do not like of this pitcher is its lid. The lid is not quite sealed so that the water could leak from the back and wet your sleeve. Even worse, sometimes the lid fell off. You have to be careful while using it. Not recommend B0000CFTWS:west_bend_triple_timer:ralph_e._styring B0000CFTWS West Bend 40053 Triple Timer with Clock, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 1.0 January 28, 2006 Ralph E. Styring Richardson, TX I used a West Bend Triple timer for about 25 years and was well satisfied with it. It had a loud alarm. The new model has a clock (not very useful), a stop watch function (moderately useful) and a triple timer function (fairly useful). Unfortunately the timer functions are more difficult to set than on the older unit. The alarm is very weak, very difficult for me to hear. I am looking for another alarm. B0000DC663:so_bad_i_threw_it_away:k._masters B0000DC663 KitchenAid Silicone 24-Cup Mini Muffin Pan with Sled, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 1.0 May 3, 2005 K. Masters I saw the 3-star reviews here, but decided to ignore them as this pan was on sale for a very good price. That was a big mistake. 1. The first problem is with the size of the muffin cups -- they are significantly more shallow than in a typical mini-muffin pan. 2. The silicone warped from the heat while in the oven, spilling the meager contents of the tiny cups over the edges, making flat, crooked, ugly muffins. 3. The silicone did not release the muffins easily. I did spray it with nonstick spray before filling, and allowed the muffins to cool completely before I tried to get them out. I didn't even bother to try and wash it, so I don't have any comment about the ease of washing. I won't be wasting any more time and ingredients in it, so I threw it away. I wish I could get my money back. This is not the quality you would expect from KitchenAid B000ASDX38:never_again_for_this_skillet:s._l._young_"sly" B000ASDX38 Rival S16SG 12 by 16-Inch Cool Touch Skillet: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 October 4, 2006 S. L. Young "Sly" Harrisburg, PA USA If I could give no stars for this, I would. I've been using electric skillets for more years then I care to say. I love cooking with them and when my last one simply wore out from so much use, I bought this one. What a mistake. After only minimal use, the middle of the pan began to burn extra hot and all the food was sticking and burning. Then the coating began to peel from the pan. The middle began to buldge slightly so the surface was not flat for even frying. What a nightmare!! This pan was less then two months old! And I do know how to treat and cook with electric skillets - just in case you were thinking I did something to cause this. I have never been so disappointed in a product before. However, it did have a new place in our home - the trash can. Guess I should have read the reviews first. Now that was my mistake!! B00062WTZG:not_that_great:kelly_j._schultz_"skeptical_cook" B00062WTZG Delonghi KBX1510 Cool Touch Electric Kettle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 1.0 April 5, 2006 Kelly J. Schultz "skeptical cook" California I'm an old hand with kettles, I thought I'd give this one to my spouse for our anniversary, but it was a bit of a dud. When the kettle was ready to boil the lid would fall down, steam would go everywhere. And it would often take ages to turn itself off. Looked great but...Think I'm going to get the braun instead B0001CKSCW:sheds_like_a_mother!:maya_and_kuna's_"person" B0001CKSCW Martex Egyptian Hand Towel, Burgundy: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 June 3, 2005 Maya and Kuna's "Person" Atlanta, GA After 5 washings, these towels still shed like a mother. Grrr B00020R0VK:how_can_a_coffee_maker_be_this_bad?:ja_vanvalkenburg B00020R0VK Braun KF600 Impressions 10-Cup Thermal Coffeemaker, Brushed Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 2 1.0 November 20, 2006 JA VanValkenburg Bryan, TX When I received this coffee maker, it worked long enough for me to run water through it to clean it out, then then heating element stopped working. It took numerous calls to Braun, then of course I had to pack it up and ship it off. Several weeks later it was returned to me and once again, it worked one time. Again, it took several phone calls and I had to pack it up and send it off again. I received a new unit that does indeed heat up, but has several other problems. The drip shut-off mechanism stopped working after a couple weeks, the permanent filter allows grounds to get into the coffee, and if one uses a paper filter, it tends to overflow the filter basket. This is the worst coffee maker I've ever owned B0001U7K0M:too_poorly_made_for_everyday_use.:damg1_"damg" B0001U7K0M Fiestaware Tangerine 996 5-Piece Flatware Set, Service for 1: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 8 2.0 January 1, 2006 damg1 "damg" Tulsa, OK We have a full line of Fiesta dishware and thought having the matching flatware would be nice. After a year of standard use and dishwashing, about 1/3 of the flatware is unusable. The upside is that it is cheap and replaceable. But count me among those who would rather pay more for something that lasts. We are in the process of ditching the Fiesta flatware line and moving to something more robust. PROS: Retro Stylish. Inexpensive compared to quality flatware. CONS: Very poorly made, Expensive if you need to replace 1/3 of flatware ever year B0006IVYCO:bought_them,_returned_them:eshopper B0006IVYCO Global Decor Stainless-Steel Tall Salt and Pepper Shaker Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 9 1.0 November 25, 2005 eShopper Chandler, AZ The pepper lid seemed a little loose and I worried that it would fall off, dumping pepper everywhere. I probably would have kept them anyway because they are nice looking and a decent price, but I couldn't get the lid off the salt shaker at all B0006TJ5SS:i_was_not_impressed:v._devries_"book_worm" B0006TJ5SS Contemporary Home Products Dome Cake and Ice Cream Cake Bake Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 October 23, 2006 V. Devries "Book worm" Omaha, NE I ended up giving it to Salvation Army. Takes more than one cake mix. More like 1 and a half to fill it up. I didn't think it was worth the money. B00014WEI6:where_the_x#@%&^*_is_the_gasket?:i_just_want_a_margarita_"ticked_off" B00014WEI6 Oster Blender Blade with Gasket: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 8 1.0 November 11, 2005 I just want a margarita "Ticked Off" Illinois Look, the product plainly reads "Oster Blender Blade with Gasket" and the package that was delivered is titled "Processing Unit with Sealing Ring". The blade was in the package but there was no sealing ring/gasket to be found. I'm sure there is the possibility that I got the one defective package off the line but what kind of quality assurance is that?! I'm not telling anyone to buy or not buy this product but just be aware that you may have a problem. I now need to buy a whole separate gasket which maybe costs all of $1.50 and will pay shipping of probably $3. B0000BVQP2:disapointed.:gene B0000BVQP2 Deni 1640 Freshlock 11-Inch-by-33-Foot Replacement Rolls, Set of 3: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 4 1.0 January 12, 2006 Gene Eau Claire, WI This product will not work with home vacuum sealers that use a textured bag. This is a thin plastic sheet on a roll. You have to cut, fold and seal the sides of the plastic sheet. B000222E8M:not_very_useful_-_stainless_mesh_strainers_are_better._:pointsnorth_"pointsnorth" B000222E8M Sink & Tub Strainer - 4-1/2" - (White): Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 June 21, 2006 pointsnorth "pointsnorth" MA United States This gadget is better than nothing as a sink strainer ( unlike the miserable Sinktastic, which I find hopelessly misdesigned) but it's still far inferior to any good stainless steel mesh strainer. (Do a web search for "sink mesh strainer".) This one slides around on top of the sink drain, letting gunk slide in around it. Yet it's impossible to pick up without using your (ewww) fingernails. And those fingernails will be picking up a rusting metal edge, if yours grows old at all like mine did. Well, "grows old" is overly charitable to this cheaply finished thing. I think I used mine for maybe the equivalent of 30 full kitchen hours before the paint along the edges began to chip and the underlying metal began to severely corrode. One way this might be made reasonably useful is if you sealed it in place with a waterproof nontoxic silicone caulk so it didn't move around. Then you could scrub it right there in the sink and never deal with prying it out for cleaning etc. Yechhh... B0000DC645:terrible_pan_-_does_not_do_what_it_claims.:tammy B0000DC645 Kitchenaid Wire Sled With 12 Cup Muffin Pan, Silicone, Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 6 1.0 December 26, 2003 Tammy Rescue, CA United States I totally agree with the previous reviewer. This pan is terrible. I also ended up with only tops. I suppose you could put paper muffin cups in, but what would be the point of buying this pan then??? Also, these do not nest like a regular metal pan (the sled takes up a lot of room). DO NOT BUY THIS B0007QCQNG:defective_right_out_of_the_box.:brian_r._gosselin_"bg" B0007QCQNG Lello Gelato Pro 4090: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 28 1.0 May 14, 2005 Brian R. Gosselin "BG" I received the gelato maker in the mail and was eady to try it out. Got all the ingredients together and in the bowl and loaded it into the machine. I turned on the machine as per the directions and it beeped and flashed at my just like it is supposed to do when it has been on too long and the machine is freezing up. I was not very happy with this predicament at all B00004S9CL:flimsy_crap_not_worthy_of_cuisinart_brand:jeff_cadow B00004S9CL Cuisinart CPT-70 Classic Style Toaster: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 1.0 July 25, 2005 Jeff Cadow Boston Mine died after 6 months - half the heating elements stopped working, toasting only one side of the bread. Took it apart - no loose or broken wires, so must have been the circuitry. Chucked it in the garbage. While it was working, it would jam easily. The push-down handle has a flimsy metal tang that twists easily (when kids or oafish adults use it). The tang then rubs against the slot, incinerating the toast B000A7HFX8:very_upset_cuisinart_customer:sherry_spicer B000A7HFX8 Cuisinart PRC-12 Classic 12-Cup Stainless-Steel Percolator: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 16, 2006 Sherry Spicer Apopka Florida I have always had a percolator so having cuisinart products and another percolator by them I ordered this one. I received it the first of Sept. 2006 and on Nov. 10 plugged it in, it sparked at the pot and that was it GONE!! I am sick about this as I had thought Cuisinart was a step above the rest B0007XXS9A:beautiful_heirloom_bloom_dinnerware:margie_holst_"mkh_'loves_good_things" B0007XXS9A Corelle Livingware Heirloom Bloom 20-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 2.0 February 25, 2006 Margie Holst "MKH 'Loves good things" Silverdale, WA USA I am very pleased with the dishes. Years ago I owned Corelle dishes, and am now wondering why I went the way of the heavier dishes. They don't scratch or take up a lot of space. I bought two sets. I love love the colors and my table settings are so nice to look at, especially since I purchased table mats with big orange blooms to put the dishes on and celery napkins to match. It really makes for a beautiful table. I get compliments all the time. I was also very pleased with how quickly I received the dishes - in about 3 days. I am always happy with my purchases made through Amzon.com B0007XXS9A:poor_color_transfer_on_cups:pauline_vince B0007XXS9A Corelle Livingware Heirloom Bloom 20-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 10 2.0 December 5, 2005 Pauline Vince I expected the dishes to be more substantial. The plates are very light and thin, more like melamine in feel. The colors on the dinner plates and bowls are like in the pictures seen on the internet so they are what I expected. Very disappointed with the cups- I bought two sets, and only 1 of the 8 cups had ALMOST the same color intensity as the dinner plates-the others were so faded (kinda like when your color cartridge in your computer is outta ink) they looked like, either rejects,or they had gone through a heavy load dishwash 100 time B00005R85W:totally_useless:kat B00005R85W VillaWare V5225 Crepe Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 7 1.0 November 12, 2005 Kat Cambridge, MA We bought this to use at events for a chocolate-themed group at college, and used it several times before giving up. The cord is in the way, you need a shallow dish to pour the batter into so you can dip the crepe maker, and the crepes tend to fall off half-baked. We eventually gave up---now we just put chocolate on waffles B000095ZGT:ironing_pad/cover_is_incorrectly_described:shirley B000095ZGT Polder 9200-93 Deluxe 48-Inch 2-Piece Replacement Pad and Cover, Red Grid: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 June 12, 2006 Shirley East Amherst, NY The pad sent to me did not match the description or photo. The neck on the pad is very narrow. The photograph depicts a different type of ironing board than the one the cover actually fits. I bought two of these and had to return them both as they did not fit the board. I was stuck paying the shipping, thus penalizing me for a product that was misrepresented B00006IBH4:defective:e._rauschenbach_"woodnut" B00006IBH4 Holmes HACP9 Oscilllating Clip Fan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 4 1.0 July 28, 2005 E. rauschenbach "woodnut" cleveland,ohio Arrived defective,right out of the box. Will not oscillate; something inside is obviously amiss.So why even bother with it B00006IBH4:poor_air_movement:j._neill B00006IBH4 Holmes HACP9 Oscilllating Clip Fan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 2.0 July 7, 2005 J. Neill Texas The other reviews are correct,except they fail to mention that the fan does not move air.That is why it is so quite.I do suppose that I got 13 dollars worth of fan though.Think twice about purchasing this fan B00005QB53:disappointing:m._w._hopkins B00005QB53 BonJour 10101-42 Creme Brulee Torch, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 5 1.0 February 13, 2005 M. W. Hopkins difficult to start and difficult to maintain flame. would think twice before buying again. especially difficult if one is left handed B00004OCJS:design_flaw_in_oxo_knives:the_chef's_mom_"annie" B00004OCJS OXO Good Grips Paring and Mini Chef Knife Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 1.0 November 27, 2004 The Chef's Mom "Annie" New York My Son, who is a Culinary graduate, purchased a set of OXO knives for me as a gift. I know they were not inexpensive. However, within a year, three of the six knives seperated from the grips during use. While the grips are quite nice, the knives are dangerous to use and can cause serious injury in the kitchen. They should be removed from the market. In all three cases, the blades flipped upwards during slicing. B00004OCJS:paring_knife_is_so_dull_i_couldn't_stand_it.:aaron_contorer B00004OCJS OXO Good Grips Paring and Mini Chef Knife Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 18 of 21 1.0 September 20, 2002 Aaron Contorer San Diego, USA Sorry to disagree with other reviewers, but my experience of the paring knife was that it's perhaps the softest metal I've ever seen used in a knife, and as a result, it's not very sharp and doesn't improve if you try sharpening it. My friend, a fellow cook who got it as a gift, doesn't like it; I hated it and would never choose to use it. There's a reason the price is so low B00004SAGK:don't_waste_your_money!:nenah_sylver_"www.nenahsylver.com" B00004SAGK William Bounds Nutmeg Twister: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 January 14, 2006 Nenah Sylver "www.NenahSylver.com" Stone Ridge, New York This grinder worked well for about two months before the internal spring that holds the nutmeg in place became loose. Now there is so little pressure against the nutmeg, that the blade can no longer do any grinding. In addition, the size and shape of the entire mill are awkward for my small hands. I regret not having read the other reviews before buying this. B00004SAGK:doesn't_work_well:b._wright B00004SAGK William Bounds Nutmeg Twister: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 5 1.0 November 24, 2003 B. Wright Fairfax, VA United States This product has a cute name, but it is very difficult to use. I constantly have to take the nutmeg out and re-adjust it. Larger nutmegs do not fit in the storage area. It's a lot of work to get a little bit of nutmeg - disappointing B0000CFW8S:not_happy_with_this_toaster_-_many_problems:scott_a._walter_"scott_and_risa_walter" B0000CFW8S Toastmaster TOV200 4-Slice Toaster Oven Broiler: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 September 9, 2006 Scott A. Walter "Scott and Risa Walter" Chesterfield, MI Received this toaster as a Christmas present in 2004. From day one I was not very happy with it. The knobs and temperature control are difficult to use - sometimes it would bake good, other times it would not. About 6 months ago I noticed the numbers were rubbed off of the timer dial. About 3 months ago the timer dial became loose and it was difficult to set the time. Today the timer dial broke off completely. So I got about a year and a half of poor use out of it. So, don't purchase this product, it is not worth it. B0000636V1:i'm_sure_they_are_nice...:s._a._salisbury B0000636V1 Emile Henry Couleurs 1/2-Quart Oval Baking Dish, Set of 2, Cobalt: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 4 1.0 September 17, 2004 S. A. Salisbury Irvine, CA USA Unfortunately, I ordered these twice and received rectangular bakers instead. This was *not* Amazon's fault, but Emile Henry's for mislabling the box as oval bakers when they were not. In fairness to Amazon, they tried to make it right but had a difficult time doing so since the contents of the box were mislabled. Althought I would have preferred the oval bakers, I kept the rectangular ones and do like them B0000AFX20:worst_coffee_maker_i_had:m._kochler B0000AFX20 DeLonghi DC50B Twenty Four Seven Drip Coffee Maker, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 5, 2006 M. Kochler It is really the worst coffee maker I had. It is too slow, the automatic stopper always breakes and the coffee pot is useless, because you can not pour in a cup without making a mes B00004SGFV:does_not_fit_the_professional_5_qt._series:beverly_w._seagraves B00004SGFV KitchenAid KPS2CL Pouring Shield for 4-1/2 and 5-Quart Stand Mixers: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 7 1.0 March 16, 2006 Beverly W. Seagraves Atlanta, Ga. The professional 5 qt. series has a wider bowl than the regular 5 quart. I was given no info. that it would not fit this model. I was dissapointed as I feel this attachment would be helpfu B00004SGG7:bad_quality_control:nancy_m._mccarthy B00004SGG7 KitchenAid KSM90WW 300-Watt Ultra Power 4-1/2-Quart Stand Mixer, White on White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 14 2.0 December 26, 2004 Nancy M. Mccarthy VT, USA I BOUGHT THIS ITEM FOR MY DAUGHTER FOR CHRISTMAS AND AFTER SHE REMOVED IT FROM THE BOX I TOOK A LOOK AT IT TO CHECK IT OVER AND I DISCOVERED THERE WAS MISSING PAINT WHERE THE BAND IS THAT GOES AROUND THE TOP OF THE MIXER. DO I GET THE FEELING THAT THE MIXER I PURCHASED WAS A DEFECT. I ORDERED ANOTHER ONE FOR MY OTHER DAUGHTER AND I WILL HAVE HER CHECK THAT OVER ALSO. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THIS AND I WILL HAVE TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER B00005OUCR:stop!!!!!: B00005OUCR Carry-On Satin 20-pc. Flatware Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 August 5, 2003 I was so excited when i found a contemporary stainless pattern to add to my gift registry. When i received the 20 piece set at a shower I was very ecited until I washed them and never got to eat off them because they RUST!!!! I called gourmet settings and they are sending me another set but I am removing the 45 piece set from my registry. I will use them for picnic silverware not dining roon silverware B000095ZGQ:this_item_is_missing_:l._conroy B000095ZGQ Polder 9206-82 54" Professional 1-Piece Ironing Replacement Pad and Cover, Natural: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 6, 2006 L. Conroy san francisco I have tried to purchase this item since May 2006. Without explanation, after my order was processed and I was given a date of delivery the order was cancelled and I received a notice that the board was not available. How strange is that? If you call the company they tell you the item is availble through Amazon. Would really like to understand what has happened. I feel somewhat less unhappy since I read a review of this very pricey item saying it was not worth the cost. B00004RFNX:nowhere_near_as_good_as_genuine_wusthof_or_henckels...: B00004RFNX Henckels International Eversharp Pro 3-Piece Stainless Steel Knife Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 11 of 12 2.0 May 10, 2001 I recently got this set and the 2 piece carving set of the same series. I know I should not have expected much for this great price, but the knives do not have anywhere as good a feel as the classic line of wusthof or the henckels 4 or 5 star knives. They are very light in weight, mostly due to the handles. Much better than a target or kmart knife, and great to start, but I expect to switch mine out with 'real' knives as my budget will allow B000FBYUC8:imagin_driving_on_a_hwy_full_of_bumpers:x._wang_"ariescott" B000FBYUC8 Pillow Top Queen Fiberbed: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 8 1.0 October 25, 2006 X. Wang "Ariescott" NY, USA I do not think any human being can fall asleep on this trash. Actually i can not even lie on this for more than 1 minute and I feel low back pain. it has good material but poor design. B0002V3WTI:do_not_recommend:pearly_white_"ee_cook" B0002V3WTI KitchenAid Silicone Mini Madeleine Pan, Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 13 1.0 March 30, 2005 Pearly White "ee cook" Rolla, MO I baked two batches of madelines side by side, one in this pan (set on a baking sheet), and another in a traditional pan with non-stick coating. I brushed both pans with canola oil before using. As per the package instructions, I allowed the madelines in the silicon pan to cool completely before removing them. The madelines in the traditional pan released easily, were golden and high, and had a pronounced design. The other batch were almost soggy (probably from cooling in the pan), flat, pale, and did not have the appearance of a madeline. To make matters worse, they did not release easily, and a few of them even broke as I attempted to remove them. I would not recommend this pan B000067DZV:too_slow:shanaj_nizam B000067DZV PUR Ultimate Slim Design Water Pitcher: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 22 1.0 September 25, 2006 Shanaj Nizam Bronx, USA What the heck is going on? I ordered this item 3 weeks ago, it has not delivered yet. So I can't even make a review on this item B000AK2LKW:what_is_the_world_coming_to...???:ace2010 B000AK2LKW Rival 64451LD-C 6.5 Quart Round Slow Cooker with Bonus Little Dipper Slow Cooker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 9 of 12 2.0 September 16, 2006 Ace2010 Los Angeles, CA Why do manufacturers always have to change a good thing? I had a Rival crockpot for over 12 years. It always worked great. The idea behind a crockpot is to cood slow and low. My old Rival cooked at 150 degrees on the "Low" setting. I use the old Rival all the time, and decided to get a second one so I could use them both simutaneouly and cook two recipes at the same time. I looked at the reviews for the electronic Rival models. Everyone said they cooked too hot. So I finally purchased this 6.5 quart model with the simple knob control. Well, I filled the crockpot full of 8 lb.s of chicken. The next morning, I could smell the burning food. I looked in the pot, and the chicken was boiling on the "Low" setting. So, the next night I filled it full of a vegetable soup recipe. The next morning, the soup was boiling over ... again on the "Low" setting. The veggies were overcooked and mushy. I measured the temperature and it was 195 degrees. I won't buy anymore Rival products. I only gave this 2 stars because I guess you could conceivably use it to make soup ... If you're willing to stand over it and turn it off when it starts to overboil B00005OTVN:cheap_but...:"frenchie702" B00005OTVN Chefmate Nonstick 5-pc. Bakeware Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 9 2.0 May 5, 2004 "frenchie702" Decatur, GA USA flimsy. mine started rusting after 2 months. but then again, what can one expect for this price B0001XASWQ:joint_broken_after_3_uses:ruby_y._torres B0001XASWQ Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 1.0 November 13, 2006 Ruby Y. Torres Palos Verdes Estates, CA USA Although this grill has all the design elements I wanted - easy to use, quick to clean, and very compact, it is very cheaply made. After just 3 uses, One of the joints that adheres the top to the bottom broke. Had I not reacted quickly, I would have been burned. We were very fortunate that our child was kept away from ever using it. Upon close examination, we found the weak joint to be made of some sort of brittle, composite material, NOT metal. It's such a disappointment to see such a terrific design implemented so poorly. B000095RC2:don't_waste_your_time:mad_cook B000095RC2 CDN DTTC Digital Thermometer, Timer & Clock: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 10 1.0 December 21, 2004 Mad cook Oklahoma Good idea bad product. Worked great 2 weeks. Magnets fell off end of week 2. Probe quit week 3. Costs more to return for repair than it is worth B000095RC2:not_a_quality_product: B000095RC2 CDN DTTC Digital Thermometer, Timer & Clock: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 27 of 31 1.0 December 25, 2003 This thermometer is very cheaply made. It feels flimsy and the magnets on the back won't hold it secure on a metal surface B00004SGDP:beautiful_but_not_reliable:k._hsiang_"ksh" B00004SGDP KitchenAid KSB5 5-Speed Blender, Imperial Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 13 2.0 June 18, 2006 K. Hsiang "KSH" SF Bay Area I honestly liked the blender a lot. I received it as a gift and it matched the rest of my kitchen's KitchenAid appliances-- range, refrigerator, dishwasher, pretty much everything other than the toaster oven. At the time, there could be no better blender. It looked great. It promised professional performance. It had KitchenAid's brand and durability behind it. I use my blender for making tomato sauce and the occasional fruit smoothie. There is some amount of ice crushing required, but that shouldn't be an issue. I certainly was not a weekly let alone a daily user. So, 3 years after I got the blender, I went to turn it on and it is completely dead-- no light on the on button. Changed outlets and still nothing. It's done. What an incredible dissappointment. But, it seems to me that the KitchenAid brand has really taken an awful turn since it was acquired by Whirlpool(?). First, my dishwasher broke (3 repair jobs) then my stand mixer's seals are loose. I called customer service about trying to buy a replacement thermometer for my range and after endless re-routing, I got no where. The fridge has minor issues (loose rails, pieces not refitting) and is probably the best of the lot. I did some research. Apparently, KitchenAid is just licensing its name out on various products. So, realistically, there is no such thing as KitchenAid quality anymore since they don't make much of anything. Everything is just a re-branded product. Whirlpool is going to milk the brand premium until its reputation catches up to it. From a once KitchenAid loyalist, avoid this product-- yes it's beautiful but it's not going to last. Avoid all KitchenAid products because they really are not what they once were B00006IV09:hot_grinds_and_hot_coffee_spewin'_action!:j._rock B00006IV09 Toastmaster TCM10PW 10-Cup Automatic Coffee Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 8 of 9 2.0 April 8, 2004 J. Rock Westlake Village, California United States Well, I can't say that I didn't like this thing at first. It came with a little scoopy to dig out your coffee beans and grinds. At first it seems like a nice little unit. I poured a pot of water into it in order to do away with any oils left over from manufacturing. I say you should run 3 pots of water through it before use (filterless of course). After a few uses, I noticed that the carafe does spill out onto the counter if you do not pour slowly. If you want your coffee now and have no time to pour, don't get this item. After having this machine for 3 weeks now, and using it constantly every morning, I have finally decided that it is near total crap. I just made a pot of coffee this morning when the machine decided it would spurt some hot air & water which caused the grinds blow all over the place. Spilling out of the top onto the carafe and drooling hot coffee and grinds all over the counter. How nice. If you're going to buy a cheap coffee maker, spend the extra 5 or 6 dollars and get a semi-decent one. Toastmaster should stick to toasting. If you do decided to get this, buy some towels and a mop as well B0002TUVQM:makes_the_dog_bark!:t._bates B0002TUVQM Back to Basics CM300BR Cocoa-Latte Hot Drink Maker, Brushed Silver: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 3 2.0 November 10, 2006 T. Bates Port Orchard, Washington United States I should have listened to the other reviews! Point 1. This machine is not only just "noisy", it CONTINUES to be loud, intermittently! Picture this: You are sipping your hot drink while reading the newspaper, relaxed, the house quiet, when like a knife cutting the silence, a loud grinding sound flies from the kitchen, your dog starts howling & barking, you jump and relaxation is out the window! It "recycles" as long as you leave it on. Point 2. It took me TWO cycles (20 minutes) before the stuff was hot enough for me. I like beverages to be as hot as coffee. Point 3. Take out your best scrubber & roll up your sleeves!! For every use, you have to scrub the thick coating off the bottom of the non-immersable pitcher PLUS totally take apart the spout, clean it & put it back together (it has 5 parts). Hope you have time for this! Point 4. Froth? What froth? That's froth?? Stirring my drink with a spoon makes it look like that. Final analysis: I can make the same thing in the microwave with less cleanup B0002TUVQM:lasted_18_months:rgflorida_"rg" B0002TUVQM Back to Basics CM300BR Cocoa-Latte Hot Drink Maker, Brushed Silver: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 2.0 October 30, 2006 RgFlorida "Rg" Florida Liked the product when it was working. I used the machine about 4 times a week for 18 months. It will mix the ingredients but does not heat up the drink any more B0001I1J8I:very_disappointed:albert_vernon B0001I1J8I Steam Fast SF-465 Quick Steam Professional Garment Steamer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 15 1.0 August 31, 2005 Albert Vernon Dublin, OH I should have listened when the other reviewers said to stay away from this steamer. Now I wish I had spent the extra $60 and gotten one from Jiffy. The box the unit arrived in was pretty beat up and did not look like it had been professionally taped. It definitely looked like it had been returned by another customer, and lucky me, I got sloppy seconds. I read the instructions and assembled it carefully, but the performance is just awful. Even after letting it heat up for two minutes and then holding the trigger for 30 seconds, as the instructions indicate, it lets out a pathetic gasp of steam. Additionally, it sprays out great gobs of water all over the clothes, and I don't mean a few spots of water like you get with any steamer B000FEPTIY:amazon_is_cheating._never_trust_them._never.:lai_wei B000FEPTIY Farberware Generations Triple Pack, Silver: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 1.0 November 7, 2006 Lai Wei I ordered this stupid thing one month ago and they delayed multiple times and kept saying delay. These things will never come. So never expect cheap things from Amazon although they tried very hard to convince you to wait. B00009R609:i'm_so_disappointed:celena_poland B00009R609 KitchenAid K5SSWH Heavy Duty 5-Quart Mixer, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 9 1.0 February 28, 2006 Celena Poland Warsaw, Poland For fifteen years I've talked about getting a good stand mixer and my sweet husband went out and bought me this one. He bought it on sale at Cosco last Spring, then stored it until we moved back to the States from Europe and gave it to me as a housewarming gift in Nov. I've used it a few times but the paddle and whisk don't reach the bottom of the bowl and the screw meant for adjustment will NOT tighten any further. I can't get into the bowl at all while it is in the upward position... to scape or to add ingredients. I like to make crepes, which calls for adding sifted flour gradually over eggs while beating. It's impossible with this machine. I get a gluey mass at the bottom of the bowl, unmixed... and the batter is full of lumps. If I want to scape the bowl, (which is frequently necessary since the paddle or whisk doesn't reach all the way to the sides of the bowl) I have to stop the machine and lower the bowl each time, and even then, with the paddle or whisk attached, it's not easy to reach the sides of the bowl towards the back. You can't turn the bowl without removing it from the stand completely. You have to yank on the bowl and lift at the same time to remove it from the stand. This takes a fair amount of force to maneuver. It's impossible to remove the paddle or whisk without first letting it drop completely into the batter. The speeds are not variable enough. It seems to be either ploddingly slow or so fast that any liquid or flour flies out. It's a monumental disappointment and I'm frustrated because it's been so long since he bought it, I can't imagine they would allow it to be returned. So, I still mix everything by hand or use my stick mixer and feel crumby about the big white doorstop taking up counter space B000674526:don't_order_from_target!:n._mischke_"pro2ter" B000674526 Danby Countertop Dishwasher - DDW396W: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 28 1.0 August 9, 2006 N. Mischke "Pro2ter" Northern CA Rating should be "0" but that wasn't a choice. I ordered this item at beginning of July pending move to a place that didn't have a dishwasher. They backordered it until August 10. So I waited and didn't have sanitized dishes in the meantime for myself and my 12 pets. Then, on August 9, they sent me an email saying "we can't get this item, we're cancelling the order." I have gone 5 weeks without a dishwasher! Now I have to go find another online store to order from. Target may advertise the cheapest price but THEY DON'T DELIVER B000AYFOGG:junk!:p._j._mccole B000AYFOGG Cuisinart SMO-56 Smooth Operator 56-Ounce Blender, Brushed Chrome: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 4 1.0 October 10, 2006 P. J. McCole South Barre, MA USA This thing is a piece of junk! It's the only blender I've ever seen that comes with a "stir stick" to unclog the sides of the jar (where the stuff all goes instead of into the blades). This should have been a clue that the thing wasn't very well designed, and it wasn't. It ALWAYS needed to be stirred when making any kind of smoothie, several times, which made the process a real pain. Also, the drain spout is a great place for food to hide and get nasty. Except for the jar it's pretty cheap plastic. But it's in the trash now because the couleing fried itself after two months. Good riddance B000AYFOGG:pure_junk!:suzy_q B000AYFOGG Cuisinart SMO-56 Smooth Operator 56-Ounce Blender, Brushed Chrome: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 7 1.0 September 2, 2006 suzy Q The "brushed chrome" is plastic. The spout leaks, and the motor burned out in one week. On top of that the store where I purchased it, Kitchen Kapers wouldn't let me return it saying it wasn't designed for drinks that require crushing ice. Why then do some of the recipes in the manual call for ice cubes? B0000936K5:be_cautious_when_purchasing:jason_klein B0000936K5 Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 8-Piece Cookware Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 1.0 January 12, 2006 Jason Klein Miami Beach, FL United States I had received this set for my Birthday from a friend. When we unpacked the set we noticed the 8 Quart pot was scratched on the interior. This made the non-stick aspect of the pot worthless. I gave the pots back to my friend and he returned them to Amazon and had a new set sent out. When we received the new set the 8 quart pot again had scratches inside the pot. I thought I would contact Calphalon to inquire about the damage and see what they had to say. I called the Calphalon customer service number but was on hold for so long I gave up. In retrospect I would spend the extra money and stay away from the non-stick surfaces with teflon coating which are prone to scratch easily. If you get the Calphalon One Infused-Anodized pans which you will never have to replace let alone deal with the lack of customer service. Remember the old saying "you get what you pay for." I don't think these non-stick pans will look very good after a years worth of use. If you do choose to buy these pans examine them when you open the box for damage B00004S1B8:discovery_!:d._west B00004S1B8 Chef's Choice 120 3-Stage Diamond Hone Professional Sharpener Plus, White: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 18 1.0 March 8, 2006 D. West Tempe, AZ, USA After many years of buying and discarding inferior knife sharpeners I have finally found one that sharpens even my dullest knives. B00004OCJ2:low_quality_product.:l_camp B00004OCJ2 OXO Good Grips 22081 3-1/2-Inch Paring Knife: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 2 1.0 July 11, 2003 L Camp Boring, Oregon United States This is a poorly made product. After a few months of use, the blade broke off. The handle is hard, brittle plastic covered with soft plastic. The blade extends into the brittle plastic only a little bit. The results were inevitable. Pure junk B0004JML6S:hot_plate_and_air_bubble_issues:beth_l._rush B0004JML6S Krups FME4-14 12-Cup Coffeemaker, Black and Stainless: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 4 2.0 August 30, 2006 Beth L. Rush We have had the coffee maker about 2 months. It makes good coffee but if you pour water too quickly into the left side of the reservoir you get air bubbles in the water level indicator. Told to pour on the right side... The heating plate covering has come off on about 1/2 of the surface. What gives with that??? Time to take it back and get another machine B0004JML6S:coffee_tastes_bitter:john_a._justin_"engineer" B0004JML6S Krups FME4-14 12-Cup Coffeemaker, Black and Stainless: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 7 1.0 March 6, 2006 John A. Justin "Engineer" New York We had a Krups for about 4 years at the office and the coffee was good. We needed to replace it because the Carafe broke and there was no replacement available (they discontinued the model and the carafe - thanks Krups). So, we replaced it with the FM4. I didn't like the coffee from the start - but I figured it would get better. Two weeks later, I dumped it for a Bunn B10-B which got good ratings here. Get the Bunn - it makes a good cup of coffee. We always use Starbuck's coffee B0000DAQ8B:tomato_killer:philip_kay B0000DAQ8B OXO Good Grips 1054752 Mandoline Slicer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 13 1.0 May 1, 2006 Philip Kay Northampton, UK My wife stopped me punishing any more innocent tomatoes when the Oxo Mandoline, my chopping board and the kitchen floor and walls were dripping with red 'stuff'. Captain Correlli could not have played this gadget. It is totally useless and now resides half way up one of our trees 50 metres from our kitchen door B00005AL5E:i_don't_understand_this_product:peederj B00005AL5E All-Clad Stainless 10-Inch Nonstick Fry Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 16 2.0 December 22, 2005 peederj San Francisco, CA USA You have the bottom of the pan clad in stainless steel...the advantage of that? You can dishwasher stainless. But you can't dishwasher nonstick! You just have the disadvantage of slower heating than you would with straight aluminum underneath. And then you put teflon on something that costs over $100...the pan will last 50 or more years, the nonstick about five if you use it lightly and don't let some idiot put metal on it ever. There's no indication that they will resurface your pan either...the warranty just covers defects, not use. I think this is very wasteful economically, if not environmentally (because it is a massive yet not durable product, even if you recycle it). You can get a cheaper nonstick that will serve you for the five years just fine (e.g. Calphalon commercial), and better you can get this pan without the teflon and learn how to season your own cookware and make it even more nonstick than this can ever be and yet utterly indestructible, even with metal utensils. People will only buy this for the looks. After all, they don't know how to cook anyway B000B1LU3Y:save_your_money!!!!:dlux B000B1LU3Y Ionic Pro CAC1 Car Ionizer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 1.0 January 2, 2006 DLUX , IL. United States YOU ARE BETTER ROLLING YOUR WINDOWS DOWN! THIS THING DOES NOT WORK. I HAVE A SHARPER IMAGE ONE THAT IS ALOT BETTER. THIS ONE IS A GENERIC IMITATION THAT DOES NOT CLEAN THE AIR. CRAP!!!!! B0001VQITU:glass_bottomed_sieve:s._coales_"moneypitminer" B0001VQITU Frieling USA Inc. Handle-it Glass Bottom Springform 9-in.: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 6 2.0 August 18, 2005 S. Coales "moneypitminer" NJ indeed, there is a glass bottom, the walls are nonstick, there are even two nice handles. The seal between the actual pan and the glass bottom leaks something terrible if you use it in a bain marie. apart from that though, it's fine B000638A4E:very_poor_quality:p._hinderliter B000638A4E Wood Mixing Spoons-16" Long: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 6 of 6 1.0 November 30, 2005 P. Hinderliter WA The spoon handle is crooked and there are marks/damage to the wood. Avoid B00009ANZ3:horrible_bakeware:vizschip B00009ANZ3 CorningWare Creations 8-Piece Bake and Serve Set, Denim: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 14 of 15 1.0 August 21, 2004 Vizschip Boothbay, ME USA I bought 2 sets expecting them to be as good as the other Corning products I have used for over 30 years. 1 piece cracked in half while cooking vegetable in the microwave and one piece cracked in half while baking chicken in the oven! I wrote to the company and they have not responded B0001CKSIQ:thin_thin_thin_thin_thin:rko_"radiopictures" B0001CKSIQ Martex Egyptian Hand Towel, French Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 21, 2006 RKO "radiopictures" Los Angeles, Ca USA These are substandard thin towels. They are cheap. The current price is far too much to pay, and they should be about a buck each. They are terrible in dealing with liquid because they are so thin. I find the pictures here deceptive...there is nothing here that you can't find in your grocery store cheaper. B0001CKSIQ:sheds_like_a_mother!:maya_and_kuna's_"person" B0001CKSIQ Martex Egyptian Hand Towel, French Blue: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 June 3, 2005 Maya and Kuna's "Person" Atlanta, GA After 5 washings, these towels still shed like a mother. Grrr B00006JSUD:cooks_only_meats_well;_cleaning_is_a_real_bear:arvind_chopra B00006JSUD Lodge Logic 11-1/4-Inch Pre-Seasoned Grill Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 15 2.0 November 30, 2004 Arvind Chopra CA I bought this with a lot of expectations hoping to cook indoor healthy grilled meats during winter. As soon as I saw the pan I was a little disappointed with the ridges. They are deep (which is good) but very thin and not thick as it appears in the product photos. So your meats will be less brown. After rubbing it with a litlle oil before cooking I set out to make my first set of turkey burgers. Now the way I make my burgers is by adding some chopped onions, garlic, and green chillies to the ground meat. That is where the pan gave problems. The meat cooked ok but the small pieces of chopped onions, garlic, and chillies that fell out of the patties got burnt very fast and stuck to the pan making it difficult to clean. I spent about 20 mins cleaning each time. For cooking meat that is seasoned only this pan may be ok. For me it is sitting in the closet after two tries. I did not return it because the shipping costs would have made returning it too expensive in itself. Update (12/18/2004) I bought a Hamilton Beach 31603 Electric grill for around $20 which is tremendous. It is non-stick, dish-washer compatible and cooks great. B0002795PC:don't_buy_this:jack_(nmi)_stecker B0002795PC FoodSaver 1-Quart Rectangular Canister: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 June 16, 2006 Jack (NMI) Stecker I got this with my food saver. It cracked in just a few uses. I'm not pleased with Jardian either. I was injured and can't talk when I tried to turn in a complaint by Email. They said I needed to get a friend or family member to call them on the phone in order to get help. What ever happened to equal access for the handicapped? Maybe we handicapped should take our business elsewhere B000CBR6KY:not_of_good_quality:r._carter B000CBR6KY Regal 300TC King Moss 100% Cotton Pillowcases: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 March 16, 2006 R. Carter Austin, Texas I was not happy with this item at all. The pillowcases are really thin and after washing and drying them, they are extremely wrinkled. They also had "pills" on them after washing them before they were even used. Very unsatisfactory B0002X4QM8:sorry_i_got_it:janice_a._linkowski_"with_to_many_machines" B0002X4QM8 White SI50 Travel Mate Dual Voltage Travel Iron: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 August 1, 2006 Janice A. Linkowski "with to many machines" east tawas Read the one review,five stars,have no clue as to why.It is a piece of JUNK.First the handle closes on my fingers continously,next it barely heats ,even on high,very poor steam.The teflon soleplate is rough and drags on the fabric.I wasted my money on a piece of trash from China. Hope this does someone some good.BEWAR B000079XW2:hard_to_turn:making_it_up_as_i_go_along B000079XW2 OXO Good Grips 1049953 Smooth Edge Can Opener: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 5 1.0 August 4, 2006 Making It Up As I Go Along Berkeley, CA I realize I'm in the minority here, but I do not find this can opener comfortable to use. The crank does have a "good grip", but I'm not trying to grip it, I'm trying to turn it. I do this by putting my right thumb under the near end and pushing up, with my index finger on the far end pushing down. The knob's shape (relatively short, fat in the middle and tapering to rounded ends) makes this cumbersome and tiring. It does open cans cleanly most of the time, but If i'm opening a large can or several cans, I reach for my old basic Swingaway (which sells, incidentally, for less than half the price of this OXO) B000095ZGV:not_as_shown:dave_k_"dave_k" B000095ZGV Polder 9200-69 Deluxe 48" 2-Piece Ironing Replacement Pad and Cover, Teflon Grey: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 20, 2006 Dave K "Dave K" Columbia, MO Image is not the cover we received and needed. Color was correct. The product seemed to be good quality. Very disappointed it was not what we thought it was. Still shopping for a cover to fit a board as shown. Poor Marketing B000162M9K:not_so_good:svelte B000162M9K Calphalon One Infused Anodized 3-Quart Saut Pan with Lid: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 10 1.0 March 7, 2005 Svelte Upper Midwest I received this saute pan for Xmas. I have other Caphalon (no-stick) pans and was delighted, based on claimed attributes of their top-of-line pan. However, my pan did not have a flat bottom which is a problem on an electric range. I returned to Caphalon and hav'nt heard a thing. I tired to claim lost but ups has proof of delivery - I would like to get a known reliable brand. I dislike poor products, am extremly disappointed with the service and total inconvience of the warranty program. B00004OCIV:doesn't_open_everything:marylyn_carlyle B00004OCIV OXO Good Grips 21181 Jar Opener: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 December 11, 2004 Marylyn Carlyle New Jersey I love OXO products for the most part but this product just is not well designed. It does open larger jars but it is clumsy and difficult to use. My husband and I have arthritis and I was hoping this opener would open twist off soda or water bottles that always seem to give us trouble. The opening is way too big to accomplish that so, back it went to the supermarket. I had hopes this OXO product could solve our bottle opening problem but since it doesn't, I am rating this only one star. B00004OCJ7:deadly_knife:"kathyseb" B00004OCJ7 OXO Good Grips 8-Inch Chef Knife: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 July 7, 2002 "kathyseb" Los Osos, CA United States I have a dead knife. This is a dangerous knife. As I was cutting something the handle and knife broke. I was only cutting cheese. This should not happen with a good knife. I loved it until it almost caused me major damage. So be careful with this one B0000DE7P1:not_as_sturdy_as_it_looks...:christopher_calabrese B0000DE7P1 Stainless Steel Tea Ball 2.5-in.: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 25 of 25 2.0 October 19, 2005 Christopher Calabrese Watertown, CT, USA I am a man who loves his tea. I drink up to a dozen cups a day, so I use my tea ball quite frequently. My major complaint with most tea balls, and the reason I must always replace them is that eventually the clip begins to not fasten securely. Over time this gets worse, and the tea ball becomes unusable. There are other balls with clips that are a bit more sturdy. I just got this tea ball in the mail a week ago, and while it is still usable, the clip is already losing its grip. Look somewhere else for a tea ball. B000058AKD:worse_frying_pan_i_ever_bought:"littlelynne" B000058AKD Farberware Classic 12-Inch Frypan with Lid and Helper Handle: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 18 of 22 1.0 January 30, 2003 "littlelynne" Columbus, OH United States If you like scrapping food out of the bottom of a frying pan then this is the one to buy! Adding oil or cooking sprays did not help, even bacon slices stick to this pan! I finally gave up and purchased a professional non stick frying pan and love it. This pan is going in my next garage sale B0000CDCMM:delonghi_service_and_quality_stinks:pala_"reluctant_reviewer" B0000CDCMM DeLonghi EC140B Espresso and Cappuccino Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 4 1.0 June 7, 2006 PALA "Reluctant Reviewer" Atlanta, GA, USA I bought a machine similar to this one late last year - it broke after about 30 cups. The 'tap' for the steam jammed. I'm still waiting for the repaired machine to be returned after 3 months - yes months, not weeks. According to DeLonghi service it will be another month before it's repaired. I have no faith this will happen, nor that it will work for any length of time after I receive it. Their service people, while reasonably pleasant, don't help - they know virtually nothing and seem reluctant to go beyond just answering your questions. If you're smart, you'll go buy a coffee machine from someone else B00004ZBS7:dangerously_fragile:tony B00004ZBS7 Crisa 16-Piece Impressions Glassware Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 October 1, 2006 Tony Las Vegas I bought these classes earlier today because they are attractive and inexpensive. I placed them in the dishwasher to clean them all prior to use, and one was cracked and a small fragment of glass had broken away after the cycle was done. I then checked Amazon's reviews, and found that this was a common experience. They're going back to the store tomorrow. B00004ZBS7:your_reviews_must_be_fake-can't_believe_this_item_is_for_sale:jp B00004ZBS7 Crisa 16-Piece Impressions Glassware Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 1 1.0 October 26, 2005 JP Cincinnati It doesn't break, chip, or even discolor, but the base has a compound kick (depression on the outside and protrusion on the inside. This makes a very messy exit from the dishwasher and precludes removal of debris on the inside. Why hasn't any one noticed? Where's the reviews? I own a dishwasher (gee-) and this is a very irritating function-having to drain the glass, dry again, and place in my cabinent-geez! Don't buy it unless you have maids and butlers. The again don't buy it because they'll get miffed too! B00005AL5F:if_you_fry_it,_it_will_stick:j._m._hester_"smitty" B00005AL5F All-Clad Stainless 12-Inch Fry Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 32 1.0 December 31, 2005 J. M. Hester "Smitty" Indianapolis, IN I am simply amazed that anyone can be satisfied with this pan. I bought this pan last week. I fried bacon it on medium heat (as advised by salesperson). Bacon stuck. Fried eggs on medium heat. Eggs stuck. Ok, must be my fault--try low heat. I fried bacon on low heat. Bacon stuck. Fried eggs on low heat. Eggs stuck. Pan would not come clean with hand washing and mild soap (as the instructions advise). I promptly returned the pan and got a non-stick. My life is much better. Do NOT be fooled by the pan's good looks. Think its just me? My wife's sister bought the same pan. Her report: everything sticks. My sister has the pan. She hates it! Guess what? Everything sticks. How can a product be so popular and perform so aweful? You are hereby on notice. B00005KIDZ:plastic_handle_does_not_hold_up:m._calamia B00005KIDZ KitchenAid Garlic Press, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 1.0 March 1, 2006 M. Calamia I've had this for about 2 months and the handle snapped right off. When it was working it was great, but for the price I expected to get more than 6 uses! I'm very disappointed B000162NA8:pure_junk_:naid B000162NA8 Calphalon One Infused Anodized 10-Inch Fry Pan: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 26 1.0 March 5, 2005 Naid This pan is a pure junk. There are already a couple of reviews and the people recognize that this is NOT a non-stick surface. This is true to the very end, I mean everything sticks like hell. So, if it sticks, why not buy a stainless steel pan instead. All this polymer invention is complete b**ls**t !!! It doesn't do anything ! I am returning this and I'll get a 1 yr-lasting nonstick calphalon from amazon. B0000CFG5F:be_very_careful:cpr_"loves2cook" B0000CFG5F Chef's Planet 30-Inch Nonstick Oven Liner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 12 1.0 January 1, 2006 cpr "Loves2Cook" Minnesota USA I used this seemingly incredible product and accidentally left it in the oven during a self-cleaning. It completely evaporated and left teflon covering the entire interior of the oven. I had to replace the oven! It was toxic from the teflon powder. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT! B0000CFG5F:nice_concept,_but_doesn't_measure_up...:ojh333 B0000CFG5F Chef's Planet 30-Inch Nonstick Oven Liner: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 14 of 16 1.0 July 24, 2005 ojh333 USA I was really excited to get the aluminum foil out of the bottom of my oven when I found this product, however, it didn't last very long. After less than two months use in my gas oven, this liner turned white and brittle because the non-stick surface had baked off! I have never baked above 425 degrees, so the claims that it will withstand 550 degrees are outlandish. Don't waste your money B000696OGY:dangerous!_do_not_buy_this_model!:s._bibb B000696OGY CONAIR Deluxe Fabric Steamer GS10RH: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 3 of 3 1.0 May 30, 2006 S. Bibb Hoboken, NJ USA i have a lot of experience with steamers over the years - mine as well as others used in stores. stupid me, then, for not realizing that you get what you pay for. my jiffy steamer finally died after nine years, but it served me well. it is a machine of substance, solid parts, very stable. trust me - you don't want to scrimp when it comes to working with a device designed to produce streams of hot steam! i foolishly tried to save some money by getting the conair gs10rh, and i'm returning it immediately. the well into which the telescoping pole sits is just about 1 inch deep - not deep enough to keep the pole stable. the brackets to hold the telescoped parts extended aren't firm - any heavy jacket will make them slide. the housing itself is amazingly lightweight; i thought that was a good thing, but now i know why the jiffy steamer's housing seems like it weighs a ton - you really do want the unit to be solidly anchored. handling a steamer is a serious matter. don't take on unnecessary risk by getting an inexpensive, poorly designed, lightweight steamer like the conair. spend the extra money for the product that has been the standard bearer for years: jiffy. you won't regret it. and even though mine died after nine years, i have no regrets, and now i'll do the right thing and get another B00006IUX1:not_good_design: B00006IUX1 Proctor Silex 74311 Electric Knife: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 16 of 16 1.0 November 30, 2002 The design features for the on/off switch is a good idea if you have dry hands and are prone to dropping things. Otherwise, the on/off switch is not good at all. The button is hard to press down and is a trigger type switch that does not allow for the blade to be left in the on position. You actually need to keep a lot of pressure of the switch to keep it going. The blade was sharp for the one and only time I used it. I took it back right after Thanksgiving B000246GSE:seems_practical,_but...:booboo B000246GSE Zojirushi Mr. Bento Stainless-Steel lined Lunch Jar, Silver: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 4 of 6 2.0 November 17, 2006 booboo Seattle, WA United States I was given Mr. Bento as a gift last summer. I was so excited! I bring a lunch to work every day, and I thought Mr. Bento would be the perfect solution to packing a well-organized, balanced, and easy-to-carry lunch. You can imagine my dismay when the Mr. Bento containers leaked day after day. Anything remotely soft came out from the containers, which do not seal in a tupperware sort of way. Cute? Yes. Impress your co-workers? Yes. But practical? No. B000140WDA:truly_mediocre_blender;_truly_disappointing_smoothie_maker:minneapolis_jon B000140WDA VillaWare V5785 Smoothie Bar Blender and Server, Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 November 17, 2006 Minneapolis Jon Minnepolis, MN United States I have owned this blender for two years now and will have to replace it due to one of the plastic mixer pieces snapping off, causing it to continually leak. Unfortunately it appears that I have to buy a whole new unit instead of just the pitcher portion. Overall, there were definitely questions of durability over the years as small pieces broke off one by one, but it did tend to blend things. As a blender alone: It was not the most effective blender I have ever seen but neither was it the worst. It was truly mediocre through and through. As a smoothie maker: the mechanism used for the pour spout didn't allow any chunks to pass through, and it never quite seemed to blend well enough to break up those chunks. So as a smoothie maker it was not a good choice. On the good side, the stainless does look nice... although it was a little tall B000140WDA:terrible_waste_of_money:kt B000140WDA VillaWare V5785 Smoothie Bar Blender and Server, Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 12 of 12 1.0 December 27, 2005 KT Seattle, WA This is the worst blender I've ever used. Bought it to make smoothies, but it has a hard time grinding frozen things. It never completely chops up frozen fruit, so I always end up sucking down huge hunks of semi-mushy fruit when I try to blend with this thing. Not pleasant. It's also loud and it moves a lot. Sometimes it vibrates so hard the carafe detaches slightly from the base, and when you lift the carafe to pour your drink into a glass you find a fruity puddle in the base's well. I strongly discourage anyone from ever purchasing this horrible thing B0009WE12C:just_a_caffeine_delivery_system:s._v._fedorchak B0009WE12C Mr. Coffee WFF 6PK MR. COFFEE Water Filter Replacement 6pk: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 5 of 6 1.0 May 10, 2006 S. V. Fedorchak Clifton, New Jersey I have brewed coffee with and without the ridiculously expensive filters and cannot tell the difference. If there was, I still wouldn't pay this much for plastic and charcoal. What were the designers thinking ??? It is just coffee, not fine wine ! B0009WE12C:you_can't_be_serious!:brew_happy B0009WE12C Mr. Coffee WFF 6PK MR. COFFEE Water Filter Replacement 6pk: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 13 of 16 1.0 November 25, 2005 Brew Happy Las Vegas After checking every store I could think of and accepting that I'd have to go online, I laughed out-loud when I saw this price! What was Mr. Coffee thinking? I read the other reviews of these filters and became aware that I don't even need them! Duh, I have filtered water in our house! Thank you Mr. "Train Man." The little carbon filter sounded like a good idea, but my coffee will survive without it. At least it's not a total loss because I like the coffee maker itself. Happy brewing. B00004OCNU:disappointed_whisk-er:r._ellis B00004OCNU Oxo 74491 Good Grips Nylon Balloon Whisk: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 0 of 7 1.0 February 24, 2006 R. Ellis Coarsegold,CA USA I am usually very pleased with Oxo products, but this one is a BIG disappointment. I have not found it to be good for or at anything. Wished I'd saved the five bucks B0007QN06I:doesn't_work_as_described:lucien_nunn B0007QN06I KitchenAid KPCM050PM Pro Line Single-Carafe Coffee Maker: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 November 11, 2006 Lucien Nunn Potter Valley, CA USA I like the solid construction but I also like strong coffee. This machine does not "spray the entire filter basket". Instead, water dribbles out of a 2-inch diameter ring, leaving dry grounds at the end of the brew cycle. I sent the first one back. The replacement does the same thing. KitchenAid customer service confirms that, despite the discription on Amazon, the unit does not spray the entire filter basket. I'm sending the replacement back also. If you love strong coffee, don't buy this machine B000067FDA:disappointed_by_calphalon_steak_knives:j._stevenson B000067FDA Calphalon Collector's Edition Stainless-Steel Steak Knives, Set of 4: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 10 of 12 1.0 October 1, 2002 J. Stevenson Southwest US I chose this set of knives because of the Calphalon name (I love my cookware!), German steel use, and the description, "Hygienic fiberglass-reinforced poly resin handle will not absorb moisture, crack, split, or chip." I was disappointed to find that one of the sets I ordered was already showing signs of rust -- even though the set was unused and delivered in a "sealed" box, all four handles had rust marks B0007D6FO0:scary_to_open:trish_kobialka_"wishtrish" B0007D6FO0 Cuisinart 15 Piece Cutlery Set: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1 of 1 2.0 November 20, 2006 Trish Kobialka "wishtrish" Gilbert, AZ United States I bought this set of knives 2 years ago. I have not experienced the rust or pock marks that other reviewers have, and I have been pleased with the way my knives have stayed sharp even with a LOT of use. The purpose for my buying this set was because of the locking feature. I have little children at home and wanted to make the knives inaccessable to them. Unfortunately the locking mechanism is a little too hard to open for me. Mine gets stuck on lock and then I can't get it open without pulling on it with great force. And when you are pulling on something full of sharp knives, that is a little uncomfortable to say the least. I have worried more than once that the force I have had to use to open it would cause the knives to all fly out when it came free. They never have, but it is unnerving. I tried to contact Cuisinart about it, to no avail. No complaints on the knives, and I love that there are extra slots in the block for expanding the set, which I have. But don't buy the product strictly for the locking feature, it is not worth it B000095RC4:bad_product!:suzy_f._homemaker B000095RC4 CDN DTP392 Digital Probe Thermometer: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 June 10, 2006 Suzy F. Homemaker Hollywood, FL USA This thermometer lasted about a month before going in to permanent "Hi" mode. What a ripoff B000E5S4MW:disappointed:sandstone B000E5S4MW Vornado 530B 3 Speed Compact Air Circulator, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 1.0 October 29, 2006 Sandstone Salem, OR United States Bought my first Vornado years ago, and is the best fan I've ever seen. Decided to get a second one... purchased this model. First unit had bad vibration, returned it. Second unit less vibration, but very noisy. Also returned. When I compare this unit to my original Vornado, the quality of construction is noticeably much inferior. I don't know if this applies to the rest of the Vornado lineup or not. B000E5S4MW:very_average:renee_scheltiens B000E5S4MW Vornado 530B 3 Speed Compact Air Circulator, Black: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2.0 September 13, 2006 Renee Scheltiens More money then its worth. Makes alot of noise, small, no oscillation B00004OCIW:i_love_oxo_products_but_this_was_a_huge_disappointment!:rj B00004OCIW OXO Good Grips Trigger Ice Cream Scoop: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 2 of 2 1.0 April 11, 2006 RJ Mine broke on the 3rd use! No need to say anymore B000FIR48S:don't_buy_it!:k._shah B000FIR48S Remanufactured iRobot Roomba 4100/4300 Intelligent Floorvac Robotic Vacuum, Red: Kitchen & Housewares kitchen & housewares 7 of 14 2.0 November 5, 2006 K. Shah New York, NY Worked great the first couple of times. I didn't keep it on the charger for 24 hours (not realizing that this is a problem) and now the battery only works for 10 minutes at a time. It's now basically worthless